Chasing Ghosts

Recentering themselves over two decades after 2001's excellent but misunderstood LP, '90s alt-metal survivors revive their peak industrial-goth sound to maximum effect on the long-awaited . Following that most recent full-length, this returns the band to the quintessential sound of their heyday: corrosive mechanizations set to driving beats and urgent delivery of scathing, self-flagellating lyrics. For this iteration of , alumni (guitars) and (drums) join founding members vocalist/guitarist and programmer . With early producer in tow, this is the album that fans were likely expecting as a follow-up to 1998's . Exploding to life with the cacophonous "I Am Nothing," everything from the downcast lyrics, desperate delivery, and crunching sonics ticks off all the boxes on the checklist (without falling into nostalgic retread territory), transporting listeners back to a time when was still a thing and were writing a follow-up to . "Dead and Gone" and "Wasteland" have the same potent effect. As the former bashes and bleeds its way over a pogo-drum assault and clanking breakdown, the latter track is a no-frills storm of discordant guitars and muscular drumming fit for a post-apocalyptic hellscape. "Cold" is anything but, a throbbing merger of early and that, at times, sounds eerily familiar to a song should be familiar with: 's take on "Blue Monday." "Damaged Goods" lays a thick pulse over borderline-sensual deep breathing (think ), before a distraught screams, "Don't try to save me" atop a chaotic riff breakdown. Of these classic industrial anthems, "Control Z" is an absolute standout earworm that might have been a radio smash in another era. With shimmering new wave gloss and a buzzing underbelly, it manages to find the Venn diagram sweet spot between anyone who has ever felt regret in a relationship and those familiar with keyboard shortcuts. Amongst the rage and aggression, also features a handful of restrained and thoughtful midtempo cuts aimed at the heartstrings and tear ducts. While "Crawl" and "Ghost" put 's heart on his sleeve -- a pair of anguished slow burns for the self-titled fans -- the seven-minute epics "Push" and "The End" imagine a reality where were the ones who recorded . Of this quartet of mosh-pit breaks, "Push" is a centerpiece statement, swirling through the ether of a beautiful synth expanse that finds at his most heartbroken and earnest. Altogether, is 's most focused and potent statement to date, an unexpected feat that arrived decades later than expected. It's what fans have been waiting for for over 20 years. ~ Neil Z. Yeung