First released in 1989, much of FACES, FORMS & ILLUSIONS jettisons the rough-hewn bass sequencers of Front Line Assembly mainmen Rhys Fulber and Bill Leeb's previous records for twilight electronic soundscapes that combine the gothic with the modern, the transcendent, and the darkly spiritual. Most of this album is solely the work of Bill Leeb, although Fulber and producer Michael Balch make significant contributions.
Built upon a dense collage of samples (didjeridoos, old Cabaret Voltaire bass sounds and Kraftwerk are most evident) and largely devoid of beats, Leeb traverses many dream states, from the primordial neo-gothic ambience of "New Dawn," through the ancient faux-Hindu synth-streams of "Sword of Islam," to the whispery baroque atmospheres of "Hidden Mask." The disc's highlight, however, lies in the near 20-minute epic "Subvert/Wired Archives/Siege of Atrocity," featuring fascinating swathes of synthesizers, regal tonalities and buzzing electronics.