Industrial music reviews

FLA was for a long time at the forefront of electronica/ambient industrial beats before Peterson, Leeb & Fulber created new sounds from old cloth with their side projects the two that made it were Noise Unit and Delerium. FLA however has been around since 1989 when Fulber and Leeb came together and mixed many albums since then. With age and experience and their many side projects they have fulfilled many fans delight.
This album 'Implode' is my second taste of FLA, having purchased this album through amazon from the reviews. It is not a bad album at all but my one complaint is that it runs out of steam after song 6. Hence the 4 stars only. In saying this the first 5 songs are monumental successes and will tantalize any fan of strong industrial and electronica themes. Many of the early on songs like Prophecy, Falling and Synthetic Forms are soft dance rhythms.
I enjoyed the first part of this album and I am now a fan of FLA.

This is an AMAZING sample recording! So far I've caught snippets from "The Matrix", "Ravenous", "Alien", Depeche Mode, New Order, and I'm sure many many more to come as I listen to this for the first time! Very cool, though! Definitely not 5 stars because it relies on those samples too much, but uses them VERY well! I'm a big Front 242 and NIN fan, so thought I should listen more to the BIG NAMES. These guys are good, but rely too much on SAMPLES. Prophecy track is awesome! (big "Matrix", "Ravenous" and New Order samples in that one... Maybe some "Rawhead Rex" for that weird roar sound...)

P.S. I don't think this can really be considered a full Industrial work...
Listening to 'Synthetic Forms' now. Has samples from "Alien", "Brain Storm" and "Contact... whew......... oh, and 'Dangerous' by Depeche Mode... damn! Yes, WAY too many samples to rely on.

and then I heard this brilliant gem which took my breath away. I've been a long-time fan of FLA since the early days and they keep evolving (albeit with a few exceptions), but this release is amazing, simply amazing. It combines the best of all their side projects and then some. I love every song (they're all different) but #3 is the true standout in my opinion. I can listen to it over and over, never tiring and hear something different each time. The samples don't bother me, in fact they add an interesting edge, same with the vocals, from actual singing to subliminally whispered darkness; love it! This cd is also the hands-down perfect one to listen to on long dark evening drives... it's mezmerizing, hypnotic, melodic with a harsh edge, dark, moody and beautiful. Simply perfect.

If you're looking for variety, you would do well to purchase "Songs in the Key of X". Being a fan of "The X-Files" would probably help, but it's not neccesarily required. Where else could you find Sheryl Crow, Rob Zombie, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins all in the same place? Not only is this album a worthy soundtrack to one of the great shows of the 1990's, it's also an interesting collection of music that you probably don't get to hear quite often. While there are some big-name musicians like Foo Fighters, REM, and Sheryl Crow (as mentioned above), their contributions to "Songs In the Key of X" are significantly different from their more popular songs. REM's contribution is noteworthy, for it features novelist William S. Burroughs reciting the vocals to their song 'Star Me Kitten' with music done by the band. It's a moment that's as strange as anything Burroughs devised for one of his novels. While this song doesn't have much in common with the show, it's still one of the finer tunes on here.

In addition to mainstream alternative rock, there's also music by bands who didn't quite make it to the top. Meat Puppets and Soul Coughing both offer up musical tributes to paranormal phemonena, while the normally aggressive Filter tones things down a bit with their song 'Thanks Bro'. Not the best song on this album, but it's worth a glance if you're a fan of this particular group.

While this album earns points for its eclectic lineup of artists and the high quality of the music featured on it, some of the songs are total disappointments. Danzig's 'Deep' is a monotonous dirge about evil, while PM Dawn's version of the infamous X-Files theme just doesn't compare to Mark Snow's original. While PM Dawn's other song on the album is quite good (the lyrics are from Chris Carter himself), they were the wrong band to do a remake of the theme. Still, "Songs In the Key of X" is an album that could be appreciated by anyone who enjoys music that differs from what's usually heard on the radio and other assorted mediums. It's definitely a worthier purchase than the soundtrack to the X-Files movie, which is a little more commercial than it should have been.

i always wanted to but this when i was a kid, it got some kick ass tunes on it

Fantastic songs here collected beside fantastic artists, each one a bold and artistic masterpiece. Artists include R.E.M., Nick Cave, Sheryl Crow and a William S. Burroughs' take on "Star Me Kitten" that you will not soon forget. For sure an adult album, appreciated only by the outsider or paranormal-infatuated abductee-wannabe, or artist with the respect for briliance. The music is hard to classify, as it usually borders between rock and alterative, sometimes to the acoustic-style soft rock-meets-techno hybred. The music is so well-recorded and performed that it is often hard to imagine that it is nearly ten years old. I think that age will only add to the deeply hard core occult factor of this music, which can truly be discribed as the genuine article.

Okey, so I'm rambeling. It's incredible music! (Not the kind you listen to once and throw away!) My favs here would include "Man of Steel" by Frank Black, "My Dark Life" by Elvis Costello and "If you never say goodbye" by P.M. Dawn, but I love each and every one of these songs intimately. In short, Songs In the Key of X is an occult gem. So turn down the lights, put all chores aside, lay back, crank up the volume and let your imagination be guided along a seamy world of dark paranormal suspicion, lonely fear and optimistic intrigue. My god, the more I think about it the better I really realize that it is! (Rambeling again!)

So enjoy!

I had forgotten about this band. I had really liked the couple of songs from this album that were on the radio, but they didn't seem to get much momentum and just disappeared. It's a real shame, now that I get to hear how good this CD is. It's got great energy, and a lot of good songs. They show influences of 80s bands like U2, Simple Minds, and The Cult, but with a heavier 90s alternative edge. Considering that this can be picked up new for as little as a penny, there's no excuse not to own this.

They are gone but not forgotten.. I'm a fan of the band and really like their sound and delivery.. A lot of great songs here..well recorded and exciting to listen to..Industrial sometimes gives the impression of tecno made up loops and stuff. Thats not the case here.. This is a real band and they have a lot to offer..recommended CD...Chris

This cd, for me, defines industrial.

Industrial is NOT another term for nu-metal, and it does NOT have to sound like NIN. Econoline Crush is a very good example of being industrial without sounding overly angry or Reznor like.

The band Econoline Crush are sadly no more now, but this record lives as testament that listenable and publically acceptable industrial rock, although rare, does indeed exist. It escapes me as to why this band wasn't more popular out of its native Canada.

PS: To get the full benefit of this cd, you will have to have a really good stereo, and listen to it a few times over. The songs are very deeply layered, and it will surprise you just how much new stuff you will hear each time you listen to the same track.

VNV Nation is a terrible example of the music i love. Their compostition is weak, repetitive and slow. The pentamiter of the lyrics does not match with rythym or bass. The vocals are slow sloppy and untalented. Listening to this vocalist is like listening to the jaw bone of a donkey being scraped along a chalk board in a wide hallway.

'Praise The Fallen'is the title of this VNV Nation CD from 1999. And this is my introduction to this hardcore
electronica/industrial trance outfit. Being a Delerium/Front Line Assembly fan I saw VNV as my own personal progression to explore new music and new sounds. I basically came across VNV Nation through Amazon.com reviews and picks and decided to buy this album to have a 'little taste' of what VNV is. I am now a fan, this is a style of music that one can dance to, chill out too as well as have as background music for a party with friends. All the tracks are interesting to listen too, the drums are worked in well with the synths and industrial beats. The vocalist is dark and mysterious and for this style of music that is a underpinning success. 'Joy', 'Solitary' and 'PTF2012' were the picks for me from this monumental album. And I now will look out for more VNV Nation releases.
If you like the works of Leeb & Fulber you will enjoy this from the anthem sounding VNV Nation.

Listening to this album is like plunging yourself into a dark abyss and cutting your soul on a blade of darkness. To be human means to be accused, judged, and condemned by this testament to humankind, yet hearing souls will revel and glory in the condemnation, and the sentence is denial and death or acceptance and understanding.
From the very start, humanity is on trial, and the evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of annihilation due to acts of extreme injustice and ultimate disorder. Hopelessness and cries of injustice scream through and pervade every moment of this intense spectrum of light and darkness that ranges from moments of defeat to times of glorious victory. Yet even in victory there is an impending emptiness and isolation, leaving the listener lost on the isle of doom and despair.
There are times when the listener questions the motives and meaning for the music, but overall, it's a glorious tribute to those who have fallen into the pit of injustice and unmerciful disaster. From "Chosen" all the way through to the untitled hidden track, the music soars and falls like a bird with clipped wings, like a parade of souls searching for answers that never come. In "Chosen," the almost hopeless journey begins with railing accusations of scourges on mankind and inhuman deeds of 'cataclysmic, unnatural, and unreasoning' destruction. From there, "Joy" fights back and shouts through with lyrics of defiance, posing such disturbing questions as, "Why do I love when I still feel pain; when does it end; when's my work done? Why do I fight? Why do I feel that I carry a sword to the battlefield?"
From there, the march continues with "Procession," a song of vengeance and warnings of judgment and resurrection, disturbing the listener with such violent lyrics as, "And we who were so scorned will always wish to make their end, our words to still their voice, out hands to break their worthless necks." It then continues with words of future triumph like, "One day we'll see our names in stone where fires burn, the great who silent stood among you, never praised nor never known." The epic continues as "Voice" takes it from there and defiantly shouts, "We are not the same! You will hear my voice!"
The darkness thickens with "Forsaken," an absolutely haunting song of sorrow that takes you on a lyric-less yet positively melodic journey into the abyss of human despair and loneliness. From the pit of desolation, the phoenix rises through the flames in "Ascension," an eight minute-plus voiceless refusal of surrender.
The height of the journey comes with "Honour," an unimaginably intense philosophical questioning, a trial within itself, with an accompanying moving beat. "Mothers stand in vain and cry" while the poet interrogates the by-now miserable listener with such propositions as, "Shall I recall when justice did prevail? No reason to be found why reason did fail." And just as the listener has confined himself permanently to realms of night, the poet sifts through the destruction and demands to "Stand your ground this is what we are fighting for, for our spirit and laws and ways! Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war! For heaven or hell we shall not wait! Shall I think of honour as lies? Or lament its aged, slow demise?"
Onward continues the journey with "Burnout," which seems almost like a burnout of reason, but thankfully we arrive at shore again with the epic "Solitary," which truly gives words of hope such as, "And if rain brings winds of change, let it rain on us forever. I have no doubts form what I've seen; I have never wanted more. With this line I'll mark the past as a symbol of beginning." This beacon of light is a welcome reprieve from the endless darkness that permeates the soul of this album, and we find ourselves even more thankful for the moments of remembrance and regeneration in the final three tracks "PTF2012," "Schweigeminute," which is a literal minute of silence given to the listener as a chance of reflection and contemplation, and the untitled hidden track.
Overall, this is an utterly spiritually crushing yet intellectually and morally elevating work of art, and even better, it is but the genesis of the VNV Nation empire, whose genius continues in the insubstantial castles of darkness of Empires and its subsequent beam of light Futureperfect.

The other being "Transmission". Very good album, from a very good band. Very unique with the mixing of blues, Eastern and industrial sounds. Fire in the Head, The Bazaar, Silence, Sister Awake, Turn the Lamp Down Low, Inanna and Coming Home are the best off this album. The Bazaar, Sister Awake (listening to it right now) and Turn the Lamp Down Low are 3 of their best songs ever, on any album. I'd get this one whenever possible. Especially, if you want to hear something unique and inspired.

The Tea Party's second album achieved the band fame, featuring a few big singles and more beautiful, creative compositions from the Canadian trio. "The Edges of Twilight" promptly moves along in a stylistic fashion with a creative assimiliation of instrumentation and gorgeous melodies. Very few bands compose works with as much variety as The Tea Party, and their hard edged Eastern sound mingles perfectly with lead singer Jeff Martin's baritone voice. Lyrically the songs tell stories of dreamy fantasies, and are contemplative and poetic. I regard this sophomore album as the band's best, but of course that is very debatable.

The album opener "Fire in the Head" opens with a dark, melodic guitar tune, and eases us into this raunchy rocker which is certainly one of my favourites. "The Bazaar" uses a fine assembly of percussion and guitar to create a very atmospheric song. "Correspondences" is in my opinion the finest ballad on the album, a 7 minute expedition driven by a gorgeous piano and Martin's vocal. "The Badger" is an excellent, underrated instrumental, showing Martin's musical prowess. "Silence" is a quick, energetic rock song that adds a new chapter of musical styles to the album. "Sister Awake" was the biggest single off the album, and is a grand rocker divided into different sections, and closing with Martin and his guitar. "Turn the Lamp Down Low" is a taste of Eastern blues, and is excellent. "Shadows on the Mountainside" is far more melodical and soft. "Innana" has another splendid Eastern feeling, and is well composed. "Coming Home" is really the only straightforward rock song on this album, while also featuring an acoustic rhythm to segue into the chorus. "Walk With Me" is the 14 minute album closer, beginning in a spacey, mysterious way as a few of their album closers do. When we finally reach the core of this song, it is very satisfying and purely driven by heavy guitar riffs.

Overall, this would be the Tea Party album I would most recommend to any fan of the band or a newcomer. It shows the trio at their creative peak, and these tunes are unbelievably original. The rock group are most popular in Australia and other distant countries while remaining fairly known in North America. While also showing a brilliant style of composition (i.e. 12-string guitars), "The Edges of Twilight" also shines in its lyrical aspects. Jeff Martin at times pioneers the album with his low vocal too. Highly recommended.

With `Edges of Twilight' the Tea Party hit their decade spanning peak, the fusion of middle-eastern vibes and old style Led Zep rocking is fresh and interesting, and Martin's deep voice is at its rich best. Recent efforts from the band are simply too mainstream, the formula is too basic, and while attracting some, the fans from albums such as this and TP's other classic `Transmission' have been disappointed.

`Fire In The Head' straight away lets the listener get a feeling for the band, it has those sumptuous acoustic passages fused perfectly with the heavy, distorted chorus, creating a fine idiosyncratic opener. `The Bazaar' while being relatively straightforward in approach, and TP are at their best when experimenting, has a fun catchy riff, possibly my favourite riff of the album. `Correspondences' is another highlight of the album; it builds and broods through its 7-minute duration with some fine powerful writing. `The Badger' is a fun showcase of Martin's wonderful acoustic playing, which on a whole really shines on this album, and takes more of a front seat than on any other TP albums. `Sister Awake' is possibly my favourite of the album and the best example of the mixture of heavy and soft guitar playing. Mention should also go to `Coming Home' which is a great Zeppelin sounding piece, some might say it `ripps' them off, I enjoy it nonetheless.

For those looking for a fresh take on alternative hard rock, the Tea Party should be a worthy addition to a collection. This and `Transmission' is TP at their best, and a good place to start.

WOW! I am relieved that TTp have released this album. Triptych is a good album. Good album. Interzone Mantras is a GREAT album. This has all the classic Tea Party elements. It fuses eastern instruments with a truly rock sound. It took me 2 spins of this disc for me to fall in love with it. This album along with The Edges of Twilight and Transmission are my favorite Tea Party offerings. If you love great rock music with thought provoking lyrics, then this is the album for you. If you are new, I suggest doing a little research on the band to fully understand their work.

I like the 3rd and 4th tracks best, especially the harmony in "Master and Marguerita". But there are other good ones on here too. Another good effort from one of my favorite bands!

David Rehak
author of "Love and Madness"

Canadian rock'n'roll is finally getting itself on the front pages of music magazines. So it's a shame that the recently disbanded Tea Party is still largely obscure.

So put away the other wonderful Canadian bands for a moment (I love Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene, okay?), and explore a darker, wilder niche. This Canadian band seems like the love child of the Doors and Led Zeppelin, and "the Interzone Mantras" shows them off at their blistering, hypnotic best.

In a way, it's a concept album: The songs roam all over the musical board, whether it's heartbreaking violin ballads, or teeth-rattler rock'n'roll that Led Zeppelin would not be ashamed of. It explores the faces of hopelessless, evil, apathy and the "the beautiful abyss," before turning out beautiful songs like "White Water Siren" and the finale "Mantra," which come to the conclusion that "love is all we have/love is all we need."

The best of the bunch is undoubtedly "The Master and Margarita," based on Mikhail Bulgakov's novel about the devil roaming 1930s Moscow. "So now that your faith's gone who are you going to trust?/now that your conscience is crawling in the dust!" Martin sneers, sounding both seductive and frightening.

But good as that song is, it's not the most striking. Martin wrote "Soul Breaking" about a letter a girl sent him, about her sexual abuse. You can hear the raw emotion as he sings, "You can't seem to run away/because every time the past's awakened/every time your soul starts breaking..." It may be one of Tea Party's finest songs ever.

A lot of critics label Tea Party as pretentious. Well, if it's pretension, then it's the best kind. Tea Party piles on different sounds and cultures -- bits of Russian and Middle-Eastern mostly -- along with blistering guitar riffs and sizzling basslines, swirling into each other in a hypnotic manner. Even the slower songs like "Angels" have some white-hot riffs.

And Jeff Martin should have quite a chunk of the credit. He sounds a bit like Jim Morrison's tamer little brother, with that amazing voice that manages to rise above the noise. It's sensual, rich and flexible, and he can belt out those complex lyrics as if he were born knowing how.

One of Tea Party's best albums, "Interzone Mantra" is a wonderfully nuanced album, with plenty of white-hot hard-rock as well.

a little techno,a little metal.but not good techno,and definately not good metal.a few decent cuts(utah saint in particular)
i bought this Cd to use in my Kickboxing class to train to,thinking from other reviews that the music was metal with techno influence or visa versa.but actually the first half of the album is electronic and the second half metal.and again,neither genre represented very well.

all off the songs are great. they are either a rock n roll song or a techo aerobic song. great for wurking out to.

For all you people out there who liked the music from the movie, get this soundtrack! It is full of cool songs. It remains pretty heavy throughout, but it also has a heavenly moment courtesy of Orbital. Definitely worth it. Also, if you like this soundtrack, check out Mortal Kombat More Kombat and Mortal Kombat Annihilation. They are all just as good.

...but not worth the insane amounts of money people are selling this for. I reccomend you pick up Frankenstein Girls May Seem Strangely Sexy as a first listen. And even still, just download this album. Anything more than 20 bucks a cd is overpriced. I love this band, but not "115-dollars-a-CD-love-this-band." < /rant >

MSI is a nerd-goth-techno-industrial punk band. A must-listen band if you like Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, Dresden Dolls, Ministry, My Life w/ the Thrill Kill Cult, etc.

I like this CD more than "You'll Rebel To Anything" but not as much as "Frankenstein Girls..." This has the same atari sound effect melodys, frantic drum and equally frantic vocals, and most importantly: this CD is full of lyrical phenomenons that bridge the nerds with the goths.

any one out there is this album avalible on itunes or napster to buy?

What do you get when you steal a bulldozer then hunt down the band Atari Teenage Riot and squash then into mush, you scoop that mush up and toss it in a pot, very satisfying indeed but you need something else and so you're off again, next you happen along the world invader music group GWAR, and maybe not exactly what you were looking for but you think "what the heck", they try to fight back with their giant swords and huge phalluses but you put run them down with ease leaving nothing but alien slime, You shovel their mutant sludge remains into your giant pot with ATR's bloody mush and then you take that home stir it all together and cook it on high, you like it but it's missing something so you track down and stock Marilyn Manson and Eminem until you're ready to strike and then you cut off their penises and testicles then take them home and throw those into the giant pot of stew just too add flavor, so what do you get? I don't know either but I bet its gross, smells bad, and there's no way I'd eat it!
But anyways, I like this CD.

Also check out the band Psychic TV who are about to release a new album. Psychic TV's lead singer Genesis P-Orridge was the one who started industrial music with one of his other bands in the 70s then created the rave scene in the 80s in England before being Exiled from that country because of his (anti-)cult Temple of Psychick Youth.

**ALSO EVERYONE** I recommend checking out and listening to www.airamericaradio.com to stay informed about what's going on and have a few laughs also animated political cartoonist www.markfiore.com because I think we free thinkers need to be aware of what the American Fascists liars in Our Government, who claim religious superiority, are up to today before they bring back the Inquisition or ban our lifestyles and force theirs on us.

Angst is probably the first KMFDM album I can actually listen to and enjoy. All of their pre-1992 stuff is repetitive, with the same guitar riff over and over again as well as over-used sloganeering. Technically Angst is not much different: The sloganeering is still here, as well as repetitive thrash guitars, odd sampling, electronic effects, and their sense of humour. But somehow they managed to do it "Right" this time around. Songs like "Light" and "Sucks" are probably KMFDM's sense of humour at their best (Though there are some good ones later). "A Hole in the Wall" has probably their most disturbing lyrics yet. Also on Angst, their political side is found, with "A Drug Against War"(also their first mainstream hit), "No Peace", and "The Problem" being their continuing commentary on politics and society.

And so the KMFDM formula of either funny, disturbing or political songs (with little in between) suceeds for the first time. While it would later be done better (Fans of the metal guitars will probably like Nihil more, while fans of industrial/dance will like Symbols more, and XTORT + Attak sort of combine the two), Angst is the first time KMFDM succeeded with this formula.

as of now, i own 3 kmfdm albums. it surprises me how good this band actually is. i mean with just about every single one of their cds being out of print, it is kind of a large investment to purchase them. i currently have this one, nihil and hau ruck. they are all very good listens and never really get old. they are by far a metal band far above the other in a league of their own. i highly recommend this album to everyone. there is maybe one song that is just okay..that is the last one on the cd. while it is a shame these albums are hard to find, it keeps the trendy scene people away and makes kmfdm a delicacy. so that is a plus.

If you ask me wich KMFDM is the best I would say either ww3,Angst, Nihil, or Xtort. Its so hard to choose between them that I would give a different answer every day of the week. Angst was the third Cd I bought of theirs. I would recommend anyone who is just getting into KMFDM to start here if you can find it. It has some of KMFDMs more popular songs. However There are a lot of underated songs on here that are just as good.
Light 7/10 It has good guitar and I love the drum but the lyrics can get annoying. Still a fun song though.
A drug against war 8/10 It took me a while to get into this one. It is the xtremally fast. But after a while I fell in love with it. Lots of energy, but the video for it is the worst video I have ever seen. It is embarrassing that a great band can make such a crappy video.
Blood 10/10 One of my Favorites. Great guitar and an awsome beat.
Lust 9/10 This is an awsome song with german lyrics. It has a real dancy funky sound. Its agood change of pace after the first 3 songs.
Glory 20/10 This is probably in my top 5 KMFDM songs. It really defines what kind of band they are. This cd is worth buying for this song alone.
Move On 8/10 Another real good song. Kind of slow but still heavy.
No Peace 10/10 I think this one is real underated
A hole in the wall 10/10 Awsome guitar in this song. Kind of a dark love song.
Sucks 9/10 Of all their humorous songs Sucks, inane, and Intro are the best. Contrary to the title this song has some of the best music on the cd. It flat out rocks. Lyrics might annoy some people though.
The Problem 8/10 It doesnt fit in on the cd but it is still good. It has some Piano And a real good beat. The lyrics are political. It sounds like it would fit well on HAu Ruck.

wow
years ago,c.o.c where "my" band back in their hardcore punk days.when they "sold-out" & went metal,i totally tuned out without even hearing where their sound was going.
boy,did i ever make a mistake....
this is fantastic stuff!as many other reviewers have pointed out,this is along the southern fried black sabbath riff-a-thon.
songs are well written,musicianship solid.
wish i had given this a chance 11 years ago!

this is without a doubt , one of my favorite cds. coc packs a hard punch . and its got so much soul . definatly worth your money , no matter what t he cost

Looking up at the clouds and trying to find pictures in them is really fun. Sometimes, clouds look like doggies or perhaps little kitties. I think it's a lot of fun. If you really have imagination, then you can see things that are completely different - like apples, or perhaps little kumquats! It's up to you. Deliverance is a lot like that.