The Pitch: French multi-instrumentalist and mastermind L.F. (also of Autokrator) returns with a compilation album consisting of the Diktatura EP (2007) and Vlast (2011). It's another dark descent into blackened industrial madness.
What I Like: I have been impressed with L.F. since I heard the first Autokrator LP. He has a keen ear for turning dense, morbid walls of digital drums and insidious symphonics into an oppressive and engaging experience. I also appreciate that the industrial elements are less an afterthought and more at the forefront of each composition like 3TEETH and Kommandant. It gives everything a slightly more retro edge that this Skinny Puppy fanboy eats up.
What I Don't Like: Things can occasionally get repetetive. I wasn't bored, but it's kind of like when you're watching a movie or playing a game and the scene drags just long enough to pull you back out of the experience. With an album like this I should never become self-aware. Luckily this was not a consistent or serious problem, but a little concise trimming to certain tracks could tighten the album up.
The Verdict: Totalitarian Industrial Oppression is an industrial metal brainwashing that is probably my favorite L.F. release since Autokrator. While this is old material and tracks can run together at times, I enjoy the overall experience and would certainly recommend this to fans of the extreme industrial and symphonic black metal genres.
Flight's Fav's: "Kadyrovski Klan," "Alkhan-Kala," "Incipit SSSR"