"Official Version" is the album in which Front 242 honed their sound and delivered a hit single in the form of "Masterhit".
Here I am playing a copy of the original UK LP which I bought from the same shop in Hull where I acquired "No Comment".
Things kick off with the epic "W.Y.H.I.W.H.G." which has always been one of my favourite 242 tracks. I love the samples on this song and everything seems to gel perfectly. "They're coming down! They're coming down! They're coming down for you!"
"Rerun Time" is another example of a track that seems to flow effortlessly and has plenty of tricks to keep the listener interested. "Television Station" completes the opening trilogy of perfect brooding EDM with its pounding rhythms and dark vocals. I've never been a big fan of "Aggresiva Due" simply because of the distorted electric guitar that features through out, but it is still very interesting.
The single "Masterhit Parts 1 and 2" will be well known to anyone with even a passing interest in EBM or industrial music. This track is catchy and has a good melody under the burbling synths and deadpan vocals. After about five minutes the track moves into "Part 2" which is a more instrumental section that builds into a swirling cacophony before ending abruptly.
The title of the album is derived from the lyrics to "Slaughter" which features some fantastic Emulator marcato strings alongside the usual driving rhythms. My favourite track on here is "Quite Unusual" which is a new version of the track released on the "Inception" E.P. the year before. "Red Team" is a beat driven instrumental that trundles along quite nicely before the television evangelism of "Angst" sees us out. 4/5
