Feature is new industrial act operating from Belgium. Although “Conception” is a cheap demo recording, the raw production fits the music style very good. Feature calls their music ethnic industrial, but it sounds nothing like the ethnic industrial techno of This Morn’ Omina. Feature is just plain industrial combining electronics and guitars. Not in the NIN and Ministry style, but a lot darker and louder.
At times Feature’s music is reminiscent of early day Wumpscut and Suicide Commando, it has the same gloomy and aggressive feeling. The only minor thing is that the songs on this release could have been worked out better. Some tracks like ‘Take my soul’ and ‘What are you?’ could work well on the dancefloor if they would have been structured better. The intros are too long and the songs themselves have some very dancefloor unfriendly moments.
Besides this Conception is a very welcome release among the overdose of semi-industrial and poppy gothic releases at the moment. Feature could well be a promise for the future.
MvG
Indeed a promising demo from this new Belgian project. Feature is a one man project, combining sequencer and guitar. It is a relief to hear some good harsh and cold electro music, amidst all the poppy cyber and future stuff that is coming out at the moment. The demo was recorded in two days, which give the 6 tracks a raw and direct feel. It soon becomes clear that Feature does not create music for too delicate ears.
After a short threatening intro ‘SMPE O’ evolves into a nice instrumental track, with some violent percussion, electric guitars and an electronic sound reminding of early Suicide Commando. It is followed by ‘Take my soul’, my favourite song of this demo. Filled with energy, aggressive distorted vocals, heavy but not too dominant guitars and classic ebm sounds. I quite like the fact that the song has some variation in rhythm and pace, it does not follow a too predictible pattern. The climax is really powerful.
‘What are you’ has a rather long intro, before it bursts into over-the-top industrial crossover. ‘Knowing beauty’ brings us more aggressive electro, reminding me of acts like Hocico. ‘Prepared’ is even louder, with very hard guitars, pounding beats and screaming vocals. The last track ‘Rain’ starts with some soft sounds, but soon gets brutal again, although there is a nice atmospheric background throughout the song.
Feature has really convinced me with this loud and powerful music. A few more subtle parts in the music could perhaps be desirable, to create more atmosphere and variation. But I would not mind if this act would be given the chance to record a ‘professional’ album…
HD
