Crushed by the System

I wanted to kick off the EP with a track that exemplifies Vicious Alliance. With its modulating synth intro, militant samples taken from WWII documentaries, driving hooks, and epic strings; Crushed by the System represents everything we are as musicians. I wrote the lyrics on a train ride to Philadelphia. All I could think about is the plummeting world economy, and the parallels being made between our times and the era of the Great Depression. Probably since the dawn of time, the margin between living in poverty and making a living is paper thin. My vocals are very heavily processed on this track, but Miss Natalia sounds divine. Try catching the sly vocoding during the chorus. This is not my favorite track, but it’s Vicious Alliance.

II Ice Age (2008 Version)

Anyone who listens to Vicious Alliance has heard II Ice Age. It is by far our fan favorite and is the only track which I can say that the live crowd has sung with us from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Allentown, PA. We decided to really kick it into high gear by making this track over into a club anthem. On the 2008 version, the strings are played up and the synth is even more driving. The themes of nuclear winter and lost hope are even more apparent because we added some truly lovely samples to the track such as “everything I cared about, everything I worked for has been for a future that longer exists” and “it was all for nothing”. Miss Natalia’s vocals have also been given a big boost. You can hear her harmonizing within the track and the great quality of her vocals now stands out.

Our Regiment Is Departing

This is the first time an instrumental Vicious Alliance track is released to the public. Our Regiment is a short militaristic affair, complete with marching drums and a trumpet. I wanted to really bring our old war concept to life on Crushed By The System. What better track to do this then a short romantic ballad of troops marching trough a city, down to the docks, onto a ship and to the trenches? In the words of our good friend Dan Barrett (WOTE), “I’m so very glad to finally hear a so called ‘militant’ band make a track that sounds halfway militant.”

Cannon Fodder

Naturally following Our Regiment is Cannon Fodder, showing exactly what is happening to the poor boys shipped to the front. Cannon Fodder has an odd history. We originally performed this track live because of its driving force and high energy, but never got around to recording it, because Natalia and I wanted to pull off our sing song vocals flawlessly. When we finally began working with Mechanical Harvest Studios, our idea became reality and Cannon Fodder went from being a discarded track to my personal favorite on the EP. There is something so powerfully moving about this track that I can’t put my finger on. I think my vocals and Natalia’s are both the best on this track. They align perfectly with the aggressive synths and epic strings. Fans of WWI history will appreciate this track. It’s pretty much an anthem for those troops who used to pin their names on their uniforms before attacking enemy trenches.

II Ice Age (Die Sektor Remix)

Die Sektor’s remix of II Ice Age is incredibly unique. There has always been a great friendship between Vicious Alliance and Die Sektor, and I was confident in their ability to imprint their trademark Die Sektor sound on one of our tracks. I can’t really describe this song. It’s so aggressive. The changes in mood throughout this song are incredible. I didn’t know how it would be possible to make a dance floor track like II Ice Age even more dance floor, but they did.

Where Soldiers Fall

This track was originally created for Rachel Haywire’s Machine Kunt: Extreme Women in the Dark Future compilation. Her compilation is a showcase for female artists in the industrial scene. Naturally we wanted to represent our girl Natalia Kowalski and her beautiful voice. When we combined our uplifting Vicious Alliance sound with an entirely female fronted track; the results almost sounded like a trance ballad. It is a very linear, but a very dark and romantic song. Where Soldiers Fall has proven remarkably popular. How many men have had to leave their women behind to fight someone else’s war? “Promise me you’ll come back for me. I promise I’ll come back for you.” I still get chills when I hear that kind of thing. This song was a must for our EP.

This Awful Contagion

I really wanted to include this track on the compilation because it is the most brutal Vicious Alliance track ever made. There are some truly great samples in this song! I feel This Awful Contagion is the lamenting of leaders who have chosen to unleash chemical weapons in war. Sometimes what might look like a war winning opportunity will only serve to bite you in the ass in the long run. I wonder if the people who developed the first chlorine and mustard gas weapons in WWI ever felt regret when they saw their own troops counter-gassed by the enemy. My vocals in the track are crazily thick and ultra low. I feel it adds a great hard edge to the high pitched synths and double bass drums. Natalia again shines during the chorus, and this might be her most powerful ending on any of our tracks.

Where Soldiers Fall (Worms of the Earth Remix)

Dan Barrett of Worms of the Earth is so multi-talented that I knew he could pull off a flawless remix of this song. A lot of people familiar with his work will wonder how a hard ass power noise connoisseur like him could work with female vocals and a melody driven song. Heavy on the vocoding and full of dark atmosphere, this track is actually depressing in a beautiful way. Whispered samples, crunching beats, computer glitches….a must-listen.

Victory Waltz

I have the least to say about this track other then it is written in the same vein as Our Regiment. I wanted it sound like an old record being played during the middle of an aerial bombardment. I think it’s a perfect closer and harbinger of our album to come.