Floppy Disk Overdrive

My favorite sentient AI strikes again. Master Boot Record is an artist whose music I found enjoyable from time to time, but nothing in its catalogue stuck out as exceptionally good. That changed when the previous release "Internet Protocol" came into existence and fixed many glaring flaws present in the earlier albums. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and after listening to this new release, I can claim that this machine has managed to surpass itself again, thanks to a more consistently great set of songs and some new outside influences.

The MBR sound is comprised of many radically different things that work very well with one another. Each and every instrument here is synthesized, creating a sort of cybernetic/demoscene aesthetic. The arrangements shift between many different styles of metal - there's a bit of thrash, groove, power metal and even djent in the guitar parts. They are topped off with abundant classical melodies and technical synth acrobatics that do a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat, and are flashy without deteriorating into wankfests - there's no point to excessive technicality if everything's synthesized, as is the case here. The package is rounded with references to old technology. The tracks here are named after the files you would find on a DOS installation floppy disk. The cover art shows said floppy disk in a very pitiful state - I can't fathom what "overdrive" it has gone through to end up like this. Don't worry, this is in no way indicative of the music.

Speaking of the music, it's just as great as it always has been. The tracks are well-structured and full of great hooks and great riffs to keep you headbanging. The stylistic changes are executed properly, as all of them serve to actually develop the songs and not abruptly interrupt whatever was happening earlier. "CHKDSK.EXE" is my favorite track here, as it maximizes all of those qualities. Unfortunately, the longer tracks still left me wanting more. While "EDIT.COM" is amazingly paced and full of great melodies, "RAMDRIVE.SYS" and "HIMEM.SYS" can't quite keep me from becoming bored before they're over.

While the core sound remains the same, this album does show an increase of outside influences compared to previous releases. The most noticeable change is the addition of a harpsichord. It's still synthesized, of course, but it sounds rather close to a real one. The other difference is an increased dosage of more traditional metal arrangements. "SMARTDRV.EXE" is an intense speed metal track that demonstrates this very well. "DBLSPACE.EXE" sounds a lot like Metallica's Black Album, while "DEFRAG.EXE" is what would happen if you took modern power metal and removed the cheesiness from it. "RAMDRIVE.SYS" also contains a piano section that sounds very much like a real instrument. I wonder if this trend will continue in future releases?

Overall, this is another win in the MBR catalogue, and the best that it currently has to offer. This may be signaling a newly-emerging streak of consistent awesomeness from this band, and I am looking forward to what they release next. If you're familiar with this kind of music, get this album. If you aren't, get this album anyway (unless you're allergic to synthesized instruments). You won't find a lot of things that sound like it.