Signal Fire

The future of warfare is here and it’s sonic. Originally a grindcore trio that supplemented their blast beats with chiptunes, Genghis Tron went dormant for a decade and returned, reconfigured, in 2021 with new members and a new sound, spearheaded by original keyboardist Michael Sochynsky and guitarist Hamilton Jordan. Dream Weapon brought them into the digital realm by filtering Nine Inch Nails through a wall of shoegaze amplifier fuzz. This evolves that approach. Vocalist Tony Wolski found the perfect setting: a world enmeshed in a future/present of endless proxy warfare. Signal Fire plunges the listener into a Metal Gear Solid-esque nightmare of human-machine hybridization. It’s not all industrial atmosphere; the aggression makes a return, albeit in a more tempered form, with tortured screams adding some jagged texture to songs like “Tomorrow Mirage.” They expertly weave  Boards of Canada desolation vibes, fetish club beats, and dueling vocals into an experience more immersive than VR. “I Am All” and “Born Prey” make a strong case for robot dominance.