Way back before Spotify or Bandcamp, before Facebook, before even MySpace, there was Mp3.com. It wasn’t very social, but it was the place to check out this new-fangled digital method of music distribution. It was also pretty much a free-for-all place where unknown bands could fight alongside established bands due to lack of industry interest (“this mp3 thing will never catch on!”). Out of this melee, a band by the name of Jagged Doctrine rose to the top of and dominated the industrial charts for years alongside many other well-known names. Fast forward 15 years and Jagged Doctrine is still on top of the new musical landscape, just moving on to better and more social websites. The core musical identity of Jagged Doctrine has mostly been about electronic metal music, sometimes focusing a bit more on one side or the other. Electrocuted finds the band leaning just ever so slightly to the electronic side. A few songs, like “Wrestling With An Angel” and “Not Your Enemy” are all electronic, but metal fans need not fear. The guitars are still present and upfront throughout the album. As a band that has been in the digital world for quite some time, Jagged Doctrine takes a hard look at the “screens that separate” in their lyrics. It’s not always a pretty picture. My favorite song so far is “Lost Battlescar” with its nice interplay of electronic and electric (guitar). There is also a nice tribal beat on “The Invisible Man” as well as a remix of “Don’t Waste Your Time” from The Stalker album by Human 2.7 that closes the album. Jagged Doctrine shows they still have what drove them to the top of the charts back in the day.
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