Band: Genghis Tron | Album: Signal Fire | Genre: Post-metal, Industrial, Cybergrind | Year: 2026
From: Poughkeepsie, USA | Label: Relapse
For fans of: Dillinger Escape Plan, Nine Inch Nails, BTBAM
Genghis Tron’s last album, 2021’s Dream Weapon, was my introduction to the band. It was also a rather sharp break with their first two records. Where their first two were scourging mixtures of electronica, grindcore, and mathcore, the lush textures and restrained tempos of Dream Weapon were downright relaxing by comparison.
Their new album, Signal Fire, then, is something of a return to their earlier sound. It’s not entirely without the spacey post-rock elements that dominate on Dream Weapon, but this is a much more intense and aggressive release.
“I Am All” kicks the album off with a staccato synth pattern and a sense of urgency. I’m not nuts about the unclean vocals on stretches of this song. It’s a style common in many genres of metal that end in -core, and that’s simply not something I like. In the context of the music, though, I would consider it an effective choice. I really enjoy the way the textures evolve, gradually becoming more oppressive and anxious.
The title track comes next, an upbeat, sub-two-minute piece. There’s a punky, garage rock energy to this song that I love, along with some very fun, unorthodox chords and riffs. Coming straight out of that is “Future Worship”. This piece is more akin to the material on Dream Weapon, but a bit heavier. It’s melodic and synth-fueled, with some beautiful lead guitar lines.
“Like Fotochrom” is another short piece, this one centered on looping, echoing synths. After that brief and relaxing interlude, “Tomorrow Mirage” explodes with screams and distorted keys and guitars. Industrial synths buzz harshly over a thumping drum pattern, and the way the band gradually ups the intensity is impressive. The music is furious, desperate, and absolutely crushing. In the song’s second half, things slow down and the piece becomes a mournful bit of electronic rock.
“Nothing Blooms in the Hollow” sees the band’s fury come roaring back, this time in a context rooted more in rock and metal, rather than industrial and electronica. Traces of classic space rock acts like Hawkwind are noticeable, and the band does a great job at varying textures and dynamics as this piece progresses. I especially love the percussion in the second half of the song.
“Without Form” offers a much-needed breather after that pair of absolutely pummeling compositions. A throbbing synth pulse provides just enough momentum to keep it moving as synth pads bubble in the background.
And boy is it good we got that breather, because “Born Prey” pulls no punches in its opening moments, immediately assaulting the listener with black metal-tinged riffage and tortured screams. This mood doesn’t persist for the whole song; things eventually do slow down. The tempo moves from an uncompromising tornado to a steady march driven by growling bass and atmospheric synthesizers. This song becomes increasingly electronic as it progresses, ending up in a beautiful place with multi-part vocal arrangements and relatively warm synth tones.
After a brief, relatively calm intro, “A Love So Pure” returns to the band’s cybergrind roots. Mathcore riffs and occasional synth inclusions make for a tense and suffocating experience.
The album concludes with “New Gods”. Its opening reminds me of certain Steven Wilson songs, with its moody and minimal electronic backing and cynical lyrics. As it progresses, this song continues to draw melodically from synthpop, albeit in a minor-key and downcast form.
Signal Fire, in many ways, is a more mature version of Genghis Tron’s first two records. I don’t particularly like those first two releases (see my above-noted distaste for more “-core” subgenres), so this maturation and diversification of their sound is much-welcomed. Overall, I enjoyed this record more than I expected I would based on the very first moments of it. There’s a clever blend of crushing metal and interstellar synth patterns, as well as some other further-afield inclusions. I still prefer Dream Weapon over this, but it’s pretty solid.
Score: 82/100
The Elite Extremophile 