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Since 1999, the Project Hate MCMXCIX (formed in my birth year and having its roman numerals in their name) is known for their Swedish death metal sound spiced up with industrial/symphonic elements that have been prominent since the mid-2000s. The project founded by guitarist/bassist Lord K Philipson and vocalist Jörgen Sandström had recently abandoned the more typical song lengths for an aspect that has covered their 2010s albums and beyond; 6 tracks with an average 13 minutes each, almost hitting the 80-minute CD limit. Death Ritual Covenant is a more industrial example of that technique...

Basically their symphonic-infused death metal sound, similar to 2000s Septicflesh, is given a more progressive and industrial treatment. Adding in bits of flamenco and EDM shows that experimental alt-metal bands like Dog Fashion Disco and Twelve Foot Ninja aren't the only bands who can do that. The deathly grandeur is strong within the mechanical riffing and bass by Philipson and the harsh growls by Sandström.

The opening title track provides a great example of that brutal riffing, with the main melody sticking around at the right times from start to finish. Storming on is "The Eating of the Impure Young", a 15-minute death metal epic, apart from adding in some strange dubstep in the middle. Strange but quite welcome!

"Legions" seems to take on the dramatic deathcore of Whitechapel and Winds of Plague but without much of the "core". There are also some guest vocals by Darkane vocalist Lawrence Mackrory. Deathly power shines in "Through Fire There is Cleansing" with more of Philipson's guitar weaponry. Johan Hegg of Amon Amarth also guest appears in this track, along with track 2 and this next track...

"Inferno" is shorter than the other tracks in the album, with a length of 10 and a half minutes ago. It's like the progressive death metal of the first two Extol albums with pieces of Amaranthe and Dir En Grey. "Solemn" is the epic finale, having the melancholic melodeath of Omnium Gatherum while still covered in electro-industrial beauty.

Making an album filled with long epics can be risky, especially when they had to add so many ideas and make sure the 80-minute CD limit isn't surpassed. However, it has mostly paid off, as the charm is never lost. Death Ritual Covenant is a solid album up for an adventure of adventures. It might get a little tiring, but you just gotta appreciate this band's determination to explore with barely any limits....

Favorites: "The Eating of the Impure Young", "Through Fire There is Cleansing", "Solemn"

Throughout last year (as of this review), I've been slowly getting deep into the world of Mechina. The band is so interesting and unique with their epic symphonic cyber metal sound and a massive saga that can almost rival Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I've already gone through their first 5 albums and a few songs from their later ones. I decided to skip ahead into one of those later albums for a better chance at finding some improvement after their "great but could've gone better" albums 2-5. And album #9, Siege is a journey of sci-fi space majesty! While those other albums focus mainly on futuristic vibes and progressive structures, atmosphere reigns in Siege and rules strongly. It is blended with technical aggression for a better balanced experience. The songs transcend well as they fade from one to another more smoothly, with sound effects added at appropriate times. The characters and story and paint a clearer picture and prove that the cool artwork and lyrics aren't just for show.

Any Mechina fan can grasp this astonishing storyline, yet it really depends to the music to bring it to life with its emotional and chaos. The extreme side lies in the technical drum programming and djenty guitar riffing. The way those instruments really hit hard should really be brought into more of those sci-fi movie battle scenes, not to replace the orchestral score but to blend it all together. That's where the beautiful melodic side of the music comes in, when electronic synths and orchestrations add triumph to the brutal destruction. It makes the human/machine wars sound as they are meant to be. And of course, the story is narrated by male/female vocals which, unlike the previous albums, are almost entirely clean. I think this album would've had the perfect 5-star rating if David Holch contributed his earlier growls in the heavier tracks.

The slow eerie 3-minute intro "King Breeder" creeps in. Then "The Worst in Us" slowly builds up in atmospheric march and finally touches down in a climatic metal storm. Mel Rose sounds so beautiful with her serene singing. That's the epic energy I can expect from this band. "Shock Doctrine" is a short straight track though it has a huge bridge.

"Purity Storm" has more dynamic emotion. The violins sound quite beautiful within this metallic march. The blend of melodic and heavy shall make you crave for more. But it's the title track that has most of the heaviness and epicness in one track. And as it turns out, there ARE harsh vocals, coming from guest vocalist Anna Hel. She actually sounds more aggressive than David Holch! If David ends up quitting harsh vocals full-time, Anna can take his place.

"Claw at the Dirt" once again brings forward the symphonics of Eternal Tears of Sorrow while replacing that band's growls with more of the female singing and futuristic sounds. "Blood Feud Erotica" has the most of the technicality and speed in the drumming, right from the intense beginning. "Freedom Foregone" is the 11 and a half minute final epic, the band's longest song to be part of an album and not released as a separate single. Tragedy and triumph collide with each other, alongside more of the heavy instrumentation and emotional singing. Then after the final chorus, the last bit of clean guitar and violin melancholy close this chapter of the Mechina saga.

It takes some experience to be able to listen to all this emotion and chaos, and in the end, you might just get your reward. Siege is filled with unique almost-perfect majesty, and it has brought me closer in my quest to get myself fully committed to this extreme sci-fi realm. Anyone up for that shall get in on the action with this superb offering!

Favorites: "The Worst in Us", "Purity Storm", "Siege", "Freedom Foregone"

Neurotech had been built up slowly and steadily at that point. The releases Wulf made for the project are all good though starting off a bit rough in the debut Antagonist. It seemed like he had his own mission to achieve, which was to try to find the right balance for his sound, one that would truly show what his project is all about. And with his second album (3rd if including the Decipher Volumes), he's just about got it!

Infra Versus Ultra greatly defines Wulf's contribution to the futuristic industrial metal subgenre that is cyber metal. It is something so unique, so mesmerizing. Neurotech has perhaps pushed Mechina off the epic cyber metal throne, at least with what the two bands were doing at the time.

The album and its story begins "(Infra) I", a smooth galactic intro that slowly rises. The buildup leads to the kickoff, with "Atlas" hitting the stage hard. The guitarwork sounds like it has practically been taken from 90s Fear Factory. I was almost expecting Wulf to unleash his earlier growling vocals. What's different compared to Fear Factory is, Wulf prefers to make his style more melodic than mechanical. Although he has distance from his earlier growls, his cleans have multiple layers that are like angels transcending from the cyber heavens. No matter which vocal style he goes for, it lets him stand out amongst the cyber/industrial metal crowd. "The Longest Time" is a truly catchy hit. As is "Unleashing the Dead" which is another unique standout.

"The Art of Forgiveness" takes the Fear Factory influences further, this time from one of that band's longer ballads. Only one track has left me stumped, that one being "(Versus) You". That interlude isn't all that uplifting. In saying that, "Sacrifice" isn't much of a metal track either, but it mixes other sounds so beautifully.

Next track "Transcendental" indeed transcends through different dimensions as Wulf guides you through, "Let's go, let's hide away, for a while". Then "When the Night Falls" starts with dramatic symphonic synths that almost made me think it would lead to an Eternal Tears of Sorrow song, before having the usual Neurotech drift. The melancholic closing track "(Ultra) Us" has the perfect music and lyrics to end this cyber metal adventure.

What more can you ask for from Neurotech?! Metal anthems, melancholic ballads, electronic samples, catchy beats... Everything you want from this band! We're in a century where the music realms have much more than in the past, and any open-minded listener should listen to Infra Versus Ultra and add it to their playlist. The future is here!

Favorites: "Atlas", "Unleashing the Dead", "Sacrifice", "Transcendental", "(Ultra) Us"

Would you consider an album compiling 3 EPs with all-new tracks an extensive studio album? I sometimes would. This artistic man from Slovenia, Wulf had made a series of EPs for his project Neurotech throughout 2012 and early 2013, each of them titled Decipher. Vol. 1 came out in April 2012, followed by Vol. 2 in September. Vol 3. came out sometime in early 2013 though it wasn't released as widely as the first two volumes. And finally in June, all 3 EPs were put together as The Decipher Volumes.

I gotta say, it's a great improvement from Neurotech's good but problematic debut Antagonist, and brings it to the same level as Blue Screen Planet... on average. The direct harsh industrial/cyber metal is given more variation, and it's balanced out with songs of different styles, ranging from heavy to poppy to atmospheric. Adding to the diversity is the talented female singing by Tanja Ravljen (I almost wrote Tarja, but that's what happens when you've heard of Nightwish longer than Neurotech). The atmosphere shines the most in 3rd volume, finally sealing the deal on the variation industrial/cyber metal has to offer.

Each volume starts with a prelude, and the "Vol. 1 - Prelude" is a nice place to start. It segues to "The Cyber Waltz" which greatly picks up where Blue Screen Planet left off. It's a true cyber metal anthem, with everything you can ask for from the symphonics, synths, electronics, pianos, guitars, drums, beats, and vocals. The perfect memorable beginning of this spacey journey, and done much better than the heavier first part of Blue Screen Planet. Next, "Damage is Done" has the cyber metal aggression leftover from Antagonist. "Home" has smooth piano melancholy, with nice lyrical flow, "Where is the price to pay for the life you've thrown away? Could you believe it's gone?!" The more otherworldly "Below These Scars" is a more atmospheric highlight. The first ever exploration of clean singing fits greatly with the serious lyrics of pain and guilt.

"Vol. 2 - Prelude" is nice. But I don't see much of the point of splitting off part of the beginning of "Let the Healing Begin", which is already an intro, and an amazing one at that. Atmospheric synths and Tanja's serene singing take your breath away. She continues her vocals in the beginning of "The Race of Recovery", "Erase me, don't tell me, I'll take you far away from here". The song is the ultimate highlight of the second volume. The beat and synths may bring the sound closer to dance-pop, but who cares?! The vocal duet between Tanja and Wulf stands out here! It departs from the harshness of Antagonist while still having heavy riffing, allowing that masterpiece composition to dominate. We have some nice verses in "A Clouded Mind" with cool industrial beats. Lots of amazing synths and vocals to add more electro-industrial to the metal. "Is the Sunrise Coming" shows that industrial/cyber metal doesn't have to be as heavy as Fear Factory. Departing from Antagonist the most is "Unconditional", heading into early 2000s Theatre of Tragedy. The complex "This is the New Age" adds to the bridge from the first volume. "A Separate Way" is a magical conclusion to this part.

"Vol. 3 - Prelude" is cool but again should've been part of the actual intro... "Closure" is a nice calm before the storm. "No Turning Back" blasts off with amazing melodies, rhythms, and synths, for another soaring cyber/industrial metal experience. That one actually triumphs over "Triumph" which is starting to get predictable at this point when attempt to add background ambience behind guitar riffing. Then we have a different highlight "The Difference" which peaks as an adventure within an adventure. Everything's so mesmerizing in the beats, guitars, and vocals, and the synths and piano add to the gothic melancholy. "A New Tomorrow" leans a little too far into electropop, more fitting for a club hit. The ultimate highlight of this entire playlist is the 7-minute instrumental epic "Decipher". It's surprising because it's just the soft ethereal new age of Enigma and Vangelis. This atmospheric mini-journey is in a similar vein to the softer half of Blue Screen Planet. Beautiful and suitable for the end or near-end of a Sphere playlist.

The Decipher Volumes is for any metalhead who wants both atmospheric and heavy. The structures and production in these dynamic songs are pretty much what the Neurotech sound is all about. This project should really get more attention and bring honor to the industrial/cyber metal name....

Favorites: "The Cyber Waltz", "Below These Scars", "Let the Healing Begin", "The Race of Recovery", "A Clouded Mind", "This is the New Age", "A Separate Way", "No Turning Back", "The Difference", "Decipher"

My cyber metal journey is a bit of an odd one when it comes to exploring the most underrated bands in this genre that's also underrated. I've come across impressive blends of guitar, synths, and symphonics that make up the genre, but at the same time ended up encountering some near-failures. Neurotech's 2011 debut Antagonist has that strange phenomenon. Though in Wulf's defense, this was before he started adding more variation in the EPs that followed.

Thinking positively, I'd like to point out how otherworldly the synths are. I'm talking about the epic orchestral programming that has reminded me of what Mechina started doing in their second album Conqueror that year. However, just like Conqueror, not everything is good...

The title opener tries to combine Insomnium-esque mid-paced melodeath with string-infused EDM, but it doesn't come out as well as it should. We get a better deal of cyber orchestra in "Inject Me Now". That and "Nonexistent" have synth melodies taking you through the universe. If The Kovenant and Sybreed made their own cyber metal collab, that's what it would like. "Awaiting Deception" tries a little too hard to cram in the piano/strings of Fleshgod Apocalypse into that gothic cyber metal track.

"The Angst Zeit" has a greater sense of extreme, with more dramatic keys and black metal-ish growls to remind me of Shade Empire. Those vocals are well-delivered but can only please metalheads who have gotten used to Sybreed, variation and all. Still that doesn't mean the strength of Sybreed is present, when it' s more atmosphere-focused. "The Mannequin March" is unlike the other tracks that are all within the 4-minute length, this one being a short two and a half minutes. And it's just a weak failure. "A Hollow Impression" impresses me with the progressiveness of 90s Anacrusis, yet it sounds too hollow for a track from a debut album. First impressions are important, metalheads!

"Towards Tedious Nightmare" sounds too tedious in their attempt to add the electronics of Crossfaith and Sonic Syndicate into the mix. The better side of the album comes back with the best highlight, "We are the Last". The first 45 seconds have a sweet blend of epic orchestration and heavy riffing. "The Sky is Always Open" closes the album greatly to show that there's hope in the later part of Neurotech's career.

It takes talent and creativity to make something wonderful. Wulf certainly has those skills in Antagonist. The production is so smooth and let the guitars and synths shine. The balance between the keys and chords create a mystical sound that anyone should find. On the other hand, it sounds a little too tame in some songs, like you can't listen to them without trying to find something else to do to pass the time. This kind of flaw is problematic when making an album filled with the industrial/symphonic combo that is cyber metal. Antagonist is still good, just needs to be better improved. Neurotech would start building its way up afterwards....

Favorites: "Inject Me Now", "Nonexistent", "The Angst Zeit", "We are the Last", "The Sky is Always Open"

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

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

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

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

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

For fans of Godflesh, Bloodstar & Pitchshifter.

In 2013, one year after this release came out, Sybreed vocalist Benjamin Nominet call it quits before they were supposed to tour with Soilwork. The band had to cancel the tour, and instead of trying to find a new vocalist, they gave up and disbanded. An unfortunate end to this leading band of industrial/cyber metal...

Sybreed was formed in 2003 in Switzerland, a country in Europe surrounded by other countries like Germany, France, and Italy, and sharing the same languages as those countries. This band blends industrial metal with elements of other styles including the groove metal of Devildriver, the djent of Meshuggah, and even a dash of black metal. Their 4th album God is an Automaton is one last trip through this experimental cyber dimension.

Drum roll please, literally, for "Posthuman Manifesto", with a slow buildup into a great riff groove. It is then twisted into the usual blend of drums, synths, and clean/unclean vocals. There's also a clean bridge to get you geared up for the clean final chorus. And if that first song doesn't refresh you enough, "No Wisdom Brings Solace" certainly will, starting with the usual groove-ish industrial metal. Electronics and distorted cleans soar through the verses. Any open-minded listener can appreciate this bridge between industrial and groove. The album starts really hitting highlight status in "The Line of Least Resistance". Holy f***, this cyber metal sound is just too good not to listen! "Red Nova Ignition" has more of that groove-ish industrial metal and the additional of electronics and singing. The riffs, blasts, and time signature changes rule in that one!

The well-composed title track includes colorful soloing. Guitar solos were rare for the band up to that point. The intro and the midsection of "Hightech Versus Lowlife" sound so brutal as part of the cyber/industrial metal greatness. "Downfall Inc." does not have the variation I expect from this band. It's quite a drop in quality compared to the previous track, and the weakest one they've ever done. Disposing of some of that weakness is the catchy mainstream-ish "Challenger", which is heavier while throwing in some keyboards, a balance mastered in Antares. Nominet's vocals sound the best here, with somber cleans going well with his raging growls. So unique!

"A Radiant Daybreak" starts with sludge-ish groove in the riffing and blazing drumming. The mix of heavy riffing and clean singing really adds to the originality. "Into the Blackest Light" is another heavy banger going f***ing hard especially in the midsection breakdown. The 10-minute finale "Destruction and Bliss" is the best track here. It starts djenty as heavy rhythms fill the atmosphere. The best part is the kick-A solo by Travis Montgomery of Threat Signal. The perfect farewell from Sybreed!

One other minor issue to note for this album is the lack of audible bass. Brushing that aside, this revolutionary band made their last attack. They've recently returned with a Slave Design remaster and a new track, but if they can make more than just that, and return to performing live, that's what the cyber metal realm really needs.....

Favorites: "The Line of Least Resistance", "Red Nova Ignition", "Hightech Versus Lowlife", "Challenger", "Into the Blackest Light", "Destruction and Bliss"

Sybreed has proven their worth in the heavily underrated cyber/industrial metal scene with their perfect one-two punch of Slave Design and Antares. Despite staying in the underground, they've had some of the more popular industrial/metal people working with them, such as Dirk Verbeuren (Soilwork) on drums in Antares, and Rhys Fulber (Fear Factory, Front Line Assembly) producing this album, The Pulse of Awakening!

With Fulber on board, Sybreed has maintained their sound while taking it to different horizons. And it seems like a lot of the Fear Factory influence is showing here, maybe even a bit of the djent of Meshuggah. Also the album title was inspired by Ergo Proxy.

We get the first taste of their usual sound in this album with "Nomenklatura", which is quite an amazing track to start with. Though not as much as "A.E.O.N." with incredible cyber-industrial metal genius talent! The synth-ambience really adds some that cyber effect. "Doomsday Party" is quite fun. Not as fun as that DragonForce track from 15 years later, but here, Sybreed have their own way of channeling 80s pop with its catchy chorus while staying metal. This more lively sound was first hinted in Antares, and it sounds like the coldness of Slave Design has been left behind. One track that I consider almost out of shape is "Human Black Box". As great as it is, the vocal distortion is a little too much and mechanical in an attempt to use a vocoder similar to Cynic.

Then there's the good "Killjoy", though far from great. After that, I'm reminded how excellent this album is with the aggressive violent "I Am Ultraviolence", with an explosion of heaviness to make up for those previous two slightly out-of-place tracks. The extreme strength of Strapping Young Lad being added here makes a lot more sense. The chaos is broken up by "Electronegative". The metal riffing over synth pulses should please anyone who likes industrial/cyber metal. For the next track, "In the Cold Light", who knew a depressive power ballad can fit so f***ing well in this genre? It's suitable for suffering in the despair of the bleak pandemic. The heavy final minute is so beautiful.

The more extreme influences shine again in "Lucifer Effect". It gets close to symphonic black metal, to remind some of Dimmu Borgir and Shade Empire. I love their cover of "Love Like Blood" by Killing Joke from that band's early new-wave era, with its cold feeling. The emotion can be expressed through the instrumentation more than the original vocals. The synth sounds mixed with booming guitars can blow you away more than Nine Inch Nails would ever. I like when covers stick to their band's usual style instead of just blindly following the original artist's footsteps, that's kind of the whole point of covers, I think... Props to this band for greatly standing by that rule! "Meridian A.D." has some great guitar grooves and vocals in the chorus. A bonus track before the finale is "Flesh Doll for Sale", which I like for its In Flames-ish sound. The 9-minute closing epic aspects continues in "From Zero to Nothing", sounding a bit like Tiamat's Skeleton Skeletron. In many editions, it ends with 10 minutes of ambience that I can do without.

It took a couple years for several of Sybreed's songs to grow on me, ever since I first discovered them via their Killing Joke cover, and after that, The Pulse of Awakening grew instantly to greatness. Still it can't beat the perfect starting duo. With all that, I'm prepared to take on their next album, their final one before their split. Awaken the machine!

Favorites: "A.E.O.N.", "Doomsday Party", "I Am Ultraviolence", "In the Cold Light", "Lucifer Effect", "Love Like Blood", "Flesh Doll for Sale"

Can you feel the emotion that comes from not just someone but something? Even the art that comes from music made by a band, as well as a successful film. It's essential for anyone with artistic and creative ability to give their work the emotion it needs, and there's a lot of it in this impressive work of art!

Sybreed is a groove-ish industrial/cyber metal band from Switzerland, formed out of the ashes of Rain (those last 6 words can make a good song title). They're so underrated yet painfully overlooked, staying strong for 4 albums until their unfortunate split-up. Antares is their second album, and it's as incredible as their debut Slave Design. It took a couple years for several Sybreed songs to stick in my mind, and when they did recently, albums like this one had left an remarkable impact in my ongoing metal journey.

The starting track "Emma-0" has beats and synths rising from the distorted background before unleashing sinister guitar riffing. Vocalist Benjamin Nominét screams his heart out against life struggles mutilating and hurting him. Soilwork drummer Dirk Verbeuren stops by to deliver some powerful drumming, shining in the progressive "Ego Bypass Generator". I love the amazing "Revive My Wounds". The beat here is so d*mn good. "Isolate" is an epic ballad-ish track to tone down some of the relentless chaos of the other tracks. A bit isolated, while still awesome!

Then we have more of the flaming blasts in the dynamic "Dynamic". Then "Neurodrive" rolls through excellent guitar rhythms and some of the best vocals by Benjamin. That might have leave a huge influential mark on Neurotech, and is one of my favorite tracks here. "Ex-Inferis" is a two-minute interlude that would fit well in a video game. Well now that I think about it, a Sybreed song ending up on the radio or a movie/video game soundtrack would be interesting. Think HALO or Red Alert.

"Permafrost" has more of the riffing soaring through. The vocals end up sounding more spoken in "Orbital" which nicely adds some variation to Benjamin's distorted vocals as he continues to sing about a dark future. "Twelve Megatons Gravity" is a prime example of aggressive deathly electro-industrial metal. It is one of the most rage-filled songs I've heard in the genre that barely any other bands can reach. The closing track "Ethernity" is a polar opposite of that, an ethereal tranquil 9-minute epic. A couple bonus tracks are around in different editions, including the more technological "Technocracy" and the more in-line-with-their-usual-material "Plasmaterial".

Whether or not you're into modern industrial/cyber metal, you can't go your entire lifetime without hearing this legendary offering. It's a shame that not a lot of music listeners have come across such a masterpiece. This underrated band needs more well-deserved attention, d*mn it!

Favorites: "Emma-0", "Revive My Wounds", "Isolate", "Neurodrive", "Twelve Megatons Gravity", "Ethernity", "Plasmaterial"

So I've already checked out and reviewed a few albums by Mechina, a band known for its epic symphonic cyber metal sound and expanding conceptual saga throughout albums and singles. But the question is, what were they like before they started adding in those aspects?

The Assembly of Tyrants was recorded and released in 2005, over 5 years before their second album Conqueror in which they started making their sound more cinematic and forming a massive story in the lyrics. I actually love the debut slightly better than the next 4 albums. This simple raw style of cyber metal in a similar vein as Fear Factory and Sybreed is not as overproduced as their bombastic later material. Although the saga was yet to be established, I can hear the story quite well in these lyrics!

Some of the heaviest bits of Fear Factory can be heard in the opening track "Shattered Cry", as early as that band's deathly debut Soul of a New Machine. It's a real shame about drummer Scott Oloier leaving the band, because his pummeling drum-work hits so hard. Drifting through this cosmic vortex is the dark growls of David Holch that enhance the well-thought lyrics. "Reclamation of Mortal Nature" proves that this band can sound killer even at a time before adding a bombastic truckload of symphonics and female vocals to their subsequent releases. Awesome, but I prefer the Tyrannical Resurrection version. That EP is where half the amount of the songs in the debut were re-recorded two years after. Next up, "Clash of Cultures" takes the atmospheric sorrow further. Holch has tried an earlier attempt to give his vocals a clean singing effect.

Attacking in different tempos is the long "Machine God". Then we head into one of two instrumentals, the electronic "Apothica". The next two tracks are from the band's two earlier demos that are basically the Fear Factory Concrete of Mechina, starting with "Skin Deep". The riffing by Joe Tiberi can break things apart, alongside Holch's growls, "Draw thy weapon for pain, just for the kill". The other track "After Image" has Scott Oloier has his brother Jon (on bass) battling it out with the other guys' instrumental talents. The keyboards that are later proven to be performed by Tiberi fits smoothly with the aggressive instrumentation.

The second instrumental, "Assembly Intro" (also titled "Warfog") has some ambient serenity. The main part of the album ends with the 8-minute title epic. It's a true masterpiece highlight that greatly foreshadows what's to come later for this band. The bonus track "Clash YSAF mix" is an instrumental remix of "Clash of Cultures".

If there's anyone who, at the time of the debut's release, thought the band would go down the same path as Fear Factory and Sybreed, their second album Conqueror definitely says otherwise. Until then, The Assembly of Tyrants is essential cyber/industrial metal that anyone in The Sphere should get. Though if this dark futuristic sound had guitar solos and better production, it would've been 5-star perfection. Still it already displays Mechina's unique abilities. The best place to start before the bombastic rest!

Favorites: "Shattered Cry", "Reclamation of Mortal Nature", "Clash of Cultures", "Skin Deep", "The Assembly of Tyrants"

Following the good yet messy Empyrean, Xenon rises slightly higher with a better stylistic balance to prove the uniqueness of Mechina. And it can surpass Conqueror as well. Xenon continues to build up from what the band had in the previous two albums. As always, you can expect the djenty rhythms, keyboard melodies, and orchestral majesty, courtesy of Joe Tiberi. Plus some cool vocals, both clean and unclean. As much of a great achievement as this is, again the bombastic epicness tires me out...

It's not just the style that's more balanced, but also the production. The riffing machinery is taken to the front stage. Now you can hear the distorted grooves soar through the cosmos. Also appealing is the drumming by David Gavin. Sadly, he would leave the band after this album, and the drumming in all subsequent albums is programmed.

"Cepheus" is a bonus track in the Compendium edition of the album, and a pummeling 10-minute epic. It's my favorite track of the entire album and makes up for whatever mess the main album would have later, just like Empyrean's Compendium bonus track "Andromeda". It would be better if "Cepheus" was Xenon's ending or near-ending epic though. The title track that opens the main album is filled with f***ing underrated epic cinematic cyber metal to love! You can just imagine travelling through lightyears of space and centuries (even millennia) of time. But it can't work as an individual track when it segues straight to "Alithea". Then "Zoticus" marks another wonderful highlight, having a more upbeat tone compared to the rest of the album.

"Terrea", on the other hand, is rather terrible, going back to the messy side of the previous two albums. It is made up for by the glorious "Tartarus". You can swim through different dimensions ranging from cyber to deathly, as a saga unfolds, almost competing with Marvel, Star Wars, and even The Elder Scrolls. A truly dark ethereal collision! "Phedra" doesn't do much for the album, but I still approve. "Thales" is another brilliant standout. It can actually be enjoyed well as an individual track, with its more direct feel and not having to bleed into another track.

Going through "Erebus", there are female vocals and well-composed symphonics that you can hear in Nightwish. But it is blended with the metal heaviness that brings things closer to Xerath. A true theatrical gift! "Amyntas" is kind of a weak track to segue into, though not really a stinker. Their attempt to go all-out The Amenta in their last full song doesn't work out as much as it should. Then it all ends in dark tranquility (not the band) in the outro "Actaeon", a nice reprise to the title track's piano intro.

Xenon has a lot for you to get used to, but eventually you can embrace this multi-track cyber metal symphony and remember the more impressive moments. Joe Tiberi continues to reign as a master of epic futuristic cyber metal, with more releases appearing throughout the next 10 years, to be heard through space and time....

Favorites: "Cepheus", "Xenon", "Zoticus", "Tartarus", "Thales", "Erebus"

Turmion Kätilöt is an amazing yet strange band of Finnish industrial metal. The lineup consists of talented members with funny stage names; vocalists MC Raaka Pee and Shag-U, guitarist Bobby Undertaker, bassist Master Bates, keyboardist RunQ, and drummer DQ. The lyrics can cover everything from sci-fi to beautiful girls. And the band have been on a roll throughout their tenure that has already reached 20 years! Yet I didn't get turned on by their music until last year.

Standing by in the category of bands that should've been accepted in the Metal Archives but aren't, their disco-fueled industrial metal sound shall please both club dancers and metalheads. Reset brings us back to the Spellgoth era in terms of the quality, not reaching the perfection of the albums afterwards, but still better than Perstechnique.

"Yksi Jumalista" (One of the Gods) begins with an Egyptian-sounding EDM intro before the hammering riffing. The vocals dance around the keyboards and guitars. The chorus maintains both the EDM vibe and that riff. The song is quite a fun bouncer, even with the strange lyrics. "Päästä Irti" (Get Loose) starts off almost deathly, and then it's time to dance again. The catchy energy can really kick things up a notch. D*mn, this can get the metal/dance crowd smiling. The metal guitars fit perfectly with them beats! "Pulssi" (Pulse) sounds a little closer to Mushroomhead at times, but the guitar solo brings it closer to Beast in Black, especially when it's that band's guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen who's performing it. "Sina 2.0" (You 2.0) heads into the electronic side of the band, with some guest vocals by Netta Turunen, daughter of MC Raaka Pee.

"Musta Piste" (Black Dot) brings back the perfect glory of the rest of the Shag-U era, specifically Universal Satan. Same with "Trauma", which has violent bursts of industrial metal to infect the EDM vibes. "Otava" (Big Dipper) once again has a bit of Mushroomhead, while also throwing some Fear Factory, Waltari, and even in the 8-bit synths of HORSE the Band, to make a unique combo. "Se Mitä Et Näe" (What You Don't See) has another brilliant sound from the start, with dark electronic synths that plague the industrial metal sound (in a great way), complete with a Rammstein-ish anthemic chorus. Not much disco, but the heavy riffing and electronics are in great balance.

"Once Dead" is OK, but not that interesting. Ditto with "Puuttuva Naula" (The Missing Nail), which is a little too poppy. It's the weakest song here, though not enough to be a stinker. Following this is "Schlachter" (Butcher), a wonderful remix of the debut's "Teurastaja", featuring Chris Harms of Lord of the Lost. I might just love it more than the original! Finally, we have the 8-minute "Reset 7 (Not to Be Continued)", which has nice dance-y industrial metal, but the Babymetal-like J-pop moments are a bit too much.

Wait a minute... "NOT to Be Continued"?! Is this awesome band going to end after this?!? I sure hope not! Reset has a lot of the band's catchy energy, apart from a couple odd but still good tracks towards the end. The band shall stay alive and continue making even the most serious headbanger dance and smile!

Favorites: "Päästä Irti", "Pulssi", "Musta Piste", "Otava", "Se Mitä Et Näe", "Schlachter"

Mechina is one of the more unique metal bands out there. But I would've loved them more if I discovered them 10 years ago when bombastic symphonic epicness was still my thing. Now it's quite tiring when the Nightwish-esque aspects of symphonics and female singing overpower the guitars. This is actually the first time female vocals are used here, though I'm not sure if those are real or programmed. Still, Empyrean is a well-structured potential soundtrack for Star Wars or any other epic sci-fi film franchise...

The quality would've been higher if there was more variety. That's the main issue when the album is following a conceptual saga with tracks seguing into one another to make a huge-a** suite. If they had more ideas to add to their creativity, some tracks would be better appreciated.

The Compendium edition actually has a few bonus tracks, and the first one right at the start is "Andromeda", a 9-minute epic released shortly after Conqueror. It's not all about headbanging and soloing, but rather a truly epic space journey. You can find a lot more in just 3 minutes instead of just DragonForce guitar soloing (which I still like). Although I love this epic, I think this would fit better in the Conqueror album as its near-end epic. Symphonics float through the drum/guitar attack as David Holch looks up to the cosmos and tears it apart with his brutal growls. All done practically better than in Conqueror! Those heavy climatic moments mixed with pleasant bliss would certainly give the Star Wars soundtrack more impact. And there's also the energy of Fear Factory, a band whom Mechina would cover one of their songs as another bonus track...

But for now, we're at the main part of the Empyrean album, starting with the build-up intro "Aporia". It leads to "Asterion" with some of the best riffing you can find here. Keep that in mind before the atmosphere takes the focus elsewhere. Things continue to sound steady in "Interregnum" as it begins. However, that's where the attempt to stitch tracks together becomes more obvious. "Imperialus" kicks off after building up from the previous track, and you can never hear it as a singular song. Once you're finished with "Anathema", you would think, "Wait, that long song was 3 tracks?!" Luckily, that track has amazing keyboard atmosphere to go with the heavy wrath.

"Catechism" is just a flat sh*tter, basically this album's "Internecion". It leads to this album's skippable midway interlude, "[Cryostasis_simulation__2632_01]", which just has some female dialogue over soft orchestra. But then we have "Eleptheria", which is perhaps the most well-executed highlight here, never as poorly aging as the other tracks. It segues to the title track, keeping up the momentum with incredible keyboards and vocals. Sometimes, simplicity can add to memorability.

"Infineon" is another memorable track that you can listen to at home or anywhere. "Terminus" drives through as a 10-minute epic, but it's too lengthy and complex for its own good. I still enjoy long progressive epics, just to make myself clear. It's just that, well, "Andromeda" had it all better.

Heading back into the Compendium bonus tracks, there are two covers, starting with the one for "Zero Signal" by Fear Factory. While the original song is still amazing, Mechina gave it an epic enhancement, filled with futuristic atmosphere before ending peacefully with a piano outro. But just like the original, it's doesn't quite reach highlight status. The mind-blowing "Ordinary World" is basically that Duran Duran ballad gone epic cyber metal. Of those two covers, I love this one more.

As cinematic and Fear Factory-infused as this album is, it seems the writing is a bit messy in Empyrean. But at least some tracks like most of the second half and the bonus tracks show a promised path towards the better Xenon (review for that later). Empyrean is best experienced in the V.2. remastering or the deluxe Compendium edition....

Favorites: "Andromeda", "Asterion", "Anathema", "Eleptheria", "Empyrean", "Infineon", "Ordinary World" (Duran Duran cover)

I've already been familiar with Neurotech via a few later songs and several of those long Symphonies. And now it's time for me to explore further back into the discography of one of the most underrated acts of one of the most underrated subgenres of all, cyber metal. Blue Screen Planet is a two-track EP with the first track being a 10-minute epic and the other being a laid-back instrumental of almost the same length.

Similarly to Mechina's Conqueror, Blue Screen Planet marks Neurotech's transition from a standard industrial/cyber metal band to one that's more symphonic and setting up a conceptual universe. Also similarly to that Mechina album, it doesn't entirely pay off as it should...

"Part I - Axiom" is a bombastic journey of symphonic cyber metal... Well, too bombastic. Some parts are overdone, which very much exemplifies the paraphrased adage, "Too many ingredients spoil the broth." While this epic is still solid, his 10-minute explorations are better explored in the later symphonies. Interesting how I like the instrumental "Part II - Revelation" more. Most metalheads and more upbeat music listeners can't go past the first half of this serene Hans Zimmer-like composition, but I can! It's amazing how magical this piece sounds as it transports you out of the harsh reality of Earth into the astral plane. It works well with the video game No Man's Sky. So instead of unleashing metal in maximum power, let the cool ambience move you into this different dimension. By the 5th minute, you'll already be one with the multiverse.

The origin of Wulf expanding the soundscapes within his Neurotech project is all in this EP. Lots of great ideas from calm to blasting, from soothing piano to crushing guitar! Though the instrumental is more balanced than the epic. As beautiful and intriguing as this EP is, it's more of a side-order than a main dish....

Favorites: Both tracks, though I like "Part II - Revelation" more.

From 2011 to 2015, Disturbed was on hiatus. During then, vocalist David Draiman decided to form his own temporary project, Device. If you'd like me to give you a hint at what Device, it's like Disturbed with a more industrial edge...

People already knew Draiman's plan to make more industrial material from some teasers. The industrial side comes from the other member of the project, Geno Lenardo, ex-guitarist of Filter. The heaviness Disturbed fans have expected is blended with electronics for some decent results. It should be noted though that Lenardo was replaced by Will Hunt (Evanescence) and Virus (Dope) for the couple live concerts performed by the band.

Straight into heaviness is "You Think You Know" which rocks out as if Disturbed never had that hiatus, while having a bit of Nine Inch Nails. Draiman's singing is quite strong here, "You think you know but you're horribly blind, you think you know that the story's defined, you think you know, but your heart has gone cold inside." Sounding closer to Disturbed is "Penance". The drumming rhythms and vocal grunts are still around while having some electronic synths. Following this is "Vilify", the best choice for the band's first single. It's a perfect highlight of Draiman's strong vocals.

For their cover of the 80s glam ballad "Close My Eyes Forever", taking the respective places of Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne is Lzzy Hale of Halestorm and Draiman, and the song is given a modern electronic twist. "Out of Line" stands out well as another one of Black Sabbath's members, Geezer Butler performs his audible bass, while Draiman and System of a Down's Serj Tankian both sing their perfect lyrical views of the world. The haunting "Hunted" continues taking on the electronic metal fusion as they've done throughout the album so far, showing that they can do it well without relying on guests. "Opinion" rips through with searing soloing by Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, having more of the spotlight than in Linkin Park's "Drawbar".

"War of Lies" has some of the nu metal riffing of early 36 Crazyfists. "Haze", which has Avenged Sevenfold vocalist M. Shadows, is another solid collab. These guest appearances really help boost the quality of the album in most cases. The last guest vocalist is Glenn Hughes, known for his solo material and his time with Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, in "Through It All", a nice sentimental rock ballad. I don't really like the bonus tracks enough to mention, except for their cool cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Wish".

You just have to admit how much outer thinking Draiman has with his work. He can really expand his boundaries beyond the band he's usually known for. It works well with some solid standouts, though not so much for a lot else. And the project would stop once Disturbed was revived....

Favorites: "You Think You Know", "Vilify", "Out of Line", "Opinion", "Haze", "Wish"

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

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

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

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

For fans of White Zombie, Prong & Godflesh.

Ministry have made it big in pioneering the American side of industrial metal, with their 3 albums from 1988 to 1992 being commercially successful. With their 1996 album Filth Pig, the band's sound became darker and heavier than before, almost reaching sludge territory. According to founder Al Jourgensen, people hated the album. They wanted the humor and electronics of Psalm 69, but the album doesn't have much of those. I still like the heaviness though.

Darkness is often what I look for when I want to take a break from the brighter reality. And sometimes, darkness can be a bit intimidating. It can also have a bit of humor, from the literally meat-headed young American politician in the album cover. A whole lot you can find in the dark...

"Reload" is a short violent introductory song practically picking up where Psalm 69 left off. I was hoping for that kind of excitement in the title track, but it goes for a little too long and has almost given me brain damage. "Lava" is equally as long as the previous track, but it flows well in the riffs and vocals, almost like a march to a Southern battle. "Crumbs" is OK, but crumby in some places.

"Useless" fits well with its name, being far too weird for its own good. "Dead Guy" has awesome lyrics and nice groove. "Game Show" is the long 8-minute epic of this album. I wouldn't say it's bad in any way, but it's still a little weird and not something I would listen to on the daily.

"The Fall" seems to fall in quality but can stand back up for some time. Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" has been given the cover treatment here. It has a more alternative edge, a bit like Killing Joke at that time. No wonder it easily became a radio single! Really cool psychedelia there. Finally, "Brick Windows" brings back some earlier experimentation. Fantastic lyrics in this one!

Other things to mention about Filth Pig include the solid production and instrumentation. Those help keep the general quality stable, even in the lower half. There's nothing with switching gears to a heavier sound. A lot of us here are up for something like that. I just think a few of the songs in the album could've had better execution....

Favorites: "Reload", "Lava", "Dead Guy", "Lay Lady Lay", "Brick Windows"

I’ve never been a fan of Godflesh’s style of repetitive and simple Sludge Metal focusing on textures, nor was I very much on board for their overly rhythmic and still simple Industrial Metal. The issue is, none of the instruments are ever doing enough. Drums are slow, simple, and often play the same beat an entire song. Guitars scarcely compose something that could be considered a riff, usually opting to add fuzzy heaviness without much direction. Vocals always a bit too monotonous and occupying an unflattering middle ground between aggressive and lethargic. Industrial sound effects were, once more, too repetitive and too few to have much impact on the music.

Well, one of those things changed on Us and Them. The band adopted a very significant Drum and Bass influence for this album. Because of this, the rhythm section picked up a ton in intensity and complexity on many of the tracks. Sure, it’s still repetitive as all hell, but a faster paced, energetic and powerful beat backing their miserable tracks does wonders for entertainment. It’s all machines, but their previous drummers did everything in their power to sound like soulless robots anyway, so that’s no loss.

The unfortunate thing is, none of the other weaknesses were alleviated. Guitars are incredibly boring and minimal. The bass actually has some really cool moments, which is awesome! It finds itself playing lead more often than not, which just does more to highlight the rhythm section as the ultimate strength to this album. As cool as the rhythm section is here, it can’t offset the other incredibly boring aspects of the album. The band has incorporated more Industrial sound effects here, and this is a blessing and a curse: at best, the minimalistic songs gain some much-needed layers of density and intrigue; at worst, an incredibly annoying sound clip will repeat 30 times over, doing everything it can to ruin the song for you.

Special mention to the final tracks “The Internal” and “Live to Lose,” which show them building atmosphere and mood to great effect. Closer in sound to the Cold World EP material, which was the band at my absolute favorite. These songs are awesome and appeal to my tastes so much more. When the band builds atmosphere in addition to their trademark texture and rhythm, it elevates their music exponentially. Unfortunately, they rarely ever do this, and texture by itself proves something that will never appeal to me.

My cyber metal journey is full of surprises. Either they turn out well or they don't. With a more melodic, futuristic sound than industrial metal, how tempting can it be for a Sphere member like me? Quite a lot, thanks to killer albums like this one...

Taking on a hardcore-ish melodeath/cyber metal path, The Interbeing have existed for nearly two decades and has made an interesting light in the practically unknown cyber realm. Album #3, Icon of the Hopeless shows us what modern metal is like, complete with electronic atmosphere. And it's so fresh, keeping you aware of the future brought upon us. Whether good or bad, you have to be prepared for what lies ahead.

The intro "Revive" has that futuristic industrial vibe as the story begins in a dystopia of withering humanity. "Perplexion" kick-starts the heaviness like an upgrade from Fear Factory and Mnemic in the riffing while making room for the epic melodic chorus. Often the riffing takes a turn from industrial metal to leaning close to metalcore, which actually opens up more outer dimensions in the music-verse. The aggressive "Black Halo" has more of the metalcore-ish riffing, sounding like it's taken from both the early 2010s and 2020s era of Architects and Bring Me the Horizon. "Lies of Descent" gets you hooked with melodic sections and massive breakdowns to light up a retro skyline.

"Synthetic Bloodline" is filled with vicious perfection. "Lifeless Decoy" is packed with unpredictable heaviness. "Ruin" crashes through with more of the pulverizing verses and emotional choruses. That highlight can almost surpass Breach the Void's song "Ruins"!

Single "Depressor" combines polyrhythms with synths the way Fear Factory can, though the chorus is a little lousy. "Eternal Eclipse" branches out a lot more, heading into a bit of progressive groove metal that will take you through space and back. Once we reach the title outro, you know this exciting journey is about to end. The intense ambience rises and then quickly fades out, leaving you wondering what's next for the band.

Well-focused without repetition, The Interbeing has given each song many different twists so none are highly alike. I don't know if anyone had ever predicted decades ago how futuristic metal would end up becoming, but if something like this dynamic album was their prediction, they f***ing nailed it. And here's to a more epic future of metal....

Favorites: "Perplexion", "Black Halo", "Synthetic Bloodline", "Ruin", "Eternal Eclipse"

The title of this EP and its title track reference the suicide of R. Budd Dwyer during a live press conference. He pulled out a gun from a manila envelope, and when people tried to stop him, he shouted "Don't, don't, don't, this will hurt someone!" and shot himself dead. Needless to say, that tragic event would later be depicted in the cover art of 1994 vinyl re-release of Neurosis' Pain of Mind and the original edition of CKY Volume 1.

Those samples aside, this EP is not really worth it. Most of the tracks have poor structure and rely too much on samples. The only good track is the radio edit of "The Machine" from its eponymous 1993 album, though obviously I still prefer the 8-minute original. Generally I'm only checking out this EP to complete my Dead World journey, and this is exactly how I wanted to end that journey, but there's nothing else left. Never before had I rated an industrial metal release this low, but that's all this f***ing sh*tter can get. At least the band had done their sound much better in their full albums....

Favorites (only song I even slightly like): "The Machine" (radio edit)

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

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

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

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

For fans of Rotting Christ, The Kovenant & Moonspell.

As I continue my revisiting journey of Samael, we're heading down to a special EP. Rebellion marks the end of the band's black metal era and the start of their ongoing industrial metal era. Here we have two new tracks, two re-recorded tracks, and two instrumentals, one of the instrumentals having its own German vocal edition as a hidden track. Sure a few traces of their black metal era remains, such as those two re-recordings and the last bit of D-flat tuning, but mostly, a new industrial era has opened up...

So how has the sound turned out? Pretty great! Lots of catchy and heavy riffs. And the style really does live up to the fact that it's the bridge between Ceremony of Opposites and Passage. A few of these anthems I enjoyed a few years ago, and I still enjoy them today!

Case in point, the title track is a song useful for conquering doubtful situations in war and rebellion. "I know how little is the value of that which has a price." Then "After the Sepulture" is a more industrial remake of the best song of Blood Ritual and perhaps their black metal era, but I prefer the crushing original more. With evil slow riffing and vicious vocals by Vorph, it's a destructive highlight.

I have a problem with the Alice Cooper cover "I Love the Dead". It would've been great, but Vorph's attempt at singing it makes it a stinker. Don't worry, everything else is better. Well, not entirely better, "Static Journey" is a mediocre instrumental that's a little overlong.

Oh, when I say two re-recordings, I meant in the CD edition; a rare re-recording of "To Our Martyrs" appears in the cassette edition, and it rules! For the "Into the Pentagram" remake, I love it more than the original! The guitars and beats are greatly paced. Excellent! Then comes the untitled outro, a strange electro-techno instrumental slightly better than "Static Journey". Speaking of "Static Journey", that's the track that has its German vocal hidden track after 4 minutes of silence. A little better, JUST a little.

I would certainly recommend Rebellion to any fan of Samael and blackened industrial metal, though mostly for the awesome title track and re-recordings. The average instrumentals are better experienced by fans of electro-industrial. And that Alice Cooper cover? NAH....

Favorites: "Rebellion", "After the Sepulture", "To Our Martyrs", "Into the Pentagram"

‘Skills in Pills’ in the 2015 debut album of Lindemann, the self-titled project of Rammstein vocalist Till Lindemann. Teaming up with Peter Tägtgren of the band Pain, this album feels like a heavier, more keyboard-driven and overall more ridiculous version of the aforementioned Rammstein.

The most noticeable element on ‘Skills…’ is, not only the outrageously ludicrous lyrics, but the fact that Lindemann is singing in English. Something he only did a brief few times with his main band. But the lyrics… oh my! Clearly Lindemann was somewhat filtered in his main project, because here, it’s like anything goes. Literally, there are no filters here. From drugs to abortion, and sexual fetishes involving obesity to being urinated on, absolutely nothing is off-limits.

The thing is though, I like it. It’s ridiculous and shouldn’t work, but it does. Lindemann can pull this kind of thing off, and with some incredibly heavy and ballsy music backing him, it just kind of works for him. And the musical side, all covered by Tägtgren, is incredible. Heavy and atmospheric, with some proper pumping and energetic performances, it suits the lyrics and baritone voice of his partner in crime perfectly.

With highlights including the pounding ‘Fish On’, ‘Ladyboy’ and ‘Cowboy’, the disgustingly offensive ‘Fat’, ‘Praise Abort’ and ‘Golden Shower’, or the hauntingly beautiful ‘Home Sweet Home’, this album is a flurry of utter nonsense, but well-written and down-right brilliant nonsense. Obviously this won’t appeal to everyone, but if you enjoy Rammstein and aren’t easily squeamish or offended, then this is most certainly an album worth checking out!

With industrial metal being one of the least listened to sub-genres for me, this month’s feature release risked passing me by like most others often do. Two things drew me to Revelator in the end. Firstly, the strange looking album artwork. Secondly, Daniel’s high praise for the band (borne out in his excellent review). Now, clearly, I have no reference point for Revelator in terms of a comparison to other The Amenta releases and as such, I can judge it solely on its merits as a standalone release. After several listens, I am not totally sold on it still but that is not to say that this about to open into a negative review, more that I have a lot learn still about this record.

Since my first listen through to the album, I have been unable to get Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire & Demise by Emperor out of my head. The cleaner vocals remind me so much of that record that I had to play it again to make sure I was not making it up. Stylistically, two different sub-genres, yet (having listened through the Emperor album in piecing this review together), some definite comparators beyond even the vocals. Revelator is an explosive album. One of those that is seemingly written with eruptions of power that blast through more tempered sections. Add this sense of density in terms of the layers to each record and my early comparison holds some firm standings.

Given I have an odd affiliation with that Emperor album, I have found that my enjoyment of Revelator has grown very easily. The progressive elements to the Australians 2021 release help the record play as almost a macabre celebration of metal music when you get the occasional bit of death metal thrown in for good measure and even some ambient work to boot. I do need more time with the more post-metal moments and do find the flow of the album interrupted by this.

However, The Amenta are clearly talented guys and the musicianship here is top notch. This is not very industrial sounding to me (saying that as an already declared irregular listener to this sub-genre) and has a lot more depth to it than I first expected, clearly therefore having been written by some mature artists. I find it theatrical and challenging at the same time as being a record that can appeal to my more primitive metal needs very easily. It is a solid discovery that has helped me rediscover an old favourite also.

For those that haven't been paying attention, I've been pushing underground Australian industrial death metal artist The Amenta pretty hard on the Metal Academy website since our initial inception back in 2019 & don't plan to give up on that task any time soon. Why, you may ask? Well, to put it simply, this Sydney-based outfit has not only been my favourite hometown band for that entire period but are also one of the most incredible examples of an undiscovered gem you'll find in the entire global metal marketplace. In fact, I'm continually astounded at just how underappreciated some of their releases are & I don't think that my long-time relationship with the band has anything to do with me taking that position either. I've been aware of this lot since they began life as local black metallers Crucible of Agony back in 1997, mainly due to the fact that they contained an associate of mine in Lord Kaos/Stone Wings front man Jamie Marsh who I played alongside in Sydney doom/death exponents Elysium at around that time. Fast forward through to 2021 though & you'll find that The Amenta had a completely different look & feel to them. Their style had evolved from black metal to a Morbid Angel-inspired death metal sound before slowly taking on more & more industrial metal elements, each album representing a different stage in their evolution & achieving a very different character to the last. Each of their first three full-length albums were nothing short of classic & I don't say that from a purely patriotic or nostalgic viewpoint either. 2004's "Occasus", 2008's "n0n" & 2013's "Flesh Is Heir" sit amongst my favourite extreme metal releases of all time with only the elite of the elite achieving higher echilons of metal glory. The long gap between releases may well have contributed to the quality of each release but would also seem to have been out of necessity given that the band became more of a national entity over time with the various band members sometimes residing in different states & playing in multiple other metal bands of significance. 2021's "Revelator" fourth album would end the biggest drought in The Amenta's recording career to date though & subsequently drew an enormous amount of anticipation from diehard fans like myself who have been attending the band's blistering live shows for so many years.

2013's "Flesh is Heir" record was a game-changer for me personally. It took all of the various elements that made up The Amenta sound & presented them in a fashion that saw my face being completely melted off & boy did I enjoy it. It would go on to be my Album of the Year & see me shouting its praises from the rooftops online too. The gap to the band's next album left me feeling a little bemused though & when it finally arrived I didn't quite know what to expect. By this time The Amenta had a very different look to the one that recorded a couple of crude black metal demos under their previous moniker back in the late 1990's with only guitarist Erik Miehs remaining from the Crucible of Agony days. Thankfully though, The Amenta had maintained the same lineup that devastated me with "Flesh is Heir" which certainly put them in good stead to achieve similar heights. From the promo shots released at the time, it seemed that the band had opted to push a slightly different image to before which shouldn't really have been a surprise as The Amenta had traditionally put a lot of time & effort into making the visual part of their live performances a unique experience rather than a simple reenactment of their albums. I wasn't sure if that would translate into a drastic change of musical direction or not but any fears I may have harbored were very quickly put to rest by another stunning piece of work.

"Revelator" is a wonderfully produced record that perfectly highlights The Amenta's strengths & talents. The music unceremoniously dives out of the speakers & violently grabs the listener around the throat, although on this occasion the song-writing tends to be more measured in how regularly it tightens its grip. "Revelator" once again sees The Amenta evolving on past glories, this time relying less on death metal savagery & more on the industrial side of their sound. The obvious Godflesh influence that was so apparent on "Flesh is Heir" is nowhere near as relevant this time though with the band taking you to places that you're unlikely to have trodden in the past. You see, "Revelator" is a much more moody & introspective record than we'd heard from The Amenta thus far & it draws from a wider range of influences too. There's a progressive edge to their approach that requires a little more patience but sees them challenging the listener on a more cerebral level too. This is a more mature The Amenta & one that's not afraid the show a little vulnerability rather than simply savaging their audience into a pulp. My ears pick up the influence of a disparate range artists from Mr. Bungle (particularly their deeper & more psychedelic material) to Devin Townsend/Strapping Young Lad & even a little of that twisted Arcturus sound. Don't get me wrong, "Revelator" can still thrash you to within an inch of your life but it can also lead you into some pretty dark places that will have you peering out of your eye sockets from deeper & deeper within yourself.

The tracklisting begins in the most violent fashion possible with brutal opener "An Epoch Ellipsis" (my personal favourite) being one of the finest examples of industrial death metal you're ever likely to hear. It doesn't really prepare you for the twists & turns you'll face across the remaining eight songs though as the stylist direction changes up regularly, never allowing the listener to become complacent yet still feeling cohesive throughout. The brilliant "Silent Twin" sees The Amenta experimenting with a sound that's more commonly heard on post-metal releases while "Wonderlost" dips its toes into dark ambience to great effect. Apart from "Psoriastasis", the remainder of the album sees The Amenta veering away from pure death metal but losing none of their menace. Legendary drummer Dave Haley's (Abramelin/Psycroptic/Consummation/Ruins/Werewolves/Blood Duster/Pestilence) undeniable talents behind the drum kit are brought to the forefront by a relentless machinegun double kick drum sound that sees him achieving ridiculous tempos with ultimate precision while his blast beats showcase a level of power & control that few can match. Charismatic front man Cain Cressall (Malignant Monster) not only spits out his lyrics with his trademark blackened snarl but also makes a wonderful fist of some very capable clean singing that will no doubt remind you of the impeccable metal royalty that is Mike Patton. I really love this element of the album actually & feel that it's one of the key ingredients in giving "Revelator" its own identity.

From what I can see online, "Revelator" doesn't seem to have received the accolades that some of The Amenta's previous records have & I find that a little hard to understand as this is yet another mind-blowing effort from the band. Perhaps it's simply a reflection of a modern society where young people tend not to give their music as much time as old-schoolers like myself who weren't gifted with music at the click of a button during our formative years. Make no bones about it, "Revelator" is a far less immediate record than The Amenta's earlier works & requires a little commitment to fully understand but that's not a criticism in any way. In fact, it's more of a compliment than anything as those sort of releases tend to benefit from a longer lasting appeal than those that waste little time in exposing their full wares. While I readily admit that it may not top The Amenta's first three classic albums, "Revelator" has once again seen me left dazzled by the sheer class of this wonderful Aussie metal icon, this time with a renewed commitment to creativity.

For fans of The Project Hate MCMXCIX, Red Harvest & Strapping Young Lad.

Many different artists and bands each have a massive boost of popularity in different ways. For this band Lord of the Lost (originally just called Lord, but the name had to be changed due to other bands like the Australian power metal band LORD, or Lordi, or The Lords), it was a couple things; 1. They were special guests for Iron Maiden's Legacy of the Beast tour. 2. Their performance in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. What was lost in the underground is now found more globally!

Blood & Glitter was released between those two events, much earlier than anticipated, at the end of 2022. It was a slightly late Christmas present for all the band's supportive fans. Gothic industrial metal has never sounded as pleasantly poppy as these tunes....

The title track is the band's song representing Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, though it could've been done better. "Leave Your Hate in the Comments" is a big "f*** you" to those who can plague the internet with negativity from the privacy of their home. I'm amazed by how brilliant this is, having the "take no sh*t" attitude the rest of the album would have. There's more of that in the aptly titled "Absolute Attitude". It's quite gentle and would work well for any 80s movie. And we have a lot more in "The Future of a Past Life", blending in that 80s sound with some growling by Marcus Bischoff of Heaven Shall Burn. So catchy while heavy enough to make even classic metalheads grin. "No Respect for Disrespect" has the retro synth-metal of Beast in Black.

"Reset the Preset" features Combichrist vocalist Andy LaPlegua, with music suitable for both the dancefloor and the moshpit. "Destruction Manual" continues the catchy industrial dance metal. "Dead End" is another highlight that's pretty much next-gen KMFDM. The ballad-ish "Leaving the Planet Earth" is the exact opposite of a love song.

Bring keyboards up front is "Forever Lost" that's almost a more electronic Moonspell. Taking on "Save Our Souls" with lovely strings is Subway to Sally violinist Ally Storch. The "important" "One Last Song" is a beautiful way to say farewell, having a bit of the recent poppy side of Avantasia in the mix. There's actually one more track here, a cover of Roxette's "The Look", featuring Jasmin Wagner, also known as German popstar Blümchen. A perfect cover, and arguably this album's true standout! RIP Marie Fredriksson

Vocalist Chris Harms believes in the long run when it comes to an album's value, "F*** the charts, playlist pitches and 1,000 pointless reviews in advance." I'm quite pleasantly surprised by how well Blood & Glitter turned out even though I'm late by a year and a half. Metal continues its modern expansion with great catchy results....

Favorites: "Leave Your Hate in the Comments", "The Future of a Past Life", "Reset the Preset", "Dead End", "Forever Lost", "One Last Song", "The Look"

A punishing force in industrial rock/metal, Killing Joke kept their comeback going since their 2003 self-titled album and 25th anniversary DVD XXV Gathering with another album. The self-titled album was more metallic than their earlier works and had Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters) as the drummer, stirring up brilliant energy. However, fans of the band's mid-80s material wanted more of what they used to have, and vocalist Jaz Coleman wasn't highly satisfied with how that album turned out. He was determined to find the right balance in their next offering...

Fast forward to the recording of Hosannas From the Basements of Hell. The sessions took place in Studio Faust, a studio in an ancient building in Prague, specifically in its deepest darkest basement, aptly named Hell. The band can battle Satan's demon horde, feast on their remains, and reign in the cavernous darkness. The album was recorded using vintage equipment from the time of the band's debut release Turn to Red, giving Hosannas the massive intensity Killing Joke fans want.

"Lift up your spirits!" Coleman shouts to begin "This Tribal Antidote", gathering around "celebrants in a state of merriment", i.e. fans of the band, as we hear the guitars slay. The title track shows Coleman taking on the perspective of one of those fans, even referencing this very band performing, "I walk down the stairs and Killing Joke waits for me". The music and lyrics sound f***ing supernatural in "Invocation". I definitely like the beat. You get to hear some of Paul Raven's last audible bass with the band before his passing the next year, RIP. There's some ominous cello to go along with the strings. It would've been cooler if the beat was more synchronized, but it's still OK.

"Implosion" has the relentless drum-work of Benny Calvert, alongside the guitar riffing of Geordie Walker (also RIP), the vocal melodies of Coleman, and the booming bass of Raven. The out-of-this-world "Majestic" has majestic guitar force. One of the two long epics, "Walking With Gods" has some riffing to remind some of the band's early 80s era.

The other epic, the nearly 10-minute "The Lightbringer" builds a bridge towards the mid-80s. That can be considered a highlight, though the ultimate highlight goes to this next track... "Judas Goat" leads you to the darkest depth of Hell with more technical drumming, guitar rhythms, and singing almost like a mantra. Then you're teleported back home in "Gratitude" as Coleman sincerely thanks you and the gatherers for that journey, "A toast for the man who loves every hour of every day."

Although Hosannas hasn't reached as much success as the 2003 self-titled album, it shows the band having more creative freedom. Almost every track ranges from 5 to 10 minutes, similarly to ZP Theart-era DragonForce albums. The band has tighter focus here than in previous albums. You know who to thank for this music....

Favorites: "Hosannas From the Basements of Hell", "Invocation", "Majestic", "The Lightbringer", "Judas Goat"

In the criminally underrated realm of cyber metal, Illidiance is here to show that the subgenre is far from dead. What's often hard to believe is, this band started off as black metal. There's absolutely none of that in this album! The sound is essentially catchy melodies, electro-industrial synths, and clean singing, side by side with groove-ish riffs and death growls, all a common definition of cyber metal. Damage Theory pulls out a lot of punches with not much room for a break. You can find lots of interesting twists and turns while sticking firmly to what they are.

The digital production can take you through different dimensions, especially when the electronics and vocals shine. Two of the band members perform vocals; the wonderful cleans of bassist Tommy Gun "Syrex" and the emotional growls of Dmitry "Xyrohn" Shkurin. We often have the typical growled verses and clean choruses, though there's some difference in the aspect to get listeners hooked.

"Hi-Tech Terror" kicks things off in a high gear as an awesome tune of cyber metal! This should've fit well in Tron Legacy. "Critical Damage" is another underrated song and I don't wanna miss out on more of this style. As great as this is, I'm not as heavily attached to this as the previous track. The most awesome part here is the final chorus that changes its key for the final repeat. Thumbs up for this greatness! "Breaking the Limit" is another great piece of modern metal history! Those drums shall unleash a dark vortex as part of the bad-a** music. "New Millennium Crushers" once again shows that they can squeeze all these perfect rhythms and epic melodies in a mere 4 minutes (the average song length for this album). This is like a more cyber take on pop-ish melodeath bands like Blood Stain Child and Scar Symmetry.

Then we slow down for the ballad-ish "I Want to Believe", clearly an X-Files reference in that title. "CyberGore Generation" can almost be considered "Cyber-core", blending together the cyber metal of Deathstars with a bit of the melodic metalcore of Memphis May Fire, The Autumn Offering, and Of Mice & Men. We end up getting more of the groove-ish melodeath side of the sound in "Cybernesis", still sounding cyber with those d*mn cool keyboards. "Infected" is another great example of letting the riffs fly free, sounding heavy while surrounded by electronic melodies.

"Fading Away" I would recommend to anyone wanting something cleaner and more melancholic. Just when I thought the band was going to lose steam, "Mind Hunters" strikes on as another better deal. "Razor to the Skin" has more of the razor-sharp riffing and synths. The 2012 re-release has two bonus tracks, starting with "Neuron Electrics Inc.", a cyber metal standout to practically rival Deathstars. The other bonus track "Neon Rebels" can practically be considered Soilwork gone Black Veil Brides stylistically.

Here we have a great example of cyber metal in this Illidiance album Damage Theory, for anyone looking for the revival of this subgenre invented by The Kovenant. Apart from some slight improvement needed, this offering is what you need for a great trip into the cyber realm!

Favorites: "Hi-Tech Terror", "New Millennium Crushers", "CyberGore Generation", "Infected", "Fading Away", "Mind Hunters", "Neuron Electrics Inc."

Over the course of the past 10 years before this review, Fange has released 7 albums and 3 EPs, almost every one of which has a one-word title that starts with the letter P. Their music is best described as industrial sludge metal, sometimes heading into other genres like death-doom or crust-core. Basically a blend of some of the heaviest, most crushing metal genres around. And with this album of two 15-minute tracks, the sound has become more climatic, though also much less accessible.

I can almost consider this a more deathly and doomy Godflesh! Something similar to Godflesh is the amount of noise mixed in with the guitars, and the use of a drum machine instead of a human drummer. With all that and the underground production, what's more to add in this dark journey?

"Tombé Pour La France" (Fallen for France) is the first of the two epics, and it starts off sounding so crushing. Then things slow down for melodic riffing and hardcore shouting. They can do that without losing their crushing atmosphere, proven by the riffing becoming more industrial. The composition is so brutal and emotional, and sometimes the melody can bring their sound closer to post-sludge.

"Les Vergers De La Désolation" (The Orchards of Desolation) is the second epic, sounding more post-rock-ish, while maintaining a lot of the industrial effects. Lots of moods, melody, and textures... They can add in a slight bit of accessibility while staying in the underground.

All in all, Pantocrator is a dark mature release in which industrial and sludge collide alongside pieces of other genres to make something so diverse. Fange knows how to push the limits as much as the more popular post-sludge bands could. Although both epics stand equally between those two genres, fans of the post-sludge of Sumac might dig the first one more, and fans of the industrial noise of The Body might dig the second one more. Whichever epic you prefer, you know how harsh industrial sludge can get!

Favorites: Both, though I like "Les Vergers De La Désolation" slightly more

Two years after the release of Corrections House's debut Last City Zero, the group consisting of Scott Kelly (ex-Neurosis), Bruce Lamont (Yakuza), Sanford Parker (ex-Minsk) and Mike IX Williams (Eyehategod) continue pushing their dystopian industrial noise-metal to different levels. With Parker's beats, Kelly's riffing, Lamont's sax, and Williams' sick vocals, Know How to Carry a Whip maintains the greatness of the band's debut with more cohesive structures. This allows the dark despair to strike a bit more deeply...

An industrial backbone is constructed for the metal body. The mechanical music fits well for the moody concepts. The torch is often carried from one hand to another like a relay race, and when it glows, it's a darkened flame.

"Crossing My One Good Finger" has a tribal-ish beat to go with the mechanism, kicking off the dystopian industrial metal. We also have the slow crawling "Superglued Tooth" with the post-sludge riffing of Neurosis. Some background effects are added to the ritual, leading up to a closing dark dance-ish vibe. Those effects bleed into "White Man's Gonna Lose" with some perfect apocalyptic twists from the distorted sax. A true electro-industrial metal standout!

"Hopeless Moronic" is more bizarre with electronic sweeps while having some heavy groove. The lyrics seem pessimistic there. We escape into the acoustic darkness of "Visions Divide" in which even something soft can sound intense. "The Hall of Cost" is also dark but with a more chaotic attack, heading into misanthropic depths.

Switching around the structure is "When Push Comes to Shank" with moments of synth dissonance. The sax even has some emotion! Though the different twists cause the structure to be a bit unstable. "I Was Never Good at Meth" has greater structural sense when making these switches, albeit a lot more ambient. The closing track "Burn the Witness" has more of the tribal effect. The guitars are more solid and audible than most other songs here. The band have really outdone themselves by the end of it all.

If the band's debut Last City Zero was the album that showed the band what they are, Know How to Carry a Whip follows it up with another confirmation. As a result, their bleak devouring sound has made another round. Likely the final one sadly, considering the situation involving Scott Kelly....

Favorites: "Superglued Tooth", "White Man's Gonna Lose", "The Hall of Cost", "I Was Never Good at Meth", "Burn the Witness"

When I was listening to Gothminister's grand masterpiece Pandemonium, little did I know, they actually had a part 2 in the works. A few singles started coming out just a year after the release of Pandemonium, and one of them got the band into Eurovision 2024. Gothminister wasn't the only gothic industrial metal band to participate in Eurovision, with Lord of the Lost coming in last year with the title track for their own album Blood & Glitter.

And now, the Pandemonium story grows, with Pandemonium II: The Battle of the Underworlds! Bjorn Alexander Brem, Eirik Oien, Glenn Nilsen, Ketil Eggum, and Christian Svendsen are back onboard with this sequel that's worth the short one and a half year wait.

Opening with uplifting ethereal strings is the title track that becomes a true anthem of war, as the guitar/keyboard majesty is accompanied by the vocals of Bjorn and a female vocalist (Sandra Jensen?) to add to the theatricality. An epic beginning! Continuing the assault is "We Live Another Day" in which negative-sounding music battles against motivational lyrics as the drums pound hard. "Creepy Shadows" has heaviness creeping out the atmosphere while having a dance-happy chorus. "One Dark Happy Nation" continues the perfect contrast that shall work well live. Catchy melodies and simple rhythms collide with each other that sounds quite dark but at the same time happy. That kind of blend is so unique in many ways!

The angsty "I am the Devil" is another solid highlight in which the riffs march along. "The Procession" is an interlude that would fit well in a sci-fi horror film. "I Will Drink Your Blood" has explosive energy and more prominent symphonics. "Aftermath" is one more horror-filled interlude with the synth-strings of their earlier albums.

After that, "Tonight" has more violent atmosphere while still remaining a singalong composition. Keyboards are more noticeable in "We are the Heroes" while the other members have their heavy fire. "Monostereo Creature" has some more of that fury, though the music is mostly mystical. "We Come Alive" is the catchy final track, and the song the band performed in Eurovision. You'll definitely wanna sing along to this!

Mysterious keyboards and riffs and motivating lyrics make you remember Gothminister's place in the gothic industrial metal scene. Those compositions might just enhance the band's live shows, and anyone listening to them can experience this journey through the Underworlds!

Favorites: "Battle of the Underworlds", "One Dark Happy Nation", "I am the Devil", "I Will Drink Your Blood", "We are the Heroes", "We Come Alive"

The quality of cover albums depends on whether the covers follow the good technique (metalizing the songs with their own sound) or the bad technique (sticking firmly to the song's original sound with no changes). There is also the idea of following the song's original sound but it's almost exactly the same style as the band covering it, like the first half of Eighteen Visions' 1996 (another cover album following a comeback album).

So how does The Amenta's Plague of Locus strike me? Well they certainly knew how to give the songs they've covered a stylistic transformation. Of the 10 songs in this release, only two of them are original compositions.

The first original track is the eerie "Intro". Then "Sono l'Antichristo" follows. They've taken a song by avant-garde musician Diamanda Galás and turn it into a chaotic storm of synths, guitars, and drums blasting through. Their take on Killing Joke's "Asteroid" is actually more destructive than the original, becoming a truly p*ssed-off banger. "Angry Chair", originally by Alice in Chains, is given a f***ing darker treatment, sounding angrier than that chair. The deep grooves and clean singing are pulled off easily.

The title track is the second original track, this one being a full song. The brutality hits hard with heavy riffs, synths, and vocals, growing harder as the song progresses. Exploring the experimental noise of Wolf Eyes is a cover of their song "A Million Years". Then they pay tribute to fellow Sydney metal band Lord Kaos in "Crystal Lakes".

"Rise" shows The Amenta crawling through the sludge of the song's original band Halo. The somber "Totem" is another tribute to a Sydney black metal band, Nazxul, once again blasting through blackened chaos. Finally, "Black God" is an amazing cover of a My Dying Bride song to close off this cover album. Though it would be great if they could cover one of the heavier My Dying Bride songs.

You can consider any of these tracks a journey within a journey, as the covers end up stranger or heavier than the original versions, just the way I like them. Still I look forward to more of The Amenta's original music when the time comes....

Favorites: "Asteroid", "Angry Chair", "Plague of Locus", "Rise", "Black God"

The Body has a naked sound of brutal electronic drone noise that needs to be covered. Uniform has their own sound outfit of industrial noise/metal. Put a Uniform on The Body and see what happens. Well, their first collaboration is a drone metal album called Mental Wounds Not Healing. I might check out that one later, but for now, let's head into their second collaboration, the more industrial Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back!

I love heavy and catchy this offering is, in which sludgy beats are melded together with pop rhythms. The groove just stomps right through in great power. If this is what industrial metal sounds like mixed with synth-pop, we might have an interesting future of music in our hands.

Right from the start, "Gallows in Heaven" marches in with distorted beats. I love the punk-ish vocal delivery of Michael Berdan that fits well with the brutal noise from the guitars and bass. "Not Good Enough" is everything I want from this intense sound and more. It is a mighty monolith with post-punk-ish riffing. "Vacancy" has the drum machinery of late 80s Ministry leading into insanely catchy chords. Once again, the vocals by Berdan are something to love for the mighty aggression.

"Patron Saint of Regret" has the experimental noise sound left behind recently by Controlled Bleeding, structured by more of the punk-ish shouts of Berdan along with hip-hop beats. "Penance" is another interesting blend of industrial noise and synthpop with great production that can massage the brains of the strong and damage the brains of the weak. This kind of sound really is quite underrated. Though it would be greater if there were less of Chip King's screams that sound like a rooster being tortured. "All This Bleeding" has some more of the best post-punk riffing as waves of bass drum programming slice through.

"Day of Atonement" has that hip-hop pace again with heavier riffing and vocal effects to induce some chills. "Waiting for the End of the World" has some electronic ambience backed up by a different voice that's sinister all the same. The end that you're waiting for hasn't arrived yet until one final track... "Contempt" is pretty much the soundtrack to the final moments of Earth before total destruction with the massive sludgy riffing and percussion of Godflesh and 90s Ministry. It can't end more brutally than this!

I'm a little surprised by how much I love this collab. Industrial noise-metal had never sounded this amazing before. This would've been perfect, but what's blocking out the remaining half-star is Chip King "tortured rooster" screams. They're not bad, but they could've been improved. Still this is the kind of style with the potential to stun the Earth!

Favorites: "Not Good Enough", "Vacancy", "Penance", "All This Bleeding", "Contempt"

Originality sometimes spawns from ONE MAN... Tristan Shone has his one-man project Author & Punisher in which he is both them musician and engineer. He even has his own instruments made by himself! Cohesive music is formulated from Tristan's machine beasts of Hell.

I wouldn't say Beastland is the best industrial noise/metal album I've heard, but it's a d*mn excellent unique offering. It's not just adding 8-bit beeps and screams to the sounds of apocalypse. I'm talking about greatness that can be heard from the instruments Tristan created using his hands and tools. The writing and atmosphere are quite memorable, considering its vibe of bleakness and disarray.

Noise overpowers the music in the dark opening track "Pharmacide". The more electrifying "Nihil Strength" has some great emotion. The instrumentation in "Ode to Bedlam" is heavier and more disturbing, reach beyond industrial boundaries.

"The Speaker is Systematically Blown" drags you back and forth until you're in a daze. The melodic "Nazarene" sounds quite cool, but it ends abruptly. A bit disappointing, and the album would've been perfect if that didn't happen and instead went on for another minute. "Apparition" combines the melody of the previous track with more of the earlier heavy noise, and that's the kind of blend I like.

Then we come into two 6-minute epics, starting with "Night Terror" which has a lot of what the album has so far. It's only surpassed by the other epic, the closing title track, which ends it all in beastly destruction.

So the abrupt ending of one of the songs is the only truly fatal mistake. Tell that to those who think industrial noise/metal can cause headaches and brain aneurysms. Well sure it's not pleasant for many people, but it is for me. You need to have lots of experience with extreme genres from both industrial and metal to appreciate this outstanding writing. If you can survive sitting through this entire album that is practically noise pollution if played without headphones, then congrats. You have conquered the beast!

Favorites: "Nihil Strength", "Ode to Bedlam", "Apparition", "Beastland"

Shortly before Rammstein's hiatus, vocalist Till Lindemann invited Pain/Hypocrisy mastermind Peter Tagtgren to one of their concerts in Sweden. They previously met in the year 2000. After doing one of two songs, Tagtgren felt like making an entire album. The band wasn't originally going to be named after Lindemann, but every other band name they thought of was already in use. Still I think of this band as kind of Lindemann's solo project, and that includes his solo album Zunge.

Lindemann and Tagtgren make one h*ll of a storytelling duo. Tagtgren also handles all the music, though it would've been cool to hear some contributions from Rammstein members. Skills in Pills is one of the only Lindemann-led albums to be in English instead of German, making the themes of pills, drugs, booze, and sex more... well, naked.

The former 3 lyrical themes are covered the most in the interesting opening title highlight. The lyrics in "Ladyboy" has more deadpan delivery while having a bit of humor, "Dressed for fun, no romance. Two in one, I'll take my chance." And again in "Fat" which can shock the easily offended and get anyone with a sense of humor laughing, "Your flappy butthole, a soggy cave. I put in my parts, and let them bathe."

"Fish On" takes on a Devo-like style in a hot story of mermaid sex. Heading down into the earlier sounds of Rammstein, "Children of the Sun" seems fresh out of the Reise Reise sessions. "Home Sweet Home" goes further down into the Mutter era as an orchestral power ballad with lyrics not too far off from the fairytale that is the music video for the ultimate Rammstein classic "Sonne". Stomping through is "Cowboy", relatable to those dreaming of being a cowboy getting his chicks on Route 66(6). The song itself is a true highlight sounding close to Turmion Katilot.

The ultimate highlight goes to "Golden Shower". The lyrics are so ridiculous and potentially offensive, and yet I'm so intrigued, "Golden shower, let it fly, from your pretty c*nt!" "C*nt, c*nt, your pretty c*nt!" Absolutely Rammstein! Whispers and bells creep in on "Yukon". Even a song like "Praise Abort" can take on a controversial topic without causing a storm of conservative protesters. "That's My Heart" is a bonus track in the special edition with orchestration and additional vocals by Clemens Wijers of Carach Angren.

Skills in Pills is a pretty good start for Lindemann's duo with Tagtgren that made the wait for Rammstein's next album worth it for fans of the band. The duo have really added some kinky kinks to the sound Lindemann does best. Fun for the family, while not really being family-friendly....

Favorites: "Skills in Pills", "Fat", "Children of the Sun", "Cowboy", "Golden Shower"

Ooh, look at that! Another sludgy industrial metal supergroup. This one consists of members from bands Neurosis, Eyehategod, Minsk, and Yakuza. They were active for 8 years and two albums until splitting up in 2020. I'm guessing the split is related to guitarist/vocalist Scott Kelly getting fired from Neurosis for abusing his family, which didn't come to light until 2022. Anyway, their debut Last City Zero doesn't reach the perfection of Greymachine, but it still reaches a solid level of greatness...

You can practically hear what the members have in store from their respective bands including apocalyptic heaviness and nihilistic themes. The industrial side of the sound stems from the guitar distortion, drum programming, and keyboard usage.

Opening the album is "Serve or Survive" with some ambient drone. Kelly's gloomy vocals definitely throw back to Neurosis, before main vocalist Mike Williams starts shouting through the heavy doomy industrial metal music. "Bullets and Graves" is a shorter industrial track that sounds like Neurosis and Skinny Puppy collaborated with each other in the year 1990. "Party Leg and Three Fingers" has more of that apocalyptic vibe.

Taking on a different while still dark sound, "Run Through the Night" is more of a folk-ish tune. "Dirt Poor and Mentally Ill" has chanting vocals while still making room for Williams' rage. Soon the lyrics become more poetic, especially in the spoken bridge.

"Hallows of the Stream" has mysterious jazz that would fit well for a crime noir film. The more poetic lyrics continue on in the title track, albeit in a spoken story over quiet guitar strums. Prophets and madmen seem to be the main theme there along with human suffering. The most unforgiving music and lyrics come straight with the closing "Drapes Hung by Jesus". An ambient intro leads into industrial metal that gradually becomes heavier, plus some eerie sax, before the last bit of lyrical poetry at the end.

Last City Zero allows you experience destruction and withering hope pleasantly from the comfort of your home. The experimentation blended with steel-strong heaviness is not something you would find in every supergroup. It fits well for a world reduced to ruin by climate change and carbon footprints....

Favorites: "Serve of Survive", "Party Leg and Three Fingers", "Dirt Poor and Mentally Ill", "Drapes Hung by Jesus"

What would happen if Godflesh's Justin Broadrick and Isis' Aaron Turner collaborate in a different experimental project? You get pretty much the best of both worlds in the perfect sole album by Greymachine, Disconnected!

Despite the project's short-lived existence, a lot of interest has spawned from it, thanks to the members' other bands like the aforementioned Godflesh and Isis, and Jesu (pronounced "yay-zoo", like when you're taking your kids to the zoo and they're like "YAY, ZOO!!!"). Disconnected is all about the journey of sound as the band takes you through music that's heavier and more pummeling than anything the band members have done before.

Different layers of instrumentation cover "Wolf at the Door", a song that really lurks like a wolf, including brutal bass, pummeling percussion, and vicious vocals in the background. The strange catchy "Vultures Descend" has more danceable industrial metal. Almost like a popstar zombie apocalypse, which is an odd analysis when talking about a song so heavy and bleak. We have some electronic fuzz in "When Attention Just Isn’t Enough" that evolved into merciless droning. This may very well be the pleasant soundtrack to a slow painful death experienced via electric chair.

I would be surprised if the rhythms in "Wasted" don't make you want to drum along. "We Are All F***ing Liars" is f***ing brutal in the guitar rhythms and vicious vocals. There's also a demo version that appears in the Japanese edition as a bonus track. Storming through is the dissonant aura of "Just Breathing" with hypnotic bass rhythms followed by warped guitar sounds to infect your mind.

"Sweatshop" is the best track for me here. It's like Godflesh but slower and more mesmerizing! The rhythms and feedback never cease to amaze me. Final track "Easy Pickings" is basically some small sections assimilated into one for a fulfilling experience.

The day I start listening to Disconnected is a day my ears will never forget. Greymachine has blown me away with nothing but bleak destruction. Disconnected is one of the heaviest albums I've heard in the Fallen side of metal. While it's certainly not for the inexperienced, fans of industrial/drone metal should not miss out on this. This is the perfect pinnacle of slow-crawling noise to make your ears bleed and then get them healed!

Favorites: "Wolf at the Door", "When Attention Just Isn’t Enough", "We Are All F***ing Liars", "Sweatshop"

Cyber metal was originally developed by bands like The Kovenant and Deathstars as a more melodic electronic sibling of industrial metal. With that kind of underrated sound, why that subgenre isn't as popular as it should've been is far beyond me. And of course, we can't forget about the more epic new wave of cyber metal in bands like Mechina and Neurotech. But in between those eras is one band that would push the subgenre's development further, Sybreed.

If I were to think of what their debut Slave Design sounds like, I say it's like a continuation of Fear Factory's sound in Demanufacture with a bit of the melody of The Kovenant and the mechanism of Godflesh. While the album doesn't necessarily copy those bands, it can't really sweep the globe, and that's too bad, because it's so awesome!

Already blasting forward is the first and best song of the album, "Bioactive". Right there, you get to hear the members drive through sonic cyber/industrial metal without relying too much on electronics. Here we have the powerful drumming of Alex Anxionaz, showing a bit of Fear Factory influence, the gloomy vocals of Benjamin Nominet ranging from clean to harsh, the heavy guitar grooves of Drop, and the burning bass of Burn. "ReEvolution" is another cool cyber metal highlight with audibility in Burn's heavy bass. "Decoy" has less balance though, but the delivery appeals well to me when the music and vocals shine in the clean sections. The otherwise crushing riffing in "Synthetic Breed" seems to implode. And that's tough when it's a song named after both this band and another band named Synthetic Breed. But I still enjoy it!

The industrial machinery powers up better in "Next Day Will Never Come", another strong tune. We actually get some djent-ish groove that isn't as needlessly repetitive as some of the later modern djent bands out there. Now that's some catchy cyber/industrial metal to get you the f*** moving! "Machine Gun Messiah" continues the band's heavier side. "Take the Red Pill" has some more cyber metal action. The title even references the movie The Matrix. The heavy instrumentation and screamed vocals shall keep you awake from beginning to end.

"Rusted" has some decent atmosphere and experimentation. "Static Currents" starts off with some neat electronics, but when the metallic groove could've been better. "Critical Mass" is an interesting closing track. It starts off sounding almost like the second Embodyment album The Narrow Scope of Things, but it slowly rises into the usual cyber metal that Illidiance would later have. Epic! There are also a couple bonus radio edits, for "ReEvolution" and "Decoy", which we'll just ignore.

Slave Design shows how well the band can bring the sounds of earlier bands like Fear Factory and The Kovenant into a cool soundtrack to technological resistance. This is really great for the cyber/industrial part of my metal heart!

Favorites: "Bioactive", "ReEvolution", "Next Day Will Never Come", "Take the Red Pill", "Critical Mass"

It has only been during the past couple years when I started hearing of Killing Joke. I'm not too surprised since I've only been into industrial metal for a few years now and only a few of their albums are metal. But once I began my dive into some of their albums, I encountered some songs I wish I wasn't missing out on, and Killing Joke's self-titled 2003 comeback album (their second self-titled album after their 1980 debut) has a lot of them.

You can expect the usual industrial rock/metal action from the lineup of vocalist Jaz Coleman, guitarist Kevin "Geordie" Walker, and bassists Martin "Youth" Glover and Paul Raven (RIP Geordie and Raven). But who's the drummer for this album? Dave Grohl from Nirvana and Foo Fighters! I'm guessing the incident of Nirvana copying the riff from Killing Joke's song "Eighties" for their own "Come as You Are" has gone past both bands. Grohl thunders through with his drumming intensity, enhanced by producer Andy Gill (also RIP). Coleman and Walker have their typical vocal/guitar alternation.

"The Death & Resurrection Show" is the perfect album opener. Coleman encourages you to "put on your masks, and animal skins" before the powerful instrumentation rolls in. I heard this song is featured in the soundtrack for Need For Speed Underground 2. People following this band since their late 70s formation would have their minds blown. Then "Total Invasion" has some more lyrics poured out from the voice of Coleman, alongside Walker's guitar mayhem. This also occurs in the destructive highlight "Asteroid".

"Implant" is where the vocals seem to be more voice-threatening than metalcore screamers, especially with Coleman continues to scream even at times when the music has come to a halt. "Blood on Your Hands" is one of two groovy back-to-back highlights. The next one being "Loose Cannon", sounding both inspired and inspiring.

Up next, "You'll Never Get to Me" tackles different angles in newfound melody. We begin "Seeing Red" with some politically themed lyrics leftover from Democracy, "They're dropping bombs again, and they’re doing it in your name." Then "Dark Forces" has darker symphonics, though everything else sounds a bit forced. The finale "The House That Pain Built" is a cathartic standout within the mid-90s Metallica-like riffing and the chorus, "And when you need catharsis, because that’s how you’re made, you know."

After two pretty good industrial rock/metal albums and a long hiatus, Killing Joke strike back with a slight improvement in their furious self-titled comeback. Maybe one day I can check out their 2006 follow-up Hosannas from the Basements of Hell, but for now, let's savor the beauty and chaos of their return....

Favorites: "The Death & Resurrection Show", "Asteroid", "Blood on Your Hands", "Loose Cannon", "The House That Pain Built"

OK, what have I heard so far from Rammstein? I've listened to the albums Reise Reise and Zeit, and a dozen tracks used for the Sphere playlists. I hadn't entirely heard this breakthrough album Mutter yet, so why not? And this turned out to be really great for both an NDH album and an album with a singles-filled first half...

Mutter has been considered by many this popular German band's 3rd-time charm. You can hear a lot in the riffs and drums, along with some samples and the bass vocals of Till Lindemann. This band isn't one to take seriously, with their over-the-top lyrics, though they are quite meaningful. You'll know what I mean if you read the translations. And you can enjoy the catchy music whether or not you can understand the German lyrics.

"Mein Herz Brennt" ("My Heart Burns") opens the album beautiful with quiet singing by Lindemann. Then the solid verses kick off with guitar riffing side by side with string melody. The themes of angst and heartache are just beginning... "Links 2 3 4" (Left 2 3 4) is a more well-known single with political lyrics by the band to brush aside the earlier Nazi allegations, "They want my heart in the right place, but then I look below, it beats to the left." The music marches through, especially in the chorus with a more choral vibe. Not really enough to be a standout despite its goodness. "Sonne" (Sun) is the album's first single. The song was written for boxer Vitali Klitschko, but he never used it. After doing a boxing match referee-like count to 9 then "out". The catchiest riffing can be found here, followed by a melodic chorus, "Here comes the sun." Probably the best song of the album and by the band! Up next, "Ich Will" (I Want) is a great single as well. The keyboard/guitar rhythm is so catchy though can get tiring after many listens. This song of desire for fame has made a fantastic live staple.

When the sirens go off at the 40-second point of "Feuer Frei!" (Open Fire!), you're in for a ride. Actually this song would cause driving to be quite a challenge if you put it on your car stereo. It doesn't have much fire as I'm hoping for though. That intro is quite sick though. I could imagine Pitbull remixing this song, which is quite odd to imagine. And don't forget, that song was also in that Vin Diesel film xXx along with one of Hatebreed's songs, and in an earlier CSI episode. The title track is one more single, a sad ballad with a deep lyrical concept. A baby was born without a mother via an experiment and grows up lonely. The powerful chorus with its somber guitar melody and the repeated shouts of "Mother!" give the song more life. "Spieluhr" (Music Box) has a deeper baby-related lyrical concept. A stillborn baby that was buried in a music box (dug out and photographed for the album cover) is brought back to life. It both begins and ends with a music box melody, and the chorus features the distorted voice of one of Lindemann's children, to add more eeriness to the story. Plus, the solid verses have audible bass. So beautiful yet haunting! "Zwitter" (Hermaphrodite) is a heavier song to love. It has more furious riffing and some of the best and most bizarre lyrics of androgynous self-pleasure, "I'm not discouraged, when someone says 'f*** you' to me."

"Rein Raus" ("In Out") is never something I would enjoy lyrically, with the band's typical graphic sex-filled lyrics. The "Farther!" bridge is rather unsettling. The techno-ish intro leading into heavy riffing is pretty good. Despite that, not much of that song stands out for me. "Adios" (Goodbye) is an awesome song that should've been a single. There's interesting rhythm from the bass and drums. The guitar can really drive through. That song would've been made the best ending for the album, if not for... "Nebel" ("Fog"), a weak love ballad. I mean, I don't mind a metal album ending with a ballad, but it doesn't have the melancholic power of the title track. A poor letdown but it's still tolerable. "Hallelujah" is a bonus track in the Japanese edition, a slightly better way to head out than the previous track. Apparently, it's about a priest inappropriately touching an altar boy. Definitely too brutal for the more conservative/religious market. And the boy singing "Hallelujah" in the chorus once again makes things more eerie. 

Mutter can certainly be the ultimate starting point for anyone wanting to hear Rammstein for the first time. Any fan of Rammstein and NDH should give it a listen, maybe even follow it up with the more experimental Reise Reise....

Favorites: "Mein Herz Brennt", "Sonne", "Ich Will", "Spieluhr", "Zwitter", "Adios"

AAHHH Smells like a classic. Can't you smell it? When you read the titles? See the album art? Hear the screaming? the pounding repition of the snare in the track Pulp while the guitar wails behind it? Smells like dirty streets, burnt out garbage cans, and Disatissfaction.  Love it. The imagery is very strong when listening to this album.  Broaderick is very powerful in his delivery and messaging. Long hailed a pioneer of this sound, this album stands up as being just as heavy and enjoyable to listen to today which for something recorded in 89 is saying something considering how many artists these days continue to try and 'push the envelope'. Pack it in guys, Justin Broaderick basically invented the envelope decades ago and it remains unmatched by many sounds. Life is Easy is like the industrial version of a funeral doom dredge, just ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh   for 5 minutes ( bonus if you go ahhhhhh with it)  Then Streetclear picks up  with some more dynamic drum beats and to keep you hooked in.  Dead Head and  Suction finish the album with what I feel are very bass heavy tracks, as the vocal becomes more dissonant and pushed further away while the bass takes a more prominant roll in the mix to round out the album. While there are tracks on here that stand out as ' singles' ( Pulp, Locust Furnace)  I do think it is best enjoyed as a singluar listen start to finish. 

If you're at industrial bands with big names, Fear Factory is one of the first to be mentioned in many conversations. They're a group that if you look at their discography really has a solid sense of what they are about and have followed that path.  With the industrial sound really kind of brushing at the heels of pop culture at the time, Zero Signal getting to appear in the Mortal Kombat movie back then in the 90's was really an excellent oppurtunity for Fear Factory and honestly whats more fun than throwing on album like this an then crushing some noobs to a few rounds of MK? but I digress. The concept of this album, fighting back against the oppressive machines in control, really coming through with Herrara's POUNDING drums. The speed and precision of his beats absolutely annihilate you as the listener. The band was in fact accused of using a drum machine becuase of Herrara's precision, which is a back handed compliment if I ever heard one. The guitar is fine but honestly is second fiddle to the rhythm section ( which is fine by me, its what I want in industial music, excellent rhythm and drumming).  The Synth on this album adds to the athmosphere instead of becoming the centerpiece, or detracting from the brutality which is appreciated as a fan of heavy music. The vocals of Burton Bell are raw emotion fueled to drive thier message home, and the effects they have in the background only add the ambience. While I personally don't think this is their #1 album if I was ranking them( their follow up album Obselete is probably the favorite here) , its definately up there and worth the praise. Without the sucess of this album there would not be an Obselete, so there is that as well. If you don't have time for a full album listen to the tracks H-K (Hunter Killer), Body Hammer, and Pisschrist those I think were my top 3. 

OH BOY . What an album, what a journey.  You know, I started this listen very optimistic, the first track, I thought, hey, this isn't too bad, kinda rough production, underground sounding, experimental, lets keep going......but...it got worse not better, or even the same... The kazoo sounds in Body Horror  were a brave choice really but honestly were far better executed Frank Zappa when he used them. ( yes I know its actually a clarinet but its recording or technique or something left much to be desired) and then whatever followed in Lazarus that sounded sort of like a bad didgeridoo. The only piece after the opener that I didn't cringe during was Bloodstream ( before the minute and a half of heartbeat over violin pulls). As I continued to listen I had to wonder, " Is there only one  bass riff on this album?" Maybe, it felt like it. There was so little variation of it when it was featured that  i can still here the do do- do do do. pattern . ON driving the demons out I happened to exclaim outloud " OH BONGOS"  and my husband replied " Whats astonishing is no matter how many instruments you play, if you play them badly, its still bad and it doesn't matter if they keep adding more" honestly. That really resonated with me as I pondered what was happening. That sentence ties together this album pretty well as a thought. I actually LIKE noise, in general, but the composition of a lot of these tracks did not work for me as it felt forced and kind of pretentous when I listened to it. The sound was raw in a way like you didn't bake your chicken long enough, not in a way that made me feel any real emotion which was dissapointing for something that had so many people worked on in this outfit. After this album the only thing this band produced were some live albums. I looked into it becuase I had to see what was going on with them. Most of the band members don't even have wiki pages. or if they do they say " This person worked with Martin on God and maybe one of his other projects". Aside from Broaderick who is well known in his own right for Godflesh ( which is a much better outfit) and Martin himself who unfortunately went on to continue making music, although he shifted into calling himself The Bug and focused on becoming more of an electric/ dubstep guy. I gave this one star for really going for something here in the way that an elementry teacher gives all the students a gold star for trying their best. Good effort there boys. Go ahead though and keep the day jobs.

This was a very enjoyable album. This is the type of industrial album you can just throw on when you want to kick back with the boys and hang out which is what ultimately I did as I listened to this as  our friend biked over and my husband and he sat out on the patio with me jamming out to this album.  Front Line Assembly has a LARGE catalouge but this is really their  first foray into actual METAL if I recall and the array of sampling of the guitar riffs used throughout the album are excellent, from Sepultura to Pantera, the riffs  selected to be used by the duo help carry the heavy metallic sounds of their electronic instrumentation and vocals. This album is very danceable which is super fun, I love when the rivets pound out in a way that lets me get up and move. While the whole album is good I believe the stand out tracks are the title track -Millenium and Division of Mind. The rap track, Victim of a Criminal is also excellent  IMO and whle some may protest its place as I told my listening companions yesterday who were confused and thought the album changed , this is an industrial album what would it be without a singular track somewhere in the middle that doesn't seem to fit in with any of the others sonically as a statement piece? And if you don't like this album? Give it another try, because I'm an American and you're a sick asshole ;)

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

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

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

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

I've totally forgotten about this one-off side-project by MC Raaka Pee of Turmion Katilot. He continues his vocal talents here with co-vocalist HC CSD (Linda Karhu), and several different vocalists with their own contributions...

2 Times Terror continues the techno-industrial metal of Turmion Katilot. While many of the lyrics are in Finnish, some English lyrics are added to the writing. They have the skills to appeal to fans of dance music or metal or both. It is the vocal aggression of MC Raaka Pee that makes it clear that listeners are hearing the dance-y sounds of Turmion Katilot in a different side-project.

Already making use of Turmion Katilot's roots in the opening "D.E.A.D." They know how to make electronic rhythms like The Berzerker but without any speed-grind. What's different compared to Turmion Katilot is the use of female vocals. All in all, we have an excellent piece of electro-metal with both male and female vocals. A well-done example of opposites attract! "Lust" sounds like it has some leftover electronics from Waltari's Space Avenue. The Finnish lyrics in "Kuoleman Kehdossa" (In the Cradle of Death) are a bit unclear, though they work out fine. "Forever Mine" sounds so cool with the drop C tuned riffing of metalcore bands like Atreyu, Of Mice & Men, Phinehas, and Shadows Fall, while strictly being the album's usual techno-industrial metal.

The title track has slower melody. "Maailman Tuomari" (Judge of the World) is less melodic in the chorus, though it has intriguing Rammstein vibes. Next up, "Metalorgy" is a great standout. The riffing from USCH! is mixed together with higher screamed vocals to add more uniqueness to the vocal stylings of MC Raaka Pee with catchy surprises. The only song to surpass that is "Ikävässä Paikassa" (In a Bad Place) which is a high-quality climatic piece of dance-metal. The keyboards and guitars are in perfect union. It may be too accessible for pure metalheads, but it absolutely rules!

"Vaateet" (Clothing) is a dance-y cover of a song by Finnish punk rocker Maukka Perusjätkä, helped out by Maukka himself. "Vielä Joskus" (Sometimes Again) is a great track that should've ended up in a Turmion Katilot album. I probably would love this track more if the lyrics were in English and they did not have the bridge with the baby noises before the final chorus. The bonus remix of "Forever Mine" is pretty nice, though it can't beat the original.

All in all, the sole album by 2 Times Terror is filled with catchy accessible techno-industrial metal for anyone wanting to hear metal mixed with EDM. As great as it is though, this is around the time when Turmion Katilot are at a lower quality than their many of their surrounding albums, as you can hear in Perstechnique from the following year....

Favorites: "D.E.A.D.", "Forever Mine", "Metalorgy", "Ikävässä Paikassa", "Vielä Joskus"

Bad Omens was rocket-launched into popularity with their 3rd album The Death of Peace of Mind, mainly due to one of its singles "Just Pretend" being used a lot in TikTok. Their next album, Concrete Jungle [The OST] continues what they have in that album with more experimentation than before...

Since there are people who often compare the band's self-titled debut with Bring Me the Horizon's Sempiternal, if we continue that comparison path, this would make the Concrete Jungle release Bad Omens' very own Music to Listen to, a remix album based on their previous one (Think we'll get a concept EP and album later?). Anyway, one third of the album has new tracks, the second third has remixes, and the final third has live versions. I'm just gonna go with the new tracks, which I consider the main meat.

"C:\Projects\CJOST\BEATDEATH" is an odd intro, but it works well for the game's main menu. Then the actual album with "V.A.N.", a kick-A collab with Poppy. To paraphrase part of the first verse, it gets more powerful every minute. Although Poppy's vocals are both beautiful and wicked, it would've been nice to hear from Bad Omens vocalist Noah Sebastian as well, but the song is still perfect. The lyrics are so disturbing yet intriguing ("Isn't it strange to create something that hates you?" "I AM DEATH AND I AM NOT ALONE!!!!"). "The Drain" features Health and Swarm. The cyber sound of Health lets Noah flow through fittingly. Dark disco metal???? Sure seems like it!

Turning things around with rapping is "Terms & Conditions", led through by Bob Vylan (anyone here almost misread his name as Bob Dylan?), "Who they killing, when they making a killing". The production is quite clear, though the track doesn't really stand out well when it's just industrial hip-hop. Wargasm strikes on in "Heondist [Recharged]", packed with synths as heavy as the guitars. I've already heard of Wargasm via their remixes with Enter Shikari and Crossfaith. Milkie Way's vocals are more hyper than a sugar-buzzed cheerleader, and that's what I like there! Then we have a synthpop-ballad-ish track in "Even". Interlude "Loading Screen" is definitely what you would expect from an old-school PlayStation loading screen.

Really peaking at the height of the album is "Anything > Human", a collaboration with ERRA. The guest appearances by that progressive metalcore band's two vocalists shine as beautiful as Noah's vocals. An absolute favorite of mine that should be heard by future generations! We then have the long instrumental "Digital Footprint" that can once again be the music for a video game's loading screen. Still it doesn't harm the album's quality so much. Finally, iRis.EXE lends her vocal beauty to "Nervous System" with some of the strongest lyrics to go with a steady beat, "You want to hurt me?"

Again, the remixes and live performances are a separate thing from the main album, so I don't plan on going into that. Even then, Concrete Jungle is quite strange while worth having your heart and mind embrace its material. The guests are well-chosen without a doubt. Poppy, Health, Wargasm, ERRA, iRis.EXE... How can they not be liked? If the Death of Peace and Mind era really ends with this album, it's a pretty solid ending. Though the long-time fans may be uncertain of the band's possible future direction....

Favorites: "V.A.N", "The Drain", "Heondist [Recharged]", "Anything > Human", "Nervous System"

Meh - Basic. Not a fan of the ton choices. Mix is fairly muddy, Angsty teens probably like it. 
The problem with modern tech is that most anyone can cut a record and release it now. A good 20 years into it and we get flooded with mediocrity like this.
This would be much better with better ton choices and arranging. As it stands... Meh, decent, but not worth a second listen  

I liked this. It was kinda weird. I'd never listened to  Dodheimsgard before this and so I had to do my research while I was listening to find this was thier first foray into industrial/avant-garde type music while being only black metal before this, and while I have not at this point listened to their earlier stuff, I'm going to guess that was a good move. I am quite the enjoyer of what what some may call 'noise' music and so this had enough elements of that to tickle my fancy. While some songs went on a bit long ( and could have had a greater impact i think slightly shorter) Shiva Interfere, Carpet Bombing, and Completion were all lovely listens and with my research the glazing of  thier most recent album by others online, Black Medium Current,  landed it on my list to check out to see if they further developed thier industrial sound that they delved into on this album here. While many songs may seem disjointed both sonically and theme ( my husband asked my multiple times if I was listening to the same album from across the room throughout not believeing I was as it kept shifting so drastically if that is any indication of the tonal changes) - I really like that kind of change up and will check out more of thiei work to see if they polished this (lack of) formula.

This is not an album you listen to to get pumped. That being said, Author and Punisher is a band that I will say I have seen live, and far prefer in a live setting. I saw Tristan several years ago now in a pretty small and intimate venue setting and quite enjoyed the whole set, I was enraptured by the music as in a live setting this type of droning music is able to fully encapsulate your senses and you are able to see Tristan's wizardry with his self created  instrumentation tools on stage.  Seriously, if you ever get the chance, go check it out. That said, a lot of that charm is lost in a recording and while I find this to be above average drone and nice to listen to as I took a lie back and relaxed, many of the pieces on the album do not stand out to me. The introduction piece isn't catching, and really, after O'er Skies, which I found to be the most singularly memerable of the individual tracks,  the instrumentals are fine. Tristan does amazing things with this set up but honestly, go find yourself a video recording of him play or better yet, if you can catch a live show . If you're looking for some decent background music or something to relax to then this is a pretty good number, but in my opinion knowing what this music can sound like, this album feels a bit lackluster to really get me o'er the precipice.