Industrial music reviews

Listen to this album and Filter's SHORT BUS back to back and hear the similarities. Particularly on "Hey Man, Nice Shot" and "Ungod." You see, Stabbing Westward started with a guitarist, I forget his name, who would leave after UNGOD and join Filter just in time for SHORT BUS. It appears he took his riffs with him.

The first is always the best, well... in this case it is. Stabbing Westward is one my favorite rock bands, its to bad they broke up, but this album in my opinion is their best album. Its much more heavy in terms of industrial rock than the other four albums they did and when you compare it to their last album the band does not even sound same. Chris halls voice is a lot different in this album then the other three albums they did(especially the last album, althought chris's voice is slighly similar between UNGOD and Wither Blister & Peel) My favorite songs in order are THROW, UNGOD, NOTHING, CAN'T HAPPEN HERE, LIES, CONTROL, ACF, LOST and whatever rest tracks that are left are good too. My second favorite Stabbing Westward album is Wither Blister Burn & Peel, then Darkest Days and then their self titled album which i didnt really like, except a couple of tracks.

then watered down NIN is great.

While probably not their most diverse album (I would give the nod to Darkest Days) this is probably right up there with Darkest Days as their best. If nothing else, it's their most depressing.

Lost, which is pretty much an intro to Control is great, and Control doesn't break the momentum. 'Nothing' would be a heck of a lot better if they rewrote the insessive, 'I don't want it, I don't need it' lyrics (I heard you the first 10 times Chris)..

Acf is a great lead up to the meat of the album, which consists of Lies, Ungod, Throw, and Violent Mood Swings. Throw is by far the best track on the CD. An angst riddled, depressing song that just never seems to let up.

Red and White and Can't Happen Here bring the tone of the album down to an even more depressing state. In fact, by the end of Can't Happen Here, you pretty much really don't want to do anything except listen to the CD again...

So do yourself a favor.. Go ahead and buy this CD. If you don't want to listen to it know, put it away until that 'special little lady' rips your heart out, throws it on the ground and stomps all over it. Then get it out and play it. Will it help? No. Will it make you feel any better? No, but it will give you a better excuse for being so d@mn depressed.

This is probably among the most best band of today, or at LEAST lyrically, they are miles ahead of many musicians today, Standing is extremely emotive, beautiful, the lyrics are great throughout this whole CD, heck all the melody on this cd, along with his voice, is all outstanding, it's sad that this cd or Futureperfect isn't on the Rolling Stones 500 greatest cd's of all time, especailly considering some of the cd's they have on it that don't even compare with VNV

At some point in 2005, someone recommended that I give VNV Nation a listen and suggested that I find "Matter + Form" first. I agreed and was satisfactorily impressed, but I had the nagging feeling that there was something more to this group than what that album had let onto. I dug a little deeper and discovered "Empires," and rather than being mildly content with my find, I was blown away. "Empires" was everything I had wanted from an electronic music album but had previously been unable to find.

Basically, there are two types of songs on "Empires": one type is slow, soft, introspective, and comparatively rare; the other type is fast, hard, (still) introspective, and thankfully abundant. The interesting thing about "Empires" (and VNV Nation in general) is that while much of the music possesses obvious electronic pop sensibilities (familiar chord-progression patterns and common rhythms, for example) the music never becomes accessible enough to qualify as "pop." The song "Rubicon" is perhaps the perfect example of this; the song moves along at a galloping speed, has a catchy chorus, irresistable arpeggiated chords that bring to mind Tangerine Dream sped up to 180 BPM, and a set of lyrics that any songwriter should be jealous of. And despite all of these factors, the song, the album, the band are all too cerebral, too Apollonian, simply too above it all to appeal to most of the plebs who dance the night away to derivative electro in darkened rooms under chemical enhancement. The pulsating instrumental "Saviour" is the song that comes closest to being a rave hit, but still manages to impress upon the listener that there is more going on here than music designed to get one's body moving. Harsher tracks populate the second half of the album, reaching their climax with the angry, determined "Darkangel" and then falling into the abyss with the calm, contemplative "Arclight," which completes the circle of the album by lengthening and adding a vocal line to the instrumental "Firstlight" that began the album. This structuring is significant because the album is meant to portray the lifespan of a generic empire (although arguably one based almost entirely on Caesar's Rome). In this, the album suceeds admirably, as the excellent lyrics prove.

The only negative about "Empires" is the fifth track, "Fragments." It is atonal and dissonant, lacking any but the most superficial similarity to the far more sophisticated tracks on the album. It sounds not unlike several tracks on the band's follow-up "Futureperfect," but given the greatness of the other 9 tracks, a single misstep is easily forgivable. Being one of my top 5 favorite albums from any genre, "Empires" is highly recommended to anyone who appreciates electronic music that is more than a catchy beat.

Really, I only wanted to add a review to argue a previous reviewers 1 star rating. Especially concerning lyrics/vocal style.

The way Ronan sings is amazingly good in my personal opinion. It is more like someone rhythmically saying a poem than "singing". In fact, in the most recent album he stretches his vocal presentation and I hate it. I much prefer the vocal style of Empires.

That being said, Empires is an amazing album. A good 80% of these songs are VNV Nation classics. Anyone who enjoys EBM or just great musicality will find this a rewarding experience and a constant on their playlists.

I found out about this CD roughly 10 years ago and it still gets regular play and is a necessary addition to anyone who is a fan of hard rock and/or Black Sabbath. I really enjoyed some of the spins put on some of the songs and the creativity added that enhanced some of the originals. Some of these songs actually sound better than the originals and most of them tend to hit harder. This is how I have them rated in iTunes and on my iPod based on the 5 star system:

After Forever (5) - Great opening song, excellent guitar work.

Children of the Grave (5) - Hit it dead on with the update to the original, standout vocals.

Paranoid (5) - Sped up considerably from the original, and works very well.

Supernaut (4) - Good job on the intro and music, just seems a bit long, but hardcore industrial fans will appreciate it maybe a bit more than I do. Probably a 5 if it was condensed a bit, at 6:42 it just drags by the end.

Iron Man (3) - One of Sabbath's classics, just didn't buy this remake with Ozzy. Doesn't really do anything to improve upon the original, but considering the song itself, it's not going to drop too low. Not terrible.

Lord of This World (2) - Didn't care for the original much, nor this one. CoC did a good job of not butchering it, I just think it's a weak song to begin with, would have rather seen them do some other songs, as they're a solid band that got their talent wasted with this one.

Symptom of the Universe (5) - I really enjoyed this one, it's getting criticism from people on here, the guitar part at the end is vintage and brings it back down, thought it was overall good creative spin put to the song. I generally don't dig the whole death metal voice thing, either.

The Wizard (5) - Favorite cut on the album, driving, and i'd say better than the original. The vocals are phenomenal, couldn't have been done any better.

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (5) - Probably a close second to the Wizard, this one is amazing as well, and probably another upgrade to the original song.

N.I.B. (5) - Classic bassline, vocals could have been a little cleaner and maybe mixed a little better, but not bad at all.

War Pigs (Live) (5) - There's another cover of War Pigs on a Faith No More studio album that is worth catching if you enjoyed this one. I like both, it's a hard song to pull off.

Black Sabbath (4) - Very well done, a good closer to the album, does justice to the original.

Overall, the album gets a 5, and i'd recommend it to even casual Sabbath fans. You won't be disappointed, and the price is probably fairly low by now.

The primary reason that I own this CD is Type O Negative's remake of the song Black Sabbath (which Type O Negative included in their Least of the Worst compilation, albeit with altered lyrics). While the other cover songs are fine, they all pale in comparison to Type O Negative's Black Sabbath (From the Satanic Perspective). It astonishes me that Type O Negative was considered a mere add-on to a list of 'great names'. None of the other bands pull off their individual cover as unrelentingly dark and powerful as Type O Negative.

Black Sabbath truly is the greatest metal band of all time. So it is no surprise that all of the rockers on this compliation were motivated by Sabbath to do what they do today. Whether they get in the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame or not Black Sabbath is really a legend. A HEAVY METAL LEGEND.

Let's face it, fans of the artist: While NIN has a lot of worthy material, the "Pretty Hate Machine" singles were only made for completists. Where others sometimes had authentic B-sides/covers, and actual interesting remixes, this was from a time when "interesting" and "remix" were an oxymoron.

I'm not a big fan of remixes, and I'll admit that the majority of the rest of the disc is very average, especially coming from NIN. "Get Down Make Love" raises the thing up a star. It's a pretty good cover of Queen that does not try to ape Queen. This song is the only thing that most people usually mention on the single, too. There are also three uninteresting remixes of "Sin", but I sort of like that "dub" mix. It's nice to think of "Sin" as a dub song. I am not a purist who hates this song being turned into a dance song, as I think it could have been worse. But if you must buy a single from this era, I must direct you to "Head Like a Hole". "The Downward Spiral" era was the only real time when the singles were worth owning, save the occasional exception. Besides, if you bought it, well... you bought it and it's there for something. And having just 4 tracks cannot be too bad.

Halo 4, Sin, the 3rd and final single lifted from the NIN debut Album pretty hate machine [halo 2]. This was my personel favorite song from the cd and the single lived up to it. Here are ratings (out of 5) for each song.

[1]Sin (Long) 4/5-The title is no lie, this song is long and a little drawn out. But the positive thing is most of the length is song. The only flaw is there is a 30 second outro that is just one or two distorted electric guitar notes. But this song is very good none the less.

[2]Sin (dub) 3/5-A very hard instrumental with lots of uneeded length. The only vocals in this song are trent screaming "lies" or "sin". The slowest song on the album.

[3]Get Down, Make Love 5/5-Wow, even though this is already a queen song, trent remixed it perfectly. It is a nice fast paced song with a great beat. The only flaw is it has a very strange intro.

[4]Sin (short) 5/5-This is pretty much the album version. I love not only the words in this song but the beat is amazing. I think this is among Trent's top works and it is one of the best songs of the late 80's.

Yes even though this is a short single clocking only 20 minutes it is very good. In the future look for more of my reviews, entitled "I'm Listening To A Halo A Night, Tonight...", soon you should find all of these except Closure [12] because I am waiting for the DVD.

Not much to say, three bad-ass mixes of "sin" plus a cover of some....Also if u dont already, PHM , DWN SPRL , FRGL , BRKN , ....

If you're already a Ministry fan, you'll like this album. Not their best work but very good. The more I listen to it, the more I like it. There aren't any tracks that I would consider "killer" (except maybe No W). Some are a little weak. I'd probably give it three stars if I weren't already such a fan.

P.S. Their live show is awesome. Only then can you get the true Ministry experience.

Following on from there last album "Animositisomina" this album sees Al and crew really to pick up the pace in terms of quality and style. This album as a whole is really just background music to Al Jourgensen's seething diatribe about the state of America in general. You can almost see the bile dripping from the speakers as you listen to tracks like "Wrong" sample lyric " You're like a rapist with a target in sight, democracy". From the blitzkrieg intro of "No W" to the fade out mexican groove of "Worm" this album is some of the best stuff "Ministry" have produced in a while. Highly recommended

Al Jourgensen has had a rough time. After his life spiralled out of control due to drug addiction, all seemed lost for the founding member of one the most influential industrial bands the world has ever seen. Not only did his life become consumed by his addiction, but his music took a turn for the worse, with everything he's done since 1992's truly amazing "Psalm 69" being inconsistent at best.
But Al's back, and with him comes Ministry. "Houses of the Mole" is an album with a purpose. It's one big scathing attack on George Bush and his need for war. With nearly every song beginning with the letter "w", heaps of Bush quotes and anti-war lyrics, Al has made his message extremely clear. But it's the music that I was most interested in when I received "Houses of the Mole". Would it be a continuation of the uninspired work of the late 90s, early 00s? Or would it be a return to the glory days for Ministry?
The answer is definitely the latter! Industrial beats, awesome heavy riffs, powerful bass, venomous vocals and samples galore, this is Ministry in their prime. But there is something interesting that stands out when listening to this beast. It's fairly obvious that Al sees "Psalm 69" as some of his best work, and he has used it as his inspiration for this latest attempt. The album has a similar structure and includes a few tracks that cannot be called rip-offs of his earlier work, but can definitely be labelled sequels. "WTV" is the most obvious one, being a superior, but nonetheless similar track to "TV". "No W" is the new "N.W.O.". "World" is the mid album slower track ala "Scarecrow". There's even a track called "Psalm 32"!
Yet ever since "Psalm 69" blew me away in 1992, I have wished Ministry would release another album like it, so I just can't blame Ministry for doing this, nor do I feel it negates the effectiveness of "Houses of the Mole". This is a great album in its own right and one that's full of validity to the world we live in. It's both a statement against the current American way and an inspiring example of successful rehabilitation. Welcome back Al.

I'm always surprised when I read bad reviews of this album, especially when they come from longtime SP fans. "The Process" is my favorite with "The last rights". In my opinion, SP have always been about evolution and that's precisely what this album is about. It's a beautiful, sad and brave release. I couldn't care less if they use guitars or not as long as the music doesn't disappoint. And it doesn't, it sounds amazing, so very different from anything else.
Ogre is terrific as always while Cevin and Dwayne (r.i.p.) put out their most emotional music.
Yes this is not the same old Puppy (cold and industrial) but it seems that, for this ultimate release (at least with the classic line-up), they have decided to let their heart speak. The music is so hard to describe : somewhere between industrial, metal, electronica, goth and techno. The best requiem from one of the best bands ever.

This cd is worth it for the song "Death" alone. If you like this cd then i suggest you check out "SunnyPsyOp" by OhGr.

What more can possibly be said about the amazing industrial/electronic band that was Skinny Puppy? All of their albums are amazing, but this is the first one I bought and for a final album, I must say they could not have picked a better note to go out on. I guess after 13 years and the tragic death of original member Dwayne a year before this cd's release, the Puppy boys just decided to call it quits. They must have known they were entering that studio for one last masterpiece...and that is just what this album is...a masterpiece. From the off-the-wall sample-driven opener "Jahya" to experimentals such as "Candle" and to the awesome "ballad"(?) of "Cult" this cd shows every side of Skinny Puppy, from the abrasive, noisy industrial that they were known for back in the day, and the more melodic side they showed by the end of their careers, every song paints a dark, desolate picture of it's own unique brilliance. Songs like "Death" go back to the heavier, more guitar-driven band the old school fans will know and love, and "Amnesia" (probably my favorite on this cd) is once again, showing somewhat more of their melodic side. I would highly recommend this to anybody new to this awesome band, but then again, I'd say that about ANY Puppy album. Buy this now, you will not regret it. I hope you fall in love with it as I did. Cheers, Skinny Puppy; take a bow, you deserve it. (RIP)

Im not sure if the Tea Party intended on making this album an almost commercial record or whether it just came naturally after simplifying things a little more.One thing still stand though and that is that this is a great album (in my view better than the edges of twilight).It still has the same flavour as the earlier albums but is a little simpler and easier to listen to,Its also good to hear the vocalists voice change a round a little more.The songs are not quite as long and alot more mellow but in this case its not a bad thing.If you are new to the Tea Party my advice would be buy this one and work your way down the list.

This is another great album from The Tea Party. Definately the most mellow of all their albums. It's obviously the most popular also since it has made the most $ and has had the most media play as of yet. I actually rarely listen to this album do to it's overplay on the radio but none the less it is an excellent piece of my music collection. GREAT BAND, GREAT MUSIC!

I really can't say enough good things about this band. Triptych is another very worthy effort, perhaps their most mature work. Tea Party is kind of like a modern version of the Doors. The talent is phenomenal. It's really uncanny, but lead singer/guitarist Jeff Martin looks, talks, and sings like Jim Morrison; the organist (or pianist/bassist) looks, talks, and plays like the Doors keyboardist Daniel Manczarek; and the drummer looks--well, at least talks, like the drummer for the Doors. But Tea Party is COMPLETELY original, let me stress this point. The music is known for its many-layered quality--alternative/industrial rock, folks, Eastern music, classical--all wrapped up in one. This album has a lot of great songs, including "Heaven Coming Down" and "Gone", the latter being one you play for your girlfriend and she tells you "oh, thats so beautiful" .

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

This is their best lp. "Salt in our wounds", "In joy and sorrow", "Pretending", "Please don't let it go", are all great pop tunes. A must buy for any HIM fan.

This is a fantastic album. Very upbeat with hidden dark passages...much like Freddy And The Dreamers of the 1960's.

This is a great album to listen to time and time again....it sounds different each time I play it. Beautiful and very soft and mello.

Cuckoo ForCeltic

I am a new HIM fan and Deep Shadows & Brilliant Highlights is my first HIM purchase. It is well worth the money. Each song is beautifully written. Favorite tracks would have to be Close to the Flame, Salt in our Wounds, Don't Close Your Heart. The melodrama and darkness of Love You Like I Do is so intense that you feel as if in a trance listening to it. Ville's voice is amazing, great range. These songs will be stuck in your head and you'll be humming them all day!

This average industrial group Lollipop Lust Kill does steal from other bands. I can't believe this album has a 4.5 star average! Why? They just steal from other awesome bands and make something completly unoriginal. Even the lyrics, which are really the only good part of this band are unoriginal. And can you think of a more lame title than "My So Called Knife"? Don't think so. To quote that idiot "Damien" Evvy Pedder is not a good vocalist. He screams like an idiot and his voice isn't scary at all, it's just sh i t. And to quote that Amazon review, "On its brutal new album My So Called Knife, aggro sextet Lollipop Lust Kill takes a wild ride on the dark side, combining pummeling modern guitars with moments of eerie tranquility." What the fu c k?! This album is not brutal at all and this album is just super stereotypical not filled with eerie tranquility! I give it 1 star for the pretty good bass work of D. Human and another star for the cover of "Personal Jesus" although the Marilyn Manson version is much better. Instead of this listen to Tool, Nine Inch Nails, or Ministry instead.

I just came across this band on Amazon recently. I've never heard of them before, much less any of their music. Since I'm open to all kinds of new music and artists, I decided to check out their only album, "My So-Called Knife". I'm glad I did. The vocalist, Evvy Pedder, is very versatile. He's diverse in his delivery, keeping the album from being boring and monotonous. The album never really falls flat anywhere; it makes for a great listen all the way through. "Black All Over" has an extremely catchy chorus, the type that'll stay in your head for days. "Knee Deep In The Dead" is my personal favorite on the album. Speaking about murder and other related things, this cut has a verse that will make you sing along everytime. "Like A Disease" is another favorite of mine. The track is all about being deceived in a relationship. I can definitely relate. "Everything I" has Pedder taking on a more gothic, slower approach in his verses, and then leads into a monstrous chorus. The cover of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" is a great one, doing the original song justice. "Father" starts off with intense screaming vocals, and the song ends with repeated chants of "Kill My Father!". Another one of my favorite songs on the album. As I've already said, however, no song really disappoints. "Perfect Woman" is another song that takes on a more gothic sound. I'd recommend any fan of metal or rock music to check this out, for it's definitely worth your money. You don't have to skip a single track, they are all good. Go ahead and pick this up, for it's almost perfect.

First off brilliant album, lyrically and musically they are so far ahead of the game it ain't even funny. As far as the other reviews are concerned, I don't get it...to say they steal from all these other bands is rediculous...I mean how many different sounds are there...everyone steals from everyone in that sense, that's how you grow. ANyways, from the intro to the outro 'My So Called Knife' will suck you in and never let go. This is one of the only albums I can listen to repeatedly and not get sick of. Eddy has a sick voice, I mean scares the hell out of me! 'Black all Over' starts us off to a great start, and 'Like a Disease' keeps it going. Standouts to me are 'Knee Deep in the Dead' which lyrically is NOT for children (talking about killing and raping and such) and 'Everything I' which is the best song here...different and brilliant in everyway. 'Sad Excuse for a Grip' and the just plain brutal cover of Depeshe Modes 'Personal Jesus' are fantastic, the later turning out to be one of the best covers I've ever heard (blows Manson's out of the water). I don't understand the bad reviews...so listen to me and check this album out...I'm pretty sure you'll like it. I mean, if you reading this review then you're interested and thats a good start. My only question is where the heck are these guys? They had such an awesome debut I mean, the have to follow it up with something...right?

This, FF's first official release, showcases a very different sound from the subsequent ones. My personal favorite, this disc has consistently brutal dirges of heavy vocals and equally intense assaults on the instrumental front. But the shining moments arise with the sparing use of clean sounds:
Martyr - The quiet chords behind the verses and the childlike vocal droning in the bridge are the fundamental components of the song.
Scapegoat - Riff and vocals harmonize beautifully.
Scumgrief - Chorus composed of bone-chilling guitar and vocal lines.
Suffer Age, Escape Confusion - Intros of both songs build huge suspense and tension.
Dino Cazares truly shows his skill at making memorable riffs from only a few dissonant power chords, something that became somewhat drowned in the flood of electronic experimentality that followed. Also, Bell's vocals are very intense and straightforward, unlike the retarded sounds found in later tunes like "Shock" and "Contagion". This album fails to age, and if this type of music is within your frequency, it is a disc that you will find to be listenable at any time.

This cd's Fear Factory death-indust metal side.The song's lyrics are depressing and the music was dark,but very awesome.The synthesizer sounds are gloomy,and sometimes scary,but impressive.Guitar riffs are good,drums not bad,in a few songs too simple,but it isn't a big dissapointing thing.The vocals are heavy...Burton's not a Corpsegrinder (Cannibal Corpse) but he's voices are good,and the singing is very clean.My 3 favourite songs int this cd : Crisis,Big God-raped souls,and Self Immolation ."Soul of a New Machine" isn't an other "Demanufacture",but talented and original album.

NOTE!: This isn't the radio friendly rapping Fear Factory. This is FF as a death metal/industrial beast. The album starts off with the kick a$$ 'Martyr' and things pick up. It's followed by the ok 'Leechmaster' but the follow up to 'Leechmaster', 'Scape Goat', could very well be the heaviest song on the album. Then it's followed by my favorite song on the album, 'Crisis'. In the middle of the song we hear samples of 'Full Metal Jacket', over bass. The results are pretty chiling. Next, 'Crashtest', starts off with some weird sampling. It ends with the sound of a guy screaming directly into a microphone or something. The next few song that kicka$$ on the album are 'Lifeblind', 'Scumgrief', 'Big God Raped Souls', and 'Escape Confusion'. 'Confusion', the begining is very chiling. It begins with Dino's guitar giving the riff and Burton growling lowly "Escape........Con.....fusion..".

In short, get this album. It was released on Roadrunner Records in the early 90's, the same label that offered Machine Head's "Burn My Eyes", Sepultura's "Chaos A.D.", Biohazard's "Urban Disicpline", and for something different, Type O Negative's "Bloody Kisses". If you enjoyed those albums, then check this out. BTW: I'M REALLY 14