Front by Front is the fourth studio album by Front 242, released in 1988, and has been labelled as “easily one of the greatest industrial albums ever made”.[1] The album was reissued in 1992 by Sony Music Entertainment. The song “Headhunter” became an industrial dancefloor hit, accompanied by a music video directed by Anton Corbijn, and has since been subject to over 20 remixes.
Miss Kittin used “First In / First Out” on her mix album A Bugged Out Mix.[2]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [3] |
| MusicHound | 4/5[4] |
| NME | 9/10[5] |
| Record Mirror | 4/5[6] |
| Select | 5/5[7] |
| The Village Voice | B−[8] |
Front by Front was one of Wax Trax! Records‘ most successful releases, selling more than 90,000 units in its first run.[9] The album, and its lead single “Headhunter“, elevated the public awareness of EBM and industrial music in the late 1980s.[10]
In 2019, Pitchfork ranked it at number 6 in its list of the “33 Best Industrial Albums of All Time”.[11] In 2023, Consequence ranked it at number 9 in its list of the “50 Best Industrial Albums of All Time”.[12] Spin named it one of the ten essential industrial records.[13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Until Death (Us Do Part)” | 4:30 |
| 2. | “Circling Overland” | 4:43 |
| 3. | “Im Rhythmus Bleiben” | 4:14 |
| 4. | “Felines” | 3:34 |
| 5. | “First In/First Out” | 3:52 |
| 6. | “Blend the Strengths” | 3:13 |
| 7. | “Headhunter v3.0″ | 4:45 |
| 8. | “Work 01” | 3:28 |
| 9. | “Terminal State” | 4:09 |
| 10. | “Welcome to Paradise v1.0 (CD edition bonus track)” | 5:18 |
| Total length: | 41:46 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | “Headhunter v1.0” | 5:01 |
| 12. | “Never Stop! v1.0” | 3:56 |
| 13. | “Work 242 N.Off is N.Off” | 5:18 |
| 14. | “Agony (Until Death)” | 2:43 |
| 15. | “Never Stop! v.1.1” | 4:24 |
| 16. | “Work 242” | 6:29 |
| Total length: | 69:37 | |
Notes
The 1992 bonus tracks were originally released on the Never Stop! EP, except for “Headhunter v1.0” which was originally released on the Headhunter EP.
Personnel
Front 242
- Jean-Luc De Meyer – vocals
- Daniel Bressanutti – keyboards
- Patrick Codenys – keyboards
- Richard Jonckheere – drums
Additional personnel
- Frédéric Boebaert – art direction
- Greg Calbi – mastering, remastering
- Alain Verbaert – photography
References
- ^ a b Raggett, Ned. “Front by Front – Front 242”. AllMusic. Retrieved 1 February 2009.
- ^ Miss Kittin – A Bugged Out Mix By Miss Kittin (CD) Discogs. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). “Front 242”. Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Groves Dictionaries. pp. 2043. ISBN 1-561-59237-4.
- ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). “Front 242”. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. p. 461–462. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
- ^ Fadele, Dele (3 December 1988). “Front 242: Front by Front”. NME. p. 34.
- ^ Jelbert, Steve (17 December 1988). “Front 242: Front by Front”. Record Mirror. Vol. 35. p. 32. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ Scott, Danny (August 1992). “Front 242: Geography / No Comment / Back Catalogue / Official Version / Front by Front”. Select. No. 26. p. 102.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (5 September 1989). “Consumer Guide”. The Village Voice. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
- ^ Smith, Rod (27 March 2014). “Wax Trax: An Introduction”. Red Bull Music Academy. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ Dicker, Holly (21 August 2018). “Join in the chant: Inside the cult of EBM”. Resident Advisor. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ “The 33 Best Industrial Albums of All Time”. Pitchfork. 2019-06-17. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
- ^ “50 Best Industrial Albums of All Time”. Consequence. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 2024-04-03.
- ^ Chow, Alexander (October 2003). “Essential Industrial”. Spin. p. 60.
