ARTIST: The Damage Manual
TITLE: Limited Edition
LABEL: Invisible Records / Underground, Inc.
GENRE: Industrial
BITRATE: 192kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 39min total
RELEASE DATE: 22 Feb 2005
RIP DATE: 25 Mar 2005
01. Revenge Fiction 2:40
02. No Act Of Grace 3:43
03. I Am War Again 4:22
04. Mad Dialect 4:49
05. Laugh Track 4:03
06. South Pole Fighters 3:09
07. Quiet Life 3:13
08. Driven Menace 5:11
09. Limited Edition 2:32
10. Expand (Remix By Can) 5:59
Release Notes:
It's been four years since we've heard any new music from the Atkins fueled,
post-punk industrial Super Group, The Damage Manual. The original line up
consisted of Martin Atkins (PIL, Ministry, Killing Joke and Pigface), Chris
Connelly (Ministry and Revco), Geordie Walker (Killing Joke) and Jah Wobble
(PIL).
The first two Damage Manual releases delivered a brand of post punk/industrial
melodic mayhem that was thick, beautiful and intelligent. A perfect marriage of
raw and automated tools manufactured by the pioneers that helped give birth to
the dare I say aforementioned genre of music.
As in any brand of music, the music should always grow and mature into something
else, something better. I am not at all slotting the first two Damage Releases
as Industrial records, because they are not. They are part of the highbred
phoenix of everlasting progress and change. If styles of music were not allowed
to change, Ministry would still be playing Synth-Pop, Fear Factory would still
be a death metal band and Linkin Park would be just another boy band that raps.
Limited Edition brings forth another step in change and growth. Returning to the
fold is Martin Atkins (drums) and Chris Connelly (vocals). Missing is Walker and
Wobble, but in their place is the mastermind behind Hate Dept., Steven Seibold.
With a change in line up, there sometimes comes a change in sound. This may
frighten some die hard fans of the band, however in the case of Limited Edition,
it's the furthest thing from frightening.
The newest Damage Manual offering is a much rawer, stripped down version than
previous works. The electronic element is still present, but not as prominent.
The band takes us on a journey, perhaps influenced by the darker music of the
seventies, eighties and nineties.
The first track, Revenge Fiction has more of a punk feel reminiscent to that of
early Iggy Pop. I Am War Again takes us back to the political ranting of Killing
Joke in both lyricly and sound. Quite Life has a revolutionary, rebellious feel
to it as if in homage to such bands as The Alarm and New Model Army.
The remaining tracks are stand alone masterpieces as well. No Act of Grace
features driving, tribal beats, dark brooding bass and haunting guitars along
with Connelly's hypnotizing vocals which explode into a melodic chorus that
leaves the listener breathless.
In short, The Damage Manual's Limited Edition is a bright shining light in the
dark world of modern rock, coming at you with a sound that has one foot firmly
planted in the underground and the other stepping lightly into the mainstream.
Precisely executed drum beats, driving bass lines, melodic screaming guitars,
intelligent lyrics, hypnotic in your face vocals and really good effin songs
make this a release worth adding to your collection, whether you're a fan or
not.