In the dark ages of electronica, Front 242 were the band that turned punk kids onto new wave and new wave kids onto industrial. In effect, they bulldozed a path for peers Skinny Puppy, and later NIN, while giving their watered-down emulators something more to aspire to than a mere fashion statement. That was then.
Back to the future – 242 return with (:Re:boot: Live ‘98), a chronicle of their live performance. Sadly, there’s only a couple of moments where they sound relevant, like on the classics “Headhunter” and “Welcome To Paradise.” Listening to this album I can’t help but think that although this music was vital at the time it was issued, nowadays it sounds rather old. I’m sure that at the local concert hall it would be much more entertaining but here on disc it seems flat. Strictly for the most rabid 242 fans. Metropolis Records, P.O. Box 54307, Philadelphia, PA 19105; http://www.metropolis-records.com
