Genghis Tron has resurfaced with 'Dream Weapon', their first studio release since the critically acclaimed 'Board Up the House' in 2008. The band was on hiatus, and has re-emerged with new members and a noticeably new sound. Original member Mookie Singerman (vocals, keys) is no longer with the group, and his effects-laced frenetic screams and buzzing keys have been replaced by the high-pitched singing of Tony Wolski. The band also has done away with their percussion being implemented by drum machines, bringing in the talents of Nick Yacyshyn (Sumac/Baptists), and the revered/signature production of Kurt Ballou (Converge). While 2/3 of the original members (Hamilton Jordan, Michael Sochynsky) are still here, the band undeniably has moved into a different direction; the longest track (and personal favorite) "Ritual Circle" really stands as the only track you could pick out of the album as something akin to their old styles, if not only for featuring the only scream on the album (**There's some on "Dream Weapon" as well).
Would recommend checking this out whether old fans or new to the band, the production of Ballou (whom also produced their previous two albums) and the drum talents of Nick Yacyshyn alone make this worth checking out, on top of what everyone else brings to the table. I liked the singing of Tony Wolski, even if I anticipated track-to-track a re-kindling of their old hardcore sound that never really arrived. In the band's own words their new album is "more meditative, hypnotic, and maybe psychedelic". Taking it for what it is and not what it was, this is a great album and arguably is as unique as the sound the group became known for; my only minor gripe is that the vocals start to feel too familiar by the album's end, but a lot of that is probably magnified by looking standing back and not forward in the present.
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