Shadowdoom9 (Andi)'s metal genre rediscovery Part III - industrial metal's early years
After checking out Sore (Saw) Throat's Inde$troy release the other day, I've realized that there are a few other industrial metal releases from around that time that I wish to explore. I'm gonna time-travel into the late 80s when industrial metal was created and discover what I've missed when I was listening to those subgenres, journaling my progress in this thread. It would be great tackling the releases I somehow missed out on. Anyone may suggest releases if you'd like, but I'm focusing on the more essential releases to have a more authentic experience. And while I'm at it, I might try discovering an extra release from those times to add more year variety in one of my later Sphere playlists. Onward!
The Sphere was created and turned on with the first ever album to fuse to industrial rock with metal. Slab's Descension is not really super good, but it's highly underrated compared to more popular bands like Ministry. Slab! seemed to have built their sound from industrial-ish rock bands Swans and Big Black. The Big Black influences are especially apparent in the opening track "Tunnel of Love", my favorite of the album and the perfect start to the industrial metal genre. However, the rest of the album isn't really as promising as the opener. Though "Dolores" and "The Animals" have great potential. One of the two bonus tracks "People Pie" is another great highlight despite a more poppy sound. All in all, a kinda poor album while a decently respectable beginning, for anyone up for a similar vibe to Godflesh and Trust Obey's Hands of Ash (might check out that album later)....
3/5
The nearly unknown second and final album in the initial run of Slab!, Sanity Allergy is still not as exciting as I would hope for the first ever metalized industrial band. Sure there are heavier grooves and menacing slabs of beats, guitars, and vocals, but not a lot of it is good. I prefer the upbeat tracks in this one like the instrumental "Son of Sloth" with the sheer action to remind some of later electronic acts like The Crystal Method. The other upbeat highlight is the catchy "Cancer Beach" especially in the bridge, yet not a lot of other people have heard of it, let alone like it. Any industrial rock/metal fan can go ahead and try this album and look out for any chance of a new album coming out in the future. If you want just upbeat fun though, then just grab those two highlights and skip the rest.....
2.5/5
The first metal album from one of the pioneers of industrial metal is a good part of my early years review tour! Here are my thoughts:
It is good to diversify every few years, whether it's your music taste or your band's style. After a couple synthpop and EBM albums, Al Jourgensen refreshed his Ministry project with a metalized sound. A hellbent atmosphere of vocal distortion, booming drums, and heavy keyboard-guitar hybrids fill the air, along with solid bass presence. These songs range from heavy to trippy, and many of them have a good amount of samples, a common industrial aspect, but what I prefer in industrial metal is savage percussive heaviness. Anyone with a slightly more open mind than mine should give The Land of Rape and Honey a try and love its mood. That mood is what Ministry needed to nail the metal path they would take. And you can hear the catchy riff power coming not just from the guitars. Then after you finish this, you can progress to the more metallic Mind....
4/5
Collaborative EP between Ministry's Al Jourgensen and the legendary Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra! Here are my thoughts:
When Lard's debut EP came out in 1989, it was indeed unexpected but not surprising for anyone who was already following Al Jourgensen's side projects like Pailhead with Minor Threat's Ian MacKaye. With Lard, Jourgensen and Biafra have teamed up for a project of ambitious progression. The Power of Lard is a 3-song EP that continues the industrial punk of Pailhead, in addition to Jourgensen's newfound metal influences and Biafra's punk stylings. While the sound is rooted in industrial metal, the title track has hardcore speed, "Hellfudge" is a country rock ramble, and "Time to Melt" is 32-minute long slow experimental industrial sludge epic. All in all, The Power of Lard is a pretty good EP, though it could do without "Hellfudge" and with "Time to Melt" being trimmed down a bit, but fans of Jello and Ministry will surely like it....
3.5/5
Coming up next: An EP that's not in the late 80s but still an essential part of one of the most popular industrial bands...
The most metal offering from the masters of industrial music, released in 1992. Here are my thoughts:
Trent Reznor has been active for nearly 4 decades now, with his popularity growing with every release. He can be considered the industrial music king! His project Nine Inch Nails is the reason for his success and has changed their sound quite a lot. The 80s debut Pretty Hate Machine was known for its cheesy synths and beats, and torture-themed lyrics where vocal distortion dominates. Now what was the 90s like? Drastic new changes come aboard including higher prominence of guitar, screams, and some beautiful synth variety in contrast to the hideously great heaviness. Those can be found in the dark Downward Spiral and the melodic Fragile. The bridge of pleasure and pain continues to extend beyond, though some gaps between albums, such as between Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral, lasted around 5 to 6 years. Fortunately, to prevent any stagnation, the band cooked up an EP, Broken, an over half-hour industrial metal EP essential for Nine Inch Nails fans! This cauldron of catchy riff crunch marked the beginning of a dark decade. Here you can find two nice interludes, four original songs that display this heavier side of Nine Inch Nails, and two covers, one awesome and the other horrible. Most of the tracks would serve as the basis for one of the sickest, most disturbing short films you would ever find. The content is why that film never had a commercial release, that and they don't want it to overshadow the music. If the film is too much for you, just stick with the music. And definitely ditch that Pigface cover....
4/5
I plan to review one more album, Trust Obey's Hands of Ash, as you soon as this album gets added to the site, but for now, we've reached the end of my industrial metal early years voyage. That's all in this thread, folks!
Bonus epilogue part of this journey before really putting it to rest:
There's still one more heavy industrial metal trick up my sleeve... I like some of the 7 long progressive-length tracks in this Trust Obey album, though the album is overall in the same quality as SLAB's albums. For the few highlights here, "Hands of Fire" is a killer tune. "Hands of Glory" is also worth part of the CD's runtime. However, what's really the best, probably better than some of Godflesh songs, is the terrifying beautiful bonus track in the original edition, "Larvatus". It is the final destination for this industrial descent into Hell, where horns, trumpets, and synths flow over the moans of founder John Bergin. It's so cathartic and almost epic! A grand ending to a heavy experience. Such a shame it's not on Spotify... I guess you can say that Trust Obey is like a mix of Nine Inch Nails, Godflesh, and SLAB!, and it seems to have the same quality as the latter, a few winners here in an otherwise poor album. If you want the best of heavy industrial rock/metal, check out the highlights....
3/5