Artist
Vigilante
Title
War Of Ideas
Format/Cat
CD BR046
Label
Black Rain
Style
Hard Industrial Techno Rock
Date of review
17th February 2008
Reviewer
Carl Jenkinson
Rating
8/10
Chile's finest musical export return with another scorching collection of hard rocking industrial bombs set to detonate in your face. In comparison with their debut The Heroes Code, this is harder, grittier & even more furious, taking the trio's sound to new sonic heights. How much of this is down to the personnel changes that have taken place since their debut is open to debate but this progression is exactly what was needed as, rather than giving us a re-run of their debut, they've moved on several steps whilst keeping intact the more unique elements of their sound, such as the mix of hard guitars & soaring synths that make their mark on such tracks as 'Justice' (which some of you may remember from the EP Juicio Finale) & the outstanding 'Time To Kill' while the genuinely uplifting chordal work that graces 'Victims' should prove ideal for those 'hands in the air' moments, especially as it provides such a contrast to the typically angry sound. Ivan Munoz's vocals still sound like Mike Patton in places, most notably during 'Forever' but elsewhere his bellowing matches the music's furious feel in a manner that all sounds rather macho & somewhat gung-ho in the case of 'Get In The Ring' where the slow, grinding feel is only slightly letdown by a rather sudden ending & 'Fair Fight'. All of which leaves 'El Derecho De Vivir En Paz' to close the album with another dynamic industrial rock outing (that sounds familiar somehow), shorter than usual but with strength to spare, it ends the album on a suitably dynamic note, leaving you time to catch your breath before viewing another excellent video (which is rapidly becoming a Vigilante trademark, it seems) of 'Fire' or checking out the remix disc which, truth be told, is likely to be of only limited appeal as all bar one of the remixes are of 'Fair Fight' & none of them show any radical departure from the original so it's not even as if it's likely to increase its club appeal (although Lamia's version does have some decent synthwork to its credit!). At the end of the day, though, it's the original album that counts & there's absolutely nothing wrong there; indeed, any industrial rock fans will do well to check this out as it's got all the power & strength you could ever wish for.

 

Artist
Neon Cage Experiment
Title
Materials And Methods
Format/Cat
CD
Label
Vendetta
Style
Dark Experimental Industrial Electro
Date of review
17th February 2008
Reviewer
Carl Jenkinson
Rating
6/10
If you think a lot of electronic music today is a bit too soft or commercial then here's one to get your teeth into. The French quartet of Laurant, Yoann, Nicolas & Bruno have put together a challenging, dark & often experimental release where some of the darkest melodics imaginable are embellished by abstract & mutated effects. The opening 'Shadow Of Words' is a good case in point as a dark & brooding ambient backdrop is gradually overtaken by more abstract glitch & noise effects while a mutated accordian (which at least keeps their Gallic influences!) paints an impressionistic picture of the abyss during 'Hell's Darker Chamber'. The participation of Haujobb (as a remixer on the closing 'Puppy') will give you some idea of what to expect here, particularly on the more accessable tracks such as 'Into The Light' & 'Caretaker' while the atmospheric, almost ambient backdrop that both contrasts & compliments the laidback rhythms of 'Masquerade' & the manner in which 'Forgiven Lies' mixes an anything-could-happen approach into an otherwise fairly accessable, but still pretty imaginative, track is the most tangible manifestation of the Haujobb spirit although the odd (but intriguing, it must be said) mix of rhythmic & abstract effects that form the basis of 'Minds' sees them going further into more experimental realms while avoiding the bombastic simplicity of powernoise. Labelmate & compatriot Brain Leisure lends a helping hand on 'Life Is A Terrible Disease' while the the standout track that is 'Breathing Cities' is easily the darkest offering as a muscular rhythm forms the basis of an utterly forbidding track that conjures mental pictures of dark, deserted streets where the shadows are deepened by the overbearing buildings from which no light escapes. That they band are able to create such pictures in the mind is testament to their skill & while this is, like many Vendetta releases, is sure to find a warm reception from those whose tastes run to more eclectic realms.

 

Artist
L'ame Immortelle
Title
Namenlos
Format/Cat
CD
Label
Trisol
Style
Electro/Gothic rock
Date of review
17th February 2008
Reviewer
Carl Jenkinson
Rating
8.5/10
This latest L'Ame immortelle release has been described by the band's Thomas Rainer as "A step forward with our eyes turned to the past". This is evident in the tracks that see the duo revisiting their electronic roots, alternating to superb effect with the more gothic rock elements that have characterised their more recent works. This is immediately evident as '1000 Voices', which carries on from the epilog-like opener 'Vergessen', gets into its stride with punchy synthetic rhythms & surging sequences immediately make their mark. Add to this possibly the harshest-sounding, EBM-style vocals Thomas has ever done & you have a memorable opener on your hands that promnises that this is going to be another excellent album. And so it proves to be with the music being as powerful, emotive & as hauntingly passionate as ever; indeed, 'Es Tut Mir Leid' is equally angry sounding as both Thomas & Sonia Kraushofer almost spit out the vocals atop a backbone of assertive sequences & thumping rhythms that are augmented by regimented percussion while 'Blutrot', which reiterates the gothic rock moods of their later works, is so full of passion & power it's likely to leave you breathless, as is 'Bleib' which is a typically dynamic rock anthem that the band have made their forte of late. As a distinct contrast 'Behind The Light' is easily the most romantic, sensual track they've ever produced although ther are some darker undertones in the lyrics which actually prevents the track from sounding a touch twee while the shorter interludes prove that they've not forgotten the importance of REAL instruments, with 'Lost' in particular setting an offbeat, melancolic mood. It's this variation that gives the album it's typically 'epic' feel & what makes it sound far longer than its 49 minutes & even if there is still the occasional similarity to Evanescence et al (the piano that forms the basis of 'Requiem', for example) both Sonja & Thomas are such distinctive vocalists & such accomplished artists that they're able to stamp their trademark on each & every track. Moreover, it sees the duo exploring the full range of their musical expression & is their best release for some town on account of that.

 

Artist
IWR
Title
Cold Asylum
Format/Cat
CD BR047
Label
Black Rain
Style
Industrial
Date of review
17th February 2008
Reviewer
Carl Jenkinson
Rating
7/10
IWR's debut Ground Zero was an exciting but also quite frustrating release that had so much potential but was let down by a production quality that failed to make the most of the band's expansive sound. Sadly, this follow-up suffers from many of the same problems, in fact, the first time I played the opening 'Going Mental' the beats made my windows shake & I didn't even have it on that loud! It's a shame really as the duo of Maor Appelbaum & Tal Galfsky have evolved a sound that's so dramatic, dark & expansive that, if they could have got the production right, they'd have been sitting comfortably at the very top of the industrial electro tree. 'Nemesis', for example, with its assertive bassline, incessant rhythms & evocative melodics could have been a massive club hit but is likely to be overlooked in favour of the remixes at the end (without which this would have been rather a short album) which have a much sharper sound but which emulate the drama of the originals only occasionally so it's swings & roundabouts, really! For all my moaning, however, it is still possible to get a lot of enjoyment out of the album (it sounds better on headphones, incidentally!) as it still has plenty going for it, not least the startling contrast of Appelbaum's typically harsh vocals being offset to some extent by the various female vocalists, including Michal Jakubowicz on 'Wreckage', whose melodic style provides something of a refuge from the musical maelstrom that the expansive melodics & hard rhythms stir up while Moran Uliel provides a nice contrast to the middle east-flavoured melodics that adds an exotic edge to the dancey 'Ketamine Sedation'. Elsewhere 'Morning Star' benefits from a slightly more restrained mood while 'New Dawn' sees the band at their melodic best as some atmospheric synth sweeps give way to a more sumptuous, almost symphonic but always emotive approach that shows the band's more soulful side & while it might sound strange when combined with the treated vocals it shows just how much potential this act have got & if they can get a more experienced producer on board for future releases then it may be that the best is yet to come, we'll see.....

 

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Review If someone had said to me at the turn of the new millennium that Skinny Puppy were to release a new album I'd have shook my head in disbelief! Seven years on and they have released their second.
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