Industrial music reviews

With the first notes Adie Newton takes you on a journey to a dark, tragic and harsh, yet somehow comforting world. It is the next step Ian Curtis (Joy Division) hasn't been able to take.

This 1983 Clock DVA album is very much like another reviwer described it, much like King Crimson and I would say Roxy Music, even the Police of the early eighties but with an industrial and fairly dark edge. The opening song Tortured Heroine is a brilliantly written and very mood inspireing song already setting this album up to take you elsewhere. The mix of jazz and the use of trumpet, saxaphone even piano add to Clock DVA's enigmatic lure. Clock DVA would later go on to create its better known works like "Man Amplified" and "Buried Dreams" that were easily acountable as a main influence of so many later industrial bands.

Advantage is a challenging album. Takeing the listener to many places in an almost dream like rythems. ADI Newton's cathartic yet intense, near monotone vocals have a lure all their own too. If you are a fan of Clock DVA you might like to hear bands like Phallus Dei to hear Clock DVA's influence in extreme action and then resupplied with a vaster darkness.

If you have not heard Clock Dva , this is a great c.d to start
with. A brilliant mix of rock/jazz/ blues/feedback.
Sadly after this album in 1983, the band split, but if only they
had made more !
Definitely one for anyone's collection.

For those who are fans and those who have yet to hear anything by this excellent female fronted darkwave group are recommended to pick this album up. The songs featured on this album from their most popular albums. And for this reason, it is a great introduction. It contains some of their more well known tracks and leaves the listener yearning for more. And this live experience is very nice. It's somewhat nice to hear the girls talking to the audience and thanking them. One thing I don't understand is the "meowing" but it's not that bad. It does nothing more than to add to the experience.

Highly recommended LIVE album from a classic within the Darkwave genre.

I haven't been a fan of Switchblade Symphony for too long. I discovered them when I bought a used copy of "Serpentine Gallery". Susan Wallace and Tina Root eerily reminded me of Siouxsie & The Banshees with their haunting vocals. Today on my afternoon (unexpected) off from work, I came upon the influential goth duo's live album "Sweet Little Witches". As good as the group's studio albums are, they really don't capture the magic of the group's live performances. Personally I don't think their studio albums were mixed properly. Unfortunately I never got to see them live because they were already broken up when I discovered them. "Sweet Little Witches" does a nice job of capturing what the group was like live. "Sweet Little Witches" is definitely one of the best live albums I have ever heard, and that is saying a lot. The mixing is excellent since all the songs were taken from different performances. The songs all flowed well together. I particularly loved "Into the Sky" which included a sample of the theme song to the old classic "The Munsters". The live version of "Invisible" sounds a lot better than on "The Three Calamities". Switchblade Symphony's music really does translate well live which a lot of bands nowadays (that uses synthesizers and drum machines) can't say. Overall I think this is a must have for SS fans.

This album is exactly what is is: A glimpse into the wonderful "live" Switchblade Symphony. The studio albums are of course spectacular...but this is a nice spin - to hear Tina & Susan in a live setting- with Tina's soaring vocals and Susans driving synths. It makes you realize what a great band they were. A must but for any Switchblade fan.

Decoded Feedback is awesome at producing the darker, slower type of techno. Even after listening to their latest releases, I still really liked Technophoby. The samples used in this album are a cool addition that make the songs seem even more apocalyptic. Decoded Feedback fans, this one's a keeper.

Decoded Feedback digs deeply into the pits of forethought, asking many a question that needs to be asked on the wailing woes within the pits of the human experiences. They craft a sonic landscape the wears many shadows to do it, too, harboring many demons within the inner workings of the what their sometimes dark tunes profess. This is something I find highly exhilarating in the realms of electronic music, picking up where the ideologies of some bands have fallen and crafting a legacy of their own out of those tattered remnants. Carved from the depths of sometimes epic tempos, sometimes heavily disturbed EBM melodies where sometimes possesses heavy BPMs and sometimes drift in the simplistic of bare-boned statements, and the distorted overtones of lyrics that have been refined as the band has continued forward, Decoded Feedback has become something of a mainstay in the Metropolis forerunners. Within this album are portions of the reason why they have been considered a powerhouse from the beginning as well, for many of the songs herein are carry-overs from their Overdosing, with additional work as well. Growing a bit after Technophoby, they went down the corridors of Bio-Vital, learning many things in the process on how to carve sounds into a sonic landscape. This subsequently carried them into what I consider their best work, Evolution, and then down some roads that many disapproved of in Mechanical Horizons (but that I personally found good - for the record).

While this is one of their earlier works and it isn't as pronounced as their later works, judging it by itself shows exactly how talented the forced involved are. The instrument of quality had already been rubbed across works that would only row better as time pressed onward, and the heavily distorted vocals had hit their highpoints that they would keep steady pace with. The subject matter in the sounds bounces to and fro in many of the works here, from the heavily-sampled, almost saddeningly haunted forms of "Euthanasia" to the eerie chanting beginning to forge the beats within "Night is Calling" before the chilling vocals kick in exclaiming that "night is calling." The tempos move around as well, sometimes sounding like something forged in the depths of a horror movie's shadows and sometimes sounding like the call of some mechanical ghost on a wintereque horizon, adding an effect that some might find a bit chilling in the ways it approaches many a medium and the sometimes poetically shaded lyrics they possess.

For people looking for something that carries the seeds of greatness already in it, wishing for an EBM front to soak into their mind and enjoy while finding themselves amazed by the darkness in its forms, then this is something I would suggest. I would also further remind Decoded Feedback fans that there is another album coming in Feb. 2003 as well, and the sounds of everything released for it paint the picture of a work that, like the others before it, will not disappoint.

Decoded Feedback is one of those groups that your gonna love, with their mid-tempo, with atmospheric strings, stock drums and their deep emotional lyrics. "Technophoby" is their second full length album that blends European and North American electronic/industrial style with a punk attitude, while keeping with their dark background. the songs that stand out are "CORROSION", "NIGHT'S CALLING" AND "PASSION FOR FLESH".
MARCO BIAGOTTI-lyrics, voice,sampling,drums, and sequencing

YONE DUDAS-keyboards,sequencing, and drums

This is by no means an innovative album or a landmark in indutrial music, but it has it's good parts. This is a good album for the industrial fan who needs to get away from the standard of nin, skinny puppy, ministry , and try something a touch different. A recommended track would be freemasons, but dont plan on being blown away. It will make you realize just how talented and important skinny puppy is to your music collection

I love this CD I wish they were still together Dee Madden is so hot I wish I could see him dancing around on stage all sexy tearing his clothes off and I would blow him kisses because his lyrics are so metaphorical they speak to my soul!!!!1 I guess he's working on some new material but I haven't heard any of it yet. IMO the remixes are better than the originals because the electronics blend together so well with DM's sexy sexy voice. This guy is a genius and it's sad nobody knows it but me.

Penal Colony has to be my favorite band... This CD is not very indicative of their style as Cleopatra made the very ill decision to not include the original material on the CD, only the remixes by more popular better-known bands.

The CD has some great mixes of great songs on it and would indeed appeal fairly well to the more open-minded industrial fan.

If you remember Ascension from back in 97', they were not nearly as heavy as this. Since their last release, they've become much heavier (in the sense of metal mayhem), and they've become more creative.

If you haven't heard of them, they're unlike any hardcore/metal band today. They hit harder, and shred heavier than most modern hardcore bands. The vocals are very distinctive as well.. -again-, not like most hardcore/metal bands that sound almost exactly alike. If you're interested in bands like Narcissus, this is definently in your ballpark. These two bands seem to be on the same wave-length (as far as shreding on the guitar goes!).

If you have any pent up rage listen to this disc and let it all out because there is enough raw talent and energy on this cd to make Metallica sound like Matchbox 20. NO DISRESPECT TO METALLICA. ROCK ON!

Ascension has really improved on this fierce, ground-punching, flesh-eating, metallic album. The amazing vocals of Chris Wood tear through your eardrums with his insane ability to reach both high and low ends and everywhere in between. They made a few changes since the last album as far as members. Their new bassist and drummer work together as well as beans go with tortillas, or as chips go with hot, spicy salsa and the lucious jalapenos diced within. This record is HOT!!! Hot like a Hot tamale, or Hot Butt (you know that burning). The tapping technique that the bassist uses in a few of the songs is one that I would like to hear more often. The beats of the drummer are some of the best beats I have ever hear, this album is just amazing. I cannot say enough good about this album, this band has really progressed. Definitely pick this one up if you love the sweet mix of metal and hardcore. xDIONx

I like dark music, but "The Absolute Supper" is as black as its packaging. The liner notes confirm that some of these songs are satanic; they pretty much all sound like it. These artists probably sneer at "goth" and return to whatever blood ritual they're performing. (I know some of it's just an image - but some of it isn't.) This CMI sampler showcases the "cold"ness that Nordic artists can bring to their songs. The best we've done in the U.S. is Swans.

The style moves from death-ambient to neo-martial to medieval folk. Sanctum's "[-]" is a relief from the heaviness, with a Switchblade Symphony style. Other tracks set you adrift in a cavern of shapeless noises, and you have to find your own way out. Hazard's "Who Blew Out The Northern Lights?" sounds like the song you might hear the minute after shooting yourself in the head.

One thing the ambient, hypnotic tracks have in common: you think you're getting bored, then you realize six minutes went by and you've hardly moved.

Disc 2 kicks off with an ambient noise assault (Brighter Death Now's "I Wish I Was A Litlle Girl"). Skip this and save yourself 9:37. The next track has a LITTLE more shape to it. MZ412's ritual piece "N.B.S. act I -Begravning" is a reminder that some of these bands have declared their...allegiance. The next several songs are in much the same vein. ...

The last song actually betrays a sense of humor (cheesy organ, old movie sample, goofy lyrics) more suited to a Rob Zombie release than this sampler.

"The Absolute Supper" is a great buy if you're into the styles mentioned above. If you're new to it, wait until about noon to play it the first time. If you play it in your car while driving at night, you'll feel a cold hand on your shoulder, moving towards your neck. Drive safely.

The first CD of this sampler is quite good. The project that stands out the most in my mind is Sephiroth. And Raison d'etre is amazing as usual. The second CD however is not as good. There are at least two songs on it that are absolutely atrocious. Nevertheless,this sampler should still be purchased because of its relatively low price, the wonderful packaging, and, as mentioned before, the first CD.

I have been a fan of Cold Meat Industry recordings for quite some time now, simply due to the fact that I know of no other label which brings out such a spectrum of sincerely dark music. The music ranges from agonizingly beautiful neo-classical arrangements ('Arcana', for instance) to agonizingly cruel and brutal death industrial ('Brighter Death Now'). In between we find dark/ black ambient acts such as 'Raison d'etre', even a combination of apocalyptic folk and ambient industrial, namely the deeply occult 'Ordo Equilibrio'. From inserting one of the cd's into your cd player till its end, you will find yourself confronted with a different reality. This double cd sampler gives a nearly complete overview of the bands featured on CMI, and comes exquisitely packaged in a gatefold digipack, including two full colour booklets, one describing the bands and the other describing the history of CMI. This is a sampler for people who wear black not just because it is a fad, but be! ! cause of true, deep intent. It is a must buy and deserves a place in each cd-shelf.

Anyone familiar with Jim Thirlwell's more "accomplished" work, whether it be the intellectual savagery of HOLE, the carefully crafted yet tremendously grim nature of NAIL, or the pure dementia of THAW, might find this record a bit lacking in terms of sheer power and intensity. Absent here is the refined musicianship and powerful vocal deliveries that made the above mentioned albums such landmarks in modern western music. Still, ACHE is definitely Foetus, and although not fully germinated, it is quite an impressive seed. I know that the term "embryonic Foetus" might be a bit redundant, but it is the best way I could find to describe this mad little album. Recorded in 1982 (which makes its inventive use of tape loops and pitch-shifting all the more impressive), it contains 10 exceptionally entertaining songs (entertaining in that slightly sick manner which Mr. Ruin's fans are so fond of), and is jam-packed with clever musical quotations (track number 8, "Wholesome Town, Wholesome City", immediately springs to mind, with "Oh Susanna" and "She'll Be Coming Round the Mountain" layered on top of the song's melody, creating a pleasant cacophony that is surprisingly catchy) and thought-stimulating lyrics. It is also interesting to notice young Thirlwell's voice, how peculiar it sounds in its original form, before the exorbitant amounts of alcohol and cigarettes and the constant screaming and grunting on stage turned it into the endearing Tom Waits-esque growl it is these days. All in all, this is an excellent record, and recommended for old Foetus fans and newcomers alike (even though I would not recommend this as a starting record to anyone by a longshot - try the three albums mentioned at the beginning of this review first). To quote the man himself "Buy, buy, BUY and TELL YOUR FRIENDS".

I think this is the most upbeat, fun album Foetus has ever made. With the context of the album before this & the album after, respectively Deaf & Hole, it does feel like it fits in a fairly regular arc. On Ache Jim Thirlwell has a lot of very interesting music ideas & idiosyncratic directions he goes in. It's not as rhythmically complex as more recent work of his such as Steroid Maximus's Ectopia & Manorexia's Radiolarian Ooze, but you can bouce right along behind him with this cd. I hope my review has been helpful to you.

Though many say that "Nail" was Foetus's best album I believe that this album is equaly good. It may not be as "refined" as Nail, but this album can be listened to over and over, and you'll never get tired of listening to it. Its impossible for me to describe WHY this album is so amazing, but I love it. Give it a chance, the more you listen to it the better it gets.

Even though it only has a few songs, it still has the awesome sound of SP and the fact that they are remixes isn't a bad thing- the songs are wonderfully the same and different.

Nivek was a heroin addict. In the song Addiction, he is trying to relate the pain and anguish of drug addiction. I'ts a love hate relationship which revolves around pain and euphoria. After a narrow escape he was eventually able to break himself from this habit. Unfortunately, not all the band members were so lucky. The keyboardist died of an drug overdose which spurred on the break up of the band. My one complaint is how few songs are included on this single.

this single is great. The remixes are really cool. These tracks also appear on mind: the perpetual intercouse and 12" anthology.

mediocrity. I had this cd for a week when it first came out, and listened to it about 10 times. I listen to the average cd five or six times before tiring of it. The case looks cool, so if you pull it out, it's likely to get played by friends. The songs? There could have been a better track for KMFDM, but it's good music for sitting in a dark room and drinking Snakebite. The Ms. liked it too.

Wax trax has been introducing great industrial bands to the pubic for years.

There's an avant-garde, experimental beauty to this cd. One of the best songs on here by the way, is The Redoubt Of Light. It's very hard to forget and probably worth paying the money for. If you enjoy cerebral, hallucinatory music with a goth edge, listen to this album.

This album is fantastic. Having listened to goth music for a very long time and generally being disappointed with a lot of the newer music that is coming out, I have to say that I have never heard anything like this before. I can listen to this album over and over again and not tire of it...in fact I do have other Attrition albums but this one always seems to be the one that I select. It is truly a masterpiece and a great addition to any experimental/dark/oddball collection.

although i'm not sure in what category they really belong, this surreal gorgeous work deserves accolades! from the spooky but innovative "day i was born" all the way to the end, this cd is perfection. marvelous work. if you love darkwave and goth, this cd is a must.