The Sphere

Here's my review of this great release, once again written a long time ago...

Samael certainly shocked their fans with Passage. Beginning their existence as an extremely raw and simple black metal band (as can be heard on debut Worship Him and follow-up Blood Ritual), this Swiss band had already evolved into a more intense and hard-hitting blasphemous outfit on 1994’s Ceremony of Opposites. They’d gained a lot of new fans with that release (myself included), all of which were waiting anxiously to see where this evolution would go next. 1995’s stop gap EP Rebellion should have warned us all of what might be coming with its increased use of keyboard atmospherics, not to mention an Alice Cooper cover, but this resulting full length album was still an immensely brave release. The industrial elements that had been hinted at on previous releases had been amplified dramatically, the keyboards given far greater importance, and the whole thing was seemingly designed for a mainstream audience. Surely none of these changes were going to please black metal fans!

Yet somehow, despite this huge shift in tone and sound, Passage is blatantly Samael! The heavy, simple, yet effective riffs are there, the energy the band had found on Ceremony of Opposites is if anything amped up and Vorph’s vocals still contain that accented venom we all know and love. This is most definitely the same Samael engine used to create their early albums, but the chassis it runs in is a completely upgraded, shiny new model. Samael made the correct judgement that their previous Satanic themes wouldn’t sit too well with the shift in approach and took on a more Occult / Cosmological subject matter, which is perfectly synchronized with the striking yet simple artwork that adorns the cover. The symphonic aspect is wonderfully executed, with tracks such as Liquid Soul Dimension and Moonskin driven by gripping, and in the latter’s case, beautiful keyboard work. While the focus was certainly taken away from the guitars, it’s worth noting that the band added a second guitarist for the recording, which gives the album a far bigger sound all up.

Not everything the band attempted on this album turned to gold. The programmed drums are great in general, giving the album an almost mechanical and powerful quality, but they occasionally make things a bit too sterile. The beginning of Angel’s Decay is an example of where they sound too characterless, perhaps even too clean for my liking. But 90% of the time they achieve their goal perfectly, with The Ones Who Came Before’s double bass kicking combination with dance beats displaying possibilities conventional drumming could never accomplish. Passage is an example of a band that was willing to take a risk, breaking down the restrictive boundaries that black metal fans often place on their beloved genre, and coming up with something that not only brought them a new audience, but was good enough to impress their existing fan base. If you’re into black metal, industrial metal or even gothic metal, there’s a lot to enjoy here. Highlight tracks are Rain, My Savior, The Ones Who Came Before and Moonskin.

4.5/5

Still my most challenging clan to try and find consistent material in, I feel The Sphere and I are on ever destined for a distant relationship.  That having been said I did really enjoy SYL and Corrections House.  I also got on better than expected with Samael.

Standout of the list for me was the superb Author & Punisher with Barge from the exceptional Melk En Honing release.

This is a really interesting one that I've come back to now after first checking it out early in the month and while I still enjoy it, I didn't find myself bumping it up a grade like I thought I would. Given how adverse I can be towards the monotony of some Industrial Metal Lo Flux Tube is definitely more up my alley in being more progressive and sometimes downright weird, moving much closer to being a full fledged Infinite release rather than the Sphere. I didn't get a chance to get out their supposed Grindcore beginnings, but I can take a guess and say that I'm glad I'm putting it off since I probably enjoy this release infinitely more. Given this was released in 1991 I'm really surprised to hear vocals and an overall avant-garde-ness that reminds me of the more off-the-wall Black Metal releases in the mid-1990's. Really goes to show how interconnected everything can be. 

The drums are just mechanical enough to give it that base industrial sound and while the guitar riffs can be grindy and monotonous on some tracks they definitely lean into the more random and crazy side on the more compelling tracks like "Outlive", "Citient Null", and "Z.U.". The bass is what impressed me the most on Lo Flux Tube though, having a powerful presence that overshadows the guitar in a good way during key moments. Even though the avant-garde industrial guitar whining can be cool, the killer bass lines really help to keep the album grounded and not something that I just zone out to. Even though I like the seemingly Black Metal inspired harsh vocals they get pretty old by the time "Marzuraan" rolls around since there isn't a whole lot of variety to them. I'd say there isn't a whole lot of variety in Lo Flux Tube from an album standpoint either, since even though what they're doing is crazy and unique, it's repeated in a way where I eventually find the grinding guitar noodling to be kind of dull. It's still a very cool album that showed me a side of Industrial Metal that I didn't really know existed, and the fact that this came out in the early 1990's makes it even more impressive and strange. I think I can throw this one on once and a while if I'm feeling it, but I think it lacks some substance in the ideas it tries to explore. 

3.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45Xj4PCyW3LavsE8NMtncN?si=fb6655bdd9194514

Tracklisting:

01. Black Magnet – “Hegemon” (from “Hallucination Scene”, 2020)

02. The Kovenant – “Star By Star” (from “S.E.T.I.”, 2003)

03. Lindemann – “Platz eins” (from “F & M”, 2019)

04. DEAFBRICK – “Primeval I” (from “Deafbrick”, 2020)

05. Godflesh – “Gift From Heaven (Breakbeat)” (from “Love & Hate In Dub” E.P., 1997) [Submitted by Daniel]

06. Emigrate – “Get Down” (from “Silent So Long”, 2014)

07. 1000 Homo DJs – “Supernaut” (from “Supernaut” E.P., 1990) [Submitted by Vinny]

08. Pitchshifter – “W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G.” (from “www.pitchshifter.com”, 1998)

09. Uniform & The Body – “Patron Saint Of Regret” (from “Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back”, 2019)

10. Master Boot Record – “Dblspace.exe” (from “Floppy Disk Overdrive”, 2020)

11. Samael – “Reign Of Light” (from “Reign Of Light”, 2004)

12. Rob Zombie – “The Ballad Of Sleazy Rider” (from “The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy”, 2021)

13. Combichrist – “Zombie Fistfight” (from “No Redemption”, 2013)

14. Hanzel und Gretyl – “SS Deathstar Supergalactik” (from “Über Alles”, 2003)

15. Shining – “Last Day” (from “International Blackjazz Society”, 2015)

16. Ministry – “Twilight Zone” (from “AmeriKKKant”, 2018)

17. Treponem Pal – “Excess & Overdrive” (from “Excess & Overdrive”, 1993)

18. Static-X – “Accelerate“” (from “Project: Regeneration Vol. 1”, 2020)

19. Pain – “Greed” (from “Pain”, 1997)

20. Oomph! – “Mitten ins Herz” (from “Defekt”, 1995)

21. Skrew – “Mouthful Of Dust” (from “Dusted”, 1994)

22. Dagoba – “The White Guy (& The Black Ceremony)” (from “Dagoba”, 2003)

23. Mnemic – “Liquid” (from “Mechanical Spin Phenomena”, 2003)

24. Fear Factory – “Aggression Continuum” (from “Aggression Continuum”, 2021)

25. HALO – “Body Of Light” (from “Body Of Light”, 2003)

26. Autarkh – “Turbulence” (from “Form In Motion”, 2021)

27. Yerûšelem – “Triiiunity” (from “The Sublime”, 2019) [Submitted by Sonny92]

I'm with Vinny on this one sadly, this one became pretty unlistenable after the 3rd attempt. "Thieves" starts out fine with its opening riff, introducing the Industrial style and metallic sound effects that sets the tone for what the rest of the album will be, but the repetitiveness of the whole thing mercilessly dashes most positive things I can say about this album. Each track has something that I like about it, like the instrumental transition after the chorus of "Burning Inside" or the repetitive bassline that actually works out on "Cannibal Song", but man, some of these songs I just can't get behind at all. "So What" has relentlessly annoying ad-libs and refuses to end while offering nothing of value past the first two minutes, the synth-y "Never Believe" is wholly uninteresting, the premise behind "Test" is interesting at first but falls flat on its face after repeated listens, "Faith Collapsing" feels like a rehash of "Cannibal Song", and "Dream Song" is an admittedly interesting but still totally dull atmospheric ender. I guess this kind of repetitive riffing and use of ideas isn't for me because I can't see myself returning to this one, which is a shame because I seriously enjoy Psalm 69 to this day. I'm starting to think that Ministry are a one album band for me after I didn't really enjoy Houses of the Molé too much either. 

2.5/5

This is some mean, aggressive as hell stuff right here. I'll be spending some more time with this in the coming weeks since I feel like I'll warm up to it even more than I already have after 2 or so listens today. Most of the album is a sludgy onslaught of riffs and basslines that can get a bit monotonous here and there but the album isn't stretched out to a length where it matters too much. The more industrial and scratchy electronic elements are used sparsely which I think works out considering Red Harvest's approach seems to boil down to being as Metal as possible, as Daniel alluded to. I didn't necessarily care for the sludge inspired vocals at first, but I'm starting to appreciate them more as I give the album more spins, it adds a nice new dimension to the industrial-style riffing. To me Red Harvest are more grounded in Death Metal than other Sphere albums I've heard so far, and I have to say that I dig it, kind of to my surprise. I'm normally put off from a lot of Sphere releases just due to the abrasiveness, but Red Harvest might have found my preferred middle ground between grindy, metallic riffs and slightly more clear and downtuned Death Metal riffs. Very cool album, will return to it and it has a fair chance of getting bumped up to a 4. 

3.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45Xj4PCyW3LavsE8NMtncN?si=a85a07785df34f61

Tracklisting:

01. Ministry – “Animosity” (from “Animositisomina”, 2003)

02. Master Boot Record – “Defrag.exe” (from “Floppy Disk Overdrive”, 2020)

03. Oomph! – “Kleinstadtboy” (from “Des Wahnsinns fette Beute”, 2012)

04. Pain – “It’s Only Them” (from “Nothing Remains The Same”, 2002)

05. Rammstein – “Engel” (from “Sehnsucht”, 1997)

06. White Zombie – “More Human Than Human (Meet Bambi in the King's Harem Mix)” (from “Supersexy Swingin’ Sounds”, 1996)

07. Deathstars – “New Dead Nation” (from “Synthetic Generation”, 2002)

08. Samael – “I Love The Dead” (from “Rebellion” E.P., 1995)

09. JK Flesh – “Earthmover” (from “Posthuman”, 2012)

10. DEAFBRICK – “Free Speech For The Dumb” (from “Deafbrick”, 2020)

11. Godflesh – “Cold World” (from “Cold World” E.P., 1991)

12. Sybreed – “Challenger” (from “God Is An Automaton”, 2012)

13. Rob Zombie – “Crow Killer Blues” (from “The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy”, 2021)

14. Static-X – “Dead Souls” (from “Project: Regeneration Vol. 1”, 2020)

15. The Mad Capsule Markets – “Gaga Life.” (from “010”, 2001)

16. Author & Punisher – “Lonely” (from “Ursus Americanus”, 2012)

17. Fear Factory – “Pisschrist” (from “Demanufacture”, 1995) [Submitted by Sonny92]

18. Circle Of Dust – “Contagion” (from “Machines Of Our Disgrace”, 2016) [Submitted by Vinny]

19. Uniform – “This Won't End Well” (from “Shame”, 2020)

20. Red Harvest – “Godtech” (from “Sick Transit Gloria Mundi”, 2002)

21. …And Oceans – “Intelligence Is Sexy” (from “A.M. G.O.D.”, 2001)

22. Strapping Young Lad – “Spirituality” (from “City”, 1997) [Submitted by Daniel]

23. Blacklodge – “NeutroN ShivA [Sun, Walk With Me!]” (from “MachinationN”, 2012)

24. Autarkh – “Clouded Aura” (from “Form In Motion”, 2021)

Just given this a couple of blasts and posted a short review.

I really enjoyed firing this up again - as I said in my review, it really does feel like a call from an old friend you haven't heard from in ages and didn't realise you missed as much as you evidently do. Some great memorable tracks here - Dog Day Sunrise, Body Hammer and Hunter-Killer to name but three. Love the play-off between the harsh and clean vocals on this album and Dino's riffing is really powerful and the machine-like rhythms are bang on the money. A great album of genuinely dystopian atmosphere where the remnants of humanity pitch against the machines' pitiless hive mind.

"Crown of black thorns, Human skin, ripped and torn, Where is your saviour now?" still gets me every time!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/45Xj4PCyW3LavsE8NMtncN?si=c1c86da4197d46d1

Tracklisting:

01. Nailbomb – “Wasting Away” (from “Point Blank”, 1994)

02. Master Boot Record – “Fdisk.exe” (from “Floppy Disk Overdrive”, 2020)

03. Eisbrecher – “Zwischen uns” (from “Schock”, 2015)

04. Author & Punisher – “Pressure Lover” (from “Pressure Mine” E.P., 2017) [Submitted by MacabreEternal]

05. Die Krupps – “To The Hilt” (from “II: The Final Option”, 1993)

06. Oomph! – “Augen Auf!” (from “Wahrheit oder Pflicht”, 2004)

07. Turmion Kätilöt – “Grand Ball” (from “Perstechnique”, 2011)

08. The Kovenant – “The Human Abstract” (from “Animatronic”, 1999)

09. Deathstars – “Semi-Automatic” (from “Synthetic Generation”, 2002)

10. Pain – “Zombie Slam” (from “Psalms Of Extinction”, 2006)

11. Hanzel und Gretyl – “Fukken Über Death Party” (from “2012: Zwanzig Zwolf”, 2008)

12. Static-X – “Bring You Down” (from “Project: Regeneration Vol. 1”, 2020)

13. Rammstein – “Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen” (from “Herzeleid”, 1995)

14. Circle Of Dust – “Regressor (Aggressive Mix)” (from “Brainchild”, 1994)

15. The Mad Capsule Markets – “Tribe” (from “Osc-Dis (Oscillator in Distortion)”, 2001)

16. Misery Loves Co. – “Kiss Your Boots” (from “Misery Loves Co.”, 1995)

17. Uniform – “All We’ve Ever Wanted” (from “Shame”, 2020)

18. Godflesh – “Slavestate” (from “Slavestate E.P., 1991)

19. Pitchshifter – “Brutal Cancroid” (from “Industrial”, 1991)

20. DEAFBRICK – “Sweat-Drenched Wreck” (from “Deafbrick”, 2020)

21. Rob Zombie – “The Triumph Of King Freak (A Crypt Of Preservation & Superstition)” (from “The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy”, 2021)

22. Strapping Young Lad – “In The Rainy Season” (from “Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing”, 1995)

23. Samael – “The Truth Is Marching On” (from “Lux Mundi”, 2011)

24. Fear Factory – “540,000° Fahrenheit” (from “Transgression”, 2005)

25. Wayne Static – “Chrome Nation” (from “Pighammer”, 2011)

26. Ministry – “Punch In The Face” (from “From Beer To Eternity”, 2013)

27. Killing Joke – “Asteroid” (from “Killing Joke”, 2003) [Submitted by Daniel]

28. Iperyt – “The Antithesis” (from “No State Of Grace”, 2011)

Godflesh with saxophone? Okay, obviously it's way more complicated then that, but that's kind of the first impression you get. I don't really know much about GOD, other than it's not just a side project of Justin Broadrick. I'm also not sure what I can add that Daniel hasn't mentioned already, I think his description is pretty spot on. This is not verse/chorus/verse music. This also a lot more organic sounding than Godflesh, not only with real drums... but if I'm not hearing things... bongos? While I agree there aren't really any weak moments, I don't really find it all that memorable either. I DID listen to it a few times (I agree that once isn't enough), but very little of it has really sunk in. Maybe I need to listen to it more? Or maybe this needs to be listened to at a loud volume in a room without any distractions.  One thing I will add is this reminds me a lot of early SCORN (which yes, is also JK related) wherein the sound is great, but the songs don't really grab me. I like this better than SCORN though. There's a lot going on, but I'd have a hard time explaining what I just heard. That might be part of the point though. If this isn't  easy music, can I really fault it for not being catchy? This is more about mood than riffs. I think I probably will return to this at some point.  3/5

I did my review, here's its summary:

Deep in the underground beneath New York City lies a band in UNIFORM. Since forming in 2013, before this album, Uniform released 3 studio albums, 3 collaborations with The Body (who had too much drone for me to stand), and one EP. This album, Shame continues the band's brave evolution. To answer their question "What if the antihero in your favorite film or book had no chance to repent, reconcile, or redeem himself?" A bleak yet captivating 34-minute industrial metal story, that's what! Shame marks the second album with a real drummer instead of drum programming. The drummer for this album is Mike Sharp. With live drums, there's more heaviness in the oppressive industrial sound of the group. The consistent elements bring together various styles to find here, not just their trademark industrial noise-metal, but also the atmospheric black metal of early 2000s Solstafir, the thrashy hardcore of 80s Neurosis, the doomy riffs of early 2000s Grand Magus, and a bit of melodic post-punk. Those influences are scattered around different songs, each of which using one of those outer styles, before mixing them in the 8-minute epic "I am the Cancer". One minor thing to criticize is the lack of dynamic variation, but that's OK because of the album's short runtime. The range of influences and genres keep Shame interesting and never sh*tty. Listeners will be rewarded even after just first listen. Uniform have made an impressive part of their catalog to bring excitement from the underground!

5/5

Review for their other metal album, The Long Walk, to be made soon...

My thoughts on some tracks (including my one suggestion):

Godflesh – “Pulp” (from “The Earache Peel Sessions” E.P., 2014)

5/5. The original version in Streetcleaner is one of my industrial metal favorites that can pulverize you into a pulp with the bass and drum machine rolling under the burning guitar slashing through vocals in a hopeless crescendo yelling "PULP" repeatedly until the last breath.

Strapping Young Lad – “The New Black” (from “The New Black”, 2006)

5/5. There's no better way to end my song-commenting journey through this month's playlists with a killer ending to the final album by progressive industrial metal band Strapping Young Lad! The intro riff at over the 30-second mark and the chorus nearly two minutes later are worth repeating. I f***ing love the lyrics and bad-a** vocal range. What's also satisfying is the drumming. It's a wonder this album that's metal as f*** isn't hitting the charts. Long live the music of one of the best bands of all time, Strapping Young Lad! Now that the band is over, the heavy world was bleak...until the heavier part of the Devin Townsend Project.

Absolutely not my thing, I found this album to be more annoying than anything, enough for me to not really want to return for another listen. There are some killer riffs in here, and the overall sound obviously appeals to someone (see posts above), but this really grated on me in a rough way. 

2.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5E8GX6qEX3zzcPHQCpv78Z?si=EMBWFRLmQACpzT3oy11sIw

Tracklisting:

01. Code Orange – “You & You Alone” (from “Underneath”, 2020)

02. Oomph! – “Labyrinth” (from “Monster”, 2008)

03. Master Boot Record – “RAMDRIVE.SYS” (from “Floppy Disk Overdrive”, 2020)

04. Pain – “Shut Your Mouth” (from “Nothing Remains The Same”, 2002)

05. Killing Joke – “Pandemonium” (from “Pandemonium”, 1994)

06. Deathstars – “Cyanide” (from “Termination Bliss”, 2006)

07. White Zombie – “Electric Head Pt. 2 (Sexational After Dark Mix)” (from “Supersexy Swingin’ Sounds”, 1996)

08. Samael – “On Earth” (from “Reign Of Light”, 2004)

09. Rob Zombie – “Dragula (Si Non Oscillas, Noli Tintinnare Mix)” (from “American Made Music To Strip To”, 1999)

10. Rammstein – “Puppe” (from “Rammstein”, 2019)

11. Fear Factory – “Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)” (from “Fear Is The Mindkiller” E.P., 1993)

12. Turmion Kätilöt – “Hades” (from “USCH!”, 2008)

13. Ghostemane – “Anti-Social Masochistic Rage (ASMR)” (from “ANTI-ICON”, 2020)

14. Godflesh – “Ice Nerveshatter” (from “Godflesh” E.P., 1988)

15. Uniform – “Shame” (from “Shame”, 2020)

16. Pitchshifter – “Eight Days” (from “PSI”, 2002)

17. Mnemic – “Overdose In The Hall Of Fame” (from “The Audio Injected Soul”, 2004)

18. 2wo – “I Am A Pig” (from “Voyeurs”, 1998)

19. The CNK – “Dinner Is Ready” (from “L'hymne à la joie”, 2007)

20. Static-X – “Terminator Oscillator” (from “Project: Regeneration Vol. 1”, 2020)

21. …And Oceans – “Fragile: Pictures of Silence: Melting the Skies” (from “Cypher”, 2002)

22. Ministry – “Bad Blood” (from “Dark Side Of The Spoon”, 1999)

23. KMFDM – “WWIII” (from “WWIII”, 2003)

24. Mechina – “Siege” (from “Siege”, 2021)

25. Dagoba – “The Man You’re Not” (from “What Hell Is About”, 2006)

26. The Amenta – “Vermin” (from “n0n”, 2008)

So the first Godflesh record... definitely a good one, but considering the heights the would reach a few years later,  not one of their best. At this point Broadrick and Green were clearly onto something innovative, but they were still finding their sound. I don’t think they had quite figured out how to work within the confines and limitations of using a drum machine. Also , the production isn’t quite as heavy as on subsequent records (which I’m sure had to do with time/financial constraints and inexperience). The result is interesting though: it may not be super heavy (relatively speaking), but it’s still pretty brutal and abrasive, along the lines of Big Black, or maybe even Unsane (especially on “Veins”). I would love to hear how “Godhead” would have sounded if it was recorded during the Streetcleaner sessions. The classic Godflesh bass and guitar tones are already present, but the vocals aren’t there yet. While I agree with Daniel that the vocals were never the focal point, one thing I love about the later releases is how well Broadrick works within his vocal  limitations  (same as with the drum programming). On the other hand, I don’t think he ever sang a song the way he does on “Ice Nerveshatter” again. I can’t put my finger on it, but his vocal approach on this song is more loose and human than I’m used to hearing from him. I personally think Godflesh really hit their stride with Slavestate and the rest of their 90’s output (Us and Them maybe being a slight step down). Regardless, this is still essential for any GF fan, and the songs are all at least cool, if not great (not sure if I care as much for the bonus tracks, but I’m kind of a purist/snob so I’m mainly talking about the core six). To end on a high note, the main riff to “Spinebender” is fucking sick. Weird, emotive and with tons of personality. I can definitely get lost in that one. 3.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2gyP3iijTYn6V13nrwKo3D?si=rjHr1S95RxGZLg22vxZD2g

Tracklisting:

01. Strapping Young Lad – “S.Y.L.” (from “Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing”, 1995)

02. Rammstein – “Rosenrot” (from “Rosenrot”, 2005)

03. Mechina – “Zoticus” (from “Xenon”, 2014)

04. Celldweller – “The End” (from “Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 2”, 2012)

05. Oomph! – “Supernova” (from “Ego”, 2001)

06. Eisbrecher – “Amok” (from “Eiszeit”, 2010)

07. Killing Joke – “Hosannas From the Basements of Hell” (from “Hosannas From the Basements of Hell”, 2006)

08. Godflesh – “Mothra” (from “Pure”, 1992)

09. Combichrist – “Can’t Control” (from “We Love You”, 2014)

10. Semargl – “Tak, Kurwa” (from “Satanic Pop Metal”, 2012)

11. Gravity Kills – “Enough” (from “Gravity Kills”, 1996)

12. Static-X – “Push It” (from “Wisconsin Death Trip”, 1999)

13. Pain – “End of The Line” (from “Rebirth”, 1999)

14. Turmion Kätilöt – “Tirehtööri” (from “Pirun nyrkki”, 2006)

15. Mnemic – “Blood Stained” (from “Mechanical Spin Phenomena”, 2003)

16. Rob Zombie – “In the Age Of The Consecrated Vampire We All get High” (from “The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser”, 2016)

17. Master Boot Record – “DMA 0 DRAM REFRESH” (from “Direct Memory Access”, 2018)

18. Red Harvest – “Hole In Me” (from “A Greater Darkness”, 2007)

19. Uniform – “I Am The Cancer” (from “Shame”, 2020)

20. Ghostemane – “Hydrochloride” (from “ANTI-ICON”, 2020)

21. Nine Inch Nails – “Wish (Remixed by J. G. Thirlwell) (from “Fixed” E.P., 1992)

22. Pitchshifter – “Genius” (from “www.pitchshifter.com”, 1998)

23. Samael – “Rebellion” (from “Rebellion” E.P., 1995)

24. Hanzel und Gretyl – “Third Reich From The Sun” (from “Über Alles”, 2003)

25. Fear Factory – “Recharger” (from “The Industrialist”, 2012)

26. The CNK – “Get A Gun – Shoot At Random” (from “Ultraviolence Über Alles”, 2002)

27. Ministry – “No W” (from “Houses of the Molé”, 2004)

I did my review, here's its summary:

Until just recently, I never really had the appeal for industrial metal. I thought it was an overrated mainstream metal genre like alt-metal, with the invasion of bands like Ministry and Rammstein. Now I can see where its heavier background lies, when I was pulled into listening to Strapping Young Lad during my run through Devin Townsend's discography. This band has started my quest to dig into industrial metal's heavier background for bands like Fear Factory and the genre's true pioneers, Godflesh! But for now, Strapping Young Lad's Alien is the follow-up to their self-titled comeback album and, unlike other bands' fourth albums, is of higher quality instead of lower. Their extreme industrial metal is punishing throughout 9 of its 11 tracks. The humans within this decimating machine include drummer Gene Hoglan, guitarist Jed Simon, bassist Byron Stroud, and Devin Townsend who also plays guitars while screaming with a bit of clean vocals. They level up the music with pulverizing drumming and searing riffing while fantastic lyrics fuel the fire and fury. Already I think this is the best album of their tenure! It has heavy anger and emotional power. Alien is probably my new best of 2005. No matter the craziness, you must hear this!

5/5

Hi everyone.

I thought I'd make it easy on everyone by listing the major candidates for The Sphere's "2020 Release Of The Year" & "2020 Cover Art Of The Year" awards in case any of you are interested in doing some late exploration:

Aussie Mick Gordon's epic four hour industrial metal soundtrack for the "Doom Eternal" video game.

https://metal.academy/releases/19204

The fourth album from New York industrial metal duo Uniform entitled "Shame" (which also happens to be our January 2021 The Sphere Feature Release).

https://metal.academy/releases/23461

The latest full-length from Italian cyber metal maestro Master Boot Record entitled "Floppy Disk Overdrive".

https://metal.academy/releases/18351

"Underneath", the industrial-infused fourth album from Pittsburgh metalcore outfit Code Orange.

https://metal.academy/releases/17904

 "Project: Regeneration Vol. 1", the long-awaited comeback album from Los Angeles industrial metallers Static-X after an 11 year hiatus.

https://metal.academy/releases/22172

"ANTI-ICON", the unusual new effort from trap metal artist Ghostemane which combines a particularly abrasive brand of hip hop with industrial metal.

https://metal.academy/releases/24388

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5OhYLUQ9yMnhAJkEyXwl6z?si=qTEDfDPRT0yfLxEN9pxlxA

Tracklisting:

01. Static-X – “Otsego Placebo” (from “Project: Regeneration Vol. 1”, 2020)

02. Oomph! – “Gott ist ein Popstar” (from “GlaubeLiebeTod”, 2006)

03. Master Boot Record – “Diskcopy.com” (from “Floppy Disk Overdrive”, 2020)

04. 16volt – “Moutheater” (from “SuperCoolNothing”, 1998)

05. Shining – “The Last Stand” (from “International Blackjazz Society”, 2015)

06. Rammstein – “Ich tu dir weh” (from “Liebe ist für alle da”, 2009)

07. Celldweller – “End Of An Empire” (from “End Of An Empire”, 2015)

08. Lindemann – “Praise Abort” (from “Skills In Pills”, 2015)

09. KMFDM – “Free Your Hate” (from “Hau Ruck”, 2005)

10. Godflesh – “Messiah” (from “Messiah” E.P., 2000)

11. Ghostemane – “Lazaretto” (from “ANTI-ICON”, 2020)

12. Samael – “From Malkuth To Kether” (from “Exodus” E.P., 1998)

13. Pain – “Call Me” (from “Coming Home”, 2016)

14. Waltari – “Far Away” (from “Space Avenue”, 1997)

15. Skrew – “Indestructible” (from “Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame”, 1992)

16. Pitchshifter – “Landfill” (from “Industrial”, 1991)

17. Wayne Static – “Assassins Of Youth” (from “Pighammer”, 2011)

18. HALO – “Meat” (from “Body Of Light”, 2003)

19. Combichrist – “No Redemption” (from “No Redemption”, 2013)

20. Ministry – “Let’s Go” (from “The Last Sucker”, 2007)

21. Misery Loves Co. – “My Mind Still Speaks” (from “Misery Loves Co.”, 1995)

22. Strapping Young Lad – “Aftermath” (from “Strapping Young Lad”, 2003)

23. Mnemic – “Diesel Uterus” (from “Sons Of The System”, 2010)

24. Fear Factory – “Edgecrusher” (from “Obsolete”, 1998)

25. P.H.O.B.O.S. – “Gregarious” (from “Tectonics”, 2005)

26. Uniform – “Life In Remission” (from “Shame”, 2020)

27. Red Harvest – “AEP” (from “Sick Transit Gloria Mundi”, 2002)

I didn't realize that MA even had the DOOM soundtrack on here, so I finally pulled my old review over. I have some interesting takes on this one, since it's no doubt one of the best videogame OST's in the modern era, or ever for that matter, but it's kind of a slog on its own. The extremely high rating has to do with how I choose to rate OST's, which is thinking of them while you're actually in the game and playing, but I keep going back and forth on whether that's the "correct" way to go about it. I gave the Hades soundtrack from this year a 4.5/5 as well because the music for that game is phenomenal and holds up on its own extremely well, much like DOOM, but the 4.5 is still because of that rush you get when you hear the guitar kick in as you walk into a room or into a boss fight. Maybe I'll make a thread to talk about how others go about rating videogame music, because I'm always so torn. If I had to rate this album completely on its own without the DOOM demon massacring experience, it would probably be a 3.5 or even a 3.

It's a shame that the DOOM Eternal soundtrack had production issues with Gordon versus Bethesda, so he didn't even master most of the tracks for the OST release. I think people overstate how "bad" it is, but you can definitely tell. Eternal's OST is also extremely bloated compared to DOOM 2016's, clocking in at 4 and a half hours instead of 2 hours. I already thought that 2 hours was a bit too much DOOM, so Eternal was really too much in that regard. 

Review:

https://metal.academy/reviews/19542/1682

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4lSqHW884YRrErqDcpN3vn?si=p_34ey72QBSqEjAoqdUPDg

Tracklisting:

01. Blacklodge – “TridenT” (from “MachinationN”, 2012)

02. Rammstein – “Deutschland” (from “Rammstein”, 2019)

03. Master Boot Record – “Ansi.sys” (from “Floppy Disk Overdrive”, 2020)

04. Scorn – “On Ice” (from “Vae Solis”, 1992)

05. Eisbrecher – “Willkommen im nichts” (from “Eisbrecher”, 2004)

06. Oomph! – “Das weisse Licht” (from “Plastik”, 1999)

07. Die Krupps – “Fatherlanddodheims” (from “II: The Final Option”, 1993)

08. The Mad Capsule Markets – “(Pulse)” (from “Osc-Dis (Oscillator in Distortion)”, 2001)

09. KMFDM – “Juke Joint Jezebel” (from “Nihil”, 1995)

10. Sybreed – “Isolate” (from “Antares”, 2007)

11. Marilyn Manson – “The Beautiful People” (from “Antichrist Superstar”, 1996)

12. Rob Zombie – “Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown” (from “Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor”, 2013)

13. Ghostemane – “Vagabond” (from “ANTI-ICON”, 2020)

14. Static-X – “All These Years” (from “Project: Regeneration Vol. 1”, 2020)

15. DéspairsRay – “Garnet” (from “Coll:set”, 2006)

16. Shining – “I Won’t Forget” (from “One One One”, 2013)

17. Old – “Outlive” (from “Lo Flux Tube”, 1991)

18. 3TEETH – “President X” (from “Metawar”, 2019)

19. Turmion Kätilöt – “Teurastaja” (from “Hoitovirhe”, 2004)

20. Strapping Young Lad – “Far Beyond Metal” (from “The New Black”, 2006)

21. Fear Factory – “Archetype” (from “Archetype”, 2004)

22. Godflesh – “Weak Flesh” (from “Godflesh” E.P., 1988)

23. Uniform – “Delco” (from “Shame”, 2020)

24. Red Harvest – “The Harder They Fall” (from “HyBreed”, 1996)

25. Napalm Death – “White Kross” (from “Logic Ravaged by Brute Force” E.P., 2020)

26. JK Flesh – “Fear Of Fear” (from “Worship Is the Cleansing of the Imagination”, 2012)

27. Samael – “Luxferre” (from “Lux Mundi”, 2011)

28. Ministry – “Rio Grande Blood” (from “Rio Grande Blood”, 2006)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1I15hhDvTQLKONioV7w3Ub?si=vuBiW15uSgKV-0wNJN_ZHg

Tracklisting:

01. Strapping Young Lad – “All Hail The New Flesh” (from “City”, 1997)

02. Fear Factory – “Regenerate” (from “Genexus”, 2015)

03. Samael – “Murder Or Suicide” (from “Hegemony”, 2017)

04. Godflesh – “Circle Of Shit” (from “Songs Of Love & Hate”, 1996) [Submitted by Chris Van Etten]

05. The Mad Capsule Markets – “Jam!” (from “010”, 2001)

06. Yerûšelem – “Babel” (from “The Sublime”, 2019)

07. Rammstein – “Du riechst so gut” (from “Herzeleid”, 1995)

08. Kill The Thrill – “Breath” (from “203 Barriers”, 2001)

09. Eisbrecher – “This Is Deutsch” (from “Sünde”, 2008)

10. 1000 Homo DJs – “Better Ways” (from “Supernaut” E.P., 1990) [Submitted by Chris Van Etten]

11. Author & Punisher – “Disparate” (from “Melk en Honing”, 2015)

12. Oomph! – “Tausend Mann und ein Befehl” (from “Ritual”, 2019)

13. Ministry – “Filth Pig” (from “Filth Pig”, 1996)

14. Uniform – “The Walk” (from “The Long Walk”, 2018)

15. Rob Zombie – “Dragula” (from “Hellbilly Deluxe”, 1998)

16. Circle Of Dust – “Deviate” (from “Brainchild”, 1994)

17. Flesh Field – “Voice Of Dissent” (from “Strain”, 2004)

18. Turmion Kätilöt – “Suolainen kapteeni” (from “Perstechnique”, 2011)

19. Master Boot Record – “FTP” (from “Internet Protocol”, 2019)

20. Lard – “I Wanna Be A Drug-Sniffing Dog” (from “Pure Chewing Satisfaction”, 1997)

21. Dødheimsgard – “The Snuff Dreams Are Made of” (from “Supervillian Outcast”, 2007)

22. Neurotech – “Fear The Fear” (from “Stigma”, 2015)

23. Red Harvest – “Last Call” (from “Cold Dark Matter”, 2000)

24. Sybreed – “A.E.O.N.” (from “The Pulse Of Awakening”, 2009)

25. Havoc Unit – “Klan Korps [Volkssturm & Erregung]” (from “h.IV+”, 2008) [Submitted by Chris Van Etten]

So...I do not listen to very much industrial metal. Much of my brief dabbling's in the genre have been met with a resounding "meh". I don't think any of it is inherently bad, but there are so many acts just refusing to push boundaries. When you hear one industrial album, you've heard them all I guess.

However, when I saw Nine Inch Nails' Broken EP featured, I had to talk about it because Nine Inch Nails is one of my most important artists of all time. As a alternative rock group, they were one of a kind incorporating electronic percussion and manipulating other parts. As an electronic act, they have been constantly evolving their sound and style into something that is polished and clean.

Broken is certainly not polished and clean. The heavier guitars and Trent Reznor's howls are matched wonderfully with the abrasive percussion and thumping bass. I really enjoyed how this EP uses both live and electronic percussion together, giving it at least somewhat of a sense that it is really there. I can't say the same about the changing timbre of the guitars though.

I will be unapologetic when I say that Nine Inch Nails are a much better electronic band than as an industrial rock one, to the contrary of many music critics. But Reznor created a truly special industrial rock/metal side venture with Broken. While the band did experiment further with this sound on The Downward Spiral, it was inevitable that it would not last. But we can all still enjoy this fractured trip.

8/10

I shit you not, this is the best Metal Academy playlist to date. I'm not actually part of The Sphere, but this playlist makes me wish I as. It has a slightly rocky start for me, but once I reached Rammstein at track 6, the remaining hour and a half were consistently excellent.

So many classics that I already know and love (Samael, Ministry, Fear Factory, Strapping Young Lad, Godflesh, Red Harvest) while also introducing me to heaps of great new tracks I've never heard before (Killing Joke, JK Flesh, Neurotech, Corrections House, Napalm Death).

Excellent work Daniel!

This is an interesting one because I don't really think that this OST is a very good standalone product outside of the game. They definitely chose vocalists to appeal to the modern Alt-Metal crowd which doesn't exactly go along with the rest of the cyber/industrial stuff, but it's not that terrible in the end. If this released as a normal album I'd have to say it's pretty weak even though it has a lot of energy. Like Daniel said the guitars are pushed behind the drums and synth so much that it takes some careful listening to glean anything out of this except the front and center drum beat. There's some great moments here and there, like the strings in "Collective Conciousness" and the guitar solos in "The Stains Of Time", but it all comes and goes so fast that I almost wish that some of these tracks were 4 or so minutes instead of 2 and a half. I think this still does a great job of being an energetic and futuristic inspired take on a game OST and I can definitely see the appeal, but it's pretty surface level all things considered. 

I did a pretty in-depth review of the DOOM 2016 OST (shamless plug to RYM if you're interested) so I've gone down this Industrial Metal inspired video game OST road before, and let me tell you, DOOM definitely spoils you when it comes to stuff like this. DOOM's soundtrack is made to rise and fall with what's happening in the game, so you'd think that it wouldn't make a great standalone OST, but that isn't the case. It's just so hefty, so layered, and has more to it than something like this even though it's almost purely instrumental. That being said, I think this OST is the perfect example of something working within the game and not necessarily outside of it. All of these vocal remixes sound pretty hammed up at times to go alongside pretty generic cyber-industrial ideas, but when you're in the game zipping around destroying robots and "RULES OF NATURE" screams out from behind the rest of the game's sound effects, it hits a bit different. I haven't played Revengeance but I've seen gameplay and this soundtrack absolutely fits perfectly, which is probably why it's so highly regarded since people normally rate OST's in respect to them being in the game rather than standalone products. I don't necessarily agree with that idea, which is why I gave the DOOM 2016 OST a 4/5 instead of the 5/5 it probably deserved since "Rip and Tear" blasting into your ears as you're removing a demon's jaw from its face gives the music just a bit more punch.

2.5/5

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4D0ZjunRBwUv3ZmeGo8hm0?si=5_-DURfyRgKrQA9AQ0kw8A

01. Godflesh – “Merciless” (from “Merciless” E.P., 1994)

02. Kill The Thrill – “A Little Salt For A Better Feeling” (from “Tellurique”, 2005)

03. ASP – “Ich Will Brennen” (from “Weltunter”, 2003)

04. Eisbrecher – “Eiszeit” (from “Eiszeit”, 2010)

05. Oomph! – “Gekreuzigt” (from “Unrein”, 1998)

06. Rammstein – “Du Hast” (from “Sehnsucht”, 1997)

07. The Kovenant – “Mirror's Paradise” (from “Animatronic”, 1999)

08. Ministry – “Thieves” (from “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste”, 1989)

09. Nine Inch Nails – “Wish” (from “Broken” E.P., 1992)

10. Lard – “Forkboy” (from “The Last Temptation Of Reid”, 1990)

11. Old – “Two Of Me (Parts One & Two)” (from “The Musical Dimensions Of Sleastak”, 1993)

12. Fear Factory – “Final Exit” (from “Mechanize”, 2010)

13. Strapping Young Lad – “Far Beyond Metal” (from “The New Black”, 2006)

14. Sybreed – “Bioactive” (from “Slave Design”, 2004)

15. Uniform & The Body – “Vacancy” (from “Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back”, 2019)

16. Author & Punisher – “Terrorbird” (from “Ursus Americanus”, 2012)

17. Corrections House – “Serve Or Survive” (from “Last City Zero”, 2013)

18. Master Boot Record – “Skynet” (from “Virus.DOS”, 2018)

19. Samael – “Rain” (from “Passage”, 1996)

20. Scarve – “Mirthless Perspectives” (from “Irradiant”, 2004)

21. Dodheimsgard – “Sonar Bliss” (from “666 International”, 1999)

22. Red Harvest – “Anatomy Of The Unknown” (from “Internal Punishment Programs”, 2004)

23. Mick Gordon “BFG Division” (from “Doom (Original Game Soundtrack)”, 2016)

So we're going to be testing the waters with another new offering this week which is one that I'll be looking for your feedback on. The idea is to release regular two hour Spotify playlists for each clan with the tracklistings taking the listener through the full gamut of sounds each clan encompasses, both old & new, classic & underground. In putting together the initial lists I've attempted to push my personal tastes to one side by including something for everyone with all eras & subgenres receiving representation. I certainly haven't gone with your more obvious releases all the time & you will find the odd novelty track included just for a bit of fun. These will certainly give people that are finding it hard to choose their clans a good point of reference to see if a particular clan is for them too. Check 'em out & tell us what you think. If everyone enjoys these then we may look to make them a more permanent part of the site.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1KTkejlZP9J6PRZwO1Fx0Y?si=jywoPmKQTuanrhpqG1AVLw

Tracklisting:

01. Turmion Katilot – “Pirun nyrkki” (from “Pirun nyrkki”, 2006)

02. Oomph! – “Willst Du Hoffnung?” (from “Defekt”, 1995)

03. Master Boot Record – “Edit.com” (from “Floppy Disk Overdrive”, 2020)

04. Unheilig – “Grosse Freiheit” (from “Grosse Freiheit”, 2010) 

05. Deathstars – “Death Dies Hard” (from “Night Electric Night”, 2009)

06. Farmer Boys – “Stay Like This Forever” (from “The Other Side”, 2004)

07. ASP – “Ich bin ein wahrer Satan” (from “Requiembryo”, 2007)

08. Pain – “Same Old Song” (from “Dancing With The Dead”, 2005)

09. Lindemann – “Steh auf” (from “F & M”, 2019)

10. Emigrate – “Rainbow” (from “Silent So Long”, 2014)

11. The Kovenant – “Hollow Earth” (from “S.E.T.I.”, 2003)

12. Megaherz – “Herzblut” (from “Herzwerk II”, 2002)

13. Eisbrecher – “Leider” (from “Antikorper”, 2006)

14. …And Oceans – “Tears Have No Name” (from “A.M. G.O.D.”, 2001)

15. Godflesh – “Jesu” (from “Hymns”, 2001)

16. Sybreed – “Emma-0” (from “Antares”, 2007)

17. Static-X – “Hollow (Project Regeneration)” (from “Project Regeneration, Vol. 1, 2020)

18. Rammstein – “Mein Teil” (from “Reise, Reise”, 2004)

19. Meathook Seed – “Famine Sector” (from “Embedded”, 1993)

20. Author & Punisher – “Skies O’er” (from “Drone Machines”, 2010)

21. Neurotech – “Antagonist” (from “Antagonist”, 2011)

22. Aborym – “Dirty” (from “Dirty”, 2013)

23. Mechina – “Progenitor” (from “Progenitor”, 2016)

24. Iperyt – “Antihuman Hate Generator” (from “No State Of Grace”, 2011)

City is Devin Townsend at his most unhinged, and its so absurdly aggressive and heavy that it's hard not to like at least some parts of this album. The strange but somehow endearing lyrics on "AAA", the pure insanity of "Oh My Fucking God", and the distortion drenched "Spirituality" all come together in this strange package that somehow works out in the end. I feel like on paper this album has no chance of working, with its flurry of random chug riffs alongside Devin's unsystematic vocals and corny sound effects, but it creates such a unique package that shows that extreme metal can take on many different forms, even if that different form is a strangely sung ballad-type thing with piano and pounding industrial drums on "Room 429". Devin's eccentricity is one of this things that always draws me back to him, and while I agree with Daniel and Chris in that I'm unsure about the "classic" status of this album, it certainly represents something sincerely different and something that only Devin could feasibly pull off. It certainly has its weak points and has a ton of issues in terms of structure and just overall strangeness, especially when it's trying so hard to be heavy and angry, but I still think that City is a must for Devin Townsend fans and an interesting excursion for anyone looking for something different in their extreme and angry Metal. 

4/5

So I've finally gotten around to giving "Mutter" a few spins over the last couple of days which is likely my first experience with the Neue Deutsche Härte subgenre overall. My initial impressions weren't good as I found this music to be overly simplistic & more than a little cheesy. Interestingly though, the song-writing really opened up on my third listen & I ended up finding "Mutter" to be a pretty fun listen even though it's never likely to become a regular as far as return visits go. For fans of Eisbrecher, Oomph! & Lindemann.

3.5/5

Jamie Christopherson - "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Vocal Tracks" (2013)

This overrated release highlights yet another of the many advantages that Metal Academy enjoys over a site like RYM where video game soundtracks like this one almost universally receive overly-inflated scores. This is due to the large percentage of ratings that are submitted by video game fans who have no business rating a metal release & likely haven't even listened to the soundtrack as a purely musical piece of art. Metal Academy 1 RYM 0.

I've just listened to and reviewed both of those 2004 Sphere albums, and I consider them both good 4-star releases that help shape up industrial metal into the modern times. But the one I prefer is... Houses of the Mole! Yeah, I prefer that Ministry album which has a killer mix of industrial riffs with the energy of modern extreme metal that I'm more used to. Rammstein's Reise Reise is good too, but it's a little hard to understand because of the lyrics being mostly German, not to mention ranging from horrific ("Mein Teil") to humorous ("Keine Lust"). Of course, there is some good powerful riffing in the epic title track and the fancy dance-y "Moskau". Anyway, Ministry makes my vote!

Houses of the Mole - 1

Reise Reise - 1

This is also my first time hearing ...And Oceans and it's very interesting hearing Cyber/Industrial from a band that started with Black Metal rather than something more groove oriented like most Industrial bands. While there are some great riffs on "Tears Have No Name" and "Of Devilish Tongues", the rest falls into this cool but sometimes awkward atmospheric Black Metal tremolo riffing that has limited substance but plays off the electronic tidbits well enough. The addition of the synth/cyber elements does add some much needed spice and Identity to A.M. G.O.D. rather than feeling like an afterthought, which is always appreciated. The dance beat on "White Synthetic Noise" is a bit out of nowhere, but the way they crescendo out of it is pretty incredible, and the rest of the electronic beats fit in well with the chaos of the Black Metal riffing.

The album is pretty all over the place though, with tons of different influences and riffing styles flying right and left until they decide to stick to one for a few minutes. I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing, it just makes for a more confusing experience when listening to the album cover to cover. Even though this is a Black Metal album with enough electronic elements to call it Cyber Metal, it really did feel like there was just a bit too much bland and generic Black Metal stuff going on for me to really get excited about this one in the end. It certainly has its moments, but to me this is another Black Metal album that decided to add something to sort-of-kind-of-but-not-really change up its formula. I'd have to listen to it a few more times in order to get a full review written, but for now:

3.5/5

Well said Xephyr. I've read an interview with Godflesh mastermind Justin Broadrick where he says that "Streetcleaner" was the outcome of the group repeatedly watching David Lynch's "Eraserhead" whilst under the influence of LSD. That makes a lot of sense once you hear "Streetcleaner" because it's just as confronting & polarizing in its incredibly cold atmosphere. I absolutely love this record. In fact, I regard it as the absolute pinnacle of the industrial metal subgenre.

Immediately when I threw this on, I was reminded of something, and I couldn't put my finger on it until the third or fourth track. Sybreed, at least on this album, sounds like what modern In Flames should have sounded like if they knew how to write interesting riffs and melodies that complemented the softer Melodic Death Metal approach. While I don't really care for modern In Flames, especially compared to their classic material, I never thought it was terrible, so this album was a treat for me. I'm already a pretty big fan of heavier electronic music, like Darksynth for instance, so hearing well written riffs with complex electronic beats really resonates well with me. There are some tracks in here that feel pretty uninspired though, like "Isolate" and "Permafrost", but overall it maintains a solid quality throughout the whole thing. I wish it would lean into the EDM side a bit more, especially towards the end where it just feels like more of the same Melodic Death riff over and over, but I still like what's going on here. 

3.5/5, but it may get repetitive if I end up listening to it again. 

Oh yeah, now this is what I'm talking about. This was legitimately my first time listening to Ministry ever and these guys are riff and chug masters. "N.W.O.", "Just One Fix", "Scare Crow", and even "Corrosion" have some of the heaviest riffs I've heard in quite some time. Some bands are just able to nail that guitar and drum tone that just makes the the riffs chug, and Ministry is definitely one of those. The whole album is dark and gritty but still has an insane amount of energy and momentum as well as some hilarious tongue-in-cheek political and religious commentary, which surprisingly doesn't take away from the album. 

While I think I could build up to appreciating something more grating and monotonous, this is an easy 4/5 for me even on the first listen. The amount of influence this album had must have been insane, because through "N.W.O.", "Just One Fix", and "Scare Crow" I was reminded of so many other heavy metal songs that came out much, much later than this did. 

Me too.

Definitely. They’ve got a lot more energy & urgency than the sludgier Godflesh. It sounds like that might appeal to you more.

I wish I could say that I was excited for a new Fear Factory album, but it has been a long time since they released anything of any note. There are always one or two decent tracks, but nothing close to Demanufacture period.