Allied Vision – MMBO

Back in 1995 I listened to a lot of EBM, so naturally I bought “Elektrauma vol. 2”. On that compilation many new bands were present that later would become very popular, like Covenant, VNV Nation, Terminal Choice and In Strict Confidence, but also of course some acts that would never make it to a succesful career. For some time I thought Allied Vision to be one of the later category. This Spanish act from Oskar Storm made a good impression on me with their contribution to that sampler, with the dark instrumental track ‘Flooded in Blood’. I also appreciated their debut album Unburied on the then leading electro label Zoth Ommog. That record was remarkable, because it was much darker and harder to digest than most EBM releases at that time, with a really oppressive atmosphere. An influence must have been yelworC, and I think Allied Vison later was an inspiration for Hocico.

But after this debut it became silent around the band, and Zoth Ommog collapsed. I was amazed that after years suddenly a new album came out (on their own label), with the title Man Must Be Overcome (MMBO). This new album is as dark and heavy as the debut, but the sound is modern and fresh. Although fresh is probably not an appropriate term to use for Allied Vison, because the musical style is very aggressive. Walls of sound, many layers of electronics, emotional distorted screaming vocals, difficult beats and melodies. I don’t think this album is very suited for the dancefloors, because the songs are not catchy enough for the average electro fan. But MMBO is very suited when you need to get rid of too much energy and aggression..
By the way, the Allied Vison website is worth checking out!

artist: Allied Vision
label: Intracraneal Possession
details: 10 tracks