| 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 |
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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.
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| 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 |
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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.
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| 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 |
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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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| Cylab |
Satellites |
25 January 2008 |
Whispercore Music |
Industrial/electro/trip-hop |
Anya Hastwell 7/10 |
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And everything's gone techno-y, moody and atmospheric with Cylab. Burbling synths are the backdrop to the vocals, which cruise along at approximately 45mph in a suburban street. |
| Click here for review |
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| Mindless Faith |
Medication For The Misinformed |
13th January 2008 |
Dependent |
Industrial |
Carl Jenkinson 9/10 |
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Mindless Faith's debut album Momentum from 2004 was full of very good tracks that were so diverse as to be stylistically all over the place. On this follow-up, the Sevanick brothers have got it exactly right with a dynamic album of industrial/electro that sounds both varied & still cohesive to just the right degree... |
| Click here for review |
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| The Birthday Massacre |
Walking With Strangers |
10th December 2007 |
Repo Records |
Industrial |
Carl Jenkinson 7.5/10 |
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Having been propelled into the big time by their second album Violet, the Canadian sextet return with their latest release that boasts the additional production talents of Dave Ogilvie in order to further refine their sound. |
| Click here for review |
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| Jesus Complex |
Greetings From The Dead |
12th november 2007 |
Not Happy Records |
Industrial |
Carl Jenkinson 8.5/10 |
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This second Jesus Complex album sees mainman Reverend Damon Fries going it alone, without the help of Pandaimonium Records, who released his debut I Woke Up Dead & The Clan Of Xymox's Ronny Moorings, who recorded & produced it. Happily, striking out on his own like this has allowed Damon to shine in his own right with a follow-up album that is exciting, infectious & varied but far more coherent than its predecessor. |
| Click here for review |
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| Revolution State Vs. Noizekatt |
Revolution State Vs. Noizekatt |
14th October 2007 |
Vendetta Music |
Industrial |
Carl Jenkinson 7/10 |
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This self-released split CD brings together the music of Ben P alias Revolution State & Bonnie P alias Noizekatt... |
| Click here for review |
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| Deviant UK |
Barbed Wire Star |
14th October 2007 |
RebCo Records |
Industrial |
Carl Jenkinson 7/10 |
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Even to anyone totally unaware of Deviant UK mainman Jay Smith's Numan-impersonating past with Play Like God/The Numan Principle it's immediately apparent just who his main influence is on this trio's debut album. |
| Click here for review |
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| Noisuf-X |
The Beauty Of Destruction |
3rd September 2007 |
Pro Noize |
Industrial |
Carl Jenkinson 7.5/10 |
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Thanks to recent releases by SAM, Soman & now this latest from Noisuf-X AKA X-Fusion maestro Michael Kloppe, it seems that my long-held belief that this kind of hardfloor industrial/dance/techno (for want of better phrases) is only good for clubs & has very little value in any other environment, is beginning to look increasingly shaky... |
| Click here for review |
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| KIFOTH |
Acerbity Torrent |
26th July 2007 |
Vendetta Music |
Industrial |
Carl Jenkinson 6/10 |
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KIFOTH is a name I've seen mentioned in various places but as I've never heard any of their music I was able to approach this, their first release on the American Vendetta Music label, with a pretty open mind. |
| Click here for review |
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| Tin Omen |
Define My Existence |
5th July 2007 |
Own Release |
Industrial |
Carl Jenkinson 9.5/10 |
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Anyone who was lucky enough to catch this UK trio's recent set at the Dark City Festival in Edinburgh won't need me to tell them how good they are. |
| Click here for review |
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| Inertia |
Inertia |
5th July 2007 |
Cryonica |
Industrial |
Carl Jenkinson 9/10 |
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When I mentioned that Inertia were 'going a bit poppy in their old age' on my Cryotank V2 review it turns out that I didn't know the half of it! |
| Click here for review |
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| Idiot Stare |
Welcome To Babylon |
5th July 2007 |
Own Release |
Industrial |
Carl Jenkinson 8/10 |
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This is Idiot Stare's third album & their first since The Hate Cage which was released during the late 1990s. |
| Click here for review |
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| Skinny Puppy |
Mythmaker |
4th June 2007 |
SPV |
Industrial |
Matt Collyer 8/10 |
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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. |
| Click here for review |
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