Maximum Impact Alternative

Maximum Impact Alternative
Voice Crystal
Format : Audio CD
Review by Clif Marsiglio
Saturday, October 31, 1998

Just a quick review this time. I've had this disc sitting around for several years...actually this may be he oldest disc II have in my collection. Unlike the rest of the discs I've picked up a few years ago, this is the only one I stil use. The copyright date is listed at 1992 but it is still one of the best sources for old skool goth sounds.

The Maximum Impact Alternative sample collection is based on the sounds of 80's goth and the early industrial scene. Think anything goth/industrial pre-NIN if you're old enough back in the days when the genres were pretty much the same and when you could count on liking anything by Depeche Mode, the Cure, early Ministry or the entire WaxTrax! label for that matter (they were all pretty much interchangable...get the blackbox if ya don't believe me).

This disc contains eerie drones, cheesy sound effects, analogue sounding synths, digital and FM sounding synths and about nine tracks of drums. No loops. The disc rings in right at 55 minutes and there are a healthy dose of silence between each sample. 34 tracks of sounds and not one is wasted. The sounds are sorted into four main categories. Machines and sounds of urban decay are the gothic fx with sound names as 'Forging with Evil'and 'Industrial Texture #1'. The next is 'THE Drums' (sic) which is self explanatory. Bass the Final Frontier again self explanatory and finally Samples and Synth Sounds which kinda sound like M&SoUD but more synthy with sounds such as 'circus in Hades', otherwise known as a pipe organ, or 'foreboding pad'.

Overall this is a great disc if your looking for anything in this genre. If you don't love the angsty yet melancholy early eighties you're gonna hate this... 5 or 0 stars you decide.

UPDATE 11/24/98 : Check out their website. All Tracks are listed and several have audio samples.