Industrial music reviews

This is one of the most important bands of the decade zero zero numeric. This "super group" has delivered the most brutally addictive album I have ever heard. It much like "refused"-"the shape of punk to come" which was brutal as hell but so damn catchy and accessible. Yes, above all things I thing anyone who likes industrial will pick this one up easily. It is exactly what I think the staple sound of industrial is becoming and that is a noisy vibration, much in the vein of the synths used by "cleen" in "designed memories", the song "believe", and the synth used by "Ohgr" in the song "minus addition". It the argo vibrating noise, a noise that in no way irritates the ear. On top of this awesome noise they add killer bass and killer guitar riffs. I love the vocals cause I love David Bowie's voice but I think the singer here has a better one, as he uses at times a sense of sheer desperation, then in other songs is a clear commanding voice. He has great lyrical control. And then the lyrics which are written in a very artistic manner enhance the experience. I agree with the other reviewers I cannot live without this CD! I can't wait for their next release... Thanks for your time, over and out!

If you've come this far, you probably already know that this is a supergroup comprised of musicians of some note in the alternative community. You probably also know that any fan of Murder, Inc. will want to snatch this up post-haste. Think of this disc as what the future sounds like. This album is far and away ahead of its time, mixing pop, industrial, technol, and bits of just about every rock genre - and doing it well.

Damage Manual released the "One" EP to great acclaim, and only build on that success here. The music is pounding, pulsing, and melodic in perfect combination. The Bowie-esque vocals with a scratchy finish are a perfect compliment to the raw-edged sound. This is truly a must-have for any fan of music just outside the box of the accepted alternative genre today.

The word supergroup conjures images of rehashed 'rock stars' (usually with huge egos you know who you are) attempting to play something interesting with their so-called 'peers'. The Damage Manual is another thing altogether. Chris Connely (vocals Fini Tribe, Revolting Cocks, Ministry), Martin Atkins (drums PiL, Ministry, Pigface), Geordie Walker (guitars Killing Joke) reunite once again (they did an incredible album together as Murder Inc. (PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LOOK THAT UP) a few years back. This time around, they bring Jah Wobble (bass PiL, Invaders Of The Heart) and Lee Fraser (keys Sheep On Drugs, Bagman) to deliver some serious aural damage. Building upon their fantastic EP One, they decided to bring us a full one. It's no holds barred aggro fest without the macho posturing, with some smarts to boot. Kids: school is in session and this guys are delivering lesson after lesson on how it's done. Connely's lyrics and delivery are accentuated by the band's incredible musicianship. I know Jaz Coleman and David Bowie would turn green with envy after listening to this. To boot, some remixes are made by Bill Laswell and Alex Patterson (the Orb) to accentuate the experience. This is definetely one supergroup that is very welcome to my collection.

Today I listened to a CD by MERZBOW. In store, the cover art was a pleasing swirl of reds and black, and the back end vaguely psychedelic, so I bought it. I had a cup of coffee and read a nice book. Then I listened.

It's not as though I'm unfamiliar to Merzbow, anything but. Still, let's try and be honest here, shall we? It doesn't really mean anything. According to Mister Akita himself (there's an interview... somewhere.. on the net), noise is but simple self-indulgence, and so it would seem, if you read some other reviews in praise of this sort of thing. Alternatively it's just nonsense, and you can spend much happy time reading through these and other conflicting views if you'll go and look at, say, Lou Reed's 'Metal Machine Music,' also on Amazon.

This particular release. Another reviewer mentioned the titles: Indeed, "Cannibalism of Machine" sounds less like that and more like somebody's old Volkswagen Beetle trying to putt-putt-putt over a steep hill. For real Cannibalism of Machine, I would recommend a sound more like that of the last track of Aube's "Wired Trap." So, this starts out a bit slower than your average Akita release. It's also a bit more sensible overall, especially in comparison to the other (American label) Release releases ('Venereology' and 'Pulse Demon') insofar as it's not too long or too short, there aren't any half-hour long tracks as 'Venereology's "Ananga-Ranga," and nothing shiny, gory or offensive about the packaging. It just sort of putt-putt-putts and swish-swish-gargles through the first three or four tracks.

I'm fond of track five. As the longest on the CD at just over twelve minutes, it also seems to cover more ground spacially, and in tandem with the tail half of track seven evokes, to me, some of the louder parts of the two "Music For Bondage" albums. Bother all that stuff about annoying your neighbours, this is a fine soundtrack to a quiet drink in a cozy room, something you can listen to without being tempted to sing along. Track six is probably my favourite overall to indulge in; though not overly horrific, it does play with a cute high pitch and cover some ground that way. Brisk, simple, relatively accessible.

Track seven is promising at first and at least maintains the aforementioned shade of ambience throughout, but is basically anticlimactic. I suppose that represents the album as a whole.

The three stars at the top of this review are essentially pointless. I can't say I'd ever actually recommend a noise album! You'll just have to let your own ideas guide you.

Merzbow is an acquired taste. Japanese improvised electronic noise. Like historic noise groups such as AMM ,MEV and even Borbetomagus getting used to pure noise and knowing the difference between say garbage and talent is a tricky thing. AMM were the very best and still going since 1966. MEV were a sixties oddity and Borbetomagus are hit and miss talent wise but all were acoustic. Merzbow is electronic and pure sonic distortion. His early stuff was cut up tape manipulation followed by electronic/keyboard shriek. Then to now lap top computer. This album was the first Merzbow album I liked and I became a fan afterwards. Here we can find a center and an understanding of what he is doing without being killed by nasty shriek. Pure electronic noise but not as distorted as previous releases. Lots of variations and as another reviewer said a beat which is quite right. A good starting place for the uninitiated.

This here album, which is rather old already, is nice. Very nice. It was the first Merzbow album I ever bought, having heard some songs of it and very much liking them. After giving this disc numerous spins, I still do. No, this is not 'just' noise. Same goes for people saying every Merzbow record sounds alike, no, not true. 'Tauromachine' is kind of 'beat'-orientated, if you could say 'beat' at all considering it's Merzbow (then again, we all remember Merzbeat). Most of the songs have a subtle beat and/or drone going on ('Cannibalism Of Machine''s is quite obvious, same goes for 'Heads Of Clouds', etcetera), mixed with some good ol' harsh analogue noise. Thank god this is not a loop-record tho, keep that in mind: beat is not loop. For people new to Merzbow, I'd say this is a nice start (hell, it was my first Merzbow album as well), since it's not just good, but quite listenable too. Is that a compliment? Noise, listenable? I don't know, really, if it is, but it's meant as one. Yes. One fine record.

I got this album waaaay back in 1998 when I was first getting into industrial music and for a long time I couldn't find anything else out about the band. The music is great, very atmospheric. To me it is one of the essential Metropolis Records discs and really did a lot to form their overall sound.
Very gothic in tone, just like their later work, I find this album to be superior simply because not everything is an out and out dance tune. Unfortunately FV have done little to alter their sound, which for people wanting more of the same is great, but this album is still their greatest achievement, nearly a decade after its release.

In my opinion, 'Thanks for Nothing' started Funker Vogt on a good foot. I was taking a gamble buying this CD 2 years ago, based solely on the recommendation of a friend & the reviews written here. I gave it one listen, and didn't like it. The songs sounded the same to me. (Interestingly enough, a fellow fan recently emailed me and told me that, to him, the drum track sounds the same on all songs--the only change being in the tempo)

It sat untouched in my CD collection for about 5 months, then I decided to give it another spin. The only song that I remotely liked was "Animals," since it is a good, dark techno song. I gave the CD many more listens, which led me to like parts of songs instead of the whole song.

The thing that turned me into a fan, and made this CD my favorite was the lyrics. Since I love poetry, a song with good enough lyrics will sound good to me no matter what. At the time, no lyrics I'd heard were as bold & left-wing as FV's. It's not often bands can write lyrics about animal cruelty, lonliness, ostracization, pollution, and more, on one CD and not get tedious. Lyrically, each of the songs on TFN appeals to a different mood of mine and that has kept this one in regular rotation in my CD player over the past 24 months.

This is fun stuff just listening at home! I can only imagine how great it must be to hear this music played live, or in a pitch-black dance club!

LONG LIVE FUNKER VOGT!

Funker Vogt's Thanks For Nothing could perhaps be the crowning gem in an already impressive array of masterpieces, partially because it seems to express exactly what Funker Vogt was trying to accomplish and partially because it showcases just what they're capable of doing. In fact, songs with long shelf lives like Black Hole (remixed on "T"), made their debut here, showing what exactly pushed the band to the forefront of the EBM/Industrial (if you adhere to those too-inclusive labels) scene. The album itself, charged with socially observant lyrics that address a number of foolish pack mentality subjects, wears a heavier, more primal skin than some of the following albums, giving it a sense of anger and the message a sense of urgency that later albums have - but to a lesser degree.
I was actually glad to find this jewel on Amazon because it chronicles a really worthwhile interlude in the otherwise droll world of monotony-AKA the music scene. Its really worth taste testing.

It's amazing what time, studio remastering, and a well-constructed " best of" can do for a defunct rock band. In the case of Helmet, it gives them a second life - not that they weren't vibrant in their first run. It's more that their musical prowess went under-noticed.

Lead singer Page Hamilton often commented about the band's lack of market appeal - a quality in their time that prohibited their explosion ie being all over the radio, etc. The move doesn't seem by accident. They didn't want to be THAT popular band that exploded then fizzled. Instead, the New York band played hard, driving rock in the vein of punk and hardcore, helped pioneer the "nu-metal" sound(a tag the band despised), ignored trends and never fully exploded commercially.

What mattered to them was the music. Hearing this compilation is a reminder of how good they were; they sound muscular and very hard-rocking. Track for track, the strongest from major label albums Meantime ("In the Meantime", "Give It" "Unsung"), Betty ("Wilma's Rainbow", "Milquetoast", "Rollo"), and Aftertaste ("Pure", "Renovation", "Like I Care," "Driving Nowhere," "Exactly What You Wanted") are here. There's even two lesser-known soundtrack tracks ("Disagreeable" - Feeling Minnesota ; "Just Another Victim" - Judgment Night).

Unsung is an excellent starter for the casual fan and a nice set for the die-hard who want all Helmet's best in the same spot. And while there are missing tracks ("You Borrowed", "Biscuits for Smut", "Speechless"), they're so few that it's easy to overlook. Ultimately, a band overlooked by many have been given a strong compilation, and a second chance at discovery by those who missed them the first time.

you've got to be kidding, a reviewer that goes by the name of "Crossdressing Midget" disses on this album and Pantera, and he then believes his opinion is valid and worthwhile? Lol, nice try there buddy, maybe next time you will learn to grow up (like Kommisar Lenin should do) and listen to some good music for once.

Helmet were a great band. I find it extremely sad that they are being associated with this silly nu-metal garbage. That's an insult to those of us who appreciated the incredible musicianship and sheer force of Helmet's work back in the day. Helmet made REAL music which came out of the underground ; they have nothing to do with nu-metal, which is fake-sounding, cringe-inducing, corporate, manafactured sh*te.

WAT arrived in my music collection over a year ago and has enjoyed more or less constant CD changer time ever since.

Picture a dancier Opus Dei, or perhaps a more ominous Let it Be, and you'll have some idea what's going on here. It's as if the whole alpine aesthetic that was discarded for Kapital, NATO, and Jesus Christ Superstars (their creative nadir, I think most fans would agree, and an obvious attempt to cash in on the whole mid-90's industrial metal thing, the ONLY time they've ever done anything involving trends other than setting them)has returned, mutated to incorporate the techno aesthetic of their mid-period stuff, as well as the omnipresent foreshadowing of doom of their most recent work. Not that I don't agree with their assessment.

B-Maschina is the only cover, and since I don't know the original and doubt anyone else will either, it barely counts as such, and is, like every other cover they've ever done, distinctly Laibach. It's easily my favorite song on the album. Just try to get the chorus out of your head.

The rest of the album is also excellent. Tanz Mit Laibach is an obvious appeal to the goth/industrial DJs of the world (with its DAF-pastiche stomp), as is much of the album. Overall, it's not quite as good as some of the classic material from the late 80's, but compare it to the recent work of the roughly contemporary Front Line Assembly, and its easy to see who still has some artistic integrity. WAT stacks up nicely against anything in its genre being done today, including the utterly brilliant new offerings from fellow industrial dinos Skinny Puppy, Front 242, and Klinik. This really is a great time to be an electronic music fan; even Kraftwerk have had a reasonably credible new offering.

If you are a fan, you already own this, if not, you can feel comfortable about purchasing it if you're curious about the band and want to know what they're about. It's a great bridge to the somewhat more inscrutable (but ultimately more rewarding) early to mid period stuff like Opus Dei and Let it Be, and almost accessible enough to be given to Rammstein fans...

[...]
The comparisons to stuff like Nitzer's 'That Total Age' I can see, except this is a much more interesting, stronger album. TTA wears thin after repeated run-throughs, it really shows its age. WAT manages to be both minimalistic yet modern, stripped down, but evolving. This is Laibach's strongest cd since Kapital, and a cd that buries the type of crap currently masquerading as electronic body music. Laibach has been marching to its own drum for decades now, since the guys in Rammstein were in summer camp. WAT is no different, except now Laibach is schooling all their contemporaries in the "scene" in obvious piss-takes...'Tanz mit Laibach' comes to mind. This cd is %90 golden good times, you'll either love it or hate it.

This is one of the very finest albums I have ever been privileged enough to hear, let alone Laibach's single best effort to date (I've been a fan since 1989, when an eccentric skinhead with a genius-level IQ and a nearly 4.0 GPA, attending a party I went to during college, insisted on playing "MacBeth," and I approached him in order to find out who we were listening to, for some context on that remark i.e., I'm not a recent fan who just loves their newest album).

The positively glorious first track, "B Mashina," which is worth the price of the album alone, is in constant conflict with "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" (the quintessential bluegrass instrumental) for the position of my favorite popular music piece of the post-Second World War era. There is a truly excellent tune (I'm unsure of the title or track number; it appears near the middle of the album, in any event) in which Laibach vigorously and courageously ignores contemporary tabus in order to savagely dissect the suicidal insanity which calls itself "multiculturalism," with particular emphasis on the present trend towards mass immigration from the Islamic Middle East into Europa. Its the kind of song that could get them banned in a country like Canada, and I salute them for releasing it anyway.

I don't think there's a track on this album I don't derive a disproportionate level of enjoyment from. It is truly a magnificent, brave, and unique piece of auditory art. Purchase it now!

I have both Sin City and this album. I loved Sin City, so I bought this album.

It's a great heavy metal album, it's just not exactly very melodic in my mind. But, granted I get angry and I will listen to this CD, and it will make me feel better. I know all the lyrics, and I absolutely love this CD as well. But for repeat listenings? Being as ecelectic and ADHD as I am, I'll need something different. The songs aren't in themselves very unique from other stuff or themselves.

120 Days is a melting pot of metal & industrial. The riffs are heavy and driving, while the industrial overtones create a dark atmosphere. These guys really had something with this sound, I just wish they kept it up on the next album. They put on an incredible live show which was a feast for the ears and eyes.

THIS IS THE ONLY GENITORTURERS CD I HAVE AND AM ACTUALLY SHOPPING FOR A NEW BECAUSE MY OTHER IS BASICALLY WORN OUT. I WANTED TO COMMENT ON THEIR LIVE SHOWS. I'VE SEEN THEM 3 TIMES AT A LOCAL DETROIT VENUE AND IT WAS INTERESTING TO SAY. NOT FOR THE SHY TYPE OR CHRISTIAN PERSON. IT WAS QUITE IMPRESSIVE THOUGH AND THEY EVEN INCLUDE THE AUDIENCE IN THEIR PERFORMANCE BY ACTUALLY LOCKING AN ACQUAINTANCE OF MINE IN A STEEL CAGE AND MAKING HIM CRAWL AROUND ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES AND SLAPPING HIS BACKSIDE WITH A BELT. LIKE I SAID...NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED BUT A TRUELY SUPERIOR SHOW. I WOULD SEE THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN IF THEY RETURNED TO DETROIT.

Delta 9 was one of the first dj/programmers I had heard of back in 1994. Back then i listened to alot of DJ Tense, D.O.A. and the fresh and new Aussie Bloody fist 100% no soul release on IS records. 1993-96 Those were the classic milestone setting times of "gabber house" aka "hardcore techno". Euromasters were making tough silly tracks out in rotterdam, Rob Gee made his very basic but fun (metal w/a 909)intro to the scene back then also, But Delta 9 had the complexity I loved. delta 9 had samples in Massive bulk and cruise missle speed along with the TR-909. This CD of Delta 9 bascily is a greatest hits tracklist from back then Bringing anyone who missed out on those classic vinyls back to where it all came from. Anyone listening to DJ paul or Thunderdome has they'r head up they're ... This was gabbers construction and introduction to the world. Get it, blast it, love it- THEN be hardcore.

Delta 9 (aka Dave Rodgers) is the most awesome thing to happen to hardcore ... EVER! I own 1 vinyl & nearly all of his CDs, and they are all 5 stars. The best tracks on this CD are 2, 6, 7 & 15. The cover is a bit disturbing, but isn't that what hardcore is all about?! I highly recommend that you buy ALL of Delta 9's music

INCREDIBLE ALBUM! THE BEST HARDCORE AND GABBER COMPILATION EVER!
THIS IS MY FAVOURITE. IT?S MUST HAVE IT FOR ALL GABBERS.

What a trip. Hypnotic and true. Sorrow and pain are true emotions.

This is a solid collection of early Apop songs but why do this to yourself? Just buy '7' due to its start-to-finish excellence - this is a better intro to APB. Then get the more current 'Welcome to Earth' with at least 5 great songs. If you like those then you can venture deeper in the past and pick up 'Soli Deo Gloria'; you'll find that it is better as an album than this collection. Then go ahead and get the most current disc 'Harmonizer'.

In short, good stuff but don't start here. Only for completists IMO (yes, I have it).

I am a big fan of Apoptygma Berzerk. They are one of my personal favorite bands of all time (next to VNV Nation and KMFDM). I haven't been into the band for too long, maybe like a year or two. "Welcome to Earth" was my first Apop album. When I picked up "Welcome to Earth", I had mistaken Apocalyptica for Apoptygma Berzerk. What a happy mistake. I loved what I heard on "Welcome to Earth". The fusion of industrial beats with the sweet melodies of trance music was nothing that I heard of. Over time, I picked up "Harmonizer" and "7". I also started listening to fellow Metropolis mates VNV Nation, Icon of Coil, and Project Pitchfork. Next to VNV Nation, Apoptygma Berzerk is my favorite band on Metropolis records. I recently came upon "Apopcalyptic Manifesto" on one of my excursions to my favorite record store. I came upon a large stash of cds by Clan of Xymox, Project Pitchfork, Convenant, and Apop's "Apopcalyptic Manifesto". I automatically grabbed the Apop cd without hesitation as well as cds by Clan of Xymox, Convenant, and Project Pitchfork. Although "Apopcalyptic Manifesto" is a compilation, most of the songs on this cd is new to me. In comparison to the other Apop cds I own, the music I heard on "Apopcalyptic Manifesto" is slightly more aggressive and experimental. I especially loved the instrumental "The Approach of Death". "All Tomorrows Parties" is perhaps my personal favorite song (w/vocals) on the cd. I enjoyed both versions of "Ashes to Ashes" a great deal. I can't pick which version I like more. Like my other Apop cds, I loved "Apopcalyptic Manifesto". I can't get enough of Apoptygma Berzerk.

Nitzer Ebb's BELIEF starts off on a good note with the excellent track "Heats and Mind," but unfortunately, the rest of the album is plagued by petty problems. The major complaint with this album that I have is the lyrics. Any adolescent, 13-year-old boy with a dark sense of humor and an unexplainable (yet typical) anger within him could write these childish lyrics. Just thinking about lines like "You are so you," "I'm driving on the edge," and "There's no faith, no feeling, and no good" make you feel like an angst-ridden teenager all over again, and some of you may not want to relive these strange feelings again.

However, the brilliant music is superb, and it outshines any of the music on SHOWTIME. My personal favorites are "Captivate," "Shame," and "Drive." All of them are prime examples of Nitzer Ebb songs, and perhaps that's why this album suffers: it is a typical album from Nitzer Ebb. No new ground is explored here, and even if the music is better then on their other albums, it still sounds the same, and the lyrics are truly terrible.

A good album overall, but the lyrics are a definite bust. It may deserve higher, but I'm going to give it a solid 4-stars. Don't get me wrong, this is a good album, it's just not my favorite

For a long time this was the only album I owned. I was 15 years old in 1989 and I don't think that that year would have been half as cool without this record.
All that I had known of Nitzer Ebb prior to buying the Belief album was the 'boom snare boom snare boom snare ALAAAAARM boom snare boom snare' of That Total Age, which didn't really impress me.
Belief had more depth, and with a string of really great singles from the UK (don't ever buy the Sire Records crap) (pay the extra couple of bucks for the original Mute Records presses).
There are some really cool flipsides to the singles that came out for Belief like KIA, Time Slips By, and Backlash. These songs are impossible to find in most of the online mp3 searches, but are worth your money to check out, as are the remixed versions of the singles.

This was the first Nitzer Ebb album I'd ever heard and it was released just before I entered high school, a time when I had just discovered "good" music that not only made an impression on me, but probably shaped me into who I am today.

I bought it as a cd in the "longbox" and cut out the images to staple to my bedroom wall, and later, taped to my rear passenger car window.

That being said, BELIEF holds some nostalgic qualities for me. When I first got a car and drove to high school, everyday I'd play a cassette dub of BELIEF and time my way there-- (I knew that by the time Shame came on, I'd be parallel parking).

BELIEF is a great album in it's own right, across the board--especially pre- Trent Reznor--but it is also for me the best Nitzer Ebb album. I remember blasting this and Einsturzende's Strategies 2 from a crappy red Datsun. Ah the memories.

Fortunately, the album still holds up, and while I don't listen to much recent 'industrial' or 'ebm' music (it's just cheesy and derivative) I will listen to this, and I will love it.

You should too.

(PS. What is up with those samples on this page? That's not NE!!!!)

Lycia enjoys a small but devoted following. They employ a style of acoustic guitar and mellow keyboards layered harmonically with the beautiful vocals of Mike and Tara VanPortfleet. The effect is to produce haunting, pensive images and stories reminiscent of Dead Can Dance, or some of Pink Floyd's early acoustic work. However, what I couldn't get past was the total lack of percussion in their work. This is quiet, brooding music, but it barely seems to move at times. The advice I would give a 1st time shopper for their titles? Listen carefully before you buy. Lycia is like a ghost ship that never leaves the port.

I must admit that Lycia takes home the award in the depressing
music department. Who said depression couldn't be beautiful?
Listening to this release makes me think of being alone in a
dark forest in the dead of winter. This sort of music was made
to either attract or repel listeners; in my case it accomplishes both jobs. It's far too cold and harsh to comfort
me, but in a strange way it brings a sense of disturbed peace
to my mind. It is not an uplifting form of peace; it's more
of a feeling of angst followed by a relieved sense of isolation.
[Yes, isolationism has positive qualities.] This CD reveals the dark side of the winter season. [SAD is a good comparison.]
Christmas or Hannukah will never be the same again after you
listen to this industrial snowstorm. Your children will fear poor Father Christmas died traveling in it.

The title Cold implies exactly what feeling you get from this CD. An isolated, delacate stream of consiousness that sweeps you away from the world. Combining ethreal, downright beautifull male and female vocals, slow walls of gutiars, light drumming and piano work, Lycia create thier best work yet. Cold is elegant, beautifull, captivating and timeless.