The Sphere

Cool, thanks Ben!

December 2024

1. Blue Stahli - "Obsidian" from Obsidian (2021) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

2. Celldweller - "The Last Firstborn" from Celldweller (2003) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

3. Psyclon Nine - "Crown of the Worm" from Icon of the Adversary (2017)

4. Dawn of Ashes - "Poisoning the Steps of Babel" from Anathema (2013)

5. Red Queen - "Naked" from Star Blood (2016)

6. Marilyn Manson - "In the Shadow of the Valley of Death" from Holy Wood (2000)

7. OOMPH! - "Es ist nichts, wie es scheint" from Richter und Henker (2023)

8. Rammstein - "Angst" from Zeit (2022)

9. Static-X - "Cold" from Machine (2001)

10. Meathook Seed - "Cling to an Image" from Embedded (1993)

11. Fear Factory – "Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)" from Fear is the Mindkiller E.P. (1993) [submitted by Daniel]

12. Red Harvest - "Beyond the End" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

13. The CNK - "Total Eclipse of Dead Europa" from L'hymne à la joie (2007)

14. Dodheimsgard - "Foe X Foe" from Supervillain Outcast (2007)

15. In This Moment - "Mother" from Mother (2020) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

16. PAIN - "On and On" from Rebirth (1999) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

17. Luminous Vault - "Earth Daemon" from Animate the Emptiness (2022)

18. Neurotech - "We are the Last" from Antagonist (2011)

19. Mechina - "Elephtheria" from Empyrean (2013)

20. Turmion Katilot - "Verta Sataa" from Perstechnique (2011) [submitted by Shadowdoom9 (Andi)]

21. Deathstars - "Trinity Fields" from Termination Bliss (2006)

22. Black Magnet - "Hegemon" from Hallucination Scene (2020)

23. Unheilig - "Schneller, höher, weiter" from Astronaut (2006)

24. Samsas Traum - "Es tut uns leid" from Poesie: Friedrichs Geschichte (2015)

25. Ministry - "Cult of Suffering" from HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES (2024)

26. Sybreed - "System Debaser" from Slave Design (20th Anniversary Edition) (2024)

Probably not fitting your Skinny Puppy thing, but Bloodstar fits as an experimental band. Sort of Celtic Frost if they did Industrial Metal kind of thing. (...but bear in mind I'm hardly someone usually listening to Industrial Metal)

The perfect music and lyrics to end the cyber metal adventure of Neurotech's Infra Versus Ultra:

The shortest and weakest failure of Neurotech's debut album:

Bandcamp:

"GODFLESH - A WORLD LIT ONLY BY FIRE 10 year Anniversary.

Unbelievably, in 2024, this album is now 10 yrs old, and to celebrate, here is A WORLD LIT ONLY BY DUB ; 5 extended dubs /alternate versions of songs taken from A WORLD LIT ONLY BY FIRE.

These versions were completed by JKB only recently, after some of these dubs had sat unfinished in a skeletal form for a number of years.

These are extended mutated versions; exploring and pushing the inherently experimental nature of Godflesh, now finalised and somewhat re-contextualised 10 years later.

Dub as transformation…"

Here's my review:

Sydney industrial metal duo Deathless are an act that I've had on my radar for many years but had never gotten around to exploring until now. My main reason for wanting to check them out is fairly simple really. I used to frequent legendary Sydney metal store Utopia Records for many years & one of the two band members Damian Bennett (16-17/Khost) used to work there so I came into contact with him on a regular basis. I'm not sure why I didn't commit to exploring Damian's band at the time but I certainly always intended to. Perhaps it's just the fact that you don't see Deathless' name floating around all that much that caused the extreme delay as I can't say that I was regularly reminded of my omission. The other thing that's intriguing about Deathless though is that they don't have a guitarist in their lineup with the band being comprised of just two bass guitarists (both of who handle the vocal duties at various stages) & a drum machine which is a rare but interesting configuration. Those sort of setups can go one of two ways & I wasn't too sure which direction I'd see Deathless going so this month seemed like a good opportunity to finally answer that age-old question.

Deathless is the brain-child of Bennett & close friend David Quinn of Adelaide noise rock band King Snake Roost. The duo may have first started in Sydney, Australia but Deathless has become somewhat of an international act given that they spent some time in England & are now based in Switzerland. It would be on one of those trips to the UK that Deathless would record their debut album "Anhedonia" which was put to tape in collaboration with co-producer Lee Rumble at Von's Studio in London in July 1992. Rumble wasn't anyone special in terms of metal at the time but the resulting production job is serviceable enough for an early industrial metal act. There's no doubt that the lack of any sort of melodic instrumental component can be fairly grating upon first listen though & I have to admit that I found the album to feel a little flat early on. Industrial metal can be quite cold at the best of times but Deathless take that to a fairly extreme level given the obvious lack of any brightness or melody in their sound to give you some light at the end of the tunnel. Subsequent listens saw me becoming used to the sound of the album though & I'm pleased to say that it opened up progressively more with each revisit.

"Anhedonia" is quite a lengthy release for a debut with the nine tracks running for a fairly substantial 52 minutes. All of those tracks are given ample time to get their message across & there are a couple of examples where two songs run into each other which makes the tracklisting a little difficult to follow, particularly given that the listing on the back of the album isn't reflective of the actual CD track numbers. I managed to figure it out after a couple of listens but it was initially a bit confusing. The record is book-ended by two pieces ("God in the Political Asylum" & "In Heaven") that sit further into the traditional industrial or post-industrial space & I really enjoy both of those inclusions as they have a dark & brooding atmosphere that I totally dig which leaves them sitting as two of the three highlights for me. The other is the excellent industrial rock/metal hybrid piece "In Unmet Chambers Slain I" which snuck up on me over time after initially being one of those that went over my head due to its inherent coldness. There are admittedly a couple of songs that didn't enjoy the same privilege & remained fairly inaccessible for me throughout the whole exercise though with "Sun Turns Through Ash" & "Under the Wood" being a bit of a struggle but generally I found the album to be pretty enjoyable & there was some additional interest added for me in the inclusion of a cover version of Trouble's wonderful "Victim of the Insane" from the American doom metal masters' classic self-titled debut album from 1984, a piece that I regard as being one of my favourite doom tracks of all time.

While I definitely got more into "Anhedonia" more with each listen, I did eventually find that its appeal was capped a bit by the lack of any real melodic hooks. Unlike English industrial metal godfathers Godflesh (who would seem to be the most obvious source of inspiration for Deathless), these Aussies don't even have higher register feedback or noise at their disposal so everything can sound a little bleak (which is perhaps the point thinking about it now). The two bass guitars are used in an interesting way & don't tend to get each other's road while the drum machine sounds completely artificial which I'd imagine was always the intent. Neither of the two band members sport much in the way of vocal talent but then when has that ever stopped an industrial metal artist from having a crack (see the afore-mentioned Godlfesh for a prime example)? The incorporation of a doomier sound during the back end of the tracklisting was interesting but had mixed results with the Trouble cover version working nicely & the previously-mentioned "Under the Wood" falling flat. The rockier moments that appear through the middle of the album suffer from the same sort of inconsistency with "Sun Turns Through Ash" failing to meet the same heights of "In Unmet Chambers Slain I".

Look, there's no doubt that "Anhedonia" won't be for everyone & if you're one of those people that's too impatient to give a record a few spins before casting judgement then I'd hazard to suggest that this won't be your sort of album but I have to admit that do kinda dig it, perhaps not enough to see me returning to it in the future though. I may let my interest get the better of me & see what Deathless' later releases with Godlfesh's Justin Broadrick sound like at some point as he's always been an amazingly captivating & consistent producer but, until then, I'll have to be satisfied with my experiences with "Anhedonia" which is probably Australia's first genuine industrial metal release.

For fans of Godflesh, Bloodstar & Pitchshifter.

3.5/5

Here are my sneak peek submissions for the January Sphere playlist:

Celldweller - "Unshakeable" (5:14) from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

Fear Factory - "Zero Signal" (5:57) from Demanufacture (1995)

Psyclon Nine - "Anaesthetic (For the Pathetic)" (4:02) from Crwn Thy Frnicatr (2006)

Red Harvest - "Dead Cities" (3:42) from A Greater Darkness (2007)

Sybreed - "Twelve Megatons Gravity" (5:44) from Antares (2007)

Turmion Katilot - "Schlachter" (3:49) from Reset (2024)

Total length: 28:28

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Blue Stahli - "Obsidian" from Obsidian (2021)

5/5. I love the opening track of Blue Stahli's new album Obsidian, which in a way, is like a more cyber Circle of Dust. After building up in drums and guitars for almost a minute, you get to hear one of the darkest melodies in industrial metal. Then a minute after that part ends, a DOOM-like drop B-flat breakdown comes in before that melody is reprised once more. Truly exceptional! Bret Autrey has done fantastic work, even in the lyrics that only show up briefly.

Celldweller - "The Last Firstborn" from Celldweller (2003)

5/5. Another f***ing awesome piece of electro-industrial rock/metal! Many of Celldweller's songs have appeared in different TV shows, video games, and movies. There really should be more progressive songs for Klayton to create. I also love the heavy verses, first one at the one-minute mark.

Psyclon Nine - "Crown of the Worm" from Icon of the Adversary (2017)

4.5/5. Heavy is the f***ing crown worn by these masters of blackened electro-industrial metal.

Dawn of Ashes - "Poisoning the Steps of Babel" from Anathema (2013)

4/5. One of the most f***ing disturbing songs I've heard in industrial metal and probably any other genre. This dramatic blackened industrial metal sound is like a more electronic take on the symphonic black metal of Covenant and Dimmu Borgir. Adding to the disturbance is the muffled cries of torture heard throughout the song, most prominently during the final 30 seconds.

Red Queen - "Naked" from Star Blood (2016)

3.5/5. I said this before and I'll say it again; Red Queen is basically In This Moment gone Psyclon Nine/Dawn of Ashes.

Marilyn Manson - "In the Shadow of the Valley of Death" from Holy Wood (2000)

3/5. The soft acoustic first half sounds a little too poppy for me, but at least the second half has the industrial rock/metal that fans of the genre can adore.

OOMPH! - "Es ist nichts, wie es scheint" from Richter und Henker (2023)

3.5/5. Slightly better, but not by a long shot, since this is the unappealing to me Neue Deutsche Härte.

Rammstein - "Angst" from Zeit (2022)

4/5. This one stomps away the anxiety that Rammstein has written about in the lyrics.

Static-X - "Cold" from Machine (2001)

3.5/5. Many people remember this track from the movie Queen of the Damned. RIP Aaliyah, and RIP Wayne...

Meathook Seed - "Cling to an Image" from Embedded (1993)

4/5. The second-best song of this Meathook Seed album (behind its opener), in which dynamic beats intertwine with the complex guitar.

Fear Factory – "Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)" from Fear is the Mindkiller E.P. (1993)

2.5/5. This remix starts off promising with its original proto-melodeath riffing. However, the overuse of techno beats can be quite traumatic for the more deathly metalheads. Well, not all deathly metalheads. Daniel is the one who requested it, thanks for that.

Red Harvest - "Beyond the End" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002)

4/5. Some great extreme industrial metal from this Norwegian band!

The CNK - "Total Eclipse of Dead Europa" from L'hymne à la joie (2007)

3.5/5. Grand chorus and rhythms, though a little too pompous. Next!

Dodheimsgard - "Foe X Foe" from Supervillain Outcast (2007)

4/5. Fight against your foes with this piece of experimental blackened industrial metal!

In This Moment - "Mother" from Mother (2020)

4.5/5. The title track of In This Moment album has a spoken prayer in the intro followed by quiet piano before the powerful vocals explode in with tender moments. "I'll give you my everything, I'll never let you fall".

PAIN - "On and On" from Rebirth (1999)

5/5. One of the most f***ing kick-A songs in this dance-y kind of industrial metal. A cool one for any weight-lifters to train.

Luminous Vault - "Earth Daemon" from Animate the Emptiness (2022)

4.5/5. Sludgy blackened industrial metal worth battling your demons!

Neurotech - "We are the Last" from Antagonist (2011)

4/5. Wulf is quite a genius in his Neurotech project. The first 45 seconds have a sweet blend of epic orchestration and heavy riffing.

Mechina - "Elephtheria" from Empyrean (2013)

4.5/5. This is perhaps the most well-executed highlight in this Mechina album, never as poorly aging as the other tracks.

Turmion Katilot - "Verta Sataa" from Perstechnique (2011)

5/5. Having more of the stereotypical catchy industrial metal is this highlight that fuels the cyber sounds of The Kovenant and Deathstars.

Deathstars - "Trinity Fields" from Termination Bliss (2006)

4.5/5. Speaking of Deathstars, we have this track that's the longest of their 2006 album Termination Bliss, though only 4 and a half minutes long. It works as a relaxing change of pace in one of their gigs, or at home after a long day out. Different yet nicely great.

Black Magnet - "Hegemon" from Hallucination Scene (2020)

4/5. Similar vibes to late-80s Ministry/Godflesh, maybe even Machines of Loving Grace.

Unheilig - "Schneller, höher, weiter" from Astronaut (2006)

3.5/5. The vocals sounds quite good here, eerie while not in the same level as Count Dracula.

Samsas Traum - "Es tut uns leid" from Poesie: Friedrichs Geschichte (2015)

4/5. Also solid while I'm still not really into NDH. Now what else is here?...

Ministry - "Cult of Suffering" from HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES (2024)

4.5/5. Oh yeah, we have this Ministry track that's excellent despite relying so much on gospel-like female singing.

Sybreed - "System Debaser" from Slave Design (20th Anniversary Edition) (2024)

5/5. Swiss cyber/industrial metallers Sybreed plan have released a 20th anniversary remaster of their stellar debut Slave Design. It includes two new bonus tracks; a re-recording of "Bioactive" and this killer previously unreleased banger to close this playlist. No word on whether or not the band will truly reunite.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Neurotech - "Blue Screen Planet (Part I Axiom)" from Blue Screen Planet (2011)

3.5/5. Let's start this playlist with a bombastic journey of symphonic cyber metal... Well, too bombastic. Some parts are overdone, which very much exemplifies the paraphrased adage, "Too many ingredients spoil the broth." While this epic is still solid, Neurotech's 10-minute explorations are better explored in the later symphonies.

Mechina - "The Grand Hunt" from Cenotaph (2023)

4/5. Now this is a slightly better piece of epic cyber metal, this one by Mechina. If this banger was ever performed live, expect a slamming battle in the crowd. The glorious vocals and kick-A rhythms hit the spot, despite those bombastic symphonics again.

Lord of the Lost - "Leave Your Hate in the Comments" from Blood & Glitter (2022)

4.5/5. This one is a big "f*** you" to those who can plague the internet with negativity from the privacy of their home. I'm amazed by how brilliant this is, having the "take no sh*t" attitude the rest of the album would have.

Psyclon Nine - "We the Fallen" from We the Fallen (2009)

5/5. One of the best songs by Psyclon Nine, in both the music and vocals! And this was when they were really transitioning out of their aggrotech roots into industrial metal.

Eisbrecher - "Zwischen Uns" from Schock (2015)

4.5/5. The lyrics are quite well-done despite being in German. It's sad that I'm not from Germany, otherwise I would understand these songs a lot more.

Device - "Vilify" from Device (2013)

4/5. Following this is the best choice for the Device's first single. It's a great highlight of Draiman's strong vocals.

Red Queen - "Asyphyx" from Star Blood (2016)

4/5. In This Moment goes Psyclon Nine... Interesting mix!

OOMPH! - "Land Ahead (feat. Sharon den Adel)" from Truth or Dare (2010)

4.5/5. Beautiful vocals by Sharon den Adel of Within Temptation! This is an English version of an earlier OOMPH! song "Land in Sicht".

Motionless in White - "Reincarnate: Reincarnated" from Reincarnate: 10 Year Anniversary (2024)

5/5. As with the original version, this highlight has some deep synths and metalcore riffing that begin when Chris shouts "GET UP!" What really makes this song accessible within the extremeness is the melodic Breaking Benjamin-like chorus, all piecing together a simply great structure.

Blue Stahli - "Lakes of Flame" from Lakes of Flame (2018)

4.5/5. This killer single was supposed to be in the Obsidian album but didn't make it in. How much can Blue Stahli and Celldweller surprise their listeners with their respective singles?! A lot, that's what! Though this one sounds more suitable for Celldweller's Satellites. Think about this like a more metallic The Prodigy. WE NEED F***ING MORE!!! It's actually a better change of style than what Within Temptation have done that year. And it definitely has some DOOM vibes in the aggressive instrumentation.

Circle of Dust - "Humanarchy" from Machines of Our Disgrace (2016)

5/5. Though not as aggressive as this chaotic track. It's like Nailbomb 2.0!

Celldweller - "Good L_ck (Yo_'re F_cked)" from End of an Empire (2015)

4.5/5. Imagine an emo-ish boss battle soundtrack, this song could be that!

PAIN - "Dancing With the Dead" from Dancing With the Dead (2005)

5/5. Two of the most melodic bands I enjoy nowadays are PAIN and Powerwolf. For PAIN, some of us can relate to the lyrics of struggling madness in this h*ll of an addictive track, especially if you're on the edge of life.

Ruoska - "Alasin" from Amortem (2006)

4.5/5. This band rules, and I wish they could release their next album to break this 16-year gap. I don't need Rammstein when I have this Finnish band!

Dead World - "The Machine" from The Machine (1993)

4/5. This track has Voivod-like riffing while staying slow and doom-ish as usual.

Killing Joke - "Judas Goat" from Hosannas From the Basements of Hell (2006)

4.5/5. This one leads you to the darkest depth of Hell with more technical drumming, guitar rhythms, and singing almost like a mantra.

Fear Factory - "Pisschrist" from Demanufacture (1995)

5/5. Despite the name, this highlight is a total industrial mind-smasher. It starts dark and heavy before rising into epic drama. Alongside industrial samples and drumming, it then leads to more of the furious growls and apocalyptic cleans by Burton C. Bell, the latter especially the ending of atmospheric majesty. "Where is your savior now?"

Lindemann - "Praise Abort" from Skills in Pills (2015)

4.5/5. Even a song like this can take on a controversial topic without causing a storm of conservative protesters.

Ministry - "Brick Windows" from Filth Pig (1996)

4/5. This one brings back some earlier experimentation. Fantastic lyrics in this one!

Godflesh - "Don't Bring Me Flowers" from Pure (1992)

4.5/5. This one helps the band stand by their principles for this highlight.

Code Orange - "The Above" from The Above (2023)

5/5. The title finale of the new Code Orange album summarizes all that the band has stated. The exciting ominous crescendo of transcending vocals, chords, and leads shows their loud diversity. The changes in the beat and the dynamics are all in decent calculation and mark a climatic conclusion to this powerful journey.

Fange - "Les Vergers De La Désolation" from Pantocrator (2021)

4.5/5. We still have one more track, and it's the second 10+ minute epic of both its original album and this playlist. It sounds more post-rock-ish, while maintaining a lot of the industrial effects. Lots of moods, melody, and textures... They can add in a slight bit of accessibility while staying in the underground.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

The title is already a giveaway about the modern updates provided to the concepts of their 1992 album Pure. Long-time fans and pretty much anyone familiar with the band's earlier material can definitely recognize the Pure sound, almost like these two albums can be connected! I'm sure some listeners can recognize some of the more classic tracks from the Pure album. Broadrick and Green's task at hand since the beginning is to unleash the robotic rhythms that have shaped up industrial metal. Also looking back at the 80s/90s is the occasional hip-hop-ish groove that can ensure the album's variety without sounding too odd. Many of the tracks throw back to the glory days of Streetcleaner with the hammering and screeching guitars alongside the harsh vocals of Broadrick. The diversity in the heaviness adds to their bleak aura. Purge is not an album that I would expect to have that past glory, while it comes close to being the best album of the new era!

4.5/5.

Recommended tracks: "Land Lord", "Army of Non", "The Father", "You are the Judge, the Jury, and the Executioner"

For fans of: GOD, Jesu, Ministry

With only two months left for 2024, it's time to look back at the releases throughout this year and see which ones are well-deserved highlights. For one of my clans, I haven't really encountered many Sphere releases from this year, but the ones I have are amazing, ranging between 4 and 5 stars. Here's my top 5 of 2024:

1. Turmion Kätilöt - Reset

2. Gothminister - Pandemonium II - The Battle of the Underworlds

3. Pain - I Am

4. Bad Omens - Concrete Jungle (The OST)

5. Motionless in White - Reincarnate: 10 Year Anniversary

Any releases this year from this clan that you enjoy, enough for a top 5 or top 10 or more? Discuss!

Here's my review:

By the middle of the 1990's, Chicago industrial metallers had become very much a stable inclusion in my life. From the time that I first discovered them through their 1989 breakthrough fourth album "The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste", I'd been captivated by their exciting high-tech world of future-thinking music for the coming robot apocalypse, but once Ben discovered them then things started to escalate as we explored each important release from their back catalogue together. 1988's "The Land of Rape and Honey" was very popular in our household during the first part of that decade but it was the trio of "The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste", their 1990 live album "In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up (Live)" & the incredible career-defining 1992 fifth album "ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ [Psalm 69]" that really took things to the top rung of the metal spectrum. "ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ [Psalm 69]" had quite simply changed our worlds so there was huge anticipation around the release of their follow-up during the first half of the decade. Unfortunately though, the four-year gap between albums saw my attention veering off further into extreme metal territory &, by the time 1996's "Filth Pig" finally saw the light of day, my enthusiasm had waned a touch. Ben would purchase the album on CD & it would be some months before I actually got around to hearing it as I was no longer living at home. By the time I did, I'd already had the chance to hear & read a little bit about "Filth Pig" which was generally thought to be a step down for Ministry so it's hard to say whether that left me with any internal biases or not but the album did seem to me to be a little disappointing when compared to the three that came before it. I still quite liked it but it didn't get many replays after those first few listens & I haven't returned to it since so my memory of what it contains was a little hazy going into this week's revisit. Thankfully though, I've been rewarded for the faith I've kept in band leader Al Jourgensen because "Filth Pig" is a very solid record in its own right, if not the classic that so many people would have been hoping for.

It probably would have been very easy for Ministry to pump out "Psalm 69 Part II" & continue their rise up the ranks of the commercial metal ladder but "Filth Pig" is an altogether different kettle of fish. It's a much darker, less immediate & far less accessible record than people were expecting with some major creative differences to previous works which in many ways reflect the mentality of Jourgensen at that particular point in time. There are very few up-tempo moments on "Filth Pig" & you won't find many goth club anthems like "NWO", "Just One Fix" or "Jesus Built My Hot Rod" either. Instead we get a slower, druggier & more introspective record with much less of a reliance on electronics & samples. The use of dissonance in the guitar work often borrows from genres like sludge metal & noise rock & you'll struggle to identify anything that touches on the thrash-inspired riffs of "Psalm 69". In fact, this is a much less riff-based record in general. Jourgensen's signature heavily-effected gurgly vocals are still there & are a feature of the album but his lyrics reek of someone that's in quite a lot of pain, who holds a fairly negative view of the world & who is struggling with their own infamy to an extent. The brief touches of tongue-in-cheek humour & a fair chunk of the brightness & excitement had been sucked out of Ministry, at least from a surface level, so "Filth Pig" requires a deeper investigation if you're to uncover its value which can be found in the fact that this is indeed some dark & heavy shit at times.

The tracklisting kicks off in very strong fashion with the first two tracks (industrial metal opener "Reload" & the slower sludge metal dirge that is the title track) both being very solid indeed. In fact, I'd suggest that the title track is a genuine Ministry classic that sits comfortably alongside the band's best work but things drop off a touch for the remainder of the A side. "Lava" & "Useless" are both pretty decent but I really struggle with "Crumbs" which has a very loose song structure & sounds completely underdone. Things pick up significantly for the start of the B side with a string of three excellent pieces in a row, ending with the brilliant industrial metal anthem "The Fall" which is the other clear highlight of the album for me. As with the A side though, things descend back to a merely acceptable level for the closure of the album with the last two rockier tracks (including the popular cover version of Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay") failing to meet the same sort of standard as the more captivating first part of each side. When viewed holistically, the stronger material clearly outweighs the less essential stuff but I do think that the tracklisting could have been evened out a bit to ensure a more even spread of the better songs rather than bulking out the start of each side with the back end feeling a little less vital.

I've noticed that "Filth Pig" seems to be tagged as an industrial sludge metal record on some competitors websites & I can kinda see where they're coming from but that's not entirely accurate as the sludge component isn't regular enough to warrant a primary tag. Despite the fact that this is a less electronically reliant record than we'd come to expect from Ministry over the years, "Filth Pig" is still first & foremost an industrial metal release with the sludge & industrial rock components playing more of a supporting role. It's a very good one too & it's made me reassess my position on its merits. While it may not compete with the classic trio of releases I mentioned previously & is undeniably a step down from the lofty heights that Ministry were playing during their peak creative period from 1989-1992, I do think that "Filth Pig" should still be regarded as an essential release for those with a penchant for their particular brand of heavy music. Yes, it's probably the least impressive thing they'd done since their early synth pop & EBM records of the mid-80's but that's not to say that it's won't still be a quality inclusion in your collection that offers a point of difference from Ministry's previous work. I don't believe I've heard anything Ministry have released since this record (at least not the full releases anyway) but I'm led to believe that there's not a lot of meat on them bones so I'd suggest that this gives "Filth Pig" even more value for fans who may be desperately trying to revisit the band's heyday. This is a largely overlooked & mildly underrated release in the band's back catalogue that deserves a little more attention in 2024 than it generally receives so I'd encourage you to check it out.

For fans of White Zombie, Prong & Godflesh.

4/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Gothminister - "Stonehenge" from Anima Inferna (2011)

5/5. The opening track for its original album and playlist begins with heavy guitar crunch and interesting synth harmonies. Then the guitars calm down to let Brem's baritone vocals shine. Sounds quite evil for a then-recently-married and domestically happy man, proving his ability to maintain the earlier darkness. Optimistic lyrics ain't gonna make the gloomy vocals fade away in this battle of life and death.

Blue Stahli - "Prognosis" from Obsidian (2021)

5/5. The effects and lyrics astonish me, and I'm certainly up for more of this music from Blue Stahli.

Killing Joke - "Aeon" from Democracy (1996)

4.5/5. This 8-minute epic has a spectacular mix of the band's new wave/post-punk sound from the 80s with the industrial rock/metal style that shaped up Pandemonium. Probably the best song of its original album and by the band!

The Amenta - "Plague of Locus" from Plague of Locus (2023)

4/5. The title track of this Amenta cover album is its second original track, this one being a full song. The brutality hits hard with heavy riffs, synths, and vocals, growing harder as the song progresses.

Megaherz - "Kopf Durch Die Wand" from Wer Bist Du (1997)

3.5/5. Pretty nice, but as always, NDH isn't really for me. Next!

Eisbrecher - "Bombe" from Eiszeit (2010)

4/5. Quite the bomb, but still missing a bit of impact.

OOMPH! - "Sandmann" from Monster (2008)

4.5/5. The lyrics are quite interesting as they detail the horrors of children disappearing in Germany while Hungary has them all protected.

Motionless in White - "America" from Infamous (2012)

5/5. This awesome highlight expands the band's sound yet again. This is more like the gothic industrial metal of Gothminister, especially the deeper cleans in the verses. Michael Vampire of Vampires Everywhere! sings together with Chris in a sing-along gang chorus, one of the best of the genre! That song can definitely reach the hard rock/metal charts. America, F*** YEAH!!!!

Marilyn Manson - "The Nobodies" from Holy Wood (2000)

4.5/5. The lyrics for this song are quite deep as well, addressing the Columbine shooters whom the band was falsely accusing of influencing, and the song title taking a quote from John Lennon's murderer. A remix would appear next year in the film From Hell starring Johnny Depp.

Deathstars - "Metal" from The Greatest Hits on Earth (2011)

4/5. A great piece of cyber/industrial metal from the masters of the genre.

Genitorturers - "Falling Stars" from Blackheart Revolution (2009)

3.5/5. Then we have another nice alt-ish anthem that's more melodic while still heavy. The guitar distortion of their 90s material is blended with an old-school rhythm that can easily be tapped by tambourine.

Samael - "Us" from Eternal (1999)

4/5. This one soars through the industrial metal cosmos once again with a memorable chorus despite it being a bit too noise-ridden in the background.

KMFDM - "From Here on Out" from WWIII (2003)

4.5/5. "Don't risk your life and the lives of your comrades. Leave now and go home, watch your children learn." I enjoy those lyrics sung by Lucia Cifarelli in an excellent that can be both relaxing and kick-A.

In This Moment - "Fly Like an Eagle" from Mother (2020)

5/5. The band took a Steve Miller song and covered it to make it dark and beautiful. Maria Brink's vocal power is incredible! The intro itself is almost a cover of the Terminator theme. I f***ing love it!

Mnemic - "There's No Tomorrow" from Mnemesis (2012)

5/5. What really brings the band back to a time 25 years before this album is "There's No Tomorrow", the 6-minute epic that almost sounds like a power ballad ala Bon Jovi/Dokken. There's even a beautiful guitar soloing crescendo. Of course, the brutal growls are still in great passion.

Diabolos Rising - "Genocide-I Am God" from 666 (1994)

4.5/5. Creepy yet excellent blackened industrial metal right here, though I would never have listened to this in my early teen years.

Nik Nocturnal, Our Mirage - "NEIN!" (Rammstein parody track) from How to Metal, Vol. 1 (2023)

4/5. Any Rammstein-inspired song should end up in a Sphere playlist without a doubt. Slightly better than most of the songs from the band parodied here.

The Interbeing - "Perplexion" from Icon of the Hopeless (2022)

4.5/5. This one kicks up the heaviness like an upgrade from Fear Factory and Mnemic in the riffing while making room for the epic melodic chorus. Often the riffing takes a turn from industrial metal to leaning close to metalcore, which actually opens up more outer dimensions in the music-verse.

Tyrant of Death - "Gone Too Far" from Superior Firepower (2019)

4/5. Another f***ing sick cyber metal banger that shall take you through an alternate reality. It's so heavily stellar!

Mechina - "Tartarus" from Xenon (2014)

4.5/5. You can swim through different dimensions ranging from cyber to deathly, as a saga unfolds, almost competing with Marvel, Star Wars, and even The Elder Scrolls. A truly dark and ethereal collision!

Psyclon Nine - "Order of the Shadow (The Heretic Awakened)" from Order of the Shadow: Act 1 (2013)

4.5/5. F***ing amazing as h*ll this song is, probably the best of its original album! It is lightyears beyond the aggrotech sound of their debut. It would've been perfect if Nero Bellum's high shrieks had better improvement.

Celldweller - "Birthright" from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

5/5. A slightly better one, and perhaps the best one of Wish Upon a Blackstar. Klayton is a true master of modern electro-industrial rock/metal!

Front Line Assembly - "Surface Patterns" from Millennium (1994)

4.5/5. This one uses samples from songs by other metal bands, with this one using that famous riff from "Walk" by Pantera, followed by "Don't Tread On Me" by Metallica.

Godhead - "Anybody Else" from Evolver (2003)

4.5/5. Excellent track, but I'm better off anywhere else.

Ruoska - "Rumavirsi" from Radium (2005)

5/5. D*mn awesome sh*t from this Finnish industrial metal band. Here's to another album in the future!

Ministry - "Ricky's Hand" from HOPIUM FOR THE MASSES (2024)

4.5/5. Sounds like Ministry is going back to their 90s/early 2000s material with this cover of an 80s synthpop hit. A bit more prominent guitar would've been necessary for me and the rest of the metal audience.

Napalm Death - "Contemptuous" from Utopia Banished (1992)

4/5. Ending this playlist is the second Napalm Death track suggestion submitted by Daniel, the first one from the Sphere playlist exactly one year ago. Sounds like the band has a little more creative freedom when experimenting with shoegaze-ish industrial metal. The band's usual violent deathgrind has been turned away for bleak industrial darkness of Godflesh. The riffing has beautiful atmosphere before leading into the final fading bass chords. I personally would pick this one and that other submission, "Evolved as One", over their more well-known grind that I'm not up for.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Godflesh - Hymns (2001)

I'm not really that "up" on Godflesh and have never listened to them much. I remember listening to Songs of Love and Hate and not being overly affected by it. So, as part of a 2000's decade project, I gave their 2001 sixth album a listen. OK, it has a Fear Factory-ish feeling to it, but I am really surprised this doesn't have a nu-metal tag because that is exactly what this sounds like to me. I don't mean the Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park style of poppy nu-metal, but nu-metal all the same, done in a reasonably heavy and less accessible way for sure. I don't say that with any kind of negative connotation, because to my ears this is nu-metal done right and isn't too bad at all. The album sounds best to me when the band sound most like Fear Factory and it ends on a real high with the closer Jesu and it's throbbing bassline is the pick of the bunch for me. Look, it isn't going to trouble my higher ratings because this just doesn't utilise much that hits my musical sweet spots, but neither does it see me looking to turn it off. It is waaaay too long at 75 minutes, a good half an hour could be kicked to the kerb, but it is perfectly listenable and more than suitable as a backdrop while I do something else. I am never going to worship at the Godflesh altar like so many metalheads do, but I don't begrudge them their reputation and success at all.

3.5/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Blue Stahli - "ULTRAnumb" from Blue Stahli (2011)

5/5. If anyone who's a fan of Blue Stahli and Celldweller tells me they're a fan of any one of those artists since they were in their 20s, I would believe them. This also qualifies for me, and I've only just became interested in Blue Stahli via his classic singles of strong fire, like this one.

Celldweller - "Switchback" from Celldweller (2003) (2024 Definitive Edition)

5/5. A classic released two decades ago and still sounds fresh in this Definitive Edition! The more material I find from Celldweller, the less likely I'm able to SWITCHBACK.

Ministry - "Alert Level (Quarantined Mix)" from Alert Level (Quarantined Mix) (2020)

4.5/5. Is there much difference between this version and the one on Moral Hygiene. I suppose this one is slightly better. "How concerned are you?"

Strapping Young Lad - "All Hail the New Flesh" from City (1997)

5/5. This one's a d*mn great hammerer! The legendary Gene Hoglan performs an intense drumming avalanche through this noisy cacophony whirlpool and the aggressive vocal cyclone from Devy, though his clean vocals help keep you in safe shelter alongside the keys. Townsend can really show us his insane vision of extreme industrial metal. He yells "ALL YOU ARE IS ALL YOU ARE!" in an uplifting chorus before more brilliant riffs and keyboards. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!

Pain - "Follow Me" from Cynic Paradise (2008)

4.5/5. Amazing song with the serene singing of ex-Nightwish vocalist Anette Olzon. "No gold at the end of the rainbow..."

White Zombie - "Feed the Gods" from Feed the Gods (1994) (based on Rob Zombie's Past, Present & Future compilation (2003))

4/5. White Zombie made this song for the movie Airheads. Their music has been featured in shows and movies before, like Beavis and Butthead. Cool lyrics too!

Samael - "Into the Pentagram (new version)" from Rebellion (1995)

4.5/5. I love this remake more than the original! The guitars and beats are greatly paced. Excellent!

Acumen Nation - "Djentrify" from Territory=Universe (1996)

4/5. When I first saw the name of this song, I thought, "An early example of djent besides Meshuggah!?!?" Although it turned out not to be, it's still quite catchy.

Dodheimsgard - "Horrorizon" from Supervillain Outcast (2007)

4.5/5. This shall please the ears of any experimental industrial metal fan.

The Amenta - "Nihil" from Occasus (2004)

5/5. One of the greater highlights of The Amenta's debut actually sounds melodic without too much dissonance.

Painkiller - "Buried Secrets" from Buried Secrets (1992)

4.5/5. This one relies less on the d*mn saxophone plaguing this release and features guest appearances by Godflesh, both members with their metal instrumentation and all.

Killing Joke - "Slipstream" from Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions (1990)

4/5. This one has a more progressive spirit that makes up for the earlier bumpiness.

Nailbomb - "Wasting Away" from Point Blank (1994)

4.5/5. Right from the start, this track blasts through speedy riffing and Max's signature growls, "Carve your rights into your arm so that they don't get taken away". HOLY SH*T, that's the kind of raging hate you would expect from Arise. It has made me positive that the album is filled with more anger than I've ever heard before.

Aborym - "Harsh and Educational" from Hostile (2021)

5/5. Consider me educated more in the industrial metal world!

Dimension F3H - "Betrayer" from Reaping the World Winds (2003)

4.5/5. Anyone looking for some dark mysterious industrial metal on Spotify, here you go.

Bile - "Built to Fuck, Born to Kill" from Built to Fuck, Born to Kill (2014)

4/5. And how about some more f***ing killer industrial metal not for the faint of heart.

OOMPH! - "Wut (feat. Joachim Witt)" from Richter und Henker (2023)

3.5/5. This isn't really one of my favorite songs, but the chorus is one of the best I've heard in NDH.

Obsydians - "Slaughter of Decency" from Slaughter of Decency (2022)

4/5. Obsydians is another side-project with members of Sybreed, and they have collaborated with different musicians of the metal scene, this one being Dark Funeral vocalist Heljarmadr. Fear Factory, Mnemic, and Deathstars should be next! This is definitely like a blackened Sybreed, and it gets more brutal around halfway through. Cyber black metal can having f***ing great results. Not even Slave Design can beats this single's heaviness. Though it would've been great if Sybreed vocalist Benjamin Nominet could appear here with his vocals. You can also think about this like Samael gone Scar Symmetry.

The Interbeing - "Face Deletion" from Edge of the Obscure (2011)

4.5/5. One of the f***ing best songs from this band that I can't believe barely any people have heard of.

Illidiance - "Breaking the Habit" from Breaking the Habit (2019)

4/5. This kick-A cover of a Linkin Park hit has really done that song justice, though it would've been better if the vocals were louder in the mix. RIP Chester Bennington

Northlane - "Paradigm" from Alien (2019)

4.5/5. This fearless track has more of the heaviness and screaming that's definitely worth playing live. With a lot going on, hearing this song is much more of an experience than a listen.

Fear Factory - "Resurrection" from Obsolete (1998)

5/5. A superb melodic standout anthem with a mighty chorus and riffing.

Corrections House - "Drapes Hung by Jesus" from Last City Zero (2013)

4.5/5. The most unforgiving music and lyrics come straight with this epic. An ambient intro leads into industrial metal that gradually becomes heavier, plus some eerie sax, before the last bit of lyrical poetry at the end.

Lord of the Lost - "Ruins" from Thornstar (2018)

4/5. Finally, we end this playlist with this dark yet upbeat track, with many different moments to admire.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite a slight drop in quality somewhere. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

Sybreed wasn't the only Swiss cyber metal band around. When the drummer for their debut Slave Design, Alex Anxionaz left the band, he formed his own. His band started out as a deathly industrial metal band called Etna, but then changed into Breach the Void with a sound closer to his former band. Sadly, both Sybreed and Breach the Void split up in late 2013, which is a shame because of how solid both band's debuts are. Breach the Void is a clear continuation of the direction Alex Anxionaz wanted to take on Slave Design, with its toolkit of crushing rhythms, clean/unclean vocals, and cyber synths. Many songs can almost be considered a pinnacle of modern industrial/cyber metal, the only slight problem is when the clean vocals sound a bit inferior to the guttural ones. Nonetheless, the band has some original talent in the solid offering that is The Monochromatic Era!

4/5

Recommended tracks: "Subversive Mind", "Customized Genotype", "Digital Structure", "Ruins", "Spirals"

For fans of: Sybreed, The Interbeing, Mnemic

Here's my review:

By 1995, Ben & I could count ourselves as being pretty big fans of Swiss black metallers Samael. We were both well across all three of Samael's albums to the time, all of which I consider to be essential listening for the black metal afficionado. I'd also gone so far as to secure myself dubbed copies of a couple of the band's early demo tapes through the tape trading scene in 1987's "Into the Infernal Storm of Evil" & 1988's "Medieval Prophecy", neither of which l'd say added much to my life if I'm being honest. But the point I'm trying to make is that there was a level of anticipation for Samael's next release after they'd improved on each & every recording to the time with 1994's "Ceremony of Opposites" third album being the finest work of the band's career still to this day. Coming off the back of such a successful effort, Ben & I went into 1995's stop-gap "Rebellion" E.P. with great confidence in the Swiss four-piece's ability to create a compelling musical soundscape so, when Ben brought home a CD copy of the brand-new E.P., we wasted no time in blasting it loudly from his bedroom stereo. Strangely though, I haven't given "Rebellion" much attention over the many years since which is a little bit telling. I wasn't able to remember exactly why though so I thought it was about time I gave it another crack.

"Rebellion" fits very much into your classic E.P. model as it's clearly a collection of disparate pieces that didn't fit into the full-length album concept. You get one brand new metal number in the title track, a couple of re-recordings of early works (see "After the Sepulture" & "Into the Pentagram"), a cover version of Alice Cooper's "I Love the Dead" & a few instrumental electro-industrial pieces, two of which are essentially the same with the exception of some German lyrics having been placed over the top of one. So, if you're looking for a cohesive & singular creative vision then you might want to look elsewhere. But what "Rebellion" does do successfully is create a transitional stepping-stone between the dark black metal of Samael's first three albums & their more industrially focused later material. It's here that you can first start to see Samael embracing the electronic component of the sound they're known for today although it's fair to say that it was still used a little more subtly which leaves the sound the band are pushing here in somewhat of a limbo between the two genres, not really feeling like either. It's mainly the use of spacey synthesizers that draws "Rebellion" into industrial metal territory although they're not over the top with a much greater emphasis being placed on that element for 1996's "Passage" album which pushed all the way out into fully-fledged symphonic metal territory.

The production job on "Rebellion" is thick & chunky & gives the material real clout, the riffs possessing a weight that comes more from the industrial metal side than the black metal one. The opening title track is the one that benefits the most from it with its groovy mid-paced riffage making it by far the most significant piece on the record. In fact, it's a little strange that it wasn't considered for inclusion on Samael's upcoming full-length albums to be honest as it's easily good enough & wouldn't have sounded out of place. The two re-recordings happen to be of my favourite tracks from each of Samael's first two albums which was a pleasant surprise but the reality is that neither can compete with the dark atmosphere of the originals, despite the heavier production techniques employed. I certainly enjoy both songs (particularly "After the Sepulture" which competes with "Rebellion" for the highlight of the E.P.) but neither added a lot to my life either to be fair. The rest of the E.P. feels more like filler than anything else in my opinion. I quite enjoy both versions of the six-minute electro-industrial piece "Static Journey" but can't see much reason for including both given that they're so similar to each other. Admittedly they do sound a little dated given the basic synthesized rhythms that have been employed. The three-minute outro piece utilizes the same creative platform but is unfortunately not as successful & I find it to be a little disappointing, as is the Alice Cooper cover version which feels more like a fairly accessible take on gothic metal than anything else & leaves me feeling like pressing the skip button a lot of the time although I've never been a skipper & likely never will be.

So, I feel that "Rebellion" was mildly successful in its quest to showcase a new sound that Samael would explore further across the remainder of their recording career but I would hardly say that it's essential listening for fans of the band. It's a professionally put together package & sounds bright & vibrant but I don't think it contains the depth that I enjoyed with Samael's first three albums.

For fans of Rotting Christ, The Kovenant & Moonspell.

3.5/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Sybreed - "Bioactive" from Slave Design (2004)

4.5/5. Already blasting forward is the first and best song of its original album. Right there, you get to hear the members drive through sonic cyber/industrial metal without relying too much on electronics. Here we have the powerful drumming of Alex Anxionaz, showing a bit of Fear Factory influence, the gloomy vocals of Benjamin Nominet ranging from clean to harsh, the heavy guitar grooves of Drop, and the burning bass of Burn.

Pain - "Shut Your Mouth" from Nothing Remains the Same (2002)

5/5. A high-quality industrial dance-metal tune! I can play this song as many times I can and have spawn good memories. Peter Tägtgren is a true modern metal legend. And there are plenty more awesome anthems from this project where that came from.

Rammstein - "Sonne" from Mutter (2001)

4.5/5. The Mutter album's first single was written for boxer Vitali Klitschko, but he never used it. After doing a boxing match referee-like count to 9 then "out". The catchiest riffing can be found here, followed by a melodic chorus, "Here comes the sun." Probably the best song of the album and by the band!

Lindemann - "Golden Shower" from Skills in Pills (2015)

4/5. The lyrics are so ridiculous and potentially offensive, and yet I'm so intrigued, "Golden shower, let it fly, from your pretty c*nt!" Absolutely Rammstein!

Wolok - "Blotches" from The Bilious Hues of Gloom (2022)

3.5/5. Pretty good, but a little too much on the avant-garde black metal side.

Uniform, The Body - "Come And See" from Mental Wounds Not Healing (2018)

4/5. This one shows the vocal duo uniting greatly with the drumming of Lee Buford and the guitarwork of Ben Greenberg.

KMFDM - "Terror" from Nihil (1995)

3.5/5. This political-sound track thunders through with industrial metal guitar.

Static-X - "Take Control" from Project Regeneration, Vol. 2 (2024)

4/5. I can hear a lot of the Linkin Park nu metal era in this song. RIP Chester and Wayne

Deathstars - "Syndrome" from Synthetic Generation (2002)

4.5/5. Another blast from the cyber/industrial metal past! This can go well with the soundtrack for one of the Alien movies.

Celldweller - "Senorita Bonita" from Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head: Volume 02 (2012)

5/5. Man, this Latin-infused metalstep banger should've been twice as long! Celldweller and Blue Stahli are known as masters of electro-industrial rock/metal. This is truly a wonderful highlight of this playlist. It's practically a remix of Blue Stahli's "Shotgun Senorita" while being mostly different. There should be a mashup between those two.

Red Harvest - "Icons of Fear... The Curse of the Universe" from A Greater Darkness (2007) 

5/5. Another perfect standout, this one from the darker, more extreme side of industrial metal.

Killing Joke – "Millenium" from Pandemonium (1994)

3.5/5. This catchy track allowed Killing Joke a rare chance to hit the airwaves in the U.S.

Diabolicum - "The Wind Shall Slay" from The Grandeur of Hell (1999)

4/5. Dark music, dark lyrics... That's industrial black metal for ya!

Health, Lamb of God - "Cold Blood" from DISCO4::PARTII (2022)

4.5/5. The darkness comes further, in a blend of Health's electro-industrial and Lamb of God's groove/thrash metal.

Blue Stahli - "Catastrophe" from Obsidian (2021)

5/5. Honestly, I haven't heard as much Blue Stahli as Celldweller, and that shall change soon, considering how much further I'm allowing myself to go down the electro-industrial rock/metal rabbit hole. Menacing sludgy instrumentation are perfectly put together with soft fragile singing. This work of art and the album artwork are so METAL. Heaviness and melody are in perfect blend, just like many of my favorite metal songs out there. I need to rest of this album Obsidian and this project's discography. Nothing bad about some magical despair, huh? Especially from the skillful guitar and cool slow drums. Here's to a great industrial metal future!

Lord of the Lost - "The Look (feat. Blümchen)" from Blood & Glitter (2023)

4.5/5. This Roxette cover, featuring Jasmin Wagner, also known as German popstar Blümchen is arguably its original album's true standout! RIP Marie Fredriksson

Godflesh - "YOUR NATURE YOUR NURTURE" from NEW FLESH IN DUB VOL. 1 (2021)

5/5. Sometimes the more underground songs from Godflesh are the darkest and most haunting.

Corrections House - "White Man's Gonna Lose" from Know How to Carry a Whip (2015)

4.5/5. The dark effects bleed into this track with some perfect apocalyptic twists from the distorted sax. A true electro-industrial metal standout!

Greymachine - "Sweatshop" from Disconnected (2009)

5/5. Perhaps the album's best track for me. It's like Godflesh but slower and more mesmerizing! The rhythms and feedback never cease to amaze me.

Author & Punisher - "Beastland" from Beastland (2018)

4.5/5. It's almost surpassed by another 6-minute epic which ends its original album in beastly destruction.

The Amenta - "Rape" from n0n (2008)

5/5. Then we have the most twists in this oddly titled epic, which starts chaotic in the first 3 minutes, then quiets down before some doomy melancholy in the heavy riffs and melody. D*mn, what a soothing yet brutal way out!

Fear Factory - "Expiration Date" from Genexus (2015)

5/5. Perhaps the biggest stunner is this 9-minute epic, one of the most haunting and beautiful tracks by the band! Could this be "Resurrection 2.0"?!?

Neurotech - "The Messianic Symphony" from Symphonies II (2022)

4.5/5. Finally, the riffing tones and melodies in what can be considered "The Halcyon Symphony 2.0" is quite nice. Guitars are more prominent and play out better together with the electronic keyboards. Fantastic!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some drops in quality in the first half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

That's a high-quality assessment of the album right there Vinny. I thoroughly enjoyed getting your take on it.

Thanks, Daniel.

Thanks, Daniel. Could you please fix the issue for Neurotech's Symphonies II release page as well? https://metal.academy/forum/15/thread/419#topic_18197

A Spotify playlist I've made based on my The Amenta favorite tracks list: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Ydu3jZFF1WMYduvlywQmR

"Revelator" is on the long list of releases that I've spent some time with but haven't gotten around to rating or reviewing as yet Andi but I'm planning on taking the opportunity to rectify that this month off the back of your feature release nomination. The Amenta are arguably my favourite Sydney (i.e. where I lived my whole life until two years ago) band & have been for many years now so I've tended to follow them fairly religiously. 

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Gothminister - "Battle of the Underworlds" from Pandemonium II: The Battle of the Underworlds (2024)

5/5. Opening with uplifting ethereal strings is the title track of the sequel to Gothminister's Pandemonium, that becomes a true anthem of war, as the guitar/keyboard majesty is accompanied by the vocals of Bjorn and a female vocalist (Sandra Jensen?) to add to the theatricality. An epic beginning!

PAIN - "Same Old Song" from Dancing With the Dead (2005)

5/5. Same old song, but I never get tired of it, it's so awesome! I love the vocals of Peter Tagtgren. "You're welcome to my world, dark side of the universe." I prefer Pain rather than the death metal of his other band Hypocrisy.

Breach the Void - "Subversive Mind" from The Monochromatic Era (2010)

4.5/5. This song is so f***ing destructive, though it's toned down a bit by the clean singing. The band's drummer is Alex Anxionaz, from Sybreed's debut album Slave Design.

Deathstars - "Cyanide" from Termination Bliss (2006)

5/5. This one is a perfect hooker! Great rhythm alongside more of those deep dark vocals. They probably work better in studio than live and, along with the bass, shine more than the guitars that are still awesome. From the synth intro onward, you'll never get bored even after hundreds of listens.

Strapping Young Lad - "Oh My Fucking God" from City (1997)

5/5. This one will make you wanna scream that song title. It's one of the heaviest songs I've heard in my life, probably heavier than even Morbid Angel and Slayer combined! Lots of sounds and build-ups from different dimensions can be heard, not for the faint-hearted. Even the violins change the time signatures! F***ING BRUTAL!!!!!

Dodheimsgard - "Final Conquest" from 666 International (1999)

4.5/5. Another underrated gem, this one of industrial black metal.

Shadow Domain - "Give Up On Joy" from Digital Divide (2018)

4/5. Never give up on cyber metal and its digital power and glory!

Illidiance - "New Millennium Crushers" from Damage Theory (2010)

4.5/5. Illidiance's songs may be short, but they can squeeze all these perfect rhythms and epic melodies in that short amount of time. This is like a more cyber take on pop-ish melodeath bands like Blood Stain Child and Scar Symmetry.

The CNK - "Die HolzHammerMethode" from L'hymne a la joie (2007)

4/5. A bad-a** piece of French industrial/symphonic metal. Enough said!

Fear Factory - "Self Immolation (Liquid Sky Mix)" from Fear is the Mindkiller (1993)

4.5/5. The more atmospheric sounds in this "Self Immolation" remix have paid off well. The death metal aggression is in perfect flow with the techno groove, another remix saving the EP from being a total disaster.

Celldweller, Northlane - "Soul Parasites (Northlane Remix)" from Satellites (Remixed) (2023)

5/5. I can't believe how perfectly Celldweller and Northlane can come together. The energy f***ing rips through each band's new sound. There's a lot more heavy fire than some songs from Celldweller's first two vocal albums. Absolutely bad-a**! H*ll, I was a little nervous about how this remix would turn out before the first time I heard it, but I'm glad it turned out so d*mn well.

Bad Omens, ERRA - "ANYTHING > HUMAN" from CONCRETE JUNGLE [THE OST] (2024)

5/5. Really peaking at the height of the Concrete Jungle album is Bad Omens' collaboration with ERRA. The guest appearances by that progressive metalcore band's two vocalists shine as beautiful as Noah's vocals. An absolute favorite of mine that should be heard by future generations!

Acumen Nation - "Coming Down" from Coming Down: The Bastard Remix Album (2002)

4.5/5. There are several different versions of "Coming Down" in this remix album, and this one's the amazing original.

Shining - "Need" from International Blackjazz Society (2015)

5/5. The Norwegian jazz metal band Shining is not to be confused with similarly named Swedish DSBM band. This is what I really need to jazz up my metal!

KONG - "Whorl" from Push Comes to Shove (1995)

4.5/5. Another piece of jazzy progressive industrial metal, but I prefer to get it from Shining.

2 Times Terror - "Ikävässä Paikassa" from Equals One Sudden Death (2010)

4/5. A high-quality climatic piece of dance-metal. The keyboards and guitars are in perfect union. It may be too accessible for pure metalheads, but it rules!

Fange - "Césarienne Au Noir" from Perdition (2024)

3.5/5. A darker, sludgier take on Godflesh. Pretty good, but I like Godflesh more.

Uniform, The Body - "Not Good Enough" from Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back (2019)

4/5. This one is all I want from this intense sound and more. It is a mighty monolith with post-punk-ish riffing.

Skrew - "Cold Angel Press" from Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame (1992)

4.5/5. This one is the best in both the song title and the song itself, even bringing back the horror film vibe in the vocals.

Comecon – "Ulcer" from Megatrends in Brutality (1992)

5/5. Well this is a little surprising, considering Comecon is usually a death metal band. However, the first two minutes have enough Skrew-like industrial metal to qualify for The Sphere. Then the rest of the song is grind-ish death metal. And I love it!!! Thanks for this, Daniel! RIP L-G Petrov

The Amenta - "Black God" from Plague of Locus (2023)

4.5/5. Amazing cover of a My Dying Bride song to close off this Amenta cover album. Though it would be great if they could cover one of the heavier My Dying Bride songs.

Godflesh - "Go Spread Your Wings" from Selfless (1994)

5/5. This 24-minute final epic is the longest Godflesh song and my favorite of the album, possibly of the band. It is a modern epic journey through Broadrick's tunnel of imagination, as drums and guitars pound along. This might surely beat the previous album's "Pure II" as Godflesh's ultimate epic!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some slight drops in quality throughout. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

A playlist I've made with my favorite songs from those essential releases: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1la4JNdjrAXncqO9Szn2u7

Here's my review:

You simply couldn’t ignore Los Angeles industrial death metallers Fear Factory when they exploded onto the scene with their 1992 debut album “Soul of a New Machine”. Although their sound wasn’t ideally suited to my personal taste, I still found myself purchasing the CD & attending the shows with all of my metal-loving mates & quite enjoying myself along the way. Metal radio was all over Fear Factory so you almost had no choice but to become exposed to them & their unique combination of precision, melody & extremity sounded really fresh at the time. As an album, I don’t mind “Soul of a New Machine” but feel that the band would comfortably eclipse it with their next album “Demanufacture” which is still the benchmark for Fear Factory to this day in my opinion. Somewhere in between those two albums though, we find this little remix E.P. which drew a somewhat shocked response from a teenage me. The very gall of an extreme metal band to attempt EDM-infused versions of their more popular songs! It certainly sounded like an awful idea to me on paper so I don’t think I went into it with a lot of hope to be honest & that may well have played a role in me eventually dismissing “Fear is the Mindkiller” as a release that was categorically not for me. However, by the end of the 1990’s I’d been sucked up by the exciting techno juggernaut & spent the next decade spinning tunes in dark, underground clubs so I’m hoping that now I might be better predisposed to enjoying this record. Let’s find out, shall we?

“Fear is the Mindkiller” contains six songs & clocks in at around the 32 minute mark. Five of those pieces are electronica/electro-industrial remixes of tracks taken from the debut album with the album version of “Self Immolation” also being tossed in for good measure. I honestly think that “Self Immolation” was a strange track to nominate to fill out the run time given that a) it’s not one of the better tracks from “Soul of a New Machine” & b) there are already two remixed versions of that track included on the E.P. which leads to repetition. Thankfully though, there is some quality to be found in this material, even for those of you that might only be open to metal music. None of the original tracks are indecipherable in these remixes with all five of them offering regular snippets at the very least. Interesingly though, it’s the pieces that take Fear Factory the furthest away from their original works that work best with “Self Immolation (Vein Tap Mix)” & “Scumgrief” (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)” being comfortably my pick of the bunch. The one failure actually lines up with the heaviest of the songs in the Pig Fuck Mix of “Scapegoat” which is essentially just a misguided attempt to place a dance beat behind the original & fails to connect on anywhere near the same level.

I’ve found myself quite liking “Fear is the Mindkiller” for the most part. The electronic component isn’t done to an elite level but (apart from “Scapegoat”) it’s executed reasonably well &, on most occasions, brings something a bit different to the originals. I can’t say that I regard the E.P. as being essential but, then again, I don’t consider “Soul of a New Machine” to be either. This is certainly an underrated release, perhaps receiving undue criticism from a metal community that can at times be fairly closed-minded when it comes to electronic music.

For fans of HEALTH, Front Line Assembly & Ministry's "Rio Grande Dub Ya".

3.5/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Alex Terrible - "BFG Division - Doom" from BFG Division (Doom) (2022)

4.5/5. Let's start this playlist with the kind of heavy DOOM glory you just gotta hear! This is my second encounter with a vocal version of an instrumental DOOM song, the other being Necromorphic Despair's take on "The Only Thing They Fear is You". SO BRUTAL.

Fear Factory - "Recharger" from Re-Industrialized (2023)

4/5. This unremarkable track has a more complicated formula. Too repetitive in the verse riffs and vocal melodies. But it's still great.

Samael - "After the Sepulture (new version)" from Rebellion (1995)

4.5/5. This is a more industrial remake of the best song of Blood Ritual and perhaps their black metal era, but I prefer the crushing original more. With evil slow riffing and vicious vocals by Vorph, it's a destructive highlight.

Turmion Kätilöt - "Pyhä kolminaisuus" from Omen X (2023)

5/5. This energetic highlight can get you excited with its catchy chaos from the electro synths and riff groove alongside background choirs.

PhaseOne, ERRA - "World Unknown" from PhaseOne x UNFD (2023)

4.5/5. After including PhaseOne's collaboration with Polaris in this month's Revolution playlist, here's one with ERRA! JT's vocal breakdowns give the song that ERRA touch while staying an electro-dance metal tune.

Ministry - "Believe Me" from Moral Hygiene (2021)

4/5. H*ll, this is a great underrated jam with a bit of a Killing Joke sound. "Life will never be the same..."

ASP - "Ich, Der Teufel Und Du" from Horrors - A Collection of Gothic Novellas (2023)

3.5/5. A beautiful piece of Neue Deutsche Härte, though I'm still not up for that subgenre/scene.

16volt - "Head of Stone" from Wisdom (1993)

4/5. Another example of what industrial rock/metal should really be about, all in great balance.

Psyclon Nine - "X'S ON HER EYES" from Less to Heaven (2022)

4.5/5. An eerie piece of blackened electro-industrial metal to love. Some might reminded of the film 28 Days Later.

KONG - "Hit That Red" from Traders of Truth (2023)

4/5. A pretty great tune from this band that almost always utilizes samples as the sole vocal style.

Pain - "Push the Pusher" from Push the Pusher (2024)

4.5/5. Solid single from the new Pain album I Am! And cool anime-style music video too.

Gothminister - "Hatred" from Gothic Electronic Anthems (2003)

5/5. This highlight smashes through as industrial dance-metal that should really make a hit.

Godflesh – "Slateman" from Slateman single (1991)

4.5/5. I can hear a lot from Godflesh's classic hits like this one.

Celldweller - "Blind Lead the Blind" from Satellites (2022)

5/5. Klayton never ceases to amaze me with his projects Celldweller and Circle of Dust. This is one of the most f***ing bad-a** songs of the new album, not gonna lie!

Argyle Park - "Leave Me Alone" from Misguided (1994)

4.5/5. Also we can't forget about another project Klayton was involved in, Argyle Park. I bet this is the kind of music that planted the seed for video game soundtracks like Crash Bandicoot. Yeah, a little more industrial than metal, but still excellent.

Static-X - "Disco Otsego" from Project Regeneration, Vol. 2 (2024)

4/5. This is one of the songs from the Project Regeneration album series to have vocals from both Xer0 and Wayne Static. It also has the same audio samples as "I'm With Stupid" from their debut Wisconsin Death Trip.

The Kovenant - "The Human Abstract" from Animatronic (1999)

4.5/5. Bizarre yet amazing song from these gothic-ish cyber metal pioneers. No word on if that's where progressive metalcore band The Human Abstract got their name.

Mechina - "The Iron Law" from Conqueror (2011)

4/5. Now this is a great song for a sci-fi boss battle. The lyrics are definitely worth shouting along to, "TOTAL. SYSTEM. FAILURE!!!!"

The Interbeing - "Deceptive Signal" from Among the Amorphous (2017)

4.5/5. Some underrated otherworldly cyber metal for those who want similar music to Mnemic. The brutal verses go well with the epic chorus.

Breach the Void - "Falling" from The Monochromatic Era (2010)

4/5. The lyrics in this song are totally understandable, especially the first verse, "Simulated happiness is my everyday, f***ed up life". How can I not love cyberpunk melodeath track!? Well the harsh vocals could've been much better...

Peace, Love & Pitbulls - "Futurehead" from Peace, Love & Pitbulls (1992)

3.5/5. Pretty good but sometimes things are better left in the past for a greater future.

Rammstein - "Kuss Mich (Fellfrosch)" from Sehnsucht (1997)

4/5. It's interesting how this track is about oral sex, while the song uses cartoony sound effects. Understandable why they never played this live.

In This Moment - "Hunting Grounds" from Mother (2020)

4.5/5. This one stands out with its pummeling heaviness and Brink's duet with Joe Cotela of Ded, whom Brink is currently in a relationship with, as the vocal harmonies bleed well into guitar melodies, "One of us is going down, let's do this anyway".

Decree - "Faded Glory" from Fateless (2011)

4/5. Imagine Godflesh but slower and as industrial as the band HALO. This great song is the result!

Parasite Inc. - "When All Is Said" from Cyan Night Dreams (2022)

4.5/5. The closing track of the playlist and its original album and the most synthwave-ish track here. But the modern heaviness is still around and ends it all perfectly.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some slight drops in quality throughout. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all selected tracks:

Fear Factory - "Demanufacture" from Demanufacture (1995)

5/5. Already proving the song's original album to be a classic, its title opener starts with synth atmosphere before a killer riff joins in, followed by bass and drums, all proving the band to be industrial metal legends! The crushing riffs and thundering drums perfectly stand alongside the amazing vocal charisma in the growls and cleans.

Turmion Kätilöt - "Teurastaja" from Hoitovirhe (2004)

5/5. Fantastic industrial beats and metal instrumentation are worth taking it to the dancefloor. No matter how much of the Finnish language you can understand (I can't), the great intense vocals of MC Raaka Pee never betray.

Samael - "Rain" from Passage (1996)

4.5/5. Samael is known as the true Swiss heroes of symphonic/industrial metal, and killer songs like this help verify that claim. Fans of the band's earlier black metal album shouldn't f*** with the more creative freedom and madness the band decided to have with their true change of sound from Passage onwards. Their satanic sound before Passage is a good reason why I lost touch with the band's material a couple years ago. But I'm glad as h*ll to be building it back up a bit. They still can sound quite f***ing heavy in other songs from their industrial metal albums. Let it rain!

Godflesh - "Someone Somewhere Scorned" from Slavestate E.P. (1991)

4.5/5. Godflesh has made many different releases and songs that I enjoy, and they nicely cement the band's phenomenal ways of industrial metal. This is another excellent song from the band and a nice break from the more dance-y songs in this playlist like the previous two.

The Amenta - "Teeth" from Flesh is Heir (2013)

5/5. This spectacular brutal highlight takes the industrial vibes of 3TEETH and gives it the Gojira prog-death treatment.

Combichrist - "Modern Demon" from Planet Doom (2024)

4.5/5. Similarly to Psyclon Nine, Combichrist started off as aggrotech before gradually evolving into industrial metal. This single from their new EP combines both eras.

Death SS - "S.I.A.G.F.O.M." from The 7th Seal (2006)

4/5. An interesting blend of classic heavy metal, industrial metal, and satanic horror themes, similar to Danzig's late 90s work.

Circle of Dust - "Regressor" (Aggressive Mix) from Brainchild (1994)

4.5/5. "HE'S A KILLER, I SAW IT!" Many audio samples like that one from Robocop 2 plague this haunting track. For anyone more familiar with Klayton's current more famous project Celldweller can be pleasantly surprised by his work in Circle of Dust. There's also a remix of that track by Battlejuice. I'm currently 25 and looking out for music like this that take on more serious and experimental aspects than the power metal I used to listen to 10 years before today.

Celldweller - "I Can't Wait" from Wish Upon a Blackstar (2012)

5/5. I'm doing a fantastic with my serious and experimental quest thanks to Klayton, among many other rock/metal artists. His music as Celldweller needs a lot more appreciation. The buildup before the final chorus at one minute left is a total spine-chiller. I don't know where my path will take me next, but I CAN'T WAIT.

Crossbreed - "Reflections" from .01 (1998)

4.5/5. Some pretty cool nu/industrial metal, that's all I'm gonna say there.

Rammstein - "Stein um Stein" from Reise, Reise (2004)

4/5. The Neue Deutsche Härte sound developed by Rammstein is quite a phenomenon. I'm definitely OK with this track, though I would like it more if I can get its appeal.

Realize - "Predawn Gloom" from Two Human Minutes (2023)

4/5. Here's some doomy industrial metal gloom that's quite bleak and cool.

Eisbrecher - "Eiszeit" from Eiszeit (2010)

4.5/5. A slightly more enjoyable NDH song to break the ice.

Ruoska - "Amortem" from Amortem (2006)

5/5. Surprisingly, I barely find Finnish industrial metal bad at all despite having the same problem at NDH (sung in a different language). I think one reason why I find this song perfect enough to make me up for more of this band is because of vocalist Patrik Mennander having performed unclean vocals in the first two Battlelore albums.

CHRISTWVRKS - "It Never Was the Same" from Teeth Fall From the Open Eye (2019)

4.5/5. The cool bleak doomy industrial metal gloom continues from that Realize track.

Ministry - "TV Song 1/6 Edition" from Hopiumforthemasses (2024)

4/5. Then we speed up into rapid-fire thrash-metalcore-esque riffing and drumming in this song from Ministry's latest offering.

Motionless in White - "Werewolf" from Scoring the End of the World (2022)

4.5/5. My first time listening to this track was a quite exciting experience, having some of the most f***ing experimentation they've had for so long. It's like a Carpenter Brut remake of Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me", especially when Chris Motionless sings Michael Jackson's hook from that song. Some fans may love it, others may hate it. The chorus is my favorite here with pleasing harmonies, "I can be honest, I can be human, I can become the silver bullet in your hand". I want more of that!

ASP - "Welcome" from Weltunter (2003)

4/5. A pretty great gothic industrial rock/metal song with a catchy chorus.

Front Line Assembly - "Millennium" from Millennium (1994)

4.5/5. This track helps solidify its original album's place in the mid-90s industrial metal triptych between Killing Joke's Pandemonium and Fear Factory's Demanufacture.

Strapping Young Lad - "Bring on the Young" from SYL (2003)

5/5. This standout ends Strapping Young Lad's 3rd album similarly to City. It is a drawn-out slow epic building up to a powerful climax. I honestly like this album's closing track better than that of City, despite that album being more perfect than this one.

Red Harvest - "Move or Be Moved" from Cold Dark Matter (2000)

4.5/5. After that preview track from their 1998 Newrage World Music EP in last December's Sphere playlist, it's time for the full track that came in two years later in Cold Dark Matter, as excellent as that preview!

Mechina - "The Hyperion Tragedy" from Acheron (2015)

4/5. Now this is a massive beast of an almost 10-minute epic that works as the soundtrack to a massive space battle. There's a lot of epic power in both the title and the song that's nothing but true galactic carnage. This extensive track is so interesting and prevails as one of the best songs of that Mechina album.

Sybreed - "Into the Blackest Light" from God is an Automaton (2012)

4.5/5. It hurts that Sybreed split up after this song's original album. This heavy banger goes f***ing hard especially in the breakdown midway through.

The Kovenant - "Industrial Twilight" from Seti (2003)

4/5. Let's end this playlist with I once thought was one of the best tracks from this Kovenant album SETI. It's a shame that I stopped listening to this band recently, especially since they've just ended their long hiatus. Maybe they will finally finish the long-awaited Aria Galactica album that's been in development Hell as long as Wintersun's Time II.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some slight drops in quality throughout. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

Argyle Park was an industrial rock/metal project Klayton was in between his own two projects Circle of Dust and the more famous Celldweller. The other founder of this project goes by the name Buka. Despite being signed to Christian labels, their dark lyrics and contributions from secular artists caused some controversy in the Christian music scene. Their record label R.E.X. tried to censor a track in the band's album Misguided. Because of all this, the band split up after only two years of activity. Fast forward a few years, the band reformed under a different name AP2, and released a second album titled Suspension of Disbelief. While the poor sales and criticism caused the band to end again, this is one of the most innovative industrial rock/metal albums I've heard. The darkness is what I love! The industrial sound rages on in the heavy songs then quiets down in the slower ones, and sometimes their techno/trance/drum n bass influences shine in an enjoyable way alongside other experimental aspects to make underrated works of art. Not one other project could attempt to make the darkest, most experimental industrial rock/metal in the Christian music scene. It's a risk that caused them to be shunned by the scene, but at least industrial metal fans like myself would have something to listen to a lot every now and then!

5/5

Recommend tracks: "My Sympathies", "A New Wound", "The Red Shirt Conspiracy", "The Pact", "Resurrection of the Ravens", "The Only Man I Know"

For fans of: Nine Inch Nails, Celldweller, Psyclon Nine

Here's my review:

I came to London post-punk legends Killing Time pretty late in the piece with my first encounter not coming until I checked out their fourteenth full-length album in 2012's solid industrial rock effort "MMXII". I probably didn't give it enough time or attention either to be honest as I kinda let it wash over me without really digging its teeth in & I'd move on fairly quickly. It wouldn't be until I nominated Killing Joke's classic 2003 self-titled album for feature release status in March 2021 that I'd discover what the band were really capable of with it's blend of industrial & alternative metal leaving me feeling both exhilerated & thoroughly rewarded. That experience would see me tempted into nominating 2006's highly regarded "Hosannas From the Basements of Hell" album as our March 2022 feature, another high-quality industrial metal effort that only strengthened Killing Joke's case for me & led to me thoroughly enjoying 1985's seminal post-punk/gothic rock fifth album "Night Time" during a period of goth rock exploration in early 2023. All of that exposure has now led us to this point in time when I find myself having made a third Killing Joke feature release nomination in order to see whether 1994's "Pandemonium", the band's first foray into metal music, stands up to the same standard set by its illustrious company.

"Pandemonium" is a record of enormous depth. It sees Killing Joke traversing a lot of musical ground across its ten tracks & 61-minute duration & one has to wonder whether the fact that the band was without a full-time drummer at the time played into the musical & creative decisions they made here. The production job isn't perfect with some of the faster songs lacking a little bit of definition between the instruments but there's a potent energy about everything they do with front man Jaz Coleman inevitably managing to maintain your attention & drive this material through his undeniable charisma.

"Pandemonium" kicks off with a trio of its heaviest & most aggressive songs & on first listen you could be forgiven for thinking that you were in for a total metalfest. But there's a whole bunch more to "Pandemonium" than that & by the end of the album you'll find that there's possibly more rock than there is metal. The four metal tunes are significant enough to warrant a dual tagging though with their high octane tempos & chunky riffage drawing me way back to those mid-90's goth club dance floors I used to frequent so regularly when I was still a part of the Sydney death metal scene. The opening title track is particularly effective & would have to be one of Killing Joke's finest moments. There's some interesting material to be found outside of the metal space too though with industrial goth rocker "Communion" being a real favourite of mine. "Pleasures of the Flesh" reiterates Killing Joke's goth rock potential while "Black Moon" harks back to the band's post-punk roots. Shoegaze number "Jana" is probably the most restrained inclusion & the album comes to a close following the lengthy alternative dance number "Mathematics of Chaos" whose pumping electronic beat will no doubt get your head bobbing but probably lacks a little in the focus & execution departments.

Despite the variation, there are no weak tracks included as such with every one of the ten pieces offering at least some level of entertainment. I don't think there are quite enough genuine classics here to see "Pandemonium" competing on the same level as Killing Joke's marvelous 2003 self-titled album but it's not far behind "Hosannas From The Basement of Hell" as far as rock-solid, professionally produced industrial rock & metal music goes. One gets the feeling that anything Jaz Coleman & co. touch will be successful as they just seem to possess that greater understanding of what makes visceral rock/metal music so appealing in the first place. I've thoroughly enjoyed my couple of days with "Pandemonium" & can definitely see myself returning to it at regular intervals in the future. Fans of Ministry & Nine Inch Nails should definitely check it out because there are some clear similarities on display at times.

4/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Bad Omens, Poppy - "V.A.N." from V.A.N. (2024)

5/5. The playlist begins with a kick-A collab between Bad Omens and Poppy. To paraphrase part of the first verse, it gets more powerful every minute. Although Poppy's vocals are both beautiful and wicked, it would've been nice to hear from Bad Omens vocalist Noah Sebastian as well, but the song is still perfect. The lyrics are so disturbing yet intriguing ("Isn't it strange to create something that hates you?" "I AM DEATH AND I AM NOT ALONE!!!!").

Gothminister - "Dark Salvation" from Empire of Dark Salvation (2005)

5/5. This one opens the playlist big, really big, after that Bad Omens/Poppy prologue.

Deathstars - "All the Devil's Toys" from The Perfect Cult (2014)

4.5/5. Another cool cyber/industrial metal song. What else to say?

Nailbomb - "Vai toma no cu" from Point Blank (1994)

4/5. This one's also great in the instrumentation.

Lord of the Lost - "Blood & Glitter" from Blood & Glitter (2022)

3.5/5. I applaud this song representing Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, though it could've been done better.

Marilyn Manson - "Tourniquet" from Antichrist Superstar (1996)

3/5. This one is OK, but let's hope for some more madness in this playlist...

Rammstein - "Morgenstern" from Reise, Reise (2004)

3/5. This seems wonderful, but it's not really the best I've heard from Rammstein.

Genitorturers - "Devil in a Bottle" from Blackheart Revolution (2009)

3.5/5. This one totally rocks out with its Rob Zombie vibe and makes up a lot for the previous songs' fails.

Rob Zombie - "The Satanic Rites of Blacula" from The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy (2021)

4/5. Speaking of Rob Zombie... Da da da-da-da, da da da-da-da! H*ll, this sounds good and catchy, though a bit Satanic.

Godflesh - "Shut Me Down" from A World Lit Only by Fire (2014)

4.5/5. I like the shuffled rhythm in this one. Light it up, Godflesh!

AP2 - "The Pact" from Suspension of Disbelief (2000)

5/5. My favorite song in this AP2 album is a softer industrial rock/metal track with no lyrics, only Indian-style chanting by vocalist Sage. That and the catchy pop-ish tone might remind some of The Prayer Chain, and the song shows actions can sing louder than words.

Pain - "Go With the Flow" from Go With the Flow (2024)

5/5. Incredible track from Pain's upcoming album I Am! This could get a lengthy extension and I would still enjoy it.

Peace, Love & Pitbulls - "Kemikal" from 3 (1997)

4.5/5. An amazing NIN-like song with good vocals, that should've ended up in a Resident Evil soundtrack.

Fear Factory - "Hatred Will Prevail (Monolith Remix)" from Recoded (2022)

4/5. A killer remix of "Monolith", done by session member Rhys Fulber who's best known as a member of Front Line Assembly. I enjoy the vocals at the end.

Mushroomhead - "Just Pretending" from Savior Sorrow (2006)

4.5/5. Horns up to this wicked track that makes me up to reviewing Mushroomhead's discography leading up to this month's feature release.

In This Moment - "Sanctify Me" from Godmode (2023)

5/5. Maria Brink can really scream in the verses of this powerful highlight.

Author & Punisher - "Misery" from Krüller (2022)

4.5/5. Drone-ish industrial metal misery. Next!

Scum of the Earth - "Born Again Masochist" from The Devil Made Me Do It (2012)

4/5. F***ing h*ll, this band can blend metal and dubstep seamlessly after Korn's attempt to do that in The Path of Totality. Mike Riggs' creativity shines like a motherf***er.

ASP - "The Shadows Beneath the Roots" from Horrors - A Collection Of Gothic Novellas (2023)

3.5/5. Here's some dark Neue Deutsche Härte like a more gothic Rammstein. I still can't get the appeal of that subgenre though.

Treponem Pal - "Crazy Woman" from Screamers (2023)

4/5. Another song I like. I like this "Crazy, Crazy Woman".

Emigrate - "In My Tears" from Emigrate (2007)

4.5/5. Another cool song from this Rammstein side-project.

D'espairsRay - "Marry of the Blood -Bloody Minded Mix-" from Coll:Set (2006)

5/5. After a year of adding a few D'espairsRay songs into The Sphere playlists, I'm finally enjoying this band's material, including this lovely remix.

Mechina - "Reclamation of Mortal Nature" from Tyrannical Resurrection (2007)

4.5/5. Some songs from Mechina's debut The Assembly of Tyrants were re-recorded for this EP Tyrannical Resurrection. This band can sound killer even at a time before adding a bombastic truckload of symphonics and female vocals to their subsequent releases.

Sybreed - "Hightech Versus Lowlife" from God is an Automaton (2012)

4/5. The intro and the midsection sound so brutal as part of the cyber/industrial metal greatness.

Neurotech - "Blue Screen Planet (Part II Revelation)" from Blue Screen Planet (2011)

4.5/5. Most metalheads and more upbeat music listeners can't go past the first half of this serene Hans Zimmer-like composition, but I can! It's amazing how magical this piece sounds as it transports you out of the harsh reality of Earth into the astral plane. It works well with the video game No Man's Sky. So instead of unleashing metal in maximum power, let the cool ambience move you into this different dimension. By the 5th minute, you'll already be one with the multiverse.

Turmion Kätilöt - "To Be Contiuned, Kohtaus 3" from Dance Panique (2017)

5/5. Then after waking up from that universal dream, it's time to party with this incredible finale that's much better than the first two "To Be Continued" acts, sounding more like a real song or epic. Nothing bad about that one at all!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the first half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

I've just done my review, here's its summary:

Turmion Katilot started off on a perfect note with Hoitovirhe, plummeted down in quality in Perstechnique, and in subsequent albums, started slowly climbing back up. The ascent continues with Omen X, their 10th album and second one released by Nuclear Blast. Many of the songs have trance-y industrial metal energy to get you excited with its catchy chaos from the electro synths and riff groove alongside background choirs. With lots of different riffs and keyboards for a great time, there's no doubt Omen X will get you hooked into dance-y industrial metal. Party on!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Gabriel", "Pyhä kolminaisuus", "Verestä sokea", "Sormenjälki", "Käy tanssiin", "Kuolettavia vammoja"

For fans of: PAIN, Deathstars, Rammstein

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Godflesh - "Like Rats" from Streetcleaner (1989)

5/5. Kicking off this playlist is one of the heavier well-known industrial metal tracks, a furious groove track with a noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!").

Turmion Katilot - "Hengita" from Hengita (2022)

5/5. An absolute Finnish party rock anthem! The vocals are a bit drowned out, but I don't care.

Rave the Reqviem - "Ofelia" from Ofelia (2023)

4.5/5. Spotify knows what I like when searching for industrial metal. I love the idea of several vocalists at once, something already used by Amaranthe. The amazing beauty of the female vocals ("All colors have faded, but one inside you, like the eyes of the devil eternally blue") are leveled up by the background male choirs when they sing "O-Ofelia!" How f***ing g****mn serene! What's also interesting is, the ex-female vocalist before the new one is the mother of the frontman.

Dodheimsgard - "Ion Storm" (title swapped with "Carpet Bombing" on Spotify) from 666 International (1999)

4/5. This one greatly displays what its original album is about; an industrial beat and shouting that leads into black metal riffing. Industrial black metal really takes time to sink in, and it can sink in well for those who have black metal in their passion.

Eisbrecher - "Liebe Macht Monster" from Liebe Macht Monster (2021)

3.5/5. Some nice well-done lyrics despite being all in German. Next!

Rob Zombie - "Demonoid Phenomenon" from Hellbilly Deluxe (1998)

4/5. This one prevails in dark anarchy.

Static-X - "Black Star" from Project: Regeneration Vol. 2 (2024)

4.5/5. The project continues greatly. RIP Wayne Static.

Mnemic - "Deathbox" from The Audio Injected Soul (2004)

5/5. This single has tons of madness to be injected in your mind and soul, especially in the AM3D technology.

Red Harvest - "Cybernaut" from Sick Transit Gloria Mundi (2002)

4.5/5. REALITY IS BORING! Escape into the industrial fantasy of this band!

Blood From the Soul - "Natures Hole" from To Spite the Gland That Breeds (1994)

4/5. Sludgy hardcore industrial metal. Enough said!

Killing Joke - "Whiteout" from Pandemonium (1994)

4/5. Then we return to the heavier chaos with the kind of energy I needed to make sure I don't get bored to death at some points.

Fear Factory - "Cloning Technology" from Remanufacture – Cloning Technology (1997)

4.5/5. The Remanufacture remixes are quite killer, though they don't do the exact same justice as the originals. Industrial remixes can sometimes kick f***ing a**. "I DON'T WANT TO LIVE THAT WAY!"

In This Moment - "We Will Rock You" from Mother (2020)

5/5. This one lights up the fire as an epic cover of the Queen hit, featuring Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) and Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless). F*** yeah, that's the female-powered anthem we need alongside Evanescence's "Use My Voice"!

Ghostemane - "Convoluted" from Fear Network II (2021)

4.5/5. This is f***ing one of those weird yet underrated songs. We really need more songs like this that aren't as bare industrial as Front Line Assembly or Skinny Puppy.

Realize - "Crest Dispersal" from Two Human Minutes (2023)

4/5. Things get a bit weirder while still enjoyable to some degree.

White Zombie - "Blood, Milk and Sky (Miss September Mix)" from Supersexy Swingin' Sounds (1996)

3.5/5. Basically one of my favorite songs from Astro-Creep 2000 given a sexier remix treatment by P.M. Dawn. RIP Prince Be

Raubtier - "En hjältes väg" from Skriet Från Vildmarken (2010)

3/5. Sabaton would make a cover of this song, and that's actually more worth listening to than the original.

Emigrate - "This is What" from Emigrate (2007)

3.5/5. This is WHAT?! This is a cool song from this Rammstein side-project, that's what!

The Mad Capsule Markets - "Let It Rip -Download From Joujouka" from CiSTm K0nFLiqT (2004)

4/5. 3, 2, 1! Let the techno-industrial metal rip!

Lord of the Lost - "The Heart is a Traitor" from Judas (2021)

3.5/5. G****mn these driving drums, they're so good!

Khost - "Iversion" from Corrosive Shroud (2015)

3/5. A bit too drone-ish there. Let's move on...

P.H.O.B.O.S. - "Gregarious" from Tectonics (2005)

3.5/5. Same with this one, but with a more brain-melting blend of heaviness and melody.

Sybreed - "Ex Inferis" from Antares (2007)

4/5. A Sybreed song ending up on the radio of a movie/video game soundtrack would be interesting. Think HALO or Red Alert.

Neurotech - "The Halcyon Symphony" from Symphonies (2016)

4.5/5. Neurotech's symphonies can take your soul through a galactic adventure. Wulf knows how to master the art of symphonies as greatly as Hans Zimmer, and possibly also Mozart and Bach, while blending the orchestral arrangements with his usual cyber metal. It's impressive how well your creativity can take you when composing such a piece. This should really be more popular, seriously! The speaker frequency would be greatly enhanced with its intricacy and drama. F***ing outstanding!

Gothminister - "Somewhere in Time" from The Other Side (2017)

5/5. After two instrumentals (one short and one long), it all comes down to something so spooky, and I'm just talking about the riffing and whispered baritone vocals. It's actually a melodic symphonic closer to this dark industrial metal journey.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the second half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Deathstars - "Chertograd" from Night Electric Night (2009)

5/5. Kicking off this playlist is this song from one of the best bands of cyber/industrial metal. It is an epic beautiful start to another amazing Deathstars album that is Night Electric Night. Chertograd is Russian for "Cursed Town". The female singing sounds serene, but we don't know who performs it.

Mechina - "Xenon" from Xenon (2014)

4.5/5. F***ing underrated epic cinematic cyber metal to love! You can just imagine travelling through lightyears of space and centuries (even millennia) of time.

Strapping Young Lad - "Skeksis" from Alien (2005)

5/5. This brutal track is where you can hear Gene Hoglan's amazing drumming that might've inspired the more metal side of Protest the Hero. The drumming is filled with punishment, no remorse. Finally, the vocals kick in that are amazing as always, along with fast riffs and neat keyboards all over.

Godflesh – "Nihil" from Cold World E.P. (1991)

5/5. One of the best Godflesh songs to strike you with fear and pleasure. Adding to the creepy bleakness is this track being featured in the 1995 film Hideaway. The scene that has that song is a good reason not to sh*t on that poor film. Justin Broadrick is quite a beast when it comes to performing guitars and vocals. With the usual feeling of dread, I both understand and don't understand why their music hasn't ended up any more film soundtracks.

HEALTH - "SICKO [Feat. GODFLESH]" from RAT WARS (2023)

4.5/5. This one follows as another highlight, sampling Godflesh's "Like Rats", specifically its noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!").

Ministry - "Goddamn White Trash" from Goddamn White Trash (2023)

4/5. A pretty great single for Ministry's upcoming possible final release Hopium for the Masses. Clearly they took some aspects from Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie after being those artists' opening act.

Lock the Basement - "Feed Our Lie" from Feed Our Lie (2020)

3.5/5. A creative banger without ever having to do mathy djent.

Fear Factory - "Industrial Discipline" from Mechanize (2010)

4/5. This one blasts through with the band's earlier deathly industrial metal. It ends with a cool outro that just stops abruptly. It's a small issue, but quite great nonetheless.

Lord of the Lost - "Destruction Manual" from Blood & Glitter (2022)

3.5/5. Some catchy industrial dance metal there. Enough said!

Gothminister - "Devil" from Gothic Electronic Anthems (2003)

4/5. This one is slightly darker than the other single from Gothminister's debut, "Angel", adding to the "Devil vs. Angel" motive.

Mnemic - "Jack Vegas" from The Audio Injected Soul (2004)

4.5/5. More personality is included in this track, including the dialogue performed by Michael Bøgballe in multiple vocal styles.

Sybreed - "In the Cold Light" from The Pulse of Awakening (2009)

4/5. Who knew a depressive power ballad can fit so f***ing well in industrial/cyber metal? It's suitable for suffering in the despair of the bleak pandemic. The heavy final minute is so beautiful. Think a band like PAIN can do something like that?

Nailbomb - "Cockroaches" from Point Blank (1994)

4.5/5. This one stands out as another favorite, having some of the highest quality in its original album.

Pitchshifter - "Hangar 84" from Infotainment? (1996)

4/5. When you hear what sounds like drum 'n' bass with lots of audio samples, you know that's when Pitchshifter was moving out of their heavier Godflesh-infused sound.

Dødheimsgard - "Traces of Reality" from Satanic Art (1998)

4.5/5. Black metal is often filled with satanic chaos, and as amazing as this one sounds (because it's also close to industrial metal), it's not something I would want to have long-term if I don't want my angelic purity to be TOUCHED BY THE DEVILISH ONE (audio sample from Twin Peaks). Still this is pure f***ing chaos that shows how industrial metal can blend well black metal rather than electro-dance. And this EP is much different from the psychedelic avant-prog metal sound of A Umbra Omega. The beasts of the North are alive, not for the faint of heart.

Static-X - "Otsego Placebo" from Project Regeneration Vol. 1 (2020)

4/5. A pretty great single as part of the first half of the Project Regeneration duo of albums in memory of Wayne Static. Whether or not Xer0 really is Edsel Dope, he knows how to respectfully resurrect Wayne's vocal power. The audio samples are apparently from Total Recall.

Emigrate - "Get Down" Silent So Long (2014)

3.5/5. Hot lyrics and hot vocals from the song's guest vocalist Peaches. The killer heaviness doesn't crash in until literally the last minute.

N.K.V.D. - "Sloboda" from Totalitarian Industrial Oppression (2016)

3/5. Some decent Celtic Frost gone industrial vibes while subtly referencing infamous World War II leaders.

Uniform - "Delco" from Shame (2020)

3.5/5. Pretty solid music here, a bit like a blend of Ministry, Dope, and to a lesser extent, Deftones. "YOU ARE WHAT YOU'VE DONE, YOU ARE WHAT'S BEEN DONE TO YOU!"

2 Times Terror - "Vielä joskus" from Equals One Sudden Death (2010)

4/5. 2 Times Terror was a one-off side-project by MC Raaka Pee of Turmion Katilot, this project having more Rammstein vibes. I probably would love this track more if the lyrics were in English and they did not have the bridge with the baby noises before the final chorus.

KMFDM - "Take'm Out" from Blitz (2009)

3.5/5. Another industrial rock/metal track heavily covered in audio samples. Take it or lose it!

Autarkh - "Cyclic Terror" from Form in Motion (2021)

4/5. Holy sh*t, this is quite g****mn heavy! But I've heard better.

Eisbrecher - "Im Guten Im Bösen" from Liebe Macht Monster (2021)

3.5/5. Eisbrecher knows how to get their sound going in an addictive direction. It's a pity I can't really get the NDH appeal.

OOMPH! - "Ein Kleines Bisschen Glück" from Richter Und Henker (2023)

3/5. Oomph! is still going smoothly after their replacing longtime member Dero Goi with a different vocalist. I still can't get the NDH appeal, but this is still a decent song to conclude another solid Sphere playlist.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the second half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

It's been decades since I've heard "Point Blank" but I've got to admit that it's delivered exactly what I remembered it being capable of in that it's a decent listen but isn't one that commands much in the way of return listens, despite presenting some clear potential. The tracklisting kicks off in very strong fashion with the opening two songs being amongst the highlights of the album but the remainder of the run time is a little hit & miss to be honest, even though there's only the one track in the proper tracklisting that I consider to be a genuine failure in the flat industrial piece "Shit Pinata". There's a fair bit of variation on offer, despite Nailbomb being predominantly an industrial metal band. The thrash metal component isn't really enough for a primary tag & I'd suggest that there's much more crossover thrash than there is your more conventional thrash metal anyway. You'll also pick up some clear groove metal & sludge metal influences along with some smatterings of martial industrial & conventional industrial music along the way for a result that sounds very much like a combination of Sepultura's "Chaos AD" & Ministry's "Psalm 69" with smatterings of Fudge Tunnel's "Hate Songs in E Minor" tossed in for good measure. It's just that "Point Blank" never quite reaches the heights of those records which is the real shame. Don't get me wrong. It's by no means a bad record but it does struggle to command the attention it once seemed to receive with very little effort these days.

3.5/5

So with the start of a new year it's once again time to have a look at the covers for all the releases for each clan. I personally like to rate a whole stack of covers all at once, rather than doing them one at a time throughout the year, as it allows me to get a better feel for where each cover sits in comparison to others. With that in mind, I've just rated every cover for releases in The Sphere for 2023.

Below are the releases that are currently competing for the prestigious 2023 The Sphere Cover of the Year Award (i.e. they rate at least 3.0 and have 3 or more ratings). The winner will be announced on the 1st of February, so there's still time to get your ratings in.

Neurotech - Ave Neptune

In This Moment - Godmode

Till Lindemann - Zunge

Mechina - Cenotaph

HEALTH - Rat Wars

If you want to contribute and rate some covers, the easiest way is to go to The Gallery and select The Sphere and 2023.

https://metal.academy/gallery?cid=9&type=overall_cover_rating&myRating=&fromYear=2023&toYear=2023&exclude=0

I look forward to seeing which release gets up for the win!

The only real contenders for The Sphere Release of 2023 are Godflesh's "Purge" & In This Moment's "Godmode" with less than a week to go so get those ratings in.

I perhaps don't enjoy "666 International" quite as much as I did when Ben first brought my attention to it back fifteen years ago. I'd describe it as being an avant-garde industrial black metal release that combines the industrial black metal sound of Thorns with the avant-garde metal of Ved Buens Ende.... & throws in a little Aborym for good measure. It's certainly a very interesting record that perennially keeps you on your toes but it's also a flawed one in many ways. You see, there are just so many ideas floating around but not all of them work from a compositional sense with the outcome sounding noticeably pieced together from widely disparate parts. It also sounds to me like an intentional attempt to sound weird rather than a natural creative evolution. The black metal components are unsurprisingly my favourite sections while a couple of the piano interludes representing the weaker moments. The vocals of Thorns/Zyklon-B front man Aldrahn are certainly pretty psychotic but he also overdoes it a little bit at times & comes off like a raving madman. The production is a little inconsistent with the guitar sound being pretty thin & the electronic drums sitting further back in the mix than I would normally like with an industrial metal release. I do really enjoy the gothic rock influences though & would have liked Dødheimsgard to have explored those a little further. My favourite tracks are opener "Shiva-Interfere", the blackened "Sonar Bliss", the lovely piano interlude "Magic" & the gothic rock hidden track but none reach classic status which leaves me with a middling score overall &, even while I generally find myself enjoying the album, I can also see why I haven't felt the need to return to "666 International" or explore Dødheimsgard's subsequent material over the last decade or so.

3.5/5 

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Samael - "Exodus" from Exodus (1998)

4.5/5. A great song to start this playlist. What can I say?

Godflesh - "Post Self" from Post Self (2017)

5/5. This one opens with the band's classic sound; a pounding drum beat and simple heavy riffing. The soundscape is relaxing yet dissonant. Nothing's out of place! This cohesive sound is still doing well after all those years of experience.

Red Harvest - "Absolut Dunkel: Heit" from Cold Dark Matter (2000)

4.5/5. HOLY F***, Red harvest has gone black metal, with Fenriz of Darkthrone by their side! And things get more insane at over the one and a half minute mark.

Trust Obey - "The Soul is a Temple of Wire Carcasses" from Fear and Bullets: The Tides of Sin (2018)

4/5. Pretty great long ambient industrial metal track, though a bit draggy.

Irving Force - "Void" from Void (2020)

3.5/5. A good catchy industrial metal single, something radio listeners shouldn't chicken out from listening to.

Aesthetic Perfection - "S E X" from S E X (2021)

4/5. Aesthetic Perfection has spawned a touch of golden fire, heated by the guitar skills of Sebastian Svalland (PAIN, In Mourning).

Ludovico Technique - "Silence" from Silence (2022)

4.5/5. I'm glad to find some good discoveries on Spotify when assembling my playlists. This band's goth-ish industrial metal remains standing.

Fear Factory - "Replica" from Demanufacture (1995)

5/5. Perhaps the most famous song by the band! It's not my ultimate favorite song from the band, but its straight pace and killer chorus make that single a perfect one. It was later covered by symphonic metal band Epica. If you're not sure about that cover, don't be an Epica "Replica" replica skeptica! lol

Omega Lithium - "Kinetik" from Kinetik (2011)

5/5. This one perfectly exemplifies what its original album is made of, from the beating heart.

Deathstars - "The Perfect Cult" from The Perfect Cult (2014)

5/5. Another perfect track that you just gotta hear to believe!

Mechina - "Tyrannos" from Telesterion (2019)

4.5/5. 2019 is one of metal's greatest years in the modern era. This epic-sounding piece of cinematic classical cyber metal might help seal that deal. And the lyrics are delivered well too, "CHILDREN OF EMPYREAN, DESCENDANTS OF ACHERON".

Oblivion Machine - "Reflexion and Dust" from The Moon Ailments Anthology (2017)

4/5. High-quality cyber metal. Enough said!

Sybreed - "Revive My Wounds" from Antares (2007)

4.5/5. I haven't heard much from this band, but the beat here is so d*mn good.

Pain - "Leave Me Alone" from You Only Live Once (2011)

5/5. I just adore both PAIN's cover of this song and the original by Sonic Syndicate. This might fit well for the soundtrack of action-packed anime shows like Black Rock Shooter. Lots of incredible potential here!

In This Moment - "Everything Starts and Ends with You" from Godmode (2023)

4.5/5. In This Moment has been adopting more NIN-esque electronic influences than before. There is one person in your realm that will be your life-force, from the start to the end. Their new album Godmode brings back their earlier elements from their first 4 albums while continuing their more industrial direction. It certainly can work for a video game of heavenly universal connection. While the albums since Black Widow aren't quite the same as their earlier ones, they still have the ability to throw back.

Khost - "Last Furnace" from Buried Steel (2020)

4/5. Some early Godflesh vibes can be found in this song in a more drone-ish pace.

Diabolicum - "Chained on Demonwings" from The Grandeur of Hell (1999)

3.5/5. Industrial black metal that acts as kind of a bridge between Dodheimsgard's Satanic Art and 666 International.

Megaherz - "Kannst Du Den Himmel Sehn?" from In Teufels Namen (2023)

3/5. Seems like the band is restoring their earlier balladry, but it sounds a little too emo-ish to me.

SKYND - "Richard Ramirez" from Chapter I (2018)

4.5/5. My favorite of this SKYND EP. Skynd herself sings more naturally here, and it's quite fantastic, though I'm OK with the strange effects. Richard Ramirez was another serial killer, known as the Night Stalker.

Killing Joke - "Invocation" from Hosannas from the Basements of Hell (2006)

4/5. The music and lyrics sound f***ing supernatural here. I definitely like the beat. This was Paul Raven's last album with the band before his passing the next year, RIP. There's some ominous cello to go along with the strings. It would've been cooler if the beat was more synchronized, but it's still OK.

Unheilig - "Puppenspieler" from Puppenspiel (2008)

3.5/5. Another nice crazy song to enjoy a bit. Next!

Dodheimsgard - "21st Century Devil" from Supervillain Outcast (2007)

4/5. I'm quite obsessed with the music this band has made, even with their sound always changing. Still this can't beat 666 International. The song title is a highly possible reference to "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson, and has a similar experimental industrial metal vibe to Voivod's cover. I love the beginning synths.

Mnemic - "Within" from Sons of the System (2010)

4.5/5. This is another well-accomplished feat, where the nice melody is in engaging contrast with the heavy groove.

Gothminister - "Thriller (Extended Version)" from Happiness in Darkness (2008)

5/5. Ending this playlist is a superb cover of that Michael Jackson hit. It's clear that Brem is straining beyond his limits, but that doesn't matter. This is the extended version that's twice as long and includes part of the original narration by Vincent Price. More fitting for the October playlist as a Halloween special, but never mind.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the second half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Dance With the Dead - "March of the Dead" from Driven to Madness (2022)

3/5. Let's begin with a darksynth project that made a decent album intro of industrial metal. I guess the best part would have over the one-minute mark which sounds pretty cool. Time to bash some zombie warriors!

Static-X - "I'm With Stupid" from Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

3.5/5. This one has some great lyrics to like, "HE'S A LOSER!!!"

In This Moment - "Army of Me" from Godmode (2023)

4/5. Maria Brink is quite impressive at making In This Moment covers of pop hits, like this Bjork classic.

Godflesh - "ARMY OF NON" from PURGE (2023)

4.5/5. This one has the band's unabridged purity. It throws back to the glory days of Streetcleaner with the hammering and screeching guitars alongside the harsh vocals of Broadrick. The diversity in the heaviness adds to their bleak aura.

Celldweller - "The Wings of Icarus" from Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 02 (2012)

5/5. One of the best instrumental songs I've heard, and it was in the trailer for Real Steel! With my brother loving that movie and these kinds of tracks mixing industrial metal with dubstep and TSFH-like orchestration, you bet he might get a kick out of this kick-A action. When the music rises up until the bass drop at exactly one minute in, you know you're in for an epic treat.

16volt - "Perfectly Fake" from Skin (1994)

4.5/5. A perfect hodgepodge of experimentation, similar to what Candiria was doing at that time, but the hardcore elements are replaced with industrial ones.

Mushroomhead - "Episode 29 (Hardcore Mix)" from Remix (1997)

4/5. "You're a nice person... You're a b***h!" F***ing killer remix!

Obsydians - "Ascension" from Ascension (2018)

3.5/5. Obsydians is a band form by members of Sybreed after that split with Sybreed vocalist Benjamin Nominet moving on to Shadow Domain. Cool guitars and vocals here.

Minority Sound - "The End of All" from The Explorer (2012)

3/5. This one starts off pretty cool, but the long ending is a little too much.

Kit Walters - "The Stains of Time (Maniac Agenda Mix)" from METAL GEAR RISING REVENGANCE VOCAL TRACKS (2013)

3.5/5. Pretty good song to love for some cyber metal action from Metal Gear Rising.

Lock the Basement - "Green" from REVITALIZED (2021)

4/5. Although this is more of a HIM/Red Hot Chili Peppers-like track, it fits well for the concept of a strange claustrophobic future of disillusionment and desperation.

Genitorturers - "120 Days" from 120 Days of Genitorture (1993)

4.5/5. The dark sinister vibe is spawned straight from this track. The name of that song and this album reference Marquis de Sade’s unfinished erotic novel 120 Days of Sodom. Already, the lyrical message has some deep power.

Omega Lithium - "Nebula" from Dreams in Formaline (2009)

5/5. The humanity-threatened monster continues to roam in this scary yet catchy masterpiece composition. Within the evil synthesized violins and cold vocals, the creature has DNA from the aliens of Nebula who wage war on Earth to tire out the human rebellion.

Code Orange - "A Drone Opting Out of the Hive" from The Above (2023)

5/5. A perfect hip-hop-ish industrial metal track in which this crossover idea works so well!

Fear Factory - "Controlled Demolition" from Mechanize (2010)

4.5/5. This one also stands out with its heaviness, with lyrics detailing the government being blamed for 9/11. Of course, there's something different to blame, so theorists should cut the bullsh*t. In the bridge is a sample of the 911 call from one of the victims in the World Trade Center as the tower started collapsing ("OH GOD! HELP-").

D'espairsRay - "BORN" from BORN (2004)

5/5. D*mn, I love this insane song. The vocals blend well with the instruments without getting drowned out. It's sad that a band this awesome gets poor attention.

Dawn of Ashes - "Ahriman" from The Crypt Injection II (Non Serviam) (2019)

4.5/5. Black-ish industrial metal/aggrotech similar to Psyclon Nine. Enough said.

Waltari - "Far Away" from Space Avenue (1997)

5/5. A catchy poppy industrial metal single, with more of the cosmic keyboards and vocal fuzz.

Gravity Kills - "Never" from Gravity Kills (1996)

3.5/5. A heavy track with decent singing. What else to say?

Till Lindemann - "Lecker" from Zunge (2023)

4/5. I really like this track that has gigantic synths and grooves as Lindemann shines in melody and occasional raspy vocals that he has been using recently.

Red Harvest - "Move or Be Moved" from Newrage World Music (1998)

4.5/5. Excellent preview to a song later appearing in Cold Dark Matter.

Mnemic - "Sons of the System" from Sons of the System (2010)

5/5. This one brings back some of the band's earlier riff technicality especially in the fast thrashy verses, but they haven't forgotten about their more recent catchy choruses worth singing along to.

Control Human Delete - "Transporter" from The Prime Mover (2013)

4.5/5. Black-ish industrial metal similar to that Dawn of Ashes track, but without any aggrotech.

Ministry - "Relapse" from Relapse (2012)

4/5. Al Jourgensen continues to kick a**, as his vocals, guitars, and beats get better and smash through, with some cool samples to add to the punch, though the lyrics are a bit off. This unstoppable drug-hungry force might just be in the famous metal club of Black Sabbath, Pantera, Slayer, and Metallica. Here, Ministry is reinventing the Psalm 69 wheel and adding a bit of an alt-nu metal vibe to the usual industrial metal. The cymbals sounds a little weird in the chaos. The drugs Al has been taking during the recording of Relapse seem to enhance the mayhem. Just hang in there...

Strommoussheld - "Era Depression" from Halfdecadence (2004)

3.5/5. Great bass line in this song, but I have nothing else to comment there.

Bliss Signal - "Bliss Signal" from Bliss Signal (2018)

4/5. This one's also pretty great, adding some blackgaze to industrial metal.

Oomph! - "Ich bin Du" from Oomph! (1992)

4.5/5. This is actually one of my favorite Oomph! songs and, yep I'm saying this, it's metal enough to be in this playlist with some guitars in full prominence at the most needed parts.

Gothminister - "Boogeyman" from Utopia (2013)

5/5. And finally, we finishing this playlist with a complex entertaining 6-minute epic.

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness throughout, especially in the first half. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

I recalled that I had taken some time to review this one already:

It has taken me the best part of a decade to get around to undertaking an erstwhile and meaningful effort to review the release that is recognised by some as being “the worst album in the history of death metal”. With so much negativity flying around it is difficult to write a genuinely impartial review based on how an album sounds to you personally. A task made no easier by the fact that the band in question are one of your favourite bands in death metal, responsible for some of the greatest albums the sub-genre has seen, and they have undertaken a huge change of direction and seemingly alienated the vast majority of their fanbase.

Looking on the internet there are two camps of opinion (broadly speaking) on Illud Divinum Insanus. ‘The “this is Ear Rape” Camp’, have a clear standpoint from the outset of their argument. In this camp you are most likely to hear that this album is all the fault of either a) David Vincent and his “fucked up ideas” or b) Trey Azagathoth for letting David Vincent do “whatever the fuck he likes”. The more rational ones in this camp still exhibit an astonishing lack of rational thought by citing Pete Sandoval having back surgery and finding Jesus as being the source of the problem. In the face of such astonishing, evidence-based, and well-researched findings it is hard to see how any opposing camp could possibly exist.

Amazingly, the second camp of opinion, ‘The “this isn’t so bad guys” Camp’ has managed to flourish in the face of such vehement opposition from the aforementioned “Ear Rape” camp dwellers. This second group of more open-minded music fans acknowledge some very important distinctions in their argument when compared with their more reactionary counterparts. Namely, they admit that a) it is in David Vincent’s gift to do whatever the fuck he likes and that b) Trey Azagathoth was quite good at video games by this point and wanted someone else to run point on the album because he had done more than a few years of good shit and had earned some time with his feet up. They tend to also acknowledge that Pete Sandoval had a debilitating injury that required surgery and his belief change was a more than reasonable step in his recovery and he was rightly (and publicly) proud of what he had achieved with Morbid Angel so let’s leave him out of this!

If I had to choose sides, then go right ahead and sign me for the latter of the two camps. I might not agree with everything either camp say but there is far more wrong with the “Ear Rape” sentiment to justify any involvement there. I mean looking at old reviews I did for the follow up to this record, I slate it based on cursory listens and peer pressure so I have had a foot in the former camp at some point.

So, I do not like Illud Divinum Insanus. I do not hate it either and I think the general backlash against it is both unnecessary and misguided, showing the rather grandiose idea that bands somehow owe something to their fans to stay on the same trajectory their whole career. The fact is though that this is not a Morbid Angel album (well apart from the two main players being kind of well-established with the band name – oh and the band logo on the front of the record), in fact it is not really a death metal album when taken in its entirety. Clearly carrying a variety of musical influences in their heads at the time there are lots of non-metal as well as various other sub-genres of metal being explored here and whether you like it or not is up to you. Whether you like the industrial-tinged elements is a matter of taste (I personally do not like a lot of industrial metal but find the elements here quite measured and appropriate). If you find the “bangers” type dance beats abhorrent, then any hope you have of any return to form in the future being of a Blessed… or better still an Altars… level of accomplishment is slim to zero.

The point is that bands move on, and musicians influences change. Records that defined part of your life will always remain relevant and your favourite band now going off in some previously unheralded direction is not the end of the world. Illud… is a bitter pill to swallow after nearly a decade of waiting for a follow up to Heretic, with little to no warning of what was coming from these titans of death metal. References to Domination keep popping up in the more amenable camp but I do not see those as really all that relevant and perhaps are just over-exuberant attempts to provide some sense to Illud… and make it more palatable.

Fact is, both Trey and David can do whatever they like. Do you have to like it? No. Tim Yeung and Destructhor are no more to blame if you dislike this album than Pete Sandoval is – the album just isn’t for you.

It seems very simple to me. If you like death metal and death metal done like it was in the 90s, then you will not like this record. Stop listening to it and saying nasty things about it on the internet some eleven years after it was released and just get the fuck on with your lives. If you want to hear something different that to my ears is not all that appealing overall, then take a risk and form your own opinion.

2.5/5

I've done my review, here's its summary:

Omega Lithium can make songs to get stuck in your mind, and I was certainly hooked! This is full-on industrial/gothic metal to please your ears. As this young cyber-sorceress Mya Mortensen guides you with her serene clean vocals through this dark sci-fi apocalyptic realm, you can hear evil bleak synths mixed with dark heavy riffing, along with lyrics detailing terrifyingly pleasant stories of love, horror, and destruction. I really love this album, and there's nothing here I don't like! Well, except for a small bit of the bonus track. Although this band is no more, their music shall continue shining in the future!

5/5

Recommended tracks: "Infest", "Stigmata", "Nebula", "Snow Red", "Hollow March", "Point Blank"

For fans of: Deathstars, Genitorturers, Theatre of Tragedy's 2000s albums

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Strapping Young Lad - "Imperial" from Alien (2005)

4.5/5. Kicking off this playlist with a bang is this fantastic crushing intro. The song features humans within this machine; drummer Gene Hoglan, guitarist Jed Simon, bassist Byron Stroud, and Devin Townsend who also plays guitars while screaming with a bit of clean vocals. Great start!

PAIN - "Revolution" from Revolution (2023)

5/5. I only became interested in PAIN this year, and there's never a boring song. This is a beautiful inspiring masterpiece of a song. Peter Tagtgren is such a creative dude.

In This Moment - "Godmode" from Godmode (2023)

5/5. Maria Brink is a beautiful talented leader of her amazing band. Godmode already hints at a return to their heavier feel.

Rammstein - "Zeit" from Zeit (2022)

4.5/5. Mourning this virus-ridden cruelty, this ballad has soft piano and vocals, sounding restrained while still beautiful and remarkable.

Danzig - "Sacrifice" from Danzig 5: Blackacidevil (1996)

4/5. This one starts with a Nine Inch Nails-like intro before launching into a perfect industrial metal single that should've ended up in the 1997 Spawn film soundtrack.

Fall of Because - "Life is Easy" from Life is Easy (1999)

4.5/5. This song was re-recorded for Godflesh's Streetcleaner, with an approach easily compared to Swans before they moved out of their original industrial-noise sound at that time. Thanks to the dual guitar attack, bands like Pitchshifter would be able to emphasize their discordant lead work and help develop industrial metal.

Misery Loves Co. - "My Mind Still Speaks" from Misery Loves Co. (1995)

4/5. At the start of this track, you already know what a great industrial metal journey this is gonna be. The abrasive metal guitars play through the vocal blend of the growls of death metal and the singing of alternative metal.

White Zombie - "Electric Head, Part 1 (The Agony)" from Astro-Creep: 2000 - Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head (1995)

4.5/5. This one starts the album with awesome rock/metal riffing. There's intense speed, though not in faster metal levels, giving the track mighty power. This album and Fear Factory are great examples of industrial metal getting you higher than stoner metal listeners, without ever having to use drugs.

Genitorturers - "Sin City" from Sin City (1998)

4/5. This aggressive track offers some stylistic tricks up their sleeve.

16volt - "Motorskill" from Wisdom (1993)

4.5/5. This is an amazing industrial metal track like none other. The coldness of the riffing and beats march on with no fear. Anyone who thought this kind of mix shouldn't exist would be wrong!

OLD - "Marzuraan" from Lo Flux Tube (1991)

5/5. One of my favorite songs from this band with innovative catchy noise, surpassing some of Godflesh's greatness.

Fear Factory - "Soul Hacker" from Genexus (2015)

4.5/5. Another groove-powered anthem worth it for the mosh pit.

HEALTH - "CHILDREN OF SORROW" from CHILDREN OF SORROW (2023)

4/5. A powerful jam of dark synthwave metal.

Static-X - "Z0mbie" from Z0mbie (2023)

4.5/5. Xero's smashing vocals may have a bit of a Rob Zombie vibe, but they help keep Wayne's legacy alive. RIP Wayne Static

Celldweller - "ShutEmDown" from Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 02 (2012)

5/5. Awesome metalstep that should fit well for a boss battle.

Sybreed - "The Line of Least Resistance" from God is an Automation (2012)

4.5/5. Holy f***, this cyber metal sound is just too good not to listen!

Illidiance - "Breaking the Limit" from Damage Theory (2010)

4/5. F***ing great piece of modern metal history! Those drums shall unleash a dark vortex as part of the bad-a** music.

Minority Sound - "Hate Circulation" from Drowner's Dance (2015)

4/5. More of this cyber metal potential to follow up from the Sybreed and Illidiance tracks.

T3CHN0PH0B1A - "Abduction Starfleet" from Grave New World (2008)

4.5/5. Sounds like this band has more of a harsher electronic sound, a bit like Psyclon Nine with Cradle of Filth vocals. The vocalist performs ungodly shrieks to unleash the industrial beast. I guess this can be spacey blackened electro-industrial metal. This is a different example of cyber metal from, say, Herrschaft, and it works well. You can also think of this as Blood Stain Child gone Immortal/Mayhem for a Kovenant-like blend. Still a bit of the energy from the keys and drums is missing, needing a bit of a kick.

Aborym - "Mental Striken Terror Action" from With No Human Intervention (2003)

5/5. Now there's the industrial black metal energy kick that I needed. Bravo!

ASP - "Furst der Finsternis" from Horrors - A Collection of Gothic Novellas (2023)

4.5/5. I was wondering when some more of the Neue Deutsche Härte would show up. This one's quite excellent though.

Hanzel Und Gretyl - "Aufweiderschen" from Uber Alles (2003)

4/5. This one fits well for when you're moving out of your childhood home and starting an independent path. I haven't had that experience yet, but I'll keep this song in mind for when I do. Beautiful whispers in a city in ruins before one final divebomb destroys the remains.

KMFDM - "WWIII" from WWIII (2003)

4.5/5. A great song to love, especially in the banjo intro before turning up the heavy volume. Seeing how this decade was suffering from COVID, followed by a couple wars in different regions, it may seem like WWIII may happen in the future. Stay peaceful, everyone! I can barely dig any of KMFDM's songs, but this one I can.

Tyrant of Death - "Nuclear Nanosecond" from Nuclear Nanosecond (2013)

4/5. The razor-sharp drumming blows my mind as much of the rest of the track that would fit well in a sci-fi movie/video game soundtrack set 100 years from now. This is pretty much instrumental atmospheric industrial deathgrind/progressive metalcore that sounds like if Celldweller and Mick Gordon made a collaboration for the Devil May Cry or Blade Runner soundtrack. The last minute of the track is certainly worth headbanging to. This can almost surpass the extreme factor of Strapping Young Lad's City!

Die Krupps - "Road Rage Warrior" from V - Metal Machine Music (2015)

3.5/5. Road Rage! He's a Road Rage Warrior!

Andrew Hulshult - "Keepers of the Gate" from Dusk (Original Game Soundtrack) (2018)

4/5. Some kick-A DOOM-like gaming metal with horror-filled atmosphere. Near the 3-minute mark, we switch to an eerily beautiful section with shotgun rhythm.

Godflesh - "The Infinite End" from Post Self (2017)

4.5/5. This track lets everything out from the band before ending with eerie synths, though it sounds like there should be more to come from the band. But at least there are a couple tracks to give this playlist a more complete ending.

Acumen Nation - "Bleed for You" from More Human Heart (1997)

4/5. This one makes me think of Red Harvest blended with the groove-ish instrumentation of Vision of Disorder at that time.

2wo - "Bed of Rust" from Voyeurs (1998)

3.5/5. Closing the playlist is the original album's epic-sounding climax. Seriously, you should stick around and be rewarded, despite a bit of trouble!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in towards the end. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Napalm Death - "Evolved as One" from From Enslavement to Obliteration (1988)

4.5/5. Now this is an interesting start to this playlist, suggested by Daniel. It's a song by UK grindcore pioneers Napalm Death, but rather a slow sludgy industrial metal track similar to Godflesh. An instrumental version of this track titled "The Curse" was used for an EP known for its cover art being that famous photograph of a Vietnamese girl running down the streets, suffering from a napalm attack that burned off her clothes. From the intro of that track, you can hear what's different the band's usual death/grind. Also a surprise is, the sludgy guitar is performed by Carcass guitarist Bill Steer. "WEAK MINDS!!!"

The Kovenant - "New World Order" from Animatronic (1999)

5/5. This highlight is a brilliant song that mixes heavy guitars with catchy techno. The chorus sounds so good in both the vocals and lyrics.

Strapping Young Lad - "In the Rainy Season" from Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing (1995)

4.5/5. This one continues to test out the anger that would be shoved up haters' f***ing a**es, adding to the album's general theme. There's also a well-placed clean chorus, an aspect later adopted by Soilwork.

Fear Factory - "Powershifter" from Mechanize (2010)

5/5. Another killer standout, what more can I say?

Static X - "Terrible Lie" from Terrible Lie (2023)

4.5/5. First hint at the next part of Static-X's Project Regeneration, and it's amazing hammer cover of an earlier Nine Inch Nails track. I have a bit of trouble with the deep tone though. Still missing you, Wayne. RIP

Lock the Basement - "Come Back to Life" from Come Back to Life (2020)

4/5. When I assemble the clan playlists, I often get the songs from YouTube and Spotify playlists. With this technique, I'm able to find cool songs like this easily! It's almost like Strapping Young Lad gone Rammstein.

Pitchshifter - "Genius" from www.pitchshifter.com (1998)

3.5/5. This highlight single is more bare but in great effect.

Red Harvest - "Symbol of Decay" from Internal Punishment Programs (2004)

4/5. This song and the rest of its album shows how different Red Harvest is from their awesome past while still being so d*mn good. True sludgy industrial metal right there!

Nine Inch Nails - "Mr. Self Destruct" from The Downward Spiral (1994)

4.5/5. And now here's a song from Nine Inch Nails themselves. Although it's from the album The Downward Spiral that's more of an industrial rock album, this track is one of a few from the album that's filled with bad-A industrial metal. This excellent high-quality song sounds beautiful while having a brutal message. No matter how f***ed up the message may seems, it really carries the point of the song smoothly. Pretty cool, huh? "I drag you down, I use you up, Mr. Self Destruct"

Gothminister - "Demons" from Demons (2022)

4/5. This one has poppy synths, along with a catchy chorus that you can't resist.

Lord of the Lost - "Loreley" from Thornstar (2018)

4.5/5. A dark industrial metal song to love. It's quite amazing hearing this tune that's half-Rammstein half-Gothminister.

Omega Lithium - "Breaking" from Kinetik (2011)

5/5. It's really such a shame that this band who made two albums of awesome addictive songs ended up disbanding afterwards. Absolutely underrated!

Code Orange - "Autumn and Carbine" from Underneath (2020)

4.5/5. Anthemic choruses add balance to this intensity!

Scum of the Earth - "Give Up Your Ghost" from Blah...Blah...Blah...Love Songs for the New Millennium (2004)

4/5. It's great hearing something different yet intriguing from start to end in this track. Scum of the Earth is named after a track by former Rob Zombie guitarist Riggs, and this song sounds like some of Zombie's earlier solo work but slower and sadder. Quite mellow while never being mainstream-ish. Lots of dark emotion!

Ministry - "Broken System" from Moral Hygiene (2021)

4.5/5. We are all to blame for the truth that is spoken by Al Jourgensen. "We must! Act!! NOW!!! Are you ready?!"

Circle of Dust - "Aggressor - Regressive Mix" from Brainchild (1994)

5/5. I just love this gothic-ish industrial metal track, especially the whispered screams. I just wish there would be new music from Klayton's 90s project Circle of Dust. And I really need to get into more of his current project Celldweller. "Behave yourself!"

Killing Joke - "Communion" from Pandemonium (1994)

4.5/5. This excellent highlight has more of the Egyptian vibe than before to add more uniqueness to the album's style, as Kevin Walker's chords are in perfect blend with the percussion and violin.

Deathstars - "An Atomic Prayer" from Everything Destroys You (2023)

4/5. Strong groovy bass in this song. That's all that's super notable in this song really.

Deafkids, Petbrick - "O Antropoceno" from Deafbrick (2020)

3.5/5. This part of a collaboration release between Deafkids and Petbrick. Not bad, but it has too much industrial experimentation.

Raubtier - "A. I" from Överlevare (2019)

3/5. Perhaps the only true Neue Deutsche Härte song in this playlist. It's decent, but what catches me off-guard are those haunting robotic horns heard in the background. It's still somewhat good for the NDH future.

Zaraza - "Inti Raymi" from Spasms of Rebirth (2017)

3.5/5. Still slightly low-quality, but not too bad. This is pretty much industrial death-doom.

Samsas Traum - "Tineoidea" from Tineoidea oder: Die Folgen einer Nacht - Eine Gothic-Oper in Blut-Moll (2003)

4/5. This is another Sphere track that also explores The Fallen, in this case atmospheric gothic metal. It's quite a touching song that shouldn't be forgotten. Samsas Traum is German for "Samsas' Dream". I don't need to translate the German lyrics to English when the beautiful music embraces my heart.

Godflesh - "Locust Furnace" from Streetcleaner (1989)

4.5/5. Then into the Locust Furnace, the corpses of the human race are thrown into for their cremation. In that song, Justin continues his shouts of tortured devastation until the end ("FURNACE!!!").

Celldweller - "Aurora Borealis" from Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 01 (2008)

5/5. Know what I mean about me wanting to hear more Celldweller? This track has beautiful fire! And it's the perfect setup for a grand finale epic...

Casey Edwards, Victor Borba - "Bury the Light" from Bury the Light (2020)

4.5/5. "Bury the light deep within!!!" Straight from Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition is a motivational cyber metal epic like none other! It's slightly draggy, but nonetheless a grand exit from this playlist. And coincidentally a friend of mine showed me this song shortly before this comment!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in some places. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Thanks so much for this, Daniel! Here's my review summary:

Looking for the best of Godflesh's breakthrough debut in a live recording originally part of a broadcast in which the audio version wasn't released until 25 years later? Look no further to the Earache Peel Sessions! This EP was part of a split album with Carcass whose side consisted of songs from their goregrind era. In Godflesh's side, 4 of my favorite tracks from their debut Streetcleaner (including the Tiny Tears EP) are performed greatly in industrial metal grace. Not to mention, destruction that can pulverize you into a pulp with the bass and drum machine rolling under the burning guitar slashing through vocals of hopeless fury. This is very well a true display of their earlier material, and it can certainly please Godflesh fans in the present as it did back in 1989. 17 minutes of perfect industrial metal bliss!

5/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

Circle of Dust - "Exploration - Redux" from Circle of Dust (1995, 2016 remaster)

4.5/5. For 30 years, Klayton has pleased fans of electronica and/or metal with his original project Circle of Dust. This band's material makes up to checking out other projects of his like Argyle Park and the more popular Celldweller. Thanks so d*mn much, Klayton! Seriously!

Deathstars - "Tongues" from Termination Bliss (2006)

5/5. In contrast to that speedy opener, this is a slow melodic awesome song to get you pumped for incoming darkness. The deep dark voice sticks with the heavy electronic rhythm. I also enjoy the chorus and the female singing before it.

In This Moment - "THE PURGE" from THE PURGE (2023)

5/5. Maria Brink and co. are back with a powerful hint at their latest addition to their nearly two-decade discography, Godmode! I can hear quite a similar vibe to the more electronic material of Bring Me the Horizon and Motionless in White. The lyrics are quite eerie and fit well with the demonic-ish music. The more classic metalheads might know this band from their single "Black Wedding" featuring Judas Priest's Rob Halford.

Godflesh - "Land Lord" from Purge (2023)

5/5. Another true standout for me, having some killer harmonic bends in the strings.

Fear Factory - "New Messiah" from Re-Industrialized (2023)

4.5/5. There's more of the catchy majesty in this track with an epic chorus, from a revised version of the album The Industrialist.

OOMPH! - "Krüppel" from Wunschkind (1996)

4/5. Here's a song worth talking about! Dero's vocals sound close to growling as he details a story about getting kicked, punched, crippled... basically getting beaten up by vicious bullies. Now this is the Oomph I need in the lyrics that are heavy as the gradually distorted music. The emotion is what makes the song special in its own right. Sadly, there's no later song like that in its original album.

Rammstein - "Du riechst so gut" from Herzeleid (1995)

3.5/5. Another pretty good early example of Neue Deutsche Härte, despite recent allegations against frontman Till Lindemann.

KMFDM - "Ultra" from Nihil (1995)

4/5. Busting through is this nearly flawless track that you might know from the Street Fighter II animated movie.

Ministry - "N.W.O." from ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ [Psalm 69] (1992)

4.5/5. Opening things up in madness, this one starts with a sample of a siren alarm over the first riff, and the band set up the stage.

Gothminister - "Star" from Star (2022)

5/5. Now this one will get you hooked. The melody is an addictive throwback to the band's 2000s era that was more focused on electronics while still having a lot of metal.

Schwarzer Engel - "Requiem" from Kult der Krähe (2018)

4.5/5. Neue Deutsche Härte and gothic doom metal actually make a very cool mix. Keep it up!

Omega Lithium - "Hollow March" from Dreams in Formaline (2009)

5/5. The industrial/gothic metal blend is still on, albeit in a quick epic pace. D*mn, this band is so underrated!

3TEETH, Mick Gordon - "Merchant of the Void" from Merchant of the Void (2023)

4.5/5. Industrial fans are going crazy over this impressive collaboration between 3TEETH and Mick Gordon. Smashing!

Megaherz - "Jagdzeit" from Götterdämmerung (2012)

4/5. Some more kick-A NDH similar to their popular peers Rammstein.

Lindemann - "Platz Eins" from F & M (2019)

3.5/5. Speaking of Rammstein... Another song with Till Lindemann?!? Well, I already made this clear: Separate art from artist! F&M is different from the project's debut Skills in Pills, reverting back to Rammstein's NDH, instead of English-speaking industrial metal. This might have potential to be used in one of Seth MacFarlane's cartoons.

Red Harvest - "Beyond the Limits of Physical Xperience" from A Greater Darkness (2007)

4/5. SO DARK!!! Enough said...

Author & Punisher - "Women & Children" from Women & Children (2013)

3.5/5. And there's more of that freaky doomy darkness, this time from this one-man band formed by Tristan Shone.

The Interbeing - "Sins of the Mechanical" from Among the Amorphous (2017)

4/5. Although Sybreed, Mnemic, and Raunchy (sort of) are gone, this band The Interbeing has made up for that and gotten fans of those earlier bands f***ing mind-blown. There's even some atmospheric meat here! Of course, you can thank The Kovenant for inventing the subgenre this band has, cyber metal. And this song's original album isn't the f***ing last of this band, as there's another album released recently.

Breach the Void - "Digital Structure" from the Monochromatic Era (2010)

4.5/5. This almost reaches the top with those golden drums and vocals! Breach the Void is another band in the modern cyber metal league led by Sybreed, with ex-Sybreed drummer Alex Anxionaz being part of this band. And it makes me feel more energized than when I had my peanut butter sandwich for lunch earlier today (as of this comment). As much as I would consider this song a pinnacle of modern industrial/cyber metal, the only problem that keeps this away from perfection, the clean vocals sound a bit inferior to the guttural ones. Nonetheless, the band has some original talent right there!

Digimortal - "Сто ночей" from Сто ночей (2013)

4/5. Now this track is a tribute to the K-141 submarine tragedy. This song has some wonderful power, I must say. It will leave your soul in tears, that's how strong it is! The chorus stands out well and fits in with the terrible disaster detailed in the Russian lyrics. One other band that can make such a tribute is Finnish doom metallers KYPCK.

Seth Ect - "Orison" from Godspeak (2011)

3.5/5. This one's also underrated with pretty good lyrics.

Combichrist - "We Were Made to Love You" from We Love You (2014)

3/5. OK, this song deserves a bit of attention for its attempt to mix breakdowns of both metal and dubstep. However, despite the vocals having the right level of grittiness, the vocals come out as unclear sh*t. Still it should've fit well in the Avengers: Age of Ultron soundtrack. I wouldn't say this is the worst song I've ever heard, but it's the lowest point of this playlist in my opinion.

Zaraza - "Heart.ov.the.Goat" from No Paradise to Lose (2003)

3.5/5. You might think this track would continue that lowness streak, considering it's more of an experimental spoken word track. But it's a nice transition in the middle of this part of the playlist that I would consider the "dark love trilogy", and I would give it some pointage for that. That Combichrist song is the first part of the trilogy, of course.

SKYND - "Katherine Knight" from Chapter II (2019)

4/5. The emotional last third of both its original EP and my aforementioned "dark love trilogy" has a bit of a Lady Gaga-like pop vibe. It's based on a woman who murdered her husband and was intending to make herself and her children cannibals to that man. So crazy, yet the song mesmerizes me.

Scorn - "Deep In-Eaten Over and Over" from Vae Solis (1992)

4.5/5. This exceptional song is one of the most dreadful-sounding tracks I've heard in industrial metal, almost like funeral doom before the genre was fully developed, though some might be reminded more of Swans than Skepticism. The solid departure from the earlier fast pounders of this playlist continues. Thanks for this submission, Daniel!

Pain - "Season of the Reaper" from You Only Live Twice (2011)

5/5. You know how much I love this band Pain, and g****mn, what a way to end this playlist and its original album!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in some places. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!

Here's my review summary:

Sore Throat was known as a classic band in the crust/grindcore scene, delivering avalanche after avalanche of short fast tunes. Their over 40-minute single-track concept album Inde$troy is essentially an 8-part ambient industrial sludge epic with barely any of their crust/grind roots. And it's not the best album of that style either, but it's enjoyable in a few parts... The highlights I would specifically point out are the long ambient intro and outro, and the standard hardcore heaviness of the "Air" section. Basically those highlights take up half of the album with absolute power. The ambient sections work out as an easy-listening soundtrack to the apocalypse of a dystopian society. Yet the in-between-sounding parts don't do well for me. Anyway, if you're looking for an earlier, more ambient/industrial attempt at a grindcore band's sludge epic than Pig Destroyer's Natasha, here you go....

3/5

This is what I wrote about this album at the time:

Where the fuck did this short thirty minute gem of an album come from?! I think I might just have found my new AOTY right here. Imagine the super dark & crushingly heavy sludge metal of Primitive Man combined with the mechanical industrial beats of Godflesh & the cold production of Uniform & you won't be far off the mark. Throw in some death metal riffs too just to stroke my comfort zone a bit more too. I just fucking love this shit!

4.5/5

Here are my thoughts on all the selected tracks:

DAGames - "Born Champion (Overwatch Song)" from Born Champion (Overwatch Song) (2016)

4/5. Let's start this playlist with a solid catchy tune inspired by the video game series Overwatch. Such a great hard-hitter!

King Satan - "The Faces of the Devil" from The Faces of the Devil (2022)

4.5/5. H*ll yeah! Even the most satanic music doesn't have to be black metal. I mean I don't usually like the more satanic bands, but this is a f***ing house-shaker. It almost makes me want to say "Hail King Satan", though saying that wouldn't sound right for my standards. Can I get a "John 3:16" up in here?!

Gothminister - "Monsters" from Empire of Dark Salvation (2005)

5/5. The best track for me here, worth adding gothic-ish industrial metal to a club.

Deathstars - "Motherzone" from Termination Bliss (2006)

4.5/5. This one's amazing, but feels a little bothersome. I mean I love the warm chorus, but the change from techno groove to violent heaviness is abrupt.

Clawerfield - "Emotion Zero" from Engines of Creation (2014)

4/5. F***ing powerful cyber metal! What else can I say?!

Black Comedy - "Sum of All Shit" from Instigator (2008)

3.5/5. Ditto with this one, though some parts might be slightly sh*tty.

Black Light Discipline - "Walls Inside Us" from Against Each Other (2012)

4/5. F***ing beautiful electro-industrial/cyber metal from a practically unknown yet underrated band! As much of a banger this is, I have to say that I really like the lyrical phrase "Unstoppable oblivion".

Fear Factory - "Genexus" from Genexus (2015)

4.5/5. With more of that precise speed in this track, it fits well with Dino Cazares' crushing riffing.

Treponem Pal - "Screamers" from Screamers (2023)

4/5. Explore the wonders of industrial revolution with this sweet track! The beastly guitar talent is worth good respect. Think about this song as Ministry-style industrial metal with some riffing close to what Van Halen could do.

Lard - "70s Rock Must Die" from '70's Rock Must Die (2000)

3.5/5. This track is, in a word, HILARIOUS. Let me tell you, this is the band's attempt to parody the cheesy classic 70s rock of Aerosmith and AC/DC. The lyrics are quite ridiculous, especially the chorus that keeps declaring that this kind of sound must die. Biafra seems to do a good job impersonating Axl Rose of Guns n' Roses. You never usually hear something both headbanging and hilarious at the same time, and people say only Spinal Tap could do something like that. It's definitely a break from the punky attitude of bands like Dead Kennedys (Jello Biafra's former band). It's just so d*mn funny. I'm not sure what I was thinking adding that song to this playlist, but it's still good.

Decree - "Fateless" from Fateless (2011)

4/5. Apocalyptic industrial rock/metal to dive into a soundscape of dystopian Hell.

Mortiis - "Doppelganger - Die Krupps Extended Version" from The Great Corrupter (2017)

3.5/5. Somewhat of a thematic continuation from the previous track, though it could've honestly had some improvement.

Mick Gordon - "BFG Division" from DOOM (2016)

4/5. This man has never ceased to blessed fans of DOOM and/or its soundtrack with his music. A collaboration with Hans Zimmer would totally go beyond space and time!

Samael - "Ailleurs" from Eternal (1999)

3.5/5. This one will have you dancing along. It's almost close to the cyber metal sound The Kovenant would pioneer in Animatronic! Though some might also be reminded of Front Line Assembly.

OOMPH! - "Sex" from Sperm (1994)

3/5. One of only a few tracks in this album stand out for me. Enough said!

Ministry - "Thieves" from The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste (1989)

3.5/5. This one starts with a hyper guitar riff over a dance beat, then the verse has Al Jourgensen's distorted screams of "THIEVES AND LIARS!! MURDERERS!!! HYPOCRITES AND B****RDS!!!!" Then the chorus stops for a stretched guitar chord until one more scream of "THIEVES!!! LIARS!!!" Then the drums go full-on thrash, but they should've used real drums instead of programming. I'm guessing they couldn't find any drummers going that fast.

Pitchshifter - "Please Sir" from www.pitchshifter.com (1998)

4/5. This dark track has a black metal-sounding intro chord that makes that song the most enjoyable in its original album.

Old - "Citient Null" from Lo Flux Tube (1991)

4.5/5. An excellent track from an industrial/avant-garde metal classic album. To those looking for extra-terrestrial experimental metal, the search is over!

Waltari - "Prime Time" from Space Avenue (1997)

5/5. This favorite track of mine rocks out with heavy mid-paced groove before incredible hyper-thrash soloing. And it all starts from an 8-bit video game-sounding intro.

Rammstein - "Bück dich" from Sehnsucht (1997)

4.5/5. The masters of Neue Deutsche Härte have revolutionized modern metal in Germany, though they're currently in hot water due to some sexual allegations against vocalist Till Lindemann.

KMFDM - "A Drug Against War" from Angst (1993)

4/5. Also developing industrial rock/metal in Germany in the 90s is KMFDM. Although the band didn't make a full breakthrough until 1995's Nihil, this song from their 1993 album Angst is an early hint at their faster metal direction. Quite innovative!

Godflesh - "Jesu" from Hymns (2001)

4.5/5. Not many industrial metal songs can surpass this one, it's so beautifully haunting. The beauty is especially found in the clean hidden track, a good hint at the project Jesu, which Justin Broadrick would start in the aftermath of losing everything including his main band, money, house, and marriage, but with that project, he would slowly get his life and Godflesh back on track.

Final Light - "In the Void" from In the Void (2022)

4/5. One final track in this playlist is from a one-time collaboration project between Perturbator and Cult of Luna vocalist Johannes Persson. Although slightly too electronic and ending the playlist a little abruptly now that I look back at it, it will never disappoint fans of both artists. Long live the Cult!

Pretty good playlist I've made, huh? Despite some bumpiness in some places. Anyway, I recommend this to any industrial metal fan and anyone who isn't into industrial metal but is up to getting into a great start for the genre. Thanks Daniel for accepting this and your help with your submission, and I hope the rest of you enjoy it like I've had!