MASTER BOOT RECORD’s official record-label bio makes it clear where the Italian project’s eighth full-length album should be categorised: “To put it simply—this is metal done with a synth.” Songwriter and technology enthusiast Victor Love composed this music using computer programs, not physical instruments. That translates to aggressive instrumental songs with numerical titles, based on a foundation of jackhammering beats, chaotic chiptune riffs and textures, and deft arrangements informed by classical music. Personal Computer is a noticeable sonic upgrade from past MASTER BOOT RECORD releases: Love upgraded his production and mixing software to achieve a richer sound with more musical layers and emotional depth. For anyone who spent hours after school playing video games, tracks like “80186” and “80586” should conjure fond memories of anxiously trying to conquer a tough final boss, while the slower, stinging “80486SX” is the sound of 16-bit triumph.