Halo in Reverse- Trials and Tribulations

Band: Halo in Reverse

Album: Trials and Tribulations

Label: Alfa-Matrix

Genre: Industrial, Synthpop

Website: http://www.myspace.com/haloinreverse

Reviewer: Robert Eaton

Date: 5-25-11

Philadelphia’s Halo in Reverse is the solo project of Joshua Steffen. Halo in Reverse’s sound will be familiar to fans of Nine Inch Nails, Filter, and Ministry. The sound is guitar driven with ample programming and synth lines. Trials and Tribulations is released on the Alfa-Matrix label, and has 14 tracks.The album opens with “Somethings Gone Horrible”, in the song, a soft piano line gives over to staccato guitars. “Pop Icon Puppets” rails against celebrity culture. “Sweetest Honey” is slightly more 90‘s synth-pop, at least until the chorus kicks the guitars into high gear. “Falling Apart” laments a scorning lover. “Modesty’s Failure” has some nice moments, especially a funk-influenced guitar line in the verse. “I, Machine” begins with a frenetic drum beat and vocoded vocals, and builds into a noisy crescendo. “Something This Real” has a decidedly pop sensibility, but the vocals seem lethargic. “Whittled to an Edge” is aggressive and stands out later on the album. “Acubens (Alpha Cancril)” is a lush and ethereal instrumental track. In the end, Halo in Reverse’s album Trials and Tribulations goes over some pretty familiar territory. It’s not that the album is bad, just derivative. It’s probably better just to go dig out the albums that this one draws inspiration from.