Well, December is here, making one reflect upon this past year. Musically, it's been pretty phenomenal, and, in my opinion, one of the more amazing groups to be born and produce time and time again this year would have to be Rage, LTD. Three robots divided by hate and armed with beats, Rage, LTD. released their introductory and self-titled EP back in late January. A collection of great beats covered with glitchy goodness, it showed a lot of promise. Only a month later, they released their second EP (These Machines Will Now March), much to the delight of the chiptunes community. By April, they had released their third album (Chronicles) just in time to enjoy some herbal ecstasy while listening to the EP. Four months, and three astounding albums, I know I was feeling some excitement over these guys. And then silence. These guys fell off the radar for a while.
Until this week, when they released their new EP, Of Steel. Four for four, these bots are way on target with their releases. Showing a growth in depth, maturity, and production, Rage, LTD. obviously have not been napping in their seven month torpor. Blending an industrial feel with the occasional drum and bass backing, a good portion of the tracks have the ambiance of a dungeon from a Super Nintendo game, and that's definitely meant as a compliment. The nostalgia element kicks in listening to any of the tracks, as I often find chiptunes doing for me, dragging me in to listen closer. Doing so, one can easily be impressed with the tightness of the production value, the head-bobbing beats, and jaw-dropping breadth you get from this EP.
As with all their releases, Of Steel is a free release from their website, so if you're a fan of chiptunes, a dedicated Rage, LTD. nerd, or interested in seeing what the whole glitchy hub bub is about, there is no reason for you to NOT download this album. Peep it out right now for yourself!
[hex]