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Vicious Alliance
Crushed by the System

COP International

Posted: Wednesday, December 03, 2008
By: John Galope
Contributing Columnist

The Philadelphia-based terror EBM act Vicious Alliance has been making a name for itself in the scene with intense nationalistically themed live shows. With their debut EP, Crushed by the System on COP International, Vicious Alliance give people a taste of what they are really all about. Their pervious demos - available on MySpace - made the band sound as if they were just another terror EBM act, but with this EP, they present a sound in transition, breaking out of the generic terror sound, and making something special. While a large amount of Elijah S. Arms' vocals are still done in the heavily distorted terror style, Natalia Kowalski's softer vocals are brought more to the forefront and offer a nice counterbalance, blending well with the harsh beats and loops. As the band is making strides vocally and some of the music is breaking out of the traditions of the genre, most of the music suffers slightly from being pretty stereotypical of terror EBM: harsh beats and loops with grinding distorted vocals for a majority of the songs. While the vocals and themes the band explores start to set them apart from the pack, if this act is to truly make a name for itself, finding a sound all their own, while staying true to their hardcore roots is something they need to try to do to establish themselves as something more than just another terror act. The nationalistic themes of their music and image seem at first glance to be just another gimmick or an act, but after listening to and reading the lyrics, it's clearly something more. They are very relevant to the current political/economic/social climate we are in, and it's apparent that this band has a message it is trying to get across that appears to not only be genuine, but passionate. The tracks "Ice Age (2008)" and "Cannon Fodder" have the potential to become standout club hits as both have strong vocals and very danceable beats. The track "Where Soldiers Fall" has an interesting element of it sounding like it should be a Funker Vogt song, but done with beautiful female vocals, making a very strong song. The EP also contains two remixes by terror and noise standouts Die Sektor and Worms of the Earth. The Die Sektor remix holds on to the terror roots of the song, but adds elements that are almost techno/house-esque, making it a very dance friendly song. The WotE remix is not something you'd expect for the noise act; the remix uses lighter tones and modulates the female vocals in an airy way to make the song a really beautiful experience. The EP altogether is a very strong first outing by a band that seems to have a lot of their stuff together. With a little time and work, Vicious Alliance could really be a standout band in the scene.