20 minutes, 35 seconds

Cyberaktif
Nothing Stays

Cyberaktif was the short-lived reunion between Bill Leeb, of Front Line Assembly and Delerium and about a thousand other projects, and Cevin Key, of Skinny Puppy, Download, and about a thousand other projects. Of course, before they went their thousand separate ways, Leeb (at the time known as Wilhelm Schroeder) and Key played together in Skinny Puppy at the dawn of the Vancouver industrial scene back in the early to mid '80s.

The album they released, along with two singles, of which this is the second, caught them at a thaw in their sometimes-fractious relationship. If you listen to the music, it's easy to say, Well, this is what Puppy would have sounded like if Leeb had been their vocalist instead of Ogre. But really, who cares? Would you have wanted a Skinny Puppy without Ogre? The more time I spend with Cyberaktif, the more it sounds like a lame attempt by Leeb to convince Key to record songs with him and get the old band back together. And for what? Leeb already had a good thing going with FLA and Delerium.

To be sure, there are a couple of good songs, "Nothing Stays" probably being the most memorable. But the music is distinctly Bites-era Puppy, and let's remember that Cyberaktif was recording this music between the releases of Skinny Puppy's Rabies and Too Dark Park, two albums that were worlds (and years) apart from Bites. It's as if the Beatles had welcomed Pete Best back to the band during the White Album recording sessions and decided to return to playing "Love Me Do."

Also today:

20:35 Dive, Final Report
20:33 Genitor Lvminis, Virgae
20:23 Hocico, Scars
20:17 Mellonta Tauta, Fishes
20:08 Splatter Squall, Suspiria
20:07 L'Age d'Or, Sad Times
20:06 Detritus, Thresholds
20:05 Fight in Unity, Technical Mind
20:04 Sleepwalk, Immortal Disease
19:51 Cold Fusion, ORP Orzeł (CD 2 of 2)
19:51 Neuroactive, Neuron
19:38 Pow[d]er Pussy, Just 2 Annoy You
19:24 Antigen Shift, This Moment of Cold Remebering
19:21 Sophia, Aus der Welt
19:20 Pow[d]er Pussy, One Day
19:19 Der Blutharsch, Fire Danger Season (CD 2 of 4)
19:17 Attrition, Something in My Eye
19:10 Current 93, Where the Long Shadows Fall
19:06 Gridlock, Under
19:05 Cyberaktif, Temper
18:51 Covenant, Final Man
18:51 Mellonta Tauta, Ocean
18:38 Delerium, Karma (CD 2 of 2)
18:35 Amina, Animamina
18:33 Dive, Lies in Your Eyes
18:32 C/A/T, Worldwide Totalitarian Control
18:32 Einstürzende Neubauten, Pelikanol
18:20 Horologium & K. Meizter, The Dustbin of History
18:14 Stin Scatzor, Industronic
18:08 Apoptygma Berzerk, The 2nd Manifesto
18:04 Lush, Black Spring
18:02 Soman, Revenge
17:52 Ophir, Nichts Ist Verloren