Gashed Senses & Crossfire

The fourth album by Front Line Assembly was also the last involving Michael Balch, but it was a fine way to bow out, as the group’s commanding EBM approach reached heights of precision and overwhelming impact, Bill Leeb’s vocal presence less a ghost in the machine than a dark god in the wires. “Digital Tension Dementia,” the single that broke them through to a wider club audience, has deserved pride of place, but other standouts include the moody rumble of “Antisocial,” the slow burn build of “Shutdown” and the brisk clipped punch of “Bloodsport.”