Front Line Assembly are set to release their first album in almost six years on Feb 8th. Having rejoined the group in 2016 in a touring capacity, ‘Wake Up The Coma’ also marks the studio return to FLA of Rhys Fulber, thus reuniting him with founder member Bill Leeb in the duo line-up that has already made so many classic electronic records together.

‘Wake Up The Coma’ continues to push the scope of the electro-industrial genre Front Line Assembly helped to define. A teaser single from the record entitled ‘Eye On You’ featured Robert Görl of DAF (one of Leeb’s earliest influences), while the album also includes guest vocal appearances from Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost on the strident title track, Chris Connelly (Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Cocksure) on the Bowie-ish ’Spitting Wind’ and Mindless Self Indulgence frontman Jimmy Urine on a surprise cover version of Falco’s 1986 no. 1 smash hit ‘Rock Me Amadeus’. A reference to Leeb’s own Austrian heritage, perhaps? A video for ‘Rock Me Amadeus' is available now.

Directed by Jason Alacrity, who himself has roots in industrial electronic music and has shot clips for the likes of Skinny Puppy and Combichrist, it features Urine performing half-rapped, half-sneered verses in German over a relentlessly oscillating bass line and exudes Teutonic cool, albeit in a kitsch 80’s way. In red-rimmed shades and skinny pink tie, Urine appears, Max Headroom-style, on an old Sony CRT TV. There are laser lights, old-school threads and vintage video effects, plus a rotating bust of Mozart under Miami Vice lighting. Despite this, the clip feels contemporary and is the ideal accompaniment for a reanimation of a classic pop number that always gets listeners singing along.

Bill Leeb was the founder of Front Line Assembly in 1986. They released several albums between 1988-92 that saw the group establish themselves as electronic/industrial/EBM scene heavyweights, alongside Front 242, Nitzer Ebb & Skinny Puppy (Leeb was previously a member of Skinny Puppy prior to forming Front Line Assembly).