Full Frontal Lobotomy by Various Artists (Review)

Last year, Carson Pierce, Christian industrial guru, gave us one of the best industrial music compilations yet with Electro-Shock Therapy. The music compilation was so great I wondered how he could ever top it. Well, miracles do occur and the sequel to that smash compilation, titled Full Frontal Lobotomy is finally out. With a full 16 tracks by different artists, Carson has done the impossible and put out a sequel that outdoes the original.

For starters, there is even more variety on Full Frontal Lobotomy than there was on Electro-Shock Therapy. Where that compilation focused mainly on guitar-driven groups, Full Frontal Lobotomy mostly features the more electronic side of the genre. However, there are still songs ranging completely across the musical spectrum of this unique genre. These range from the heavy, NIN-like tracks by Tempestuous All and Coarse to the ethereal, ambient numbers by EnGrave and Thymikon. With Angst and White Trash Inc., the listener gets a taste of two of Christian industrial’s most unique-sounding acts.

The majority of Full Frontal Lobotomy’s 16 songs, however, have a techno-industrial flavor along the lines of Front 242, Skinny Puppy, and Frontline Assembly. Since I like this style so much, I’m tempted to say they’re all great. My favorites are November Commandment’s dark, futuristic “A Second or a Thousand Years,” “Smog” by Global Wave System, and “Social Conditioning” by Cybershadow, which features a real freaky vocal sound.

Yet another notable feature of this superb compilation are the thought-provoking messages of some of the songs. As the title would suggest, “Dead Man Walking” by Tempestuous All was inspired by the movie of the same title and leaves the listener to ponder over the pros and cons of the death penalty. Angst’s “Sex Song” is a satirical commentary on casual sex.

Carson and the bands that contributed to this compilation are to be commended. Hopefully, some of these groups will find major label deals in the near future. My only complaint is the timing of some of the songs. “Decay Displacement,” an otherwise great sounding song by Autovoice, could have been a bit longer than the 2 minutes it clocks in at. Still, I would highly recommend ordering Full Frontal Lobotomy if you have not already done so. You won’t regret it.

Written by James McGinnis. This review originally appeared on the Flaming Fish Music website.