Latest Reviews

Flesh Is Heir

Imagine what Fear Factory would sound like if they kept their industrial death metal sound going after Soul of a New Machine. I could practically say that about any band mixing together industrial metal and death metal, but this is for real! Flesh is Heir has the best you can find from this combination these days.

A journey through a band's discography often starts from their latest or first album. It's not usually right in the middle unless you find it out of the blue, whether it pops up or gets recommended to you. Upon discovering The Amenta via their 3rd album, my mind was blown by how perfectly the band could reinvent the industrial death metal of Fear Factory's debut. Other bands have tried it and didn't catch on, but with Flesh is Heir, you know you're in for a mind-f***ing brutal attack.

Bleak doom-ish tremolo melody opens the title track that then blasts off into deathly chaos. "Ego Ergo Sum" has more ethereal yet brutal rhythm haunting like a ghost. "Teeth" takes the industrial vibes of 3TEETH and gives it the Gojira prog-death treatment. Then things quiet down in the interlude "A Womb Tone".

"Obliterate’s Prayer" has gigantic hooks to obliterate anything in the song's path. "Sewer", at some moments, makes me think of Winds of Plague if the symphonic elements where replaced with industrial ones. "The Argument" has more Godflesh influences, particularly in the chorus. "Cell" is a slower track with spooky-a** ambience. But of course, there are still some riff bombs set to f***ing blow you apart.

There's more sorrow in the still chaotic "Disintegrate". Then "A Palimpsest" is one more ominous interlude. "Tabula Rasa" can slice through you like a razorblade in brutal hellfire. A twisted addictive way to head out! And once the chaos stops, you might just feel up to replaying these killer 45 minutes.

Barely anyone can listen to Flesh is Heir everyday, but it can be easy for me to do so. It's pure twisted rage from the deathly depths of Hell that lets you think of the bleak state of humanity. The album flows so well and even the highlights can fit well with one another. It's so heavy that you can feel it like a nuclear asteroid explosion and still live. One of the most brutal offerings in extreme industrial metal!

Favorites: "Flesh is Heir", "Teeth", "Obliterate’s Prayer", "The Argument", "Disintegrate", "Tabula Rasa"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / March 17, 2024 03:57 AM
Suspension of Disbelief

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 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 album starts with 4 strokes of a piano note to begin "The End", a song meant to signify the end of their earlier Argyle Park era. Then you hear a scream of "I AM THE DAMAGED!!!!" with "DAMAGED" echoed a few times. It then moves into soft slow electronica with samples of two songs from Misguided, "Leave Me Alone" (actually the only metal song in that album from what I hear) and "A Burden's Folly". Then "Heroin Hate" begins the industrial metal momentum. "My Sympathies" is an awesome highlight. Adding some nice touches in the vocal department is Mark Salomon of Stavesacre and The Crucified who sounds almost like Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. There are a little more techno/trance/drum n bass influences here, but I still enjoy it! Nothing's terrible about "A Thousand Terrible Things", a pleasant NIN-esque interlude.

"Silhouette of Rage" has some more industrial rage with vocals by Daren "Klank" Diolosa. I enjoy "A New Wound" having a similar sound to Fear Factory in both the heavier songs, softer ballads, and Remanufacture remixes. "The Red Shirt Conspiracy" actually sounds like an industrial take on the earlier thrash of Voivod and Sabbat with guest vocals by Joel Timothy Bell. My favorite song here is "The Pact". It's 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.

"Resurrection of the Ravens" is another totally underrated work of art! This is pretty much what Klayton's other projects Circle of Dust and Celldweller sound like, and it goes down as another long-lasting favorite. The techno-dance-rave-like industrial rock/metal sound is killer! Klayton is the writer and singer of that beautiful piece. "Goodbye" is unrelated to a similarly-titled song Klayton recorded as a Circle of Dust demo and later re-recorded as a Celldweller track. The AP2 song is still pretty great though. "The Only Man I Know" actually takes a break from the Psyclon Nine-like industrial sound for more of an alt-rock/metal sound that would actually foreshadow 36 Crazyfists' style at that time, and maybe even Bring Me the Horizon's sound in the late 2010s. "Cold Breath of Sorrow" is an ambient outro of dark pain to end it all. The whispers sound almost like just repeatedly saying "It's all over...", which sadly is after a few more piano strokes like in the album's intro.

Not one other project could attempt to make dark 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!

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

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / March 08, 2024 08:23 AM
Perdition

I was impressed by these french industrial sludge-meisters' 2021 album, Pantocrator, and although their Privation album from last year somehow passed me by, I have been looking foward to this one for a while now. Riff-wise and with the general instrumentation, this bears a significant Fear Factory influence, with some pretty immense and sludgy machine-like riffing and harsh distortion that often sounds like the sound of escaping steam buried down within the mix. The tinniness of the programmed snares adds another layer to the dystopian, Blade Runner-esque atmosphere the band is (successfully) striving for. Within this evocative, machine-dominated atmosphere intrudes the only-too-human, angered vocals of singer Matthias Jungbluth whose hardcore-style delivery gives the album a sludge metal twist with his railing against the world the band have so vividly created lays bare the alienation of his soul. I don't think any language is better than French at sounding pissed-off and Matthias here sounds really pissed-off.

The Fear Factory comparison is more pronounced here, I think, because the band have sought to add more melodic hooks into their overall sound, rather than doubling-down on the alienating atmosphere of Pantocrator. Now this is an approach I would probably normally be sceptical about, but I think it still works here and the band manage to retain the atmosphere of their alienating machine-like rhythms, even though they sometimes give the listener more of a handhold into the album. Is it as good as Pantocrator? Probably not, I guess time will tell, but it is still worth the mere thirty minutes of your time you would need to spare to lend it your ear.

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Sonny Sonny / February 24, 2024 04:31 PM
Slavestate

Birmingham industrial metal legends Godflesh had absolutely blown me away with their debut album "Streetcleaner" in 1989/90. I was just a young & impressionable chap at the time & had heard nothing like the dark, noisy & abrasive sounds that were coming out of my stereo speakers when I initially absorbed songs like "Head Dirt", "Christbait Rising" & "Like Rats" on late-night metal radio & my subsequent investigation of the record in its entirety would be nothing short of breath-taking. I'd quickly investigate Godflesh's earlier 1988 self-titled E.P. & would find it to be really solid too but the addition of a couple of extra tracks for the CD version made all the difference & saw me also claiming "Godflesh" as a classic release. 1991's "Slavestate" E.P. would be a bit of a slow burner for some but I would find myself captivated & enthralled by the sheer originality & creativity that Justin Broadrick (Jesu/Napalm Death/Fall of Because), G.C. Green (Fall of Because) & Paul Neville (Fall of Because) had managed to dish up. It was a completely uncompromising & ground-breaking experiment that wouldn't sit well with everyone but which I simply seemed to understand on more of a visceral level than most people could achieve.

The major difference with "Slavestate" is the introduction of elements of electronic dance music within Godflesh's dark & oppressive sound, an idea that didn't sit well with some. I may not have known it at the time but I would later go on to discover that I hold a burning passion for techno music so perhaps I'm just more open to this sort of idea but the new hybrid sound worked beautifully as far as I was concerned. Don't get me wrong. This was still well & truly an industrial metal record & was easily identifiable as being the same artist that produced "Streetcleaner" but there'd been a clear adjustment in timbre & atmosphere which was perhaps always destined to polarize listeners.

The four tracks included on the vinyl edition of the E.P. are all of a very high quality with the lengthiest of them "Perfect Skin" being an absolute masterpiece & ensuring that "Slavestate" would be regarded as an industrial metal classic. The CD version of the release was more of a compilation though with the addition of the "Slavestate Remixes" & "Slateman/Wound '91" singles which were both just as classic in their own rights. The combination of the three releases sees the CD version slightly topping the standard vinyl edition with the stronger electro-industrial direction of the remixes giving it an even more fresh & exciting feel that I genuinely love. "Slavestate Total State Mix" & "Slateman" would go on to become anthems for my youth while "Slavestate (Radio Slave)" wasn't all that far behind either.

Despite the lukewarm response, I can't help but feel that "Slavestate" is another masterpiece of cold, abrasive industrial art that was clearly ahead of its time & suffered a little bit for it. It may not quite have matched "Streetcleaner" for sheer menace but it certainly marked a clear pathway for the future that would see Broadrick & co. running amok in a world of electronic madness & rarely failing to deliver anything short of top-class results. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I regard "Slavestate" as a better record than the more widely celebrated "Godflesh" E.P. these days which is really saying something. I would definitely recommend making the investment in the CD/Spotify version of the release though as I feel like it's the more complete edition with each of the three releases getting better & better as the CD progresses. Fans of Pitch Shifter, Fall of Because & Skin Chamber should regard "Slavestate" as another essential Godflesh release as far as I'm concerned.

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Daniel Daniel / February 14, 2024 08:02 PM
Point Blank

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.

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Daniel Daniel / February 03, 2024 05:22 AM
Obsolete

I was a fan of Fear factory’s Death Metal influenced, aggressive brand of Industrial Metal prior to this album. But here is where they really decided the guitars were never going to do anything interesting again. They become relegated to a third rhythm instrument, and without much in the way of keys or atmospherics, the album is left very one note. Overly reliant on chugs and near-Djenting drumming and guitar syncopation. Both harsh vocals and clean vocals are sub par, the former moving even further from Death Growls to more typical Groove Metal tough-guy grunts, and the cleans are just not catchy. The Electronic/Industrial sounds that do make appearances are usually annoying, not contributing in a positive way to the music.

These crippling weaknesses are thankfully averted for the final two tracks. Resurrection manages to be catchy with some Alt Metal influence, and the guitars actually create some melodic soundscapes rather than repetitive chugging. The final track “Timelessness” strays even further, opting for an Ambient/Chamber sound, a beautiful, poignant piece that easily manages to be my favorite on the album.

Thanks to these last two tracks, the album has value. But the majority of it falls into that monotonous stereotype of repetitive riff-less chugging that occurs when one mixes Industrial and Groove Metal.

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SilentScream213 SilentScream213 / January 29, 2024 12:19 PM
666 International

I perhaps don't enjoy "666 International" quite as much as I did when Ben first brought my attention to it 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.

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Daniel Daniel / January 08, 2024 07:16 PM
Rat Wars

The comic strip Pearls Before Swine has a book collection titled "Rat's Wars", with the cover parodying Star Wars. So I guess that's a good excuse for me find the name of this album amusing. However, the album itself is quite dark and serious...

Rat Wars followed the second part of Health's Disco4 album series from the previous year, and they've been known for their industrial/noise rock sound with influences from electronica and metal. The latter has been put forward more prominently in their new album, along with more cohesive focus from Slaves of Fear. The lyrical themes of trauma and lack of young love flow smoothly through the complex production.

"Demigods" begins the album as vocalist Jake Duzsik sings those lyrics while kicking through drum reverb and riff crunch. "Future of Hell" hammers through the fury of a futile search for a lost soul. The more aggro-technical "Hateful" has swift synth-work by Sierra. "(Of All Else)" segues in with some dance beats.

"Crack Metal" has a sound than can be considered like Nine Inch Nails but with more metallic torment. Still they're not afraid to blend their industrial metal with other genres. "Unloved" comes out almost like a Depeche Mode ballad. "Children of Sorrow" is a powerful jam of dark synthwave metal. It stands out with metallic riffing performed by Willie Adler of Lamb of God. Then "Sicko" follows as another highlight, sampling Godflesh's "Like Rats", specifically its noise-powered bridge ("You breed...like rats!!").

"Ashamed" has more emotional vocals by Duzsik and deep catchy synths. "(Of Being Born)" segues from there as a sweet yet ominous conclusion. "DSM-V" charges through with Rammstein-esque industrial metal rhythm. After using up their last bit of power, it all ends with the soft brooding "Don't Try", striking through intimate perfection.

I wouldn't say Rat Wars would make too high of an impact for the future of industrial rock/metal, but it sounds like they have what it takes. Personally, I think a few of the softer sections could use a little more oomph (NOT the NDH band) so I won't be easily distracted and can stay in attention. Almost two decades into their career, and Health is already branching out further into metal territory while discovering the darkness of one's mental health....

Favorites: "Future of Hell", "Crack Metal", "Children of Sorrow", "Sicko", "DSM-V", "Don't Try"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / January 07, 2024 07:10 AM
Reign of Light

The Swiss masters of industrial metal have diversified their sound, starting off as black metal in the first 3 albums from the first half of the 90s, up until the style they're known for today. Reign of Light continues the heavy/melodic industrial metal blend first solidified in Passage and Eternal. Their skills are so appealing despite a more pop-ish direction here. They certainly started off their time in the 21st century quite well.

It should be said that most of the highlights in the album make up its first half. It's during the second half when the quality drops more than Eternal, with only a couple songs there being good. So let's begin with those better tunes...

The opening track "Moongate" is a pretty good start. Now as a Muslim, I know that when a relative tells me to say hi to my family for them, I say "Inch'Allah". That song has tense verses, but the chorus it builds up to is a slight letdown. Still it's a strong highlight. "High Above" seems to drag in the rhythm, while the oriental vibe from the female singing is enjoyable. The title track starts with keyboard synths before some heavy riffing. The chorus builds up from the verses and better and leads to a strong bridge.

Then comes "On Earth", having the most melody here, as he rhythm matches with the harmony. While having dreamy lyrics, the rough vocals balance them out. "Telepath" symphonic industrial metal sound bright and clear, in need of more attention than Rammstein. Unfortunately, the oriental elements in "Oriental Dawn" sound too pompous.

Next song "As the Sun" is a f***ing embarrassment. The 80s electro-synths are too cheesy, and Vorph attempts to sound like a rapper in the verses, but it doesn't work at all. We get one more highlight in "Further". Its slow relaxing sound is as great as the heaviness of the other standouts. Things get sinister in "Heliopolis". More of the oriental vibe starts things off before getting heavy. The female vocals once again add to that vibe. Final track "Door of Celestial Peace" isn't too bad, but I don't have much to say about it.

Despite the album's bumpy second half, Reign of Light has great heavy production. Samael knew how to make their atmosphere vary with more than just industrial, with the instruments and vocals dominating together. So come, step into the light....

Favorites: "Inch'Allah", "Reign of Light", "On Earth", "Telepath", "Further"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 19, 2023 09:12 AM
Point Blank

Industrial metal is not a genre that you would expect all metalheads to enjoy. Many of them often get turned away by the excessive amount of keyboards, riff repetition, and drum machinery that all leave no space for any guitar solos. I only just started loving industrial metal a couple years ago, and being the open-minded person I am, I've taken a dive into this brief side-project by Max Cavalera of Sepultura and Alex Newport of Fudge Tunnel. 6 months after Chaos AD came the sole Nailbomb album Point Blank. The sound is an underrated blend of industrial groove with F***ING HARD THRASH!!! The aggressive riffing will definitely remind some of Sepultura's pre-Chaos AD albums!

Cavalera continues to display his political side, and I know some people aren't into politics. I'm not either, but I am familiar with it through the more hardcore bands I've listened to out there, and it fits well for the thrash madness. Although this industrial sound stands nicely between Skrew and Ministry at that time, the riffing is more varied than those two bands. All in the name of deathly thrash!

Right from the start, "Wasting Away" 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. Also great in the instrumentation is "Vai Toma no Cú" (Go Take It in the A**). Then "24 Hour Bullsh*t" continues blending Sepultura's thrash with the industrial metal of Godflesh. Same with "Guerrillas" which is another one of my favorites here.

"Blind and Lost" is a shorter song of energetic hardcore with a message of "F*** mentality". Electro-infused "Sum of Your Achievements" is pretty worthless. "Cockroaches" stands out as another favorite, having some of the highest quality here. "For F***'s Sake" continues the well-done industrial thrash mix. Absolutely fantastic instrumentation!

"World of Sh*t" brings out more of the industrial experimentation of O.L.D. at that time. The vocals in their cover of "Exploitation" by hardcore band Doom come out as weak, though the instrumentation continues to rage on. The punky attitude is maintained lyrically in "Religious Cancer". Screamed rants about church and religion flow through dark industrial metal. "Sh*t Pinata" does nothing for me at all. "Sick Life" has the last bit of industrial metal for me to enjoy. 10 minutes of silence lead to an awesome hidden jam.

In between the extremeness of Sepultura and the mainstream of Soulfly is an album full of f***ing aggressive riffing and a sh*t-load of killer industrial. You can't deny how much this Nailbomb album can kick a**....

Favorites: "Wasting Away", "Guerillas", "Cockroaches", "For F***'s Sake", "Religious Cancer", "Sick Life" (including hidden track)

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 18, 2023 01:19 AM
Omen X

It's a little tough finding a good Sphere band that didn't have a feature release last year, but ultimately I decided on the new album from this underrated band that never really gets talked about here often. Omen X continues the journey Turmion Kätilöt has had for 20 years, starting off on a perfect note with Hoitovirhe, plummeting down in quality in Perstechnique, and in subsequent albums, slowly climbing back up. The ascent continues with Omen X, another album in the perfect height of Universal Satan!

The band, consisting of vocalists MC Raaka Pee and Shag-U, guitarist Bobby Undertaker, bassist Master Bates, keyboardist RunQ, and drummer DQ, continue what MC Raaka Pee started with ex-guitarist DJ Vastapallo. All going according to plan in Omen X, their 10th album and second one released by Nuclear Blast.

"Totuus" (The Truth) kicks off the album hard with its trance-y industrial metal energy, with the vocals and riffs making a festive combo, though it makes me think too much of Electric Callboy. "Gabriel" has more of a marching pace. Aggressive vocals and cinematic keyboards fit together like a glove. "Vie se pois" (Take It Away) has ominous intro that leads to the music soaring through darkness.

The energetic "Pyhä kolminaisuus" (Holy Trinity) can get you excited with its catchy chaos from the electro synths and riff groove alongside background choirs. After that, "Puoli valtakuntaa" (Half the Kingdom) starts with soft melancholy then immediately launches into the usual riff/vocal aggression. "Verestä sokea" (Blood Blind) has some heavy groove to please some metalheads. Still staying effective despite entirely using Finnish lyrics, "Isä meidän" (Our Father) has some eerie children's choirs leading into aggressive insanity. Tell me it's not a dream!

The heavy fun "Sormenjälki" (Fingerprint) bounces through different riffs and keyboards for a great time, though the vicious vocals question its suitability for parties. "Käy tanssiin" (Go Dancing) has massive darkness as the keyboard melodies get their kicks. "Kun kesä kuoli" (When Summer Died) once again blends heavy rhythms with catchy beats that guide you into a spine-chilling chorus. Wrapping things up is "Kuolettavia vammoja" (Fatal Injuries) which, despite its softer vibe, is a perfect way to go out.

Without a "To Be Continued" track, this raises some questions, like is Omen X the last part of the band's saga since Technodiktator? Will there ever be more? I hope so. And I already have that hope since becoming fully ready for this band just a few months ago. There's no doubt Omen X will get you hooked into dance-y industrial metal. Party on!

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

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 17, 2023 08:56 AM
Global Warning

The previous Turmion Katilot album Universal Satan marked their first album with new co-vocalist Shag-U joining the team consisting of Mc Raaka Pee, Master Bates, Bobby Undertaker, RunQ, and DQ who have all banded together since the 2000s. They've toured in different countries and with other bands from their country like Beast in Black and Nightwish. These guys will get you pumped up, that's a warning. A Global Warning! Especially with the unique lyrical blend of philosophical and partying.

Global Warning is an album title that's almost relevant to the world at the time, though the album was written and recorded before the pandemic. Despite the English title, all songs are sung in Finnish. I may have trouble understanding the lyrics without translating, but the music and vocals are highly enjoyable enough to not make that a big issue.

The fantastic "Naitu" (Married) is a fast, catchy, and bad-a** starting highlight with some oriental folk elements. There's some amazing industrial-trance metal to love here! "Kyntövuohi" (A Plow Goat) plows through in heavy darkness and pummeling drumming. "Sylkekää siihen" (Spit on It) starts off sounds like a dark twist to a nursery rhyme as keyboards and drums rise up for you to dance to the beat. The brutal vocals make an astonishing contrast with the cinematic classical strings and choirs. "Viha ja rakkaus" (Hate and Love) has a bit of Rammstein vibe, and would be even more like that if it was sung in German. The dark vocal duo shines well here. And you can hear more of that aspect in "Turvasana" (Safe Word).

"Kuoleman juuret" (The Roots of Death) keeps the vocal strength going further with more brutal energy than Rammstein. Also part of the songwriting team, keyboardist RunQ (Janne Tolsa) performs golden melody in the chorus. "Syvissä vesissä" (In Deep Waters) is a good throwback to the band's earlier material from the 2000s. "Sano kun riittää" (Say Enough) might fool you into thinking this might be a ballad in the first half-minute, but then it descends into darkness in the vocals, guitars, and keyboards, all while maintaining the dance beat. "Jumalauta" (Oh God) has more of the humor of Rammstein while staying catchy.

"Revi minut auki" (Tear Me Open) once again takes you back to the band's beginnings, especially their debut Hoitovirhe with the perfect spark of their earlier sound. Perfect for party rocking, despite the lyrics I don't dare to mention. "Syntisten laulu" (Song of sinners) starts off sounding dark and sinister in the guitars, though the keyboards have more uplifting light. "Ikävä" (Tedious) greatly mixes together dance-y hypnotic keyboards with dark brutal guitars. The rough vocals here make up for the otherwise monotone chorus just chanting the song title. "Mosquito à la carte (To Be Continued 5)" continues the experimental "To Be Continued" closing tracks, this one starting with what sounds like Spanish flamenco before launching into more of the Rammstein-like sound. In terms of the saga, I say this song is in mid-quality between the poor half in Technodiktator and Diskovibrator and the better half in Dance Panique and Universal Satan. It's also the last song of the saga, since their next album Omen X doesn't continue that trend.

The aforementioned warning depicted in Global Warning is more than just a warning. It's a promise that's been rightfully fulfilled. Another commendable recommendation for anyone in the industrial metal Sphere!

Favorites: "Naitu", "Sylkekää siihen", "Kuoleman juuret", "Sano kun riittää", "Revi minut auki", "Ikävä"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 17, 2023 08:56 AM
Universal Satan

Dance Panique continued the phenomenal Finnish industrial metal sound of Turmion Katilot. However, it turned out to be their last one with longtime vocalist Spellgoth (the band's other vocalist besides MC Raaka Pee), who left the band in the time between the 2017 album's recording and release. He wanted to focus on his black metal Horna and general Satanism, but he's still with Turmion Katilot as a graphic designer. Later that year, they found a new singer with the stage name Shag-U (a name as ridiculously entertaining as MC Raaka Pee). With their new co-vocalist, the band got to work on their new album, one that should really hit universal acclaim, Universal Satan!

You know how after my least favorite Turmion Katilot album Perstechnique, they started regaining their earlier strength in subsequent albums, each one stronger than the last? Universal Satan is mighty as h*ll, and they're finally back to perfection of Hoitovirhe! This may have something to do with Shag-U having heavy vocal skill, almost more than that of Spellgoth. He and MC Raaka Pee can certainly team up to guide the instrumentation that's heavier and more violent than ever.

"Verenperintö" (Blood Inheritance) starts off with spooky organ and the first glimpse of Shag-U's vocals, then launches in the band's usual dance-y industrial metal. "Itseensäsekaantuja" (Self-Interfering) is worth letting the crowd dance along. Single "Sikiö" (Fetus) is one of the best songs I've heard from this album and the band's discography. Holy h*ll, what a total gem, and a genuine reason for the album's full 5-star rating! The only track better than that is "Love is Dead", all vicious and out for blood. Like a wolf, the song grab you by the neck and never let go from start to finish. The instrumentation thunders through alongside the excellent vocal duo. With upbeat music and English lyrics to desire, you can't skip it!

"Viimeinen matka" (Last Journey) has some fast melodeath riffing you can almost hear from Omnium Gatherum and Persefone, but the sound is mostly a more melodic take on the industrial metal of Mnemic. Another gem is "Helvetin torvet" (Horns of Hell). You can hear some of the most diverse lyrics from the band, all fitting well with the music they're known for. What "Rangaistus" (Penalty) has is catchy melody that the band can perform without any shame. Also great and powerful is "Suurempi voima" (Greater Power), a strong industrial metal march.

"Saatanan siunaama" (Blessed by Satan) is another true blessing. The second track here with English lyrics is the fun "Faster Than God", which is the first ever track I found from this band when assembling the Sphere playlists. I enjoy it, but it's overthrown by the earlier highlights. A special track, "To Be Continued 4 Je T'aime" (I Love You), experiments with jazz fusion, featuring Finnish actor Heikki Kinnunen. A wonderful work of art, though I like the previous album's "To Be Continued" track slightly better.

Universal Satan has surpassed the previous trilogy of Turmion Katilot albums and is their best album since Hoitovirhe. This highly recommendable offering would certainly make it close to the top in my best metal albums of 2018. Whether buying or downloading, you just gotta get it!

Favorites: "Sikiö", "Love is Dead", "Helvetin torvet", "Suurempi voima", "Saatanan siunaama", "To Be Continued 4 Je T'aime"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 17, 2023 08:55 AM
Dance Panique

Turmion Katilot is still on an ongoing journey with their Finnish industrial metal sound. They started off gloriously with their debut Hoitovirhe and since went on a steady path to keep their greatness going, with the only slight drop in quality being their 4th album Perstechnique. But now it sounds like the band is slowly building back up to the perfection of Hoitovirhe, and this album Dance Panique is get real close!

Finding out info about different bands and albums used to be difficult, but thanks to YouTube and the evolution of the internet, practically everything about them is provided right where anyone can access. 2017 barely arrived when the band already released two singles, one of which ("Itämaan Tietäjä" (Knowledge of the East)) is only a separate single. Dance Panique was released in March, after a one-month delay due to MC Raaka Pee getting sick. Another amazing album! After the electro-dance-y Technodiktator and Diskovibrator, Dance Panique brings back a lot of the earlier metal heaviness, enough to be the missing link between Hoitovirhe and Pirun Nyrkki.

The title track is so mystical! The electro-dance and industrial metal sides are in a perfect blend. With gravelly vocals and driving rhythms, it's an unforgettable experience. "Veren maku" (The Taste of Blood) starts with some heavy drop-C riffing to remind me of Shadows Fall, but the rest of the song is the usual industrial metal. The one pre-release single that made it to this album, "Surutulitus" (Fireworks) has many great details.

Representing a bit of a downside is "Kyynelten tanssi" (Dance of Tears) which is a little more mediocre but doesn't affect the album's high quality. "Uhriveri" (Sacrificial Blood) may seem like an extreme metal song title, but the actual song is nothing like that. Beautiful melodies make "Vihko" (Booklet) another standout.

"Pienet pirut" (Little Devils) continues the dance-y industrial metal sound similar to Deathstars. "Viha" (Anger) is good in some parts, but a bit monotonous in others. If that song and "Kyynelten tanssi" was given some improvement, this album would've been perfect. "Kuoleman marssi" (Death March) has some more industrial experimentation like Motionless in White at the time. "To Be Continued Act 3" is much better than the first two acts, sounding more like a real song or epic. Nothing bad about that one at all!

Dance Panique can very well surpass Technodiktator while still inches behind the perfect glory of Hoitovirhe, though they would actually get there as we roll into the new decade. This really made the band's mark in industrial metal in 2017. Recommended for all fans of the genre!

Favorites: "Dance Panique", "Surutulitus", "Vihko", "Pienet pirut", "To Be Continued Act 3"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 17, 2023 08:55 AM
Diskovibrator

The first 3 Turmion Katilot albums, especially their debut Hoitovirhe, already showed the band's sound soaring sky high. Then a bit of the quality dropped in Perstechnique. And after that, Technodiktator made a promising boost back up to the greatness of their starting trilogy. They've proven that metal and techno synths can fit together like a glove. What can be greater than that?

Well, there were some fans fearing the possibility of the band discarding much of their industrial metal for a more electro-dance sound, since Technodiktator had more electro prominence. But once this album Diskovibrator came out in 2015, there's no longer a reason to worry! Their earlier industrial metal roots are put together with the electro-dance aspects that they've had lately. The album managed to reach the top of the Finnish Charts. They are #1! The strengths of their previous album and Hoitovirhe have stirred up a balanced blend of electro-industrial dance-metal, with each side of the sound deserving its place up front.

Kicking things off with an impressive song is "Kirottujen karnevaalit" (The Carnival of the Damned). "Aina arki" (Always Working) has the usual industrial action to expect from the band. "Hyvissä höyryissä" (Good Buzz) is more emotional and experimental. At times you can hear what sounds like dark rockabilly. The idea of borrowing different styles has worked out much better and spawned another standout.

"Sinä saatana" (You B****rd) turns out to be another pleasant hit. "Ranteet auki" (Slit Wrists) has more atmosphere, though it loses a bit of originality. "Lataa ja varmista" (Lock and Load) is another strong track from this band.

"Hiiltynyt runko" (The Charred Trunk) has some lyrics worth hearing, while shining in the keyboards and synthesized choir. My ultimate favorite in this album is "Vastanaineet" (Just Married). It's filled with steady speed that works well for their sound. "Sinulle" (For You) can be considered a love song, though it's not a ballad. "To Be Continued Act 2" is not as bad as Act 1. It's more bearable throughout its nearly 8-minute length, and they don't end it with 4 minutes of silence. Nonetheless, it's still not the best.

Lumpy parts aside, Diskovibrator is another excellent album. The blend of industrial metal and electro-dance is back to evenness after bringing back a bit of the former. Another superb offering for anyone on the search for dance-y electronics in metal!

Favorites: "Kirottujen karnevaalit", "Hyvissä höyryissä", "Lataa ja varmista", "Hiiltynyt runko", "Vastanaineet"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 17, 2023 08:55 AM
Technodiktator

At this point, Turmion Katilot released 4 albums in which each one reached higher into the Finnish charts while losing a slight bit of appeal. The band was determined to keep climbing up to the charts, but their mission and their career was almost cut short by a near-disaster for one of the band members...

December 2012 may not be the end of the world, but it almost was for vocalist Petja Turunen who suffered a stroke that caused the band to take a break for over a month for MC Raaka Pee to recover from that health-scare. Then they went back onboard to record a new album released later on in 2013. Technodiktator hit #4 in the Finnish charts, but is it worse than Perstechnique? Nope! It is stronger than U.S.C.H!, and having the band's best sound since Hoitovirhe. Not reaching the debut's perfection, but very close.

Opener "Silmät sumeat" (Blurry Eyes) is a great track to start, and it's hard not to see its appeal. "Antaa palaa" (Let It Burn) maintains the intensity while in a slower tempo. With that, there's more emotion with the techno-synth-filled instrumentation. Everything's balanced here, except for the odd usage of saxophone that's not used often and it just comes out of the blue near the end. "Nimi kivessä" (Name Engraved in Stone) once again has what the previous song has but slower. The instrumentation focuses less on the techno-synths that only support the heaviness in the drums and guitars. It's a bit overwhelming, but not shocking.

The track that I consider my favorite here is "Pyhä maa" (Holy Land). This is a fantastic track I would revisit quite often as the techno beats are blended well with some of the heaviest riffing by the band. "Jalopiina" (Noble Torment) is a bit strange. It takes on a more Wild Western vibe in the drums and guitars, and sometimes they would teleport to the Eastern Lands within the instrumentation. If there was a music video for that, it would show the band travelling to different edges of the world. "Elävä koneeksi" (Living into a Machine) shows the band make a perfect tribute to 90s dance, combined with fast relentless metal instrumentation. The beat would sweep you away all over the dance-floor like a moshing tornado.

"Rehtori" (Principal) is where things get even stranger. The speed changes happen in bizarre times, going from fast to slow in no time flat. A bit of a hiccup there but still fine. I would say the same about the lyrics that seem to be about school principals. "золото/Beibe" (Gold/Baby) is one of the best examples of the band's industrial metal here. "To Be Continued Act 1" is a bit confusing. Not just in the name, but it's also the band's longest song. Now I like long epics, but this one would've been better if they removed the 4-minute silence at the end and shortened the rest to around a length of 6 minutes.

If we're only counting the first 5 Turmion Katilot albums, Technodiktator would be my second-favorite behind Hoitovirhe. They throw back to the best aspects of the debut while having their heaviest work at that point. This would certainly fit well in both a nightclub and a metal concert, and it's guaranteed that you would move to the music. Keep calm and party on!

Favorites: "Silmät sumeat", "Antaa palaa", "Pyhä maa", "Elävä koneeksi", "золото/Beibe"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 17, 2023 08:55 AM
Perstechnique

Turmion Katilot made it big with their earlier fanbase via their first 3 albums. They mark an amazing start to their journey, with their debut being the best of the trio. Alas, things end up getting a bit bumpy when they reach album #4...

Perstechnique was released in early 2021, and it's tied with their previous album U.S.C.H! as their highest album in the Finnish charts. It's strange how the higher charting the band's earlier albums are, the less appealing it is for me. However, there's nothing totally wrong with Perstechnique, it's better than albums by some bands from the alt-side of metal. I just think there isn't as much impressive fury as in their surrounding albums. My least favorite Turmion Katilot album, but still great.

The opening track "Grand Ball" is my favorite here. While the bizarre lyrics from their previous album return, they sound better and add in a better dose of humor. The theatrical vibes of OOMPH!/Rammstein give "IHMISIXSIXSIX" more life with cyber-powered riffs. "Suolainen kapteeni" (Salty Captain) enhances their industrial metal sound with both the symphonic keys of Alestorm and a bit of the 8-bit synths of Sky Eats Airplane. "Hanska" (Glove) has more brutal heaviness and speed that greatly contrast with retro synths like destruction taking over an 80s movie scene.

"Hellbound Earth" unleashes some more of the dance-y industrial metal like a nightclub in Hell. "Lapset ja vanhemmat" (Children and Parents) has more of the cyber wrath of love and fire. The metal is replaced by pure electro-dance in "Herran toinen tuleminen" (The Second Coming of the Lord) for something more festive.

Having more of the stereotypical catchy industrial metal is "Verta sataa" (Raining Blood) that fuel the cyber sounds of The Kovenant and Deathstars. "Rukoukset rattoisat" (Merry Prayers) has pretty much all of the industrial metal you can already hear in bands like PAIN, In This Moment, Motionless and White, and Circle of Dust. Another awesome highlight! Finally, "Vedetäänkö vai ei?" (Should We, or Not?) is a bit anticlimactic and it indeed makes you wonder if they should stay in their path...or not.

As I've said, there's not much about Perstechnique that's bad, though it still remains my least favorite one by Turmion Katilot. I would recommend it for fans of the band and industrial metal, but no one else....

Favorites: "Grand Ball", "IHMISIXSIXSIX", "Lapset ja vanhemmat", "Verta sataa", "Rukoukset rattoisat"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 17, 2023 08:55 AM
USCH!

The first two Turmion Katilot albums brought their sound to great heights, but there ended up being some trouble between the band and Spinefarm Records over the income. The band sued Spinefarm and settled the lawsuit, LEGAL END OF STORY. They were then signed to a different label, Raha Records, to make a free downloadable mini-album U.S.C.H! in 2008. The next year, it was released as a full physical edition adding 3 new tracks, and it overtook Pirun Nyrkki in the Finnish charts by a close second.

U.S.C.H! stands for Ultimate Synthetic Corrosion Helter-Skelter. The album is slightly stronger than Pirun Nyrkki, bringing back a bit of the perfect glory of Hoitovirhe as they continue their industrial metal blend. You can never forget the rhythm! This band can do what other modern industrial metal bands can't.

"Vuosi 2008" (Year 2008) is a weird yet interesting intro, filled with distortion in everything. One other band that can go all out experimental like that is Candiria. Now this might shock some of you, but the title track is my least favorite song here. They seem to go the Bohemian Rhapsody route lyrically with nonsensical words, and it seems odd when this song is filled with bizarre darkness and Rammstein-level weirdness. The greatness of the album starts in "Pakanamaan kartta" (Map of Pagan Land).

"Kuolleitten laulu" (The Song of the Dead) is another spooky interlude. A strange assortment of laughing noises start another brilliant highlight, "Paha musta veri" (Evil Black Blood). "Minä määrään" (I Command) is another excellent song that never disappoints.

"Destination Hades" is the third interlude, though it's more of a short song with some distorted vocals. "Kuoleman päivä" is the greatest highlight in the original edition of the album. The industrial metal sound is rightfully balanced. "Arise" continues the Drop C riffing that almost makes me think of melodic metalcore bands like Miss May I, but the sound is still firmly industrial metal. Their cover of the Kikka hit "Shuttle to Venus" blasts along in catchy fun.

The physical edition's extra tracks start with "Hades" which emphasizes 8-bit-style electro-industrial and traditional Finnish singing in the first half for a jaw-dropping good time. "Alternative Ending for Your U.S.C.H!" is a brief synth interlude, but the full album doesn't end there... My favorite song in the entire full album is the closing "Million Dollar Business". The lyrics target Spinefarm Records with a big "scr*w you" to the business that tried to f*** with their signed band. Proud lyrics and aggressive music show that nothing can go wrong with their fired-up rant.

U.S.C.H! wraps up the band's amazing 2000s streak. Anyone who's a fan of industrial metal has to get the starting trilogy of Turmion Katilot. Whether you wanna download it or buy it, this album is all yours!

Favorites: "Pakanamaan kartta", "Paha musta veri", "Minä määrään", "Kuoleman päivä", "Shuttle to Venus", "Million Dollar Business"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 17, 2023 08:55 AM
Pirun nyrkki

Hoitovirhe marked the perfect start for the journey of a Finnish industrial metal band. It showed the band's sound at a promising height that made fans of the genre up for the action. And more of that action awaits...

Following some touring in support of their debut, in 2005, Turmion Katilot were all set to record another album. And in early 2006 came their second album Pirun Nyrkki (Devil's Fist)! The attitude the band had in their debut has become more aggressive and heavier. They put more emphasis on the METAL in industrial metal, though it ended up causing slight unevenness. Strangely, this album went higher up in the Finnish charts than Hoitovirhe.

First track "Maše veri evakei" (Where the Blood Escapes From) sets the dark tone for the album. However, the horror-filled title track is the first true highlight, combining speed with industrial synths, almost like a blend of Strapping Young Lad and Deathstars. "Messu" (Mass) is one of two interludes here.

It segues to "Eläköön!" (Long Live) with an explosive spark to break the monotony. "Tirehtööri" (Ringmaster) has more of a Middle Eastern vibe. Another one of the best tracks here and something worth playing in a nightclub in the Middle Eastern region. "MTV/DNA" breaks free from the metal heaviness to let the industrial machinery shine, but I'm sure it will still cause some positive feedback if it ends up on MTV. "Härkä" (The Bull) is so short yet unpredictable. It also has some of the fastest sections in the album that practically blast through, all while keeping the techno pace.

"Illuusio musiikista" (Illusion of Music) is another short interlude. Seguing into "Irstauden ilosanoma" (The Gospel of Lubricity), the guest vocals by Jessi Frey of Velcra and the chorus are both actually a bit annoying. Making up for that is "Piiloviestien neitietsivä" (Nancy Drew of Hidden Messages), which is a short yet pleasant return to full form. The remix of "Verta ja lihaa" (Blood and Flesh) is a little pointless, but I guess that remix was done so the album wouldn't be an under-half-hour-EP. The original is still better.

None of the tracks here are bad at all, although a couple tracks near the end threaten to be. Not even the interludes that work well to add atmosphere. Pirun Nyrkki has amazing strength, though it can't beat the perfection of the debut. Once again, the band can get you moving at both a rave and a moshpit!

Favorites: "Pirun nyrkki", "Tirehtööri", "MTV/DNA", "Härkä", "Piiloviestien neitietsivä"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 17, 2023 08:54 AM
Hoitovirhe

And so it begins, an incredible interesting journey through Finnish industrial metal (NOT Neue Deutsche Härte, that's for German bands). Hoitovirhe (Malpractice) is the first album by Turmion Katilot, released in 2004. The band was formed by vocalist MC Raaka Pee (Petja Turunen) (his stage name could gain some laughs) and former guitarist DJ Vastapallo (Lassi Kauppinen). Their debut shows an equal blend of metal riffing fury and industrial beats. This album is for both metalheads and nightclubbers!

No amount of words can do these perfect songs justice, but I can talk about the best ones, starting with the honorable "Teurastaja" (Butcher). 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. "Verta ja lihaa" (Blood and Flesh) has a chorus that will be stuck in your head for ages. Ballad "Pimeyden morsian" ("Bride of the Darkness") (yeah, I'm including a ballad in the highlights) sounds both delicate and funny at the same time, and pays off very well.

There's nothing bad here, really. Hoitovirhe is the perfect place to start for the band. If anyone is up for both headbanging and dancing, this is the album for you. There's more of this sound to come, so hold on to your seats!

Favorites: "Teurastaja", "Verta ja lihaa", "Pimeyden morsian"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / December 17, 2023 08:54 AM
Cold World

I think it’s fair to say that the first few releases from Birmingham industrial metal godfathers Godflesh blew me away back in the very early 1990’s. My immature teenage mind had simply never encountered music as cold & barren as records like “Godlfesh”, “Streetcleaner” or “Slatestate” before & I found myself absolutely lapping that shit up. By the time 1991’s “Cold World” E.P. hit the shelves I was already well & truly onboard with everything that Justin Broadrick & G.C. Green were dishing out so you can imagine my surprise upon reading the early reviews for “Cold World” which were nothing short of scathing. From the information presented to me, it sounded like Godflesh were steering away from the oppressive noise of their earlier works towards a cleaner, more accessible &… *gulp*… dance music-infused sound. My taste in metal was getting more extreme with every passing minute at the time so I elected not to investigate “Cold World” for fear of tainting my adoration for one of my very favourite artists. My attention would be more than restored through 1992’s classic “Pure” sophomore album shortly afterwards though & I’d subsequently follow each successive release with enthusiasm throughout the 1990’s but strangely I didn’t find myself investigating “Cold World” until my return to metal from a self-imposed, decade-long metal hiatus in 2009 & that experience immediately saw me questioning why I’d hesitated in the first place.

I guess it’s not too hard to see why some critics were put off by “Cold World” for purely stylistic reasons. When you take into account that extreme metal was getting progressively darker, more evil & infinitely more extreme, “Cold World” seemed to be taking Godflesh’s art in the opposite direction. But when you look at it from a creative standpoint you’ll discover that it represented a bold step out into the musical unknown & was very much a turning point for Justin’s creative direction. This becomes clearer when you consider that the next few Godflesh records took the concepts it contains & expanded on them in ways that saw Godlfesh almost transcending the boundaries that the rest of the scene were working with. Were those releases always unanimously successful? Well, no they weren’t but it was always intriguing to see a true artist exploring musical territories that hadn’t been touched on before.

“Cold World” is a four track E.P. that is a pretty solid representation of what the E.P. format was originally intended for. It was recorded as a part of the sessions for the “Pure” album & includes two brand new songs (the title track & “Nihil”) as well as two remixes of “Nihil”. “Cold World” is easily the most traditional & familiar of the four tracks although the production is noticeably cleaner & it’s more riff-based than we’d come to expect from Godflesh. Justin’s vocals are also a bit cleaner than the ugly hardcore bark he’d championed previously & one gets the feeling that “Cold World” could easily have been included on “Pure” without sounding out of place. I really like it too but wouldn’t say that it’s one of the band’s many classics. “Nihil”, on the other hand, manages to reach greater heights in my opinion. The guitar work is noisier & the instrumentation is a lot more infused with the electronic & dance music influences I mentioned. The hooks require a few listens to dig their teeth in but, once they do, you’ll find it hard to pull yourself free so I find “Nihil” to be a bold statement from Justin that warns the listener of the creative barriers he was intending on smashing down in the coming years. It’s a masterstroke from a true musical genius & is one of the most overlooked tracks of Godflesh’s career.

The two remixes aren’t quite as compelling but both are very solid inclusions nonetheless. Despite what some websites will have you believe, these reworkings don’t have much to do with metal at all & perhaps that’s been one of the stumbling blocks people have found when trying to appreciate “Cold World” as an holistic piece of art. The two tracks sound relatively similar too which probably doesn’t help the majority of listeners who don’t have the background in techno that I do. You really need to treat each track as an isolated piece in order to fully appreciate their cold, dark electro-industrial soundscapes as they don’t really work all that well when viewing “Cold World” as a collective release. For that reason, it’s easier to think of it as a single containing multiple tracks that are intended to be played in isolation, perhaps in a DJ set which is something I can relate to given that I was a club techno DJ during most of the 2000’s.

Despite the troubles some may experience with getting their heads around the E.P. format, the material on “Cold World” is all of a very high quality with the release showcasing a consistency that only elite performers can provide. Yes, it may have been Godflesh’s weakest release to the time but I’d suggest only by a small margin & this fact really only goes to prove what a special act Godflesh were. Everything they’d touched had turned to gold & people were starting to push their expectations higher into the stratosphere which made it increasingly more difficult to satisfy them. Somehow I suspect that Justin didn’t give a fuck though & “Cold World” goes a long way to proving that. It should be essential listening for fans of the band or anyone with a penchant for industrial metal artists like Fall of Because, Pitchshifter or Ministry.

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Daniel Daniel / December 16, 2023 09:58 PM
Godmode

I haven't listened to In This Moment in years and if the bands recent outing, Godmode is any indicator, it does not seem like I have missed much in the years since The Dream. The band have migrated out of the melodic metalcore sphere and fully embraced their mainstream rock/metal stripes. Maria Brink is far more expressive on this album than on the last album Mother, however, despite this more drastic change in timbre toward industrial, Maria is not able to fully embrace that wilder side of her delivery because the songs themselves are pretty lazily put together.

Speaking of lazy, this production is horrible! The albums main promo single "The Purge" feels like it should explode into a massive chorus or breakdown, but instead, Maria's timbre flip-flops from hushed whispers to harsh screaming, only for the flaccid electronic percussion and weak synths to return as if this huge buildup didn't just happen. The guitars sound really tinny and compressed, while any bass presence is thoroughly gutted throughout the album. The kicker for me was the Spencer Charnas feature on "Damaged" where the two vocalist build up to this huge climax and where you would expect a release, the guitar re-entry is muted and any sense of payoff is thwarted within seconds.

Which is kind of a shame because the record does have some okay melodic ideas. They aren't as flushed out as The Dream was, but "Army of Me", "Everything Starts and Ends With You" and "I Would Die For You" can be deceptively tuneful. On the other hand, the constant vocal swapping during the verses on "The Purge" sound really stupid and neuter the actual buildup/breakdown of that songs chorus even more so than the production on its own.

I don't think that the industrial and electronic elements sound bad, but their incorporation feels muted because In This Moment has laid a very weak foundation for this newer sound. Something tells me that if Godmode was remastered with less compression, it would be a lot better. This bands attempts at going mainstream is a bit of a Beautiful Tragedy because it relinquishes the bands personality and leaves them as a empty shell. All they have left is Maria's vocals and this production is not emphasizing her strengths.

Best Songs: Army of Me, Everything Starts and Ends With You

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Saxy S Saxy S / November 17, 2023 06:08 PM
Godmode

In This Moment know how to reinvent the modern metal wheel. Each album is different in sound so their fanbase doesn't get tired of them easily. This alt-metal group, founded by Chris Howorth and Maria Brink, have gone further down the Marilyn Manson/Nine Inch Nails-infused industrial metal rabbit hole with their new album Godmode!

After some slight hints in their 6th album Ritual, their next one Mother began to push the band's industrial side up front, creating strong anthems like their girl-power anthem of a Queen cover plus a few weak links. Although Godmode can have earlier fans cringe in dread, here the band refresh their sound into something simpler and more lively. The songs sound bolder and more organic, and Brink sounds like a true modern metal goddess.

The opening title track already hints at that return to their heavier feel. "The Purge" is another powerful highlight! 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. Maria Brink is quite impressive at making a cover of "Army of Me", a Bjork classic, though I prefer the covers from their previous two albums. Continuing to test out different styles, we have the djent-dance track "Sacrifice" that shows more clarity in the album than their previous few ones.

Brink's singing in "Skyburner" sounds a bit drunken, but there are good driving riffs. However, she can really scream in the verses of "Sanctify Me". Then "Everything Starts and Ends with You" continues to show the band adopting more electronic influences than before. It certainly can work for a video game of heavenly universal connection.

As usual, the album has a duet in "Damaged", with Ice Nine Kills vocalist Spencer Charnas. However, the interplay comes out a bit weird. It just isn't as balanced as that duet with the Ded vocalist in the previous album Mother. "Fate Bringer" has more of the earlier dance beat which, despite being unsettling, flows well. "I Would Die for You" is an epic ballad originally in the soundtrack for John Wick: Chapter 4. It reaches a hysterical climax that has really paid off.

All in all, In This Moment have truly revived what made them spectacular. With solid songs, all having Brink's godly and ungodly singing, Godmode has truly proven what the band has in store as the modern metal legends they are today!

Favorites: "Godmode", "The Purge", "Sanctify Me", "Everything Starts and Ends with You", "I Would Die for You"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / November 16, 2023 09:00 AM
Zunge

Till Lindemann, the leader of Neue Deutsche Härte kings Rammstein, first decided to go solo during the band's hiatus. Rammstein prefer to be a whole band rather than just different members. Whenever one of the members takes a break, the other would too. Guitarist Richard Kruspe has his own side-project Emigrate since 2005. Lindemann later had his own side-project with Peter Tagtgren (Pain, Hypocrisy) and opened his boundaries further. While Kruspe took on more of an alt-rock/industrial metal direction with his secondary band, Lindemann expanded his NDH roots with modern heaviness to go with his suggestive lyrical matter. It's like those two guys each had their own sound in which, connected together, form their main band's popular sound...

The truth is, I haven't really gotten the appeal of this NDH/industrial rock/metal triangle. Despite that, I managed to check out some of Lindemann's heavy yet infectious work in Rammstein's new album Zeit and a few other songs by Rammstein and Lindemann. Of all the albums Lindemann has made, the only one in which the majority of it is in English is Skills in Pills. I wasn't initially interested in checking out his new album Zunge (Tongue), but considering how much I like Zeit, I decided to give it a shot. This is his 3rd solo album, but it's not part of the Lindemann project. He's gone completely solo, under his full name, partly soiled by abuse allegations towards him earlier this year.

The title opener is an excellent throwback to Rammstein and Lindemann, almost as if he wrote for either one of those projects. "Sport Frei" (Sport Free) also has that classic Rammstein sound with its industrial verses and chorus. "Altes Fleisch" (Old Flesh) might reminds some more of CKY in the guitar groove. "Ubers Meer" (Over the Sea) has great synth melodies to make you nostalgic for the 80s.

"Du Hast Kein Herz" (You Don't Have a Heart) doesn't sound like a certain Rammstein hit that the first half of this song's title is identical to, but it works as a great Rammstein flashback anyway. Another favorite of mine, "Tanzlehrerin" (Dance Teacher), a beautiful flamenco-style ballad. It's a well-done standout that doesn't have to be as hammering the other tracks to have you dancing along. Next song "Nass" (Wet) continues the hilarious yet heavy blend of metal guitars and baritone vocals with slight abrasion. "Alles Für Die Kinder" is so weird yet dreamy, mixing dubstep synths with light piano and children's background noises. You know Lindemann's signature odd experimentation.

"Schweiss" (Sweat) is ominous while often having deep emotion. I really like "Lecker" (Yummy), which has gigantic synths and grooves as Lindemann shines in melody and occasional raspy vocals that he has been using recently. The narcissistic piano ballad "Selbst Verliebt" (Self-Love) is OK. And even the hidden track "Rodel" (Toboggan) that parodies German pop hits is quite fun in some degree.

From the moment I've heard Till's unique voice, I knew Zunge would have some solidness. He managed to continue the Rammstein sound without being too restrained. He can make strong bombastic writing with his main band's sound as its base. It can be ridiculous while still being ferocious. And that's what to expect from the most famous (and infamous) man of NDH....

Favorites: "Zunge", "Sport Frei", "Du Hast Kein Herz", Tanzlehrerin", "Nass", "Lecker"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / November 14, 2023 01:05 PM
EndEx

I'm in a weird place when it comes to industrial music. I was recently introduced to the world of electronic body music [EBM] and while I could (and probably should) enjoy the heavier side of that genre present in aggrotech, I find myself more at comfort with the futurepop and alternative pop sounds instead. As a result, my explorations of the metal side of industrial music has been a complete blind spot (once again) in 2023.

So when I received my copy of EndEx by industrial band 3TEETH, I had to hinder my expectations since it was in a style that I have been struggling with for quite some time. So what did we get out of EndEx?

While the tracks featuring Mick Gordon are certainly produced much better than the solo tracks "Xenogenesis" and "Plutonomicon", they are also the songs with the least happening in them. The guitar has a lot more punch and gravitas when Mick is present, and typically also have more memorable melodic ideas and phrases. Tracks like "Higher Than Death" on the other hand sound like made for radio industrial metal, as the glitchy production is swamped in favour of power chords and Breaking Benjamin vocal hook.

EndEx is quite a diverse listen in its timbre. The record certainly has its fair share of aggressive moments like "Paralyze" and "ALI3N", but the record ends with the slower "Drift", which has more of a futurepop sound with less guitars and distorted vocals. And regardless of the quality of the bands cover of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears, I was impressed by how 3TEETH were able to take fundamental chord progression, turn it minor without changing the main vocal motif and make the song their own, rather than a straight cover with no thought or unique traits.

When it was over, I respected 3TEETH, but I did not love EndEx. Some of the songs here are just catchy enough to bring me back for more, but the disconnect between the solo tracks and those featuring Mick Gordon make for a divisive full playthrough. Still, some of these tracks will make for a nice detour from my typical industrial listening.

Best Songs: Acme Death Machine, Merchant of the Void, ALI3N, Paralyze (feat. Ho99o9)

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Saxy S Saxy S / October 13, 2023 03:16 AM
Life Is Easy

If you wanna be technical, this is truly the first ever industrial metal album, to be recorded anyway. And already it sets the genre's aggressive synthetic tone. From the heart and mind of innovative inventors, listeners who had the chance to hear the sound when it was performed could hear a new modern future. One of humanity's complicated life of what's more moral and what's not. All told within compositions of sonic noise, industrial synths, and metal guitars. The damage done in society is impossible to fix, and this is the kind of music made by people who want to let out their thoughts of desperation in an instant, for people who have those same thoughts. The 80s was a decade when the noise-fueled genre of industrial was spreading over to rock, and later, metal, ready for our minds to be warned of mankind's peril...

1982 was when two Birmingham musicians B. C. Green and Paul Neville first started the band O.P.D. (Officially Pronounced Dead). Then a year later, they changed their band name to Fall of Because, taken from a song by industrial rock developers Killing Joke. Then another year later, Justin Broadrick entered the band as their drummer. The trio recorded a demo in 1986 titled Extirpate. Most of those songs, along with a few live tracks, make up the album Life is Easy, which was not released until 1999. Note that this band was an earlier incarnation of Godflesh, with a few Fall of Because songs later being-re-recorded for Godflesh's debut Streetcleaner and EP Merciless. What makes Fall of Because different from Godflesh is the primal production, Justin Broadrick using live drums instead of a drum machine, and the instrumentation sounding more punky while still having industrial noise. Though the vocals by Broadrick and Neville foreshadow that of Godflesh with their bleak cold shouts and melodies.

Beginning this cold isolated album is the devastating intro "Devastator", showing the best of Neville's guitar nose. That song was re-recorded for Godflesh's Streetcleaner along with the title track, 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. The dirtier side of the album that deviates from Godflesh's later glory is exhibited in the punky "Middle Amerika". Seems like they were more interested in punk than metal back in those days. The industrial rock of early Killing Joke and Swans is combined with a bit of the pre-grind punk of Napalm's Death Scum side A. Ironically, the monstrous "Grind" is a slow crawler.

"Ecstasy of Hate" shows that there's a noise-ridden side of industrial metal that is a polar opposite to the catchy melody of later bands like PAIN. "Malew***eslag" has more mellow yet noisy sludge. "Lifef***er-Sh*tsucker" has too much of the punky grind of early Napalm Death. "Merciless" is so slow and doomy, with powerful riffs crushing your spine and ripping it out from your neck. That's the kind of feeling induced from the sludgy bass and the heaviness brought forward from the 45-second mark onwards. The crushing riff may sound redundant, but the repetition is worth it. Justin's smashing vocals come close to growling. This could be used in a dramatic slow-motion movie fight scene. Midway through is a clean bridge that's also repeated. Everything is memorable here, though still behind the title track as the ultimate highlight. "Survive" is the first of the 3 live tracks, though this one is just a singular song, unlike the next two...

And now for the live shows, the first of which, "Fight Show" is worth a small journey. Although consisting of a few songs ("Empire of Lies", "Whiterock-Blackdeath", "Christian Motherf***er", and "Ecstasy of Hate"), when performed back to back, they actually form a top-notch multi-part 15-minute suite. The concert is infamous for a crowd fight in the middle of the setlist, with one of the members telling someone to go back to their "gothic s***hole in town". For the actual performance, it is one of the most intense live shows I've heard! Ex-Napalm Death members Mick Harris and Nik Napalm appear as guests, thus furthering the hardcore-industrial crossover. Sadly, the "Xmas Special" live recording doesn't sound as nice in quality, only there for the sake of history. The "Life is Easy" segment there is still good, but not "Calling" or "Submit-Suppress".

It's amazing how even when you think Godflesh started off big in their young years, an earlier developing demo from their earlier incarnation was hidden under Godflesh fans' noses for some time. Life is Easy would've made history as the first official industrial metal if it was released in 1987 as initially planned. I guess more extreme metalheads back then weren't too disappointed since Bathory's 3rd album and Mayhem's EP from that year turned out to be black metal's developing miracles. Anyway, while I don't favor this Fall of Because album as much as Godflesh's classics, it's still essential for those who want to hear the earliest industrial metal to ever exist....

Favorites: "Life is Easy", "Middle Amerika", "Ecstasy of Hate", "Merciless", "Fight Show", "Xmas Special" ("Life is Easy" segment only)

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / October 08, 2023 11:32 AM
Sin City

I've had my fun when checking out Genitorturers' debut. I never thought sexual industrial rock/metal would mesmerize me, but it did. Sometimes the least likely things I would get interested in I actually enjoy once I try it. And this album continues that streak...

Genitorturers' albums are more likely to attract fans of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson than serious metalheads, and Sin City is no exception. Anyone who likes sleazy industrial metal will find some great things to enjoy in this album without a doubt. Fast beats, thick guitars, and sexy lyrics sung by Gen have cooked up an industrial dish. So come spend a good time in Sin City!

It starts with the aggressive title opener that offers some stylistic tricks up their sleeve. This is followed by "Terrorvision", which is seductive yet a bit disorienting. Opening things up further is "Liar's Liar" as the band continues riding through different stylistic territories.

"One Who Feeds" kicks things up with some psychotic vibes. "Squealer" is a cover of an AC/DC classic, though Gen's vocals are way different from the melodic squealing of the late Bon Scott. "4 Walls Black" shows that a female vocalist doesn't have to be as operatic as Trail of Tears for some top-notch rock/metal. That song is actually more industrial, but you get my point.

"Asphyxiate" is a slow catchy tune. Then the aggressive rampage returns in "Razor Cuts". Then "Level 3" has a bit of a Slayer vibe in the riffing, but the beat stays mid-paced. "Crucified" ends the album sound a bit like Waltari at that time, albeit more percussion-focused and ending in creepy atmosphere.

Don't think you have wasted 45 minutes you could've spent on other productive things. Listening to this Genitorturers album is productive as it can help conjure some fantasies. If the fantasies you're up for are of pleasure and debauchery, that is. This is the kind of music that would make my parents and friends and concerned. For that reason, as much as I like these albums by Genitorturers, this band really isn't my thing....

Favorites: "Sin City", "Liar's Liar", "4 Walls Black", "Razor Cuts", "Level 3"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / October 03, 2023 11:16 AM
Antares

One day, and industrial band said, "let's put a better scifi twist on it" and created cyber metal, a niche genre that no one has really made a pure artform yet, and way?  Because it has a tendency to be very trope riddled.  But the appeal of the genre is obvious: cyber metal is all about the scifi, and one of the best bands to recreate that "cyberpunk" feel is Sybreed.  It shines at full force on Antares, no star pun intended.

The album recreates scifi vibes beautifully.  It's like all at once I'm being dragged out into space, experimented on in a lab or having to deal with dystopian problems in a cyberpunk world.  The drama is there, but never played up too much.  We have plenty of room for serene and melodic moments to just drag you away into "a sea of nothingness."  Sometimes the atmosphere is Floydian.  As for my favorite aspect of this album, I'd say it's Nominet's melodic vocals.  His high and youthful pitch is just robotic enough for the cyber sound but powerful in its softness.  The guy also has some decent metalcore growls, occasionally going into Wayne Static territory, which is pleasing to me considering that Wayne's voice was the best part of Static-X.

Unfortunately, the same problem that takes over the vast majority of cyber metal (I've started many albums but haven't finished them because of this) is that all the songs are pretty much covering every layer of influence at one.  There's cyber, pure industrial, groove, djent, electronic and death here, but most of these songs are made up of multiple sections each covering one or two of these genres at once, so originality becomes repetitive.  There's a little differentiation between songs sometimes, like the shift from atmospheric serenity in isolate to the raspy djent of Dynamic.  But otherwise, the reliance on shifting the same genres becomes tiring by the end, despite the melodies and atmos still being good.

Although cyber metal is a genre yet to be mastered and perfected, the fans of this niche genre will still have Sybreed and Antares.  This has very heavy feeling to it, which is the most powerful aspect of the album and the standout as well.  If you want metal that will put you right into a scifi world, I can't think of a better album.

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Rexorcist Rexorcist / October 02, 2023 11:07 PM
1991-1996 The Early Works

Upon finding out about this Oomph! compilation album having songs from their first 4 albums, 3 of which are metal enough for this site and I've reviewed, I knew it was time for one more look into the band's earlier discography. Well, even though NDH isn't really my thing, I can actually find some great highlights making up half of this offering.

The first trio of songs is from the band's self-titled album that has more of an electro-techno sound with sparse guitars. Surprisingly though, two songs actually stand out for me. One of those tracks, "Ich bin Du" (I Am You) is actually one of my favorite Oomph! songs and, yep I'm saying this, it's metal enough to be in a Sphere playlist with some guitars in full prominence at the most needed parts. Then we have a club classic in "Der neue Gott" (The New God) that also foreshadows their subsequent albums' sound.

Only a couple tracks in the Sperm trio stand out for me, one of them being the best here, "Sex". Another good track is "Feiert das Kreuz" (Celebrate the Cross), though the intro sample makes me think of a Hitler-Exorcist crossover.

Not all of the songs in the Defekt trio are any good, so I'll just talk about the ones that are, starting with one of the best here, "Willst Du Hoffnung?" (Do You Want Hope?). The other good song, "Mitten Ins Herz" (Right in the Heart) continues that experimental vibe. What I really wanted to hear in this compilation is the beautiful "Come and Kick Me", which would've kicked my rating for this compilation up at least a half-star. Sadly, it isn't here.

As for the 4th album Wunschkind (Desired Child), the title track for that album has heavy riffing. Guitars and synths are blended together in dark atmosphere. However, it's not something you should be bring to dance parties because of the dark mood and slamming heaviness. The other two songs aren't nearly as great as that track though. Neither are two of the 3 remixes that come after. However, the remix for "Krüppel" (Cripple) is a true enhancement! Dero's vocals sound close to growling as he details a story about getting kicked, punched, crippled... Now this is the Oomph I need in the lyrics and distorted music. The emotion is what makes the song special in its own right.

And there you have it; 15 songs, including 3 from each of the first 4 Oomph! albums plus 3 remixes. I say half of this compilation is quite solid with brilliant highlights from that earlier part of their career. Still the remaining songs I will never revisit any time soon. Once again, Neue Deutsche Härte is just not for my metal heart....

Favorites: "Ich bin Du", "Der neue Gott", "Sex", "Feiert das Kreuz", "Willst Du Hoffnung?", "Mitten Ins Herz", "Wunschkind", "Krüppel" (remix)

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / September 30, 2023 12:16 PM
Voyeurs

As I've said in my previous review, I was following a 3-album industrial rock/metal path as I continued my ongoing early industrial metal rediscovery journey. The first part of this path was Gravity Kills' 1996 debut which, again, is barely metal at all. The second part is the well-done bridge that is Acumen Nation's More Human Heart. And this third part is from a side-project by one of the all-time most famous metal vocalists...

Rob Halford was already in his temporary split from Judas Priest and made a couple albums in his own groove metal band Fight. His second side-project, Two (often spelled "2wo") has disappointed long-time fans with a more electronic metal style. And there's none of the melodic screaming of Judas Priest's Painkiller.

Still the album is pretty decent, starting with the techno-hungry "I am a Pig" that has planted Nine Inch Nails into the minds of listeners, both due to the sound and the word "Pig" in the title. A bit of the alt-prog metal of TOOL can be heard in "Stutter Kiss". The industrial yet melodic "Water's Leaking" can be considered what Judas Priest could've done if they let Halford have more creative freedom. "My Ceiling's Low" bounces through electronic rock and more of Halford's sinister singing.

Next up, "Leave Me Alone" is another example of what Judas Priest would sound like if they go electronic. The following track "If" has more tribal rhythms. Shooting through some more of the cool industrial rock/metal is "Deep in the Ground".

"Hey Sha La La" sounds too awfully close to dance-pop in the rhythm, but at least the catchy chorus makes the song somewhat tolerable. "Wake Up" is far too synth-driven in its attempt to mix synths with guitars. Thumbs down for that one. "Gimp" strikes back with its nice bass punches. Closing the album is "Bed of Rust" which the album's epic-sounding climax. Seriously, you should stick around and be rewarded after all that earlier trouble!

Voyeurs is a decent straight one-time experiment in industrial metal for Rob Halford. After that, he and his project partner guitarist John 5 would go their separate ways. John 5 joined Marilyn Manson, and Halford started a 3rd side-project, his solo band Halford. The album might not be super fun, but I guess two is better than one....

Favorites: "I am a Pig", "My Ceiling's Low", "Deep in the Ground", "Gimp", "Bed of Rust"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / September 30, 2023 06:51 AM
More Human Heart

I needed an album to balance things out in my ongoing early industrial metal rediscovery journey. That Gravity Kills album caused an unnecessary twist into my journey, as that album and band have more of an industrial/alt-rock sound with only a few songs being metal. However, this band Acumen Nation has a more metallic take on that sound, and a great improvement too. So let's dive into that...

More Human Heart is the band's 3rd album and the first under the band name Acumen Nation. They were previously known as just Acumen until legal issues with a similarly titled prog-rock band caused the name change. The solid industrial metal rage will get you hooked to the grooves.

"Ventilator" starts the album greatly with their usual blend of electro-industrial and metal. "If You Were" has some sections that would foreshadow all those times when The Dillinger Escape Plan deviate from their mathcore sound in their more experimental songs. Staggering a bit is "Unkind" within the rhythm. "Cancerine" is a nice standout that's soft but keeps your attention going.

"Revelations Per Minute" definitely has a similar vibe to early Dir En Grey. "Bleed for You" makes me think of Red Harvest blended with the groove-ish instrumentation of Vision of Disorder at that time. Things get a little more vulnerable in "The Funny Thing is...", but it still has some catchy energy.

"F*** Yer Brains Out" is a more brutal industrial standout. "Ugly on the Inside" is more catchy and upbeat, but it makes me wonder if that's where Code Orange got a bit of their industrial side from. "Punka**" indeed sounds more punky, with a side of Waltari at that time. "Dreamheart/Crush'd" is one last two-part 9-minute epic. Quite a climatic way to end an industrial rock/metal album!

The cool thing about Acumen Nation is, they can mix 80s-style rock/metal with modern industrial at easy grace. It's a well-deserved bridge between Gravity Kills' debut and the one album by Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford's side-project 2wo. In the mainstream industrial metal realm, I'm nicely surprised by how far I've come. RIP Jamie Duffy....

Favorites: "Ventilator", "Cancerine", "Bleed for You", "F*** Yer Brains Out", "Ugly on the Inside", "Dreamheart/Crush'd"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / September 30, 2023 12:09 AM
Gravity Kills

Gravity Kills... That band name sounds like some kind of Gravity Falls creepypasta. Anyway, they're an industrial rock band packed with guitar riffing, drum loops, synth layers, and vocal intensity. However, this kind of alienates my ongoing industrial metal rediscovery, as there's not much metal to offer here.

There are only a few songs that I like here, close enough metal, starting with "Guilty". It's a good song to jam to, and they might've been an influence to Spineshank. The band sounds closer to the style of Orgy and Nine Inch Nails. It's quite cool, and not as controversial as the more well-known industrial metal songs out there, or the other songs in the album that are more rock than metal.

"Enough" is another piece of alt-rock/industrial metal that I love, but still not enough to go further with this band. You can jam out during a long drive! Definitely having some vibes from Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, and a bit KMFDM.

Another great industrial/alt-rock/metal song is "Goodbye". I don't have anyone I really hate, but for those who do, use this song against them ("I'M F***ING TIRED AND I'M SAYING GOODBYE!!!!"). Anyone who thinks The Prodigy is THE 90s electro-rock band might stand corrected. I can do without the background noises though. "Never" is one more heavy highlight with decent singing.

All in all, Gravity Kills has a few moderately enjoyable tracks. Those tracks have great metallic emotion. However, everything else is just bland industrial/alt-rock programming that's not worth repeat listening for me. I would recommend this mediocre album much more to Nine Inch Nails fans than metalheads....

Favorites (only songs I like): "Guilty", "Enough", "Goodbye", "Never"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / September 29, 2023 02:37 PM
5: Blackacidevil

Danzig's 6th album 6:66 Satan's Child was actually the tail end of the band's industrial metal era. The 5th album Blackacidevil is the center of that era. This heavily industrial album was released in 1996, and then reissued 4 years later with a few bonus tracks and better cover art.

So what do I mean by highly industrial? Well instead of the dark heavy metal sound Danzig is known for, electro-industrial techno and experimental noise rock covers the rock/metal tracks. I actually find some tracks interesting, despite the album being unsuccessful and turning away many Danzig fans. A problem that I notice is, vocalist Glenn Danzig sounds too distorted in a few tracks, and that makes me prefer the less experimental parts of the album.

Things starts upbeat with the electronic-powered "7th House". Then the title track has lyrics of drugs. A strange acid trip before the album's later melancholy... "See All You Were" is one of a few tracks here to feature Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell. However, that doesn't make up for the d*mn vocal distortion making the lyrics hard to understand.

"Sacrifice" 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. This is followed by the more sadistic "Hint of Her Blood". One song that's not enjoyable at all and shouldn't have existed is "Serpentia". I don't wish to say more. "Come to Silver" is another Cantrell-featured track, originally written for Johnny Cash. A country-infused ballad I would recommend!

"Hand of Doom" is a Black Sabbath cover, rewritten with more disturbing lyrics. That said, I love it, though Isis' cover is better. "Power of Darkness" is just too plain bad. Why does that sh*t f***ing even exist at all!? "Ashes" is a sweet closing ballad as you drive away into the darkness of who-knows-where...

I think I'll skip out on the bonus tracks in the reissue, mainly because I don't wanna hear anymore of that awful distortion. Despite that flawed aspect though, I don't find Blackacidevil as bad as most other people do. Some songs I find quite enjoyable, and a few others I don't want tainting my ears a second time. Sure it's different, but any open-minded Danzig fan can give this album some more spins. For some fans, once is never enough....

Favorites: "7th House", "Sacrifice", "Come to Silver", "Hand of Doom", "Ashes"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / September 29, 2023 10:11 AM
Skin

16volt began their discography with their debut Wisdom. It is a solid cold blend of electro-industrial beats and heavy guitars that form another prime example of industrial rock/metal. The band started recording their next album Skin shortly after releasing their debut, and they seem to really picked up where they left off. They even made a sequel to one of the debut's songs, which we'll get to later...

It's been nearly 3 decades since this album Skin came out, and it still appeals to many industrial metal fans who wish to see them live. Although not as well-known and great as Wisdom, Skin will still have you interested in this cold industrial rock/metal sound.

The title opener already sets the stage for the album as smoothly as the opening track of Wisdom. "Perfectly Fake" is a perfect hodgepodge of experimentation, similar to what Candiria was doing at that time, but the hardcore elements are replaced with industrial ones. I wouldn't say "Uplift" is uplifting, but the end of that track is worth it for its somewhat ambient climax. I love that!

"Slow Wreck" is slower, but it comes out as kind of a trainwreck that made me think "Why did I go from listening to the awesome metalcore of Parkway Drive, As I Lay Dying, Every Time I Die, and August Burns Red, to this sh*t!?" Then we have "Skin", the first of few instrumentals, this one a little bland but slightly better. Greatness is present again in "Stitched", with some impressive vocals to love. However, "Built to Last" again threatens to make me want to skip out on the industrial sound and go back to the metalcore of Parkway Drive, Trivium, Winds of Plague, and A Day to Remember.

"Bottle Rockets" is another instrumental that isn't the best but still works. An inspiring mix of guitars and electronics appears in "Downtime 2", which I find awesome and actually surpassing the first part of that song from Wisdom. "Flick" is one more noise-ridden instrumental. After that, there's 6 minutes of silence before a remix of the title track, "Dead Skin" which is OK but I prefer the original. The reissue has a couple more remixes and covers, but I've already said enough.

I think what really caused two of the non-instrumental tracks to go downhill is, the lyrics sound too simplistic and direct. They don't follow the "show don't tell" technique that English teachers recommend using. Take out those two tracks and a couple of the instrumentals, and you have something worthwhile....

Favorites: "Skin", "Perfectly Fake", "Uplift", "Stitched", "Downtime 2"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / September 29, 2023 12:14 AM
Wisdom

16volt is another industrial rock/metal band fresh from the early 90s. They are known for blending electro-industrial beats with abrasive electric guitar for a unique blend in the genre. This is unlike that other band Genitorturers that's more well-known for their live aesthetic and imagery. Not wanting to sound like the semi-apathetic young modern metal fan I am, music is a band's true value. But if you wish to explore the visual components of a band or album, that's fine. You do you!

With that said, the first 16volt album Wisdom seems to have a slight notch off compared to Genitorturers' debut. Nonetheless, 16volt's music is quite addictive and will get listeners hooked right from the start...

"Motorskill" is an amazing industrial metal opening 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! The industrial apocalypse rolls further in the title track. Same with "Head of Stone", which is another example of what industrial rock/metal should really be about, all in great balance.

Vocalist Eric Powell tests out some erotic-ish whispering vocals in "Filthy Love of Fire" which is a more sludgy track. I think that's the closest the band can get to a similar vibe to Genitorturers. The tricky "Hand Over End" struggles with the marching snare, but the crushing percussion shoves it aside.

"Will" is another heavy crusher that I enjoy. "Dreams of Light" is another one of my favorite tracks in the album. While the beat and guitar are more mid-paced, that's not the main focus here. It's centered around more of the sound's apocalyptic atmosphere. The slow noise-ridden closing track "Downtime (Part One)" hints at their next album Skin, which has a "Part 2" to that track. Conveniently, I'll be reviewing that album next. In the meantime, check out a few remixes in the reissue that don't sound too different...

Wisdom has a lot you can ask for in the cold industrial darkness. A very solid industrial rock/metal release! Though it's slightly limp compared to Ministry's The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste. Still it's something any fan of industrial, rock, and/or metal should get for some of this band's talent and wisdom....

Favorites: "Motorskill", "Head of Stone", "Will", "Dreams of Light"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / September 28, 2023 10:13 AM
120 Days of Genitorture

I'm not really one to listen to a lot of music with themes of New South F***ing Wales and Black Depressive Suicidal Metal (think about the acronyms, not the words), but what's strange is, I quite like this one. I might be getting some Stockholm Syndrome vibes. Enough said! Let me just say, this album and review is not for the oversensitive.

Formed by singer Jennifer "Gen" Zimmerman, then-wife of Morbid Angel guitarist David Vincent, Genitorturers are infamous for their provocative imagery and live shows. Gen can be seen flexin' for some sexin' in the album's cover art. The lyrics are simple yet disturbing. Other bands/artists trying out this sexual theme in the early 90s were Divinyls with their 1990 single "I Touch Myself" and pop queen Madonna's Erotica album and SEX book released just less than a year before this twisted industrial metal offering...

This dark sinister vibe is spawned straight from the opening "120 Days". 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. Unleashing more of this intense passion is "Reality Check", with the lyrics taking on facing reality instead of illusions of false struggle. Next up, "Velvet Dreams" starts slow before speeding things up in erotic power. The crushing sexuality in the lyrics are sung as Gen's vocals penetrate your ears and give you great pleasure.

"House of Shame" is another one of my favorite tracks here. "Pleasure in Restraint" will definitely have you imagining Gen tying up her slaves. Another heavy track is "Lesser Gods", filled with heavy desire to please the album's listeners, especially from the 30-second opening intro that sounds like Slayer. "Jackin' Man" is a shorter track with almost a similar experimental vibe to Voivod at that time.

"River's Edge / Strip the Flesh" has more of the savage heaviness. "Force Fed" is big on the riffing, sounding the most metallic here. "Crack Track" is one more track that sounds close to a stylistic transition between Red Harvest's first and second albums.

Gen is someone who would rather f*** than give a f***, as her lyrics take on dark imagery of dominatrix fantasy. Sounds so wild yet addictive. It is an adventure in your mind in which only those who are brave and not oversensitive can prepare themselves for self-indulgence. I don't think I would ever attend one of their live shows though, for both moral and financial reasons. But the album itself is already theatrical!

Favorites: "120 Days", "Velvet Dreams", "House of Shame", "Lesser Gods", "Force Fed"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / September 28, 2023 12:30 AM
Thorns

Thorns.. where do I start? Never heard of these guys before at all. Not quite sure since after hearing about this, it is quite revered everywhere. I don't listen to industrial metal often, haven't found much before that have interested me. There are industrial moments, of some mechanical and even digital sounding percussions and background rhythms that come off very interesting. There is some very innovating material here and I can see learning this style, however the entire time I'm thinking if I was a musician I would do this and try to make it better. The interesting bits seemed more in the middle of the album where I actually took notice, heavily industrial influenced and I enjoyed that quite a bit. I liked the what I consider almost symphonic parts of Underneath The Universe and the various instrumental bits like the end of Shifting Channels however they're limited here and would love to hear a full album of that style. Most of the time unfortunately I just tuned out really longing for more from this. 


This album has so much in it that I would love to show off to other people looking for a new and challenging listen, and I could understand this can be a life changing experience for someone. Especially for 2001, this has to have been some musicians influential first starts into what we have today. Again, I'm not a fan of this but I have to show respect and acknowledge that there is something here for others. 

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Shezma Shezma / September 25, 2023 07:15 PM
Pandemonium

Before this band's switch into industrial rock/metal, Killing Joke started their 45-year tenure as an intense addition to the post-punk scene in the 80s. The band has pleased numerous fans of the scene with their earlier releases, despite a downward turn with the trance-pop Outside the Gate. But that's just part of their broad appeal, right from the start with their first single "Wardance". As much as their 80s era gained lots attention, so did their 2003 album which brought the band back from the shadows. Of course, we can't forget about the two albums in between, Pandemonium and Democracy, and you wouldn't believe how well the songs in the former album turned out...

The release of Pandemonium marked the end of a 4-year gap since the previous album Extremities, Dirt and Various Repressed Emotions, and it has a heavier mood. The members seem to add in some elements of their side-projects, with the electronics that bassist Youth explored, and vocalist Jaz Coleman's trip to the Middle East (music, not the region, although he recorded his vocals in Egypt). So there's a more ambient/world tone added alongside their new industrial rock/metal direction.

The title opener is a heavy song that needs more attention, maybe more than their earlier rock hits. "Exorcism" is another astounding heavy tune. Jaz Coleman encourages listeners to "Let it out, let it rise, let it-" (literally coughs and wheezes, f***ing amusing). The theme of exorcism can be associated with Babylonian religion. The catchy "Millennium" allowed Killing Joke a rare chance to hit the airwaves in the U.S. The epic highlight "Communion" 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.

"Black Moon" begins the more brooding second half, in which some of the earlier momentum is lost. There's a bit of redemption in "Labyrinth", but that's not enough. The more poppy "Jana" is too much of just a simple rock song that doesn't really fit the earlier heavy vibe.

Then we return to the heavier chaos for real with "Whiteout". That's the kind of energy I needed to make sure the second half doesn't bore me to death. However, I can't say the same thing about "Pleasures of the Flesh" which is just dull and doesn't please me at all. "Mathematics of Chaos" takes you into a metallic trance, as the wizardry of the instrumentation is in clear production, thanks to Youth.

After Pandemonium, the band made their next album Democracy and then go on a 7-year hiatus before their 2003 album that features the legendary Dave Grohl on drums. I wouldn't say Pandemonium is highly essential, nor is it a waste of time, but it's another chapter in the band's evolution, and their post-punk-focused days are long gone....

Favorites: "Pandemonium", "Exorcism", "Communion", "Whiteout", "Mathematics of Chaos"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / September 10, 2023 10:50 PM
Shadow Zone

With nu metal being at its peak in 2001, it’s no surprise that Static-X’s album that year, ‘Machine’, gave them a huge mainstream push and garnered them a bigger fan base than before. Looking to capitalize on that success (and apparently with record label pressure to boot), it’s even less of a surprise that their third album, 2003’s ‘Shadow Zone’ picks up where its predecessor left off.

While there is a slightly more melodic emphasis to this album than previous releases, ‘Shadow Zone’ is still an unrelenting assault of industrial grooves and pounding, jackhammer guitar riffs, sounding massively overproduced to help make the music as big and beefy as possible. The songs are well written, and Wayne Static’s unique blend of singing, shouting, grunting, and whatever other random noises he makes, helps give the band a bit of their own identity (although, there are a couple of instances where he sounds reminiscent of Korn’s Jonathan Davis).

All the tracks on ‘Shadow Zone’ are very short in duration, with only three of them barely scraping by the four-minute mark by mere seconds, however, this makes the album easy to digest, and while some of the songs are catchier than others, none of them have time to drag on, making this album flow effortlessly. And an abundance of electronic effects give the music a great ambience and vibe.

Songs like ‘Shadow Zone’, ‘Monster’, ‘Destroy All’, ‘New Pain’, ‘Kill Your Idols’, ‘The Only’ and the melodic and eerie ‘So’ are all highlights that make this album worth checking out. While nu metal’s day at the top were Static-X’s best realistic chance at mainstream success, ‘Shadow Zone’ is still a great listen for industrial fans, and any metal fans that like their music intense, heavy and accessible might enjoy this too.


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MartinDavey87 MartinDavey87 / August 30, 2023 10:39 AM
City

The sophomore album by Strapping Young Lad is a much more concise piece of music with a clear direction. There were many aspects I liked about this album:

- The rhythm section is fantastic. Drums are energetic and aggressive just as I prefer.

- Production is pristine. Every instrument is audible and some interesting Industrial sound effects add layers to the compositions.

- Devin’s voice is awesome. His range is incredible, usually hitting somewhere between melodic singing and screaming, but going every which way up and down that spectrum, and doing it all very well.

Unfortunately, this album has a lot of weakness that really stifle the enjoyment for me.

- The riffs are boring. They are mostly rhythmic, with very little lead guitarwork and nothing at all memorable being crafted with the guitars.

- The lyrics are mostly bad, with too much unnecessary vulgarity that just doesn’t work.

- Devin adopts a “tough guy” persona on the album and whether it’s a joke or not doesn’t matter, it’s really annoying and really cringy.

- Devin is known for being a musical chameleon, but this album is (among his work) quite samey front to back, with most songs being Thrashy/Groovy Industrial Metal. That wouldn’t be a problem, but they all suffer from the same exact weaknesses, which makes the samey-ness that much more offensive.

That leaves this album a really mixed bag for me. It’s a good album, but it has way more potential than it ever reaches, and too many weaknesses that hold it back.

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SilentScream213 SilentScream213 / August 20, 2023 12:50 AM
ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ [Psalm 69]

Despite being a fan of an industrial metal and enjoying a few Ministry albums, I still prefer the genre when it's more experimental or, in some cases, cyber. With that said, I've realized that I have not yet took on what is considered one of the most essential albums in all of industrial metal, Ministry's Psalm 69. It is the final piece of the band's first industrial metal trilogy puzzle, so let's get right on it!

Psalm 69 is a step up from both of the band's previous two albums. It carries on the industrial metal direction that the duo of The Land of Rape and Honey and The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste kick-started. The thrashy instrumentation in Psalm 69 is something to enjoy, though it wouldn't make its comeback until Houses of the Molé which is one other great album but not as full-form as this one. The album, officially titled ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ, is pretty d*mn excellent. Following the band's successful live album In Case You Didn't Feel like Showing Up, Al Jourgensen was determined to make an album so explosive yet appealing to the mainstream.

Opening things up in madness is "N.W.O." It starts with a sample of a siren alarm over the first riff, and the band set up the stage. "Just One Fix" is a pretty great song, especially during that hard-hitting breakdown over the 3-minute mark. It really can be worth "driving down the highway at night". However, there might be something missing, I don't know. Vocalist Al Jourgensen can do sinister laughing. This industrial rock/metal tune can also work well for fighting a zombie apocalypse, or at least that's what it sounds like. The f***ing world needs to be fixed, doesn't it? Also it reminds me of Rammstein's "Du Hast". Co-written by Chris Connelly, "TV II" shreds through pure anger. And holy f***, those are some blazing black metal-level blast-beats there!

"Hero" hops along with some thrashy riffing and D-beat drums. While not really the best here, this is one that can get you headbanging or at least head-nodding. Still this track is quite fun and it has a great midsection solo. The crazy highlight "Jesus Built My Hotrod" I'm already familiar with via the Lamb of God/Burn the Priest cover. The song has an interesting narrative and fun lyrics, sung by the Butthole Surfers' Gibby Haynes. Another favorite here, "Scarecrow" is an 8-minute slow industrial metal epic with samples from the 1973 film of the same title. There are some harmonic guitars and a bit of a gothic-ish vibe. A pleasant slow trip through hell-fueled harmonies.

The title track has the best of the band's heavy side. However, what kills the song's highlight status are those f***ing opening samples! As much as I find the background choir epic, the repeated sample of a child saying "I think that my heart has been touched by Christ" is quite annoying, going on for the first minute and a half. But at least the mind-blowing moshpit-inducing drumming makes up for that. And of course, samples are still a nice essential touch in industrial metal. "Corrosion" is much more of a plain industrial song with a dance-y beat. It's not weak at all, sounding quite interesting as a different track towards the end of the album. "Grace" is the perfect ending here. While the more industrial sound is still on, samples of "armageddon, doomsday, apocalypse" can be heard before some crushing harmonies to wrap things up.

The band started falling off a bit in creativity a few years after this album was released, when Jourgensen was arrested for drug possession and subsequently moved away from drugs and alcohol for some time. However, their later material would still please some fans while not reaching the f***ing heights of the first industrial metal trilogy. A few might argue about the EBM Twitch or even the synthpop With Sympathy being the band's breakthrough in the commercial perspective, but Psalm 69 is considered by many to stand as the true pinnacle of the Ministry's tenure. H*ll, there is more sludgy heaviness than there is pretty melody, and that was the band's right move!

Favorites: "Just One Fix", "TV II", "Jesus Built My Hotrod", "Scarecrow", "Grace"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / August 13, 2023 11:01 PM
Chapter II

If you thought Chapter I was bizarre and disturbing, let me tell you, there's more of that in Chapter II. Electronic rhythms come in to guide you through a surreal yet pleasant nightmare. This unique motive of adding true crime lyrics to gothic-ish industrial rock/metal I have more leeway towards than I would have when I was younger.

"Jim Jones" is based on the Jonestown Massacre, a mass murder-suicide in which approximately 909 people died, a 3rd of that amount being children, and most of them drank Flavor Aid cyanide. Jim Jones was the cult leader, and he shot himself in the head. The song is darker than even the more extreme metal genres, and yet I'm intrigued. Just remember, life is too precious to be laid down.

"Tyler Hadley" is one of the most disturbing songs I heard in industrial metal, and metal in general. An industrial metal gone trap song about a teen who bludgeoned his parents to death with a hammer, hid the bodies in the closet, and threw a party, then he was arrested the next day and sentenced to life in prison. The song is pretty great though. "You should feel lucky, why don't you feel lucky?" Finally, the emotional "Katherine Knight" 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.

Innovative melody is twisted with the darkest real-life stories to ever occur, thanks to Skynd and the ongoing industrial party they've been having. It's an amazing experience that's filled with horror while quite inspiring!

Favorites: "Jim Jones", "Katherine Knight"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / July 13, 2023 12:30 PM
Chapter 1

This here is gonna be a two-part review as I explore one of the darkest non-extreme metal bands I've heard in my life, the first part being their first EP. Skynd is known for basing their songs on true crime, including notable real-life deaths and murders. The creepiness may not be for the faint of heart, but it works well for the experienced...

"Elisa Lam" is based on a college student whose body was mysteriously found in a cistern at the Cecil Hotel. It's a little too deranged for me to love, but still quite solid. "Gary Heidnik" is based on a murderer who brutally tortured and/or killed several women and hid them in a chamber under his basement. The song features Jonathan Davis of Korn, and has more of an electro-industrial sound with a bit of pop and trap. With that said, I like it!

The clever "Richard Ramirez" is my favorite of this 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.

So far the music is so disturbing, and while I do enjoy it, I can understand why other people don't. To be continued in Chapter II....

Favorites: "Gary Heidnik", "Richard Ramirez"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / July 13, 2023 12:10 PM
70's Rock Must Die

Lard's final release before a 20-year hiatus is, similarly to The Power of Lard, a 3-track EP with each track having a different style. They're a few outtakes from their two full-length albums. Is this EP worth closing the initial part of the career? Well...

The 7-minute title 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 the next Sphere playlist.

The next track "Volcanus 2000 (We Wipe the World)" has the band's usual industrial rock/metal first introduced in the 1988 Ministry album, tackling those who want to imitate Nine Inch Nails. There are some people who think this kind of sound is stinky garbage, but if you get more to the sound like I am, you might some decent enjoyment. "Ballad of Marshall Ledbetter" stomps with the industrial metal sound once more.

So we have one track parodying 70s rock, and two industrial rock/metal songs. All I can say is, Lard could've had a much better way than this EP to sign off.....

Favorites: all tracks, though the title track isn't too well-fitting

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / July 12, 2023 11:08 PM
Rammstein

Released in 2019, Rammstein’s self-titled seventh album came out a lengthy ten-years after its predecessor, 2009’s ‘Liebe ist fur Alle Da’. The band managed to maintain popularity over the years by continuing to tour, with their world-renowned stage show becoming impossibly bigger and bigger each time. But with such an extended break from the studio, does absence really make the heart grow fonder?

There’s no doubt ‘Rammstein’ is quintessential Rammstein (aha!). It’s got all the elements that make the band so unique, be it Til Lindemann’s deep and powerful voice, the heavy, riff-oriented guitar work, the electronic pop elements or the overwhelmingly heavy and catchy compositions. But unfortunately, there’s just something a little underwhelming about the album as a whole, and I think that perhaps after ten years of waiting, it just kind of feels like it could have been a little bit better, maybe?

Ah, who am I kidding? It’s still a great release, and in a world where more and more bands are failing to feel as “big” as they once did, it shows that Rammstein, a German-singing industrial metal band, can peak chart lists and fill up stadiums of tens of thousands of fans the world over, with their less-is-more approach showing that you don’t need to be musical virtuosos to release a compelling metal album. And while the quality of the tracks do start to dip a little halfway through, there’s still some standout moments here that deserve mention.

‘Deutschland’, ‘Radio’, ‘Sex’, ‘Auslander’, ‘Zeig Dich’ and ‘Weit Weg’ are all fantastic and amazingly catchy tracks, and show that the band, 25 years into their career and still with the original line-up, are nowhere near slowing down. And while ‘Rammstein’ may not possess any unique, singular quality that makes it stand out from the German’s discography, it’s honestly just a great album that is sure to please fans of the band.


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MartinDavey87 MartinDavey87 / July 05, 2023 05:49 PM
Vae Solis

Birmingham’s Scorn is an interesting artist who I first found myself investigating shortly after the release of their debut album & mainly off the back of my infatuation with their record label Earache Records whose consistency in leaving me devastated with each successive release was reaching unparalleled levels at the time. I was utterly obsessed with extreme metal back in the early 1990's (still are today if I'm being honest) & would religiously explore each Earache release with the eagerness of a milk-deprived infant & Scorn's strong links to quality extremists such as Napalm Death gave them an extra layer of intrigue & fascination. My initial experiences with "Vae Solis" didn't exactly live up to those expectations though & I remember thinking that even though it was an interesting & seriously oppressive release, a lot of it did sound like a poor man’s Godflesh. It also saw Scorn diluting their industrial metal sound with external influences that I was perhaps not yet fully equipped to deal with. The cold production job only accentuated the album’s lack of accessibility for a teenage me so the album was afforded three or four listens before I found myself moving on to my next musical endeavor. I wouldn’t return to “Vae Solis” for the best part of two decades & it would be off the back of my newly found interest in the illbient & ambient dub subgenres which Scorn played such an important role in promoting during the 1990’s through high quality albums such as 1994’s “Evanescence” & 1995’s “Gyral”. Once again I would find “Vae Solis” to be reasonably entertaining but, given my recent discovery of Scorn's later directions, I'd decide that it was more like a work in progress than the final product they would become after fully transitioning away from metal. Perhaps now is a good time for me to reassess those feelings though as I feel like I’m free of my past agendas & ready to indulge in Scorn's cold, dark industrial soundscapes.

Scorn were originally a collaboration between two former Napalm Death members in vocalist/bassist Nicholas Bullen & drummer Mick Harris (Defecation/Extreme Noise Terror/Unseen Terror) but for their 1992 debut full-length they’d bring in another well-known former Napalm Death member in Godflesh/Jesu/Fall of Because mastermind Justin Broadrick. Despite the presence of the godfather of blast-beats (i.e. Harris) though, Scorn sees Harris & Bullen taking a mostly programmed approach to their beats & keeping well away from their grindcore roots. Instead, “Vae Solis” is very much a tale of two halves with the first seeing the trio sticking very close to the tried & true method that Justin had been championing with his highly acclaimed Godflesh project. In fact, I don’t think I would have been able to tell the difference between the two artists if tested blind given that Broadrick’s guitar work is so accurate to his past works & Bullen’s vocals seem to have been custom-made to emulate Broadrick’s pitchy clean & grunty hardcore-driven deliveries. While it’s true that this material isn’t quite as effective as Godflesh’s more classic 80’s & 90’s releases, in hindsight I think I’ve been a little harsh on Scorn because none of these tracks would have seemed out of place on a Godflesh album & that’s certainly saying something about the quality of the material. The second half of the record sees Scorn flexing their creative muscles a bit more with post-industrial, dub, electronic dance music & ambient influences all getting an airing with unanimously positive results. Strangely considering the musical territory they cover, Scorn somehow manage to keep “Vae Solis” from sounding unfocused though, perhaps due to the consistent quality of the thirteen tracks included as well as the underlying themes of depression & life’s darker underbelly that perpetuate the entire 75 minute runtime.

It all seems to work much better than I gave it credit for on my previous two visits & I think that says as much about where I am in life as it does anything about the actual music. I think I’m just better prepared for some of the more experimental material included here. In fact, the tracks that I find to be the most appealing don’t tend to be the Godflesh-worshipping ones with my favourites being the industrial tech house of “On Ice” (which sounds like Justin Broadrick collaborating with Underworld which can’t be a bad thing) & the cripplingly dark & droning ambient of “Orgy of Holiness”. Some may feel that Scorn lose their way across the back end of this admittedly overly long debut album but it never feels boring because the trio never fail to keep you guessing as to what’s coming next but also keep the cold atmosphere relatively stable along the way. The least impressive moments tend to be those where Bullen’s vocals sound a little lethargic & flat as they do on “Lick Forever Dog” & “Heavy Blood” while the highlights often match up with some of Bullen’s deeper bass lines which are where most of the dub influence comes into play. I’ve always loved the deeper end of dub so this element was something I welcomed with open arms & would be one of the reasons I’d become reacquainted with Scorn in the future.

While not ever really hinting at being any sort of classic release & being somewhat forgotten in the wake of Scorn’s legacy outside of the metal spectrum, “Vae Solis” is a very solid industrial metal release in its own right & is more than deserving of your attention, particularly if you’re a fan of bands like Godflesh or Pitchshifter. It may sound pretty familiar early on but a bit of patience will show it differentiating itself as the tracklisting progresses with the long runtime making it a safe value-for-money purchase. If you’re a metal-at-all-costs kinda listener then you may find yourself struggling to maintain your attention during the back-end of the record initially but I’d encourage you to keep an open mind & give “Vae Solis” a few listens to give it the time to fully divulge its secrets.

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Daniel Daniel / July 01, 2023 10:59 PM
Purge

Recently, Godflesh founder Justin Broadrick has been diagnosed with autism and PTSD. There are some people (such as myself, diagnosed with autism at age 2 instead of 52) who are a little surprised, while others, mostly long-time fans, had that suspicion for some time. His anxiety and shyness when it comes to live performances is one hint, having once gotten to the point where a panic attack caused the band to come to a halt for around a decade. But during that split and beyond, he created more projects. Then he reformed Godflesh with two more albums in the 2010s. And now it all leads up to the new album Purge! The title is already a giveaway about the modern updates provided to the concepts of their 1992 album Pure. Broadrick has worked together with Ben Green once again to let out some temporary relief...

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 the genre they played their part in pioneering, 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.

That rhythmic effect opens the album's first track and single "Nero", which is quite strong when mixed when the crushing vocals/guitar. The more abrasive "Land Lord" is a true standout for me, having some killer harmonic bends in the strings. "Army of Non" 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.

What's a bit droopy for me is "Lazarus Leper". However, the driving "Permission" is the opposite, in which noise-ridden electronic beats and dark chords, alongside the choir-like vocals sung by Broadrick.

The crawling "The Father" has an epic God/Slayer-sounding mix (I meant a mix of the bands GOD and Slayer) while in a Hymns-esque mainstream throwback. The crushing "Mythology of Self" marches with its slow drum pattern that blasts into your face with every hit. "You are the Judge, the Jury, and the Executioner" is the 8-minute epic, yet sounding simple in the beat and chord in a mesmerizing way.

The legacy of this band that has quite a 3 or 4-decade journey shows that as the two main members grow older, they can experiment with other music styles without giving a sh*t what the more critical critics think of their studio material, though live performances are a different story. Many of the band's albums are amazing with barely anything weak, but they don't reach the perfect glory of their late 80s releases. 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!

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

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / June 21, 2023 11:21 PM
Mother

At this point, In This Moment are starting to embrace their electronic influences much more to the point of starting their transition into a more industrial alt-metal sound. Mother would begin that transition before the sound is set in stone with their new album Godmode. Barely any of the blues rock elements in Ritual remain for the most part, and you might think it's Blood and Black Widow all over again...

Of course, you can't be too certain. Their music is quite unpredictable, as are their live shows. Guitars and electronics make a strange yet intriguing combination with the unique vocals of Maria Brink who can switch from an ice queen to a fire queen in no time flat.

The droning intro "The Beginning" lets you know about the ride through dark hellfire you're gonna take, "I am the god and the devil around you, I am the Heaven and Hell you crave". For the first actual song, "Fly Like an Eagle", 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! "The Red Crusade" is another cinematic interlude, "Holy war, I'm in between". It segues to "The In-Between" with lots of distortion in the vocals, guitars, and synths. It has a beautiful powerful chorus, "I'm gonna bring a little Hell, I'm gonna bring a little Heaven". Then "Legacy" has more beautiful emotion for your ears to absorb.

"We Will Rock You" 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"! The title track 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". Then "As Above So Below" has sharp industrial angst. Heading down into "Born in Flames", Brink's vocals fit well with the keyboard synths, "Don't you know you're a king raised by queens, born in flames?"

Sweeping through is "God is She" in which guitars boom in alongside Brink's sinister vocals stirring up lively imagery, "I am the nightmare you've been crawling through". Next up, "Holy Man" bounces through different riffs and more of Brink's vocal harmonies ("Show me a savior, show me something I understand, even the worst kind of sinner is a holy man") before ending with eerie organ. "Hunting Grounds" 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". Then we have "Lay Me Down", a nice rush through the closest we have to the blues rock vibe of Ritual. Ending things of an eerie note is one last cover, their take on "Into Dust" by Mazzy Star that lingers on in darkness and floats away into the unknown.

Industrial alt-metal darkness is starting to shape up in Mother. Most of the songs have a lot of love and are worth repeating again. Though it's not until their next album Godmode when the band's new sound finally takes true form....

Favorites: "Fly Like an Eagle", "The In-Between", "We Will Rock You", "Mother", "Born in Flames", "God is She", "Hunting Grounds"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / June 18, 2023 01:27 AM
Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing

For some reason Devin Townsend has always rubbed me up the wrong way. He is obviously an immensely talented individual and I have no real basis for saying this, but he seems to revel in his own cleverness and his sometimes goofy humour just gets my back up. I was once lent a couple of SYL albums by a workmate (I think one was Alien), but I couldn't get into them at all. Not exactly a very promising preamble to this review then, but I did go into this with an open mind and now, after half-a-dozen full listen-throughs, I think I have probably got everything out of this that I am going to.

Industrial metal, to me, should be innately super-heavy as it is intended to replicate the sound of heavy machinery in operation and to this end SYL have been, in the main, successful in this endeavour here. The combination of the riffs and the full-blooded rhythm section, which includes both real and programmed drums, produce an impressively heavy sound that, at times, rivals even the mighty Fear Factory at their best. There are also some killer hooks in a couple of the tracks, particularly early on in the album (that again sound a fair bit like hooks FF would produce).

From what I can glean from the internet this is basically a Devin Townsend solo album with a few guest musicians as well as being songs collected from a number of demos - and it shows. Despite the nursery rhyme nonsense that bookends the album it doesn't feel at all consistent, but rather than a coherent album it feels more like a compilation of disparate tracks. This is not at all aided by Townsend's vocal performance being markedly different on nearly every track, on Goat, for example, it seems like he is just taking the piss and sounds like it is based on Bill Hicks' least funny sketch, Goatboy. That "goofy" humour, as exemplified by the awful closing track and the Black Adder-plagiarising album title, combined with Devin screaming "I fuckin' hate you" over and over on the opener like a spoilt teenage brat and ruining what is otherwise a pretty good track, turns me away from any of the good things he was doing elsewhere on the album.

Look, unlike Devin's screaming inner teen, I don't fuckin' hate this, but it is too inconsistent and exhibits an immaturity I struggled with, to be honest. There are a couple of tracks that I would be OK with on a Spotify playlist, In the Rainy Season and the groove of Critic, but other than that I am unlikely to return here.

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Sonny Sonny / June 09, 2023 02:16 PM
Wisconsin Death Trip

In 2014, Wayne Static passed away from a severe multiple drug/alcohol reaction. Then over a year later, his wife, adult film star Tera Wray committed suicide. The remaining band members thought about reviving the band in a way of tribute for the band's founder, and so that's what they done. They recovered some of Wayne's unused vocal takes for an album series title Project Regeneration. They also embarked on a 20th anniversary tour for their debut Wisconsin Death Trip, a beast that I shall talk about now!

Wayne Static, along with bassist Tony Campos, guitarist Koichi Fukuka, and drummer Ken Jay have made pretty good industrial/nu metal straight outta California. What's interesting is the album title, coming from the 1973 Michael Lesy book, though it reminds me of the USA state I used to live in when I was little.

"Push It" shows Wayne's industrial nu metal sound that shall live on. Sounds like something my brother would've listened to over 10 years ago, but he didn't, he was listening to other similar bands. The song was used in some video game/film soundtracks in 1999 and the 2000s. "I'm With Stupid" has great lyrics to like. "HE'S A LOSER!!!" Taking on the mental health of the late frontman, "Bled for Days" was used for ex-Seether drummer Nick Oshiro's audition after Ken Jay left. The programmed drumming shows the band's noise-powered industrial metal tendencies, while being easily performed with actual drums. Static's vocal range is impressive, ranging from shouts to cleans without difficulty. The band has more tricks up their sleeve in "Love Dump" with atmospheric synths. You can kinda consider this rave metal! The riffing and drums keep things heavy.

In high gear is the fast aggression of "I Am" with nu metal-ish lyrics rap-growled by Static ("Put a gun in my mouth and threaten to shoot"). A programmed industrial intro starts "Otsegolation" with the vocals being drawn out alongside some fine guitar groove. "Stem" starts with an audio sample from the 1990 gory horror film Begotten, then synths appear in this bluesy hard rock tune. Static's shouted vocals make sure that this song isn't an oddball in the album. The drums and synths are all around, a little more than the guitar in fact. Stepping in again is "Sweat of the Bud" for the metal aspect while having more of the programmed drums and vocals from earlier.

With lyrics that are just repeated while worth singing along to, "Fix" seems too obvious in referencing drugs. The title track summarizes the album in smooth flow. The lyrics are mostly repeated, but there is the trance-y industrial vibe in the music. However, it's highly different from Fear Factory. "Don’t you sing dong ding dong!" The monolithic "The Trance is the Motion" has better vocals, including those growls. The synth-fueled "December" closes the album in a hypnotic industrial noise rock instrumental.

In the end, we get to have a nice lookback at the first work of the band Wayne Static is mostly known for. And hey, I just realized that this album is a recent Gateway feature release that I missed. Gotta catch up! RIP Wayne....

Favorites: "Push It", "Bled for Days", "I Am", "Sweat of the Bud", "Wisconsin Death Trip", "The Trance is the Motion"

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Shadowdoom9 (Andi) Shadowdoom9 (Andi) / May 31, 2023 02:19 PM