by Aly Muilenburg (@purity0lympics)
“Was it worth the wait?” The question is found on the lips of long-time fans whenever a band returns from a hiatus, break-up, or period of silence. The time spent away from music rarely ever benefits a band; it only raises expectations beyond any reasonable point. Genghis Tron didn’t do themselves any favors in 2010 when they posted a MySpace message that guaranteed eventual new music at the same time as it announced their hiatus.
Their much-anticipated return overcomes impossible standards by doubling down on a new sound. When the band publicly reunited in August 2020, they brought along an expanded lineup, promises of an impending album, and Kurt Ballou, producer of their previous two albums. Dream Weapon, Genghis Tron’s third LP, exceeds any expectations set by the furious strength of their 2008 release, Board Up the House. Much of this is due to the introduction of drummer Nick Yacyshyn, who replaces the plethora of drum machines that gave earlier records their cybernetic sheen, and new vocalist Tony Wolski.
Genghis Tron’s new mindset is instantly apparent from Dream Weapon’s song lengths. Highlights from their back catalog (the nearly-11 minute “Relief” comes to mind) have toyed with this direction, but the band leans hard into expansive compositions with over half of Dream Weapon’s tracks surpassing the five minute mark. The restlessness that has previously inspired founding members Michael Sochynsky (keys/programming) and Hamilton Jordan (guitar) is revitalized by the group’s maniacal melding of digital and human elements. More than ever, Genghis Tron fuses the progressive technicality of the cybergrind genre tag with a healthy dose of komische music and cosmic ambitions.
Dream Weapon’s first proper track “Pyrocene” serves as a mission statement — heaviness isn’t offset by rhythmic precision; familiar prog metal tendencies melt into the pure novelty of hearing a band launch itself into left-field so shamelessly and immediately. Their willingness to go long and go hard at the same time almost seems to be a reaction to the more straightforward elements of Board Up the House. Genghis Tron found themselves at a crossroads — fixate on compositional precision and focused songs or let themselves run wild with whatever ideas crossed their minds. It seems more than possible that they could have recreated the spontaneous specificity of the past, but I’m more than glad that they elected to pursue a path of spaced-out ambiance and unabashed absurdity.
By ignoring any boundaries, self-imposed or otherwise, the quartet has made the most unique and accessible record of their career. They manage to ignore any hype they may have accumulated and, to put it simply, do whatever the hell they want. “Alone in the Heart of Light” starts out sounding more like an Aphex Twin track than anything that would even remotely be considered “metal” or “hardcore.” By allowing every idea to have the space it needs to breathe, the band has crafted something more transcendent than anyone could have imagined. I’m not sure if metal purists would be infuriated by the electronic elongation of a song like “Ritual Circle” or not, but hearing Genghis Tron take full advantage of their sonic spectrum is sure to send some heads spinning.
There isn’t a moment wasted on Dream Weapon. The quartet embarks on a gorgeous and curious new stage of their journey, absorbing the lessons of a lengthy career. They reject a decade’s worth of expectations and rebuild their sound in a new image, whether it’s passages of archaic synths and vivacious drums or pummeling avant-garde time signatures and riffs.