The Initial Command
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| The Initial Command | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 1987[1] | |||
| Recorded | August 1987 | |||
| Genre | Industrial, EBM, electro-industrial | |||
| Length | 48:40 (original release) 62:46 (1997 release) | |||
| Label | KK, ROIR, Third Mind, Cleopatra, Zoth Ommog | |||
| Producer | Bill Leeb, Michael Balch | |||
| Front Line Assembly chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 Re-release (1997) | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Rear Garde | Favorable[2] |
The Initial Command is the first full-length studio album released by Canadian industrial band Front Line Assembly, released in 1987 through Belgian label KK.[3]
Release[edit]
Since the 1987 release of The Initial Command, the album has been re-issued several times. American label ROIR released the album in 1990 on cassette[4] with a different cover. It was the first release of the album in the United States[5] and the second Front Line Assembly album released by ROIR after the band's second album State of Mind.[4] British label Third Mind followed in 1992 with a licensed CD version in the United States. Los Angeles–based Cleopatra's and German Zoth Ommog's release in 1997 contained two new tracks and new cover art. This re-release incorrectly listed the second track "Core" as "Intelligence Dream" while the liner notes have the correct title.[6] "Complexity" and "Core" appear to be new songs at the time of release.[6] Polish label Mecanica issued a vinyl edition of the 1997 release in summer 2002,[7] while Cleopatra re-issued a remastered version of the album on September 3, 2022 on vinyl and with the two bonus tracks on CD.[8]
Production[edit]
The music was recorded on a 4-track tape.[9]
Track listing[edit]
All tracks are written by Bill Leeb, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The State" | Bill Leeb, Rhys Fulber | 6:16 |
| 2. | "Insanity Lurks Nearby" | 6:10 | |
| 3. | "Casualties" | Bill Leeb, Rhys Fulber | 4:46 |
| 4. | "Ausgang Zum Himmel" | Bill Leeb, Rhys Fulber | 7:14 |
| 5. | "Nine Times" | 6:27 | |
| 6. | "Black March" | 5:59 | |
| 7. | "No Control" | 6:37 | |
| 8. | "Slaughterhouse" | 5:11 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Complexity" | 7:48 | |
| 2. | "Core" | 6:12 | |
| 3. | "The State" | Bill Leeb, Rhys Fulber | 6:17 |
| 4. | "Insanity Lurks Nearby" | 6:03 | |
| 5. | "Casualties" | Bill Leeb, Rhys Fulber | 4:46 |
| 6. | "Ausgang Zum Himmel" | Bill Leeb, Rhys Fulber | 7:16 |
| 7. | "Nine Times" | 6:30 | |
| 8. | "Black March" | 6:02 | |
| 9. | "No Control" | 6:40 | |
| 10. | "Slaughterhouse" | 5:12 | |
| Total length: | 62:46 | ||
Personnel[edit]
Front Line Assembly[edit]
- Bill Leeb – production, engineering, vocals
- Michael Balch – production (1987 Release), mixing (1987 Release)
- Rhys Fulber (1987 Release 1, 3, 4)
- Chris Peterson – mixing (1997 Re-release 1, 2)
Technical personnel[edit]
- Carylann Loeppky – cover art (1987 Release)
- David Rosychuk – design (1987 Release), artwork (1987 Release)
References[edit]
- ^ Levermore, Gary (1997). Front Line Assembly - Reclamation (booklet). Front Line Assembly. New York: Roadrunner. pp. 2–3.
- ^ Miller, Greg (April 1988). "Front Line Assembly, The Initial Command". Rear Garde. No. 24. Montreal: Squishy Productins. p. 19. ISSN 1185-1937. OCLC 1081144492. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
- ^ Woods, Karen (1990). In the Front Line (booklet). Front Line Assembly. New York City: ROIR. 2.
- ^ a b Woods, Karen (August 25, 1990). "New Music". Cash Box. Vol. 54, no. 4. New York. p. 11. ISSN 0008-7289. OCLC 436591198. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ Jenkins, Mark (January 25, 1991). "Synthetic Appeal of Industrial Mix". The Washington Post. Washington D.C.: Fred Ryan. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 2269358. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ a b "Front Line Assembly > The Initial Command". Mindphaser 3.0. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ van Isacker, Bernard (May 31, 2022). "4 earliest albums of Bill Leeb's Front Line Assembly reissued on double vinyl with bonus tracks". side-line.com. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ^ Yücel, Ilker (July 15, 2021). "Cleopatra Records announces limited edition vinyl reissues of Front Line Assembly's first two albums". ReGen Magazine. Beltsville, Maryland. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- ^ Leeb, Bill (September 1992). "Interview". Flipside (Interview). No. 80. Interviewed by Dan. Pasadena.
