EP Review: IAMX — UNMASKED
Of all the chapters in the IAMX catalog, the Fault Lines arc stands as the one that frontman Chris Corner has most meticulously developed to date, beginning in April of 2023 with the release of “The X ID” as the lead single of Fault Lines¹ and now spanning two full-length albums, most recently extended by UNMASK, released alongside IAMIXED: Reworks Fault Lines Albums 1 and 2.
UNMASK undeniably has its own charms. The release opens with “Grass Before The Scythe (ArtBleedsMoney Rework),” first surfaced in a 2025 music video that saw Corner — for the first time — shoot an entire video using an iPhone. The remix then gives way to a lean collection, including both an early mix and the previously released final version of the recent single “Artificial Innocence,” alongside “There Will Be Times When I Will Need To Hurt You,” a track previously unheard outside the physical edition, and “Radical Self-Love,” which appeared on Fault Lines¹ three years prior. Of the five, only one is a song that digital listeners have not heard in some form before.
The opening rework earns its placement. Stripping “Grass Before The Scythe” back to its frame, the original’s synth parts are repurposed through speed modifications into something slender and less crowded. The UNMASK mix of “Artificial Innocence” is the more intriguing inclusion. Pitched slightly down and driven by piano rather than the synths that fuel the final version, the mix retains the track’s tone while trading its polish for glitchy drums closer to Fault Lines¹ than to where the song eventually landed. Hearing the two side by side clarifies how much the track evolved through its development.
“There Will Be Times When I Will Need To Hurt You,” a physical rarity before this release, is a gloomy ballad built on off-grid electronic drums that pull against the melody, keeping the track from getting stale. “Radical Self-Love” continues the mood and fits within the context of the release, though three years on from Fault Lines¹, it reads more like a deep cut given new life by the surrounding material.
Taken on its own terms, UNMASK is a noteworthy release. The rework, along with the early mix, adds thoughtful context to the era, and the new song is strong enough to make you wonder whether Corner has left behind any additional material. He has described this collection as belonging to neither the Fault Lines family nor the next body of work, and that in-between status is exactly what the EP delivers: a well-assembled companion piece. Devotees of the era will find plenty here. Anyone holding out for a hint of where IAMX plans to go next sonically, however, will have to keep waiting.
Listen to UNMASK here
7.0/10
Once a tour-only rarity, the material that didn’t quite fit Fault Lines² finally finds a home on UNMASK.
