Genghis Tron: Dream Weapon

Trusting bands that announce farewell tours is like trusting a television weather forecast; they might be right, but there’s always a chance things could change. there’s a chance they are speaking accurately. But when bands announce a hiatus, it’s harder to know what they mean. Just how long is a hiatus anyway? Is a hiatus the same thing as a breakup? Will the band ever really come back? These are the kinds of questions that fans of Genghis Tron asked back in 2010 when the band announced they were going on hiatus. I doubt they meant for it to last this long, but who knows for sure?

Now that the band is back, you might wonder what’s changed. For starters, the band has picked up two new members, Tony Wolski (vocals) and Nick Yacyshyn (Drums). Both are solid additions to the band. Wolski’s vocals are so mellow they never really stand out, at least not in the traditional lead singer way. He performs loud enough that you can hear him, but soft enough that his voice has a nearly ambient quality. I thought he sounded great. The drums also sound great. Genghis Tron has traditionally worked with drum machines and so it’s cool to hear them playing with a real live drummer. Yacyshyn has really good drumming chops. If you listen to the opening moments of “Dream Weapon,� you’ll hear how well he can attack when necessary. And then there are the mellower moments when he channels the bouncy qualities of a synthesized 1980s movie soundtrack.

In addition to the new members, the band has also evolved a little bit. Yes, they still combine elements of extreme music with electronic music, but the band is less prone to grind in the ways they used to. They also seem a bit less inclined toward what some people call nintendocore. Instead, they sound like the soundtrack to one of those late-night movies where the hero drives along a neon-soaked highway just waiting for the inciting incident to kick things off.

This is the kind of music that people might describe in terms of its vibe. It has a pulse and a bounce that keeps you nodding along, but it also has a richness and depth that keeps you thinking. It may even make you feel sleepy because of its generally hypnotic qualities. While all of that is true, the band is hoping listeners won’t completely miss the underlying theme about the earth and the future of humankind. These are familiar themes, but the band works with them effectively. It’s easy to imagine the end of the world, but harder to imagine the world going on without people. Albums like this are wondering about that. What does it mean, for example, to know that most plastic will outlive most of us? Such questions might not be what you’re looking for in an album, but it’s always nice when music makes you think.

If you’re interested in checking out this album, I’d suggest listening to “Ritual Circle,� “Dream Weapon,� or “Alone in the Heart of the Light.� Honestly, the whole album is terrific, but those were the tracks I played the most over the last couple of weeks. If you’re looking for something a little mellower, something that won’t intrude but also won’t leave you alone, this may just be the thing.

Track Listing:
1. Exit Perfect Mind
2. Pyrocene
3. Dream Weapon
4. Desert Stairs
5. Always in the Heart of the Light
6. Ritual Circle
7. Single Black Point
8. Great Mother

Added: April 19th 2021
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Twitter Feed
Hits: 975
Language: english

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