Zwaremachine – Conquest 3000 (Album – Phage Tapes)

Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: “Conquest 3000” is the second album of the American formation Zwaremachine. This band, driven by Mach Fox and completed by ‘Dbot’ and ‘Dein Offizier’ took me by surprise by its promising debut album “Be A Light” (2018) followed by a few EP’s. “Conquest 3000” was also released as an EP right before the release of this new opus.

Content: The fans of Zwaremachine will easily recognize the songs featured at the EP “Ripping At The Fabric” and the previously mentioned EP/Single “Conquest 3000”. Four new songs have been added. The sound and style of the project hasn’t really changed; mixing Dark-Electro with efficient EBM. The songs are mainly composed with electronics, but achieved with guitar sounds. The songs are powerful and there’s a constant danceable tempo running through the tracklist.

+ + + : Zwaremachine not only confirms its potential revealed at previous works, but even moves a step further. The composition is elaborated and accomplished with real intelligence. Aggressive sequences and solid bass lines have been carried by pumping rhythms, but you’ll also notice a great, dark atmosphere hanging over the songs. There’s also a perfect twist between more explicit EBM songs and pure Dark-Electro cuts. Zwaremachine brings all these influences together, like an imaginary offspring between Nitzer Ebb and Frontline Assembly. I also like the production of the vocals, which is powerful, but not abusing the distortion effect. 

– – – : The single regret I can think about is that I already knew 6 tracks from the tracklist, but on the other side it’s also pretty cool to get these EP-songs now on a physical copy -and album.

Conclusion: Zwaremachine more than confirms its successful debut and potential; “Conquest 3000” sounds to me as one of the best albums of the year in the Dark-Electro & EBM style.

Best songs: “International Hero”, “What We Are”, “Ripping At The Fabric”, “Conquest 3000”, “Resist”, “Until Tomorrow”, “Parasol”.

Rate: 9.

Artist: www.facebook.com/zwaremachine

Label: https://phagetapes.miiduu.com / www.facebook.com/phagetapes