“…but we sure don’t give a fuck,” Chris Connelly sneers in the chorus of “American Parasite,” the title track off the first full-length album from industrial-punk supergroup The Joy Thieves. Maybe they don’t, but I can tell a lot of sweat went into the making of this brilliant album. Described in the press release as “leaning unabashedly into its punk roots,” I downloaded my promo copy just in time to test it out at the…
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Big Time Kill: Recovery (Album Review)
Glitch Mode Recordings’ Boston-based dark electro rock duo wowed us all a few years ago with their debut full-length, Shock And Awe. Since then, they’ve kept up a steady onslaught of singles and an EP in 2019, Anxiety. Their latest release, Recovery, is four synth-driven tracks and fifteen intense minutes. The title track is tight and danceable with bandleader Adam Schneider’s vocals pushed to the front around gritty synths. “Cliche” starts out mellow with a Cure-esque guitar riff, but builds quickly…
Read MoreDead Animal Assembly Plant, “Bring Out The Dead” (album review)
Portland-based industrial shock rockers Dead Animal Assembly Plant have at long last inflicted their full-length album Bring Out The Dead onto our eager eardrums. Building anticipation with a few single releases over the past few months, the album is just as brutal as promised. It opens with the eerie, atmospheric “Cemetery Slums” and launches headfirst into the first single “A Violent Breed,” a guitar-driven stomper with a catchy chorus so that you and all your spooky…
Read MoreThe Dramedy: And The Light Goes White (Album review)
The Dramedy at its core is Dave Dramedy himself, although on this album he’s recruited quite a few extremely talented musicians–and it shows. You would have never guessed that it was recorded in isolation. And The Light Goes White starts off with “Vow”, a perfect opener. The delicate acoustic guitars highlight the strength of the doubled vocals, which build up to a chant. The song evolves into a gritty, heartfelt rock anthem with big guitars,…
Read MoreThe Burying Kind: Self-Titled (album review)
If you close your eyes while you’re listening, the debut self-titled EP from Chicago area duo The Burying Kind brings to mind a time and place that feels like equal parts past and present. Their sound feels familiar yet also completely new, drawing inspiration from the slow, washed-out sounds of shoegaze, the dreamy nostalgia trip of 80s darkwave and new wave, and modern-day indie pop. The album starts out with the first single, “Falling Over,”…
Read MoreFM Einheit, “Exhibition Of A Dream” (Album Review)
This release from Einsturzende Neubauten alum FM Einheit consists of several musicians recounting their dreams in spoken word against a mesmerizing soundtrack, which was originally for the 2017 exhibition of the same name. It was recorded live in the amphitheatres and the garden of the Fondation Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon where the exhibition was held, as well as in private at Einheit’s own studio, Steinschlag. The dreamers/contributors were: Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Lee Ranaldo, …Émilie Pitoiset, Susan Stenger, Susie Green, David…
Read MorecEvin Key And The Subconscious Electronic Orchestra, Resonance (Album Review)
Not only is cEvin Key one of the founders of legendary Vancouver industrial band Skinny Puppy, he’s also a member of Download, Tear Garden, Cyberaktif, and Doubting Thomas. Beyond his extensive involvement with many industrial and electronic acts and his work on horror film soundtracks as Scaremeister, his solo project now spans decades. Resonance is his fifth solo album and is said to be his “most personal.” The ever-prolific master of brap and beats has always…
Read MoreAnna B Savage “A Common Turn” – album review
London-based Singer and Songwriter Anna B Savage has invited us to listen to her debut full-length release A Common Turn, sharing with us her struggles of vulnerability and her need to break free from the turmoil and toxicity found in her personal life. Beginning the album is the ethereal “A Steady Warmth,” laced with eerie gothic undertones. Savage’s soft vocals lay out a landscape of soothing moodiness, which is revisited in later tracks such…
Read MoreImperative Reaction “Mirror” – album review
Los Angeles Electro Industrial band Imperative Reaction have returned after ten years with their strongest and critically acclaimed album to date, Mirror. Comprised of 11 songs which combine EBM with a post-industrial sound, this magnum opus explores themes of aggression, intimidation, and self-discovery. Mirror opens with the energetic track “Split”. A pounding, aggressive beat dominates throughout the heart of the album, urging us to dance and express our shared pain in songs such as…
Read MoreFront Line Assembly “Mechanical Soul” – album review
We’re only two weeks into 2021 and this year has already started with one brilliant record. It’s Front Line Assembly’s Mechanical Soul. While receiving very little information about the album, I decided to dive straight into it and make my own opinion. What’s evident from the start is that it’s a classic FLA record which integrates synth soundscapes, driving beats and Bill’s almost mechanical vocals, and that’s something that FLA has been doing successfully…
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