Salutations!
OK, so it isn’t technically the end of the week, but I've decided
to cynically exploit the beliefs of a mainstream religion in order to
have a four day weekend... and I know you're all probably doing the
same.
So now it's time to kick back and
stuff ourselves stupid with chocolate in memory of a killer bunny... Oh, that's not what Easter is about? Ah well, I like my
version better...
Ukrainian native Tyler
Milchmann's début album, 'Strange Days', on Bugs Crawling Out Of
People has slipped under the radar for a few months now. Which is a
shame as his strongly Germanic influenced style takes its cues from
the likes of Blutengel, Das Ich, Oomph! And even a little folksy nod
to In Extremo that will no doubt find a ready-made audience across
European clubs. Now with a digital single in the form of 'An Eye For
An Eye' just around the corner, it seems like we will be hearing a
lot more from him in the near future. But for now we'll go back to
the début.
The Eastern Europeans
have been throwing out some interesting and very promising new acts,
of which it seems Tyler Milchmann looks set to find himself at the
head of. His predominantly German lyrics will appeal to the
Germanophiles out there, but his penchant for a strong dance beat and
slightly outside-of-the-box arrangements will pique plenty of
people's interests.
It's not particularly
innovative by any stretch of the imagination as Milchmann has
unequivocally has his eyes set on becoming a name to be reckoned
with. But, although this is a relatively familiar style of darkwave
infused electro-industrial it is nonetheless very well executed, to
the point that it is hard to believe this is his first offering.
Songs like 'Veitstanz',
'Where The Iron Crosses Never Grow', 'Solange Es Noch Warm', 'Alle
Kinder' and 'Die Promenade' all have to potential for some serious
international club exposure. While the likes of 'Devil Is An Old Man
From Radio' and 'Rauch Über
Der Elbe' in particular would sound very strong in a live setting.
The only things that
let the album down really boil down to the mix, which sometimes
sounds cluttered and swamps the vocals, as well as some awkwardly
executed and slightly out of time vocals in a couple of spots.
They're not particularly big issues, but they do detract from an
otherwise solid release.
It will be interesting
to see how Milchmann follows this up, as there are several distinct
elements all vying for attention here that he balances well on
'Strange Days', but could take him in very interesting directions if
he were to play on them a little more.
Italian
goth metal outfit Resonance Room's second full-length album
'Untouchable Failure' will appeal to those who enjoy the heavy
guitars of acts like Porcupine Tree, the misery of Katatonia, the
progressive elements of Anathema and the dark style of Moonspell.
It's a formula that should give them a worldwide appeal. Especially
when it is executed to such a high degree, as is the case here.
The
band flit back and forth between memorable but scathing guitar riffs
and thick melodic interludes with great ease, evoking a doomier take
on Katatonia's 'Great Cold Distance' which shows a strong development
since the band's début 'Unspoken'.
the
songs which give the album its backbone; 'The Great Insomnia', 'So
Precious', 'Naivety And Oblivion' and 'Faded' all resonate (pardon
the pun) with melancholic angst as the clean vocals interact in an
almost ethereal way with the heaviness of the guitars before fading
into the more ambient and progressive sections where they can really
shine. Though it is the album's penultimate track, acoustic-led
'Prometheus' that provides a progressive-orientated jewel in the
crown for the band.
However
the likes of 'Cages Of Dust' and 'Outside The Maze' are perhaps the
most glaring examples of when the band don't quite get things right.
Though they are both excellently performed, and feature strong bass
and vocals in particular, they just never quite click in the same way
as the other songs do.
In
terms of production this album is pretty much spot on aside from a
little too much treble on the guitars that detract from the bottom
end of the mix. But this is a small niggling point on a wonderfully
executed album that works well both in terms of song-writing and
performance.
This
is a very strong offering that should have plenty of critics and fans
sit up and take notice. If they can spread their live reputation
outside of their native borders, there is no reason why this album
shouldn't provide a solid Platform from which the band can launch
from.
Belgian
electro label Alfa Matrix has announced two new download singles from
Kant Kino and Pouppée Fabrikk (the first new
single in 12 years from the Swedish ebm band).
Kant Kino's
single features
a new edit of the song 'Just For The Comfort Of Sleep' (from the
recent album 'Father Worked In Industry') with an extra remix and
demo version also included.
Pouppée Fabrikk's single also
features a 12” remix and reworked versions by Spetsnaz,
Autodafeh
and
Polyfuse.
1.
Bring Back The Ways Of Old (POUPPÉE FABRIKK 12 Inch Version) 2.
Bring Back The Ways Of Old (SPETSNAZ Pushed Around Remix) 3.
Bring Back The Ways Of Old (AUTODAFEH Remix) 4. Bring Back The
Ways Of Old (POLYFUSE Remix)
1.
Just For The Comfort Of Sleep (insomnia edit) 2. Just For The
Comfort Of Sleep (KANT KINO klubbmix) 3. Just For The Comfort Of
Sleep (demo v2, vocoder)
Both
are available to download now via the Alfa Matrix Bandcamp page.
The Quebec-based
quintet Ogenix are flying the flag for cyber-metal proudly and very
loudly. Their début six-track album is a scathing blend of grinding
metal guitars and liberal doses of modular synthesizers executed at
breakneck speed. The band are stealing the ball from the likes of
such luminaries as Fear Factory and running with it.
The band waste no time,
with only a brief intro they crash straight into the barrage of
abrasive guitars, vocals and synthesizers that is 'Ignition/Fire',
which sounds not unlike Hatebreed being remixed by Rammstein. It's a
stylistic theme that is carried on throughout the whole of the album
with absolutely no respite at all.
The rest of the songs on the
album 'Decay', 'Rouge', 'MKT', 'Inquisition/Cult' and 'The End' all
play up the industrial electronics elements effectively and keep a
good balance between the hardcore vocals and thrash guitars. But
across six songs the sound begins to falter and tire from its own
ferocity. There are a whole manner of ways the band could counteract
this though. They could have done well to add a more toned down song
as a centrepiece, extend the electronic intros a bit to break up the
pace or even, dare I say, add a couple of remixes to the end.
The production, like
the song writing, is equally heavy-handed and the mix is saturated by
the number of decibels. This is perhaps their biggest undoing. Going
all out on the speed and heaviness is perfectly fine. But the songs
do suffer from having everything turned up to eleven all the time and
in fact makes the end result feel a little rushed as well.
On the whole though,
this is an impressive début that features some interesting and
genuinely catchy songs that will definitely appeal more to heavy
metal orientated fans. But there is the scope, and the talent, for
the band to diversify and potentially conquer new listeners.
The one man electronic
project Interstitial has been slogging away for ten years now. And in that time his
daring and experimental covers have been a particular source of fascination. Now finally he has collected some of his best into a free download album
(he also has some pro bono CD copies too if you live in the USA). The
collection 'Judge A Crook By His Covers' see's the Southern
Californian native lend is experimental electro style to a diverse
range of works by the likes of Tool, Pop Will Eat Itself,
Queensryche, Killing Joke and Journey.
The album's Skinny
Puppy meets Front 242 style electro-industrial, as you would expect,
works very well on songs like 'Walk Away', 'Darkest Entries', 'Ich
Bin Ein Auslander', 'One Hundred Years' and 'Love Like Blood' as they retain their original charm but still giving
them each drastic dance-friendly makeovers. The most unexpected
choices for covers yield the most interesting results though, such as
the covers of Tool's 'Sober', Queensryche's 'Silent Lucidity' and
Journey's 'Separate Ways' which all sound completely alien to their
originals.
However, the film /
computer game / professional wrestling themes that round off the
collection feel a little hit and miss with the 'Halloween' and 'Stone
Cold Steve Austin' themes in particular sounding a bit too thin and
rudimentary compared to the hard and compelling 'Chrono Trigger' and
'Metroid' themes.
For a low budget
recording set up that is aimed solely at releasing music for free the
mixing and production isn't bad. The vocals occasionally sound a
little indistinct from the rest of the mix. But it gives the whole
album a comfortable, old school kind of sound that tugs nostalgically
on the ear.
What constitutes a good
cover song is a very subjective matter that will no doubt ensure
plenty of debate. But what isn't up for debate is that, just like
last year's 'Stolen Thunder 1' EP from Goteki, 'Judge A Crook By His
Cover' is a fun and endearing release that will no doubt find a
willing audience, especially considering its lack of a price tag.
The listener is not so much a listening to a performance on The Lovebird’s Throat, but has snuck unseen into Clara Engel's secret garden to witness the the quiet wonder of her creations blooming. Her voice expresses vulnerability while revealing great confidence at the center. The production, though immaculate, is uncommonly organic. There is an economy of writing and arrangement that shows Clara Engel has confidence in her art that her performance and skills fully justify. The songs lead the dance with arrangements and production providing the perfect space for the songs to inhabit.
Opening track Not Knowing starts with a vocal and guitar that unfolds its restrained though heartfelt expression of uncertainty and melancholy coupled with a note of hope. The singer and her song laid bare both unadorned and unaffected. Song To The Sea Witch (Disembody My Voice) has a feel of old world narrative balladry and a more layered instrumentation than the opening track. The intensity builds so subtly one is swept away into it undertow before one knows it.
Married To The Bone announces itself with an a capella vocal strong in it's declarative bluesy inflection. Instruments come in with a drone and heartbeat of percussion that weaves a spell that seduces along with repeated phrases. Lovebirds completes this cycle with a psychedelic undertone and lyrics rich in vivid imagery. As with every track on this release, each part of the performance adds its essential part and nothing more.
Victorindustrialist
Emilie Autumn with be bringing her unique brand of theatrics to
Europe in support of her latest album 'Fight Like A Girl', the
follow-up to 2006's 'Opheliac'.
August
23 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Edinburgh Fringe / Picture House August
24 - Nottingham, England - Rock City August
25 - Manchester, England - The Ritz August
27 - Eindhoven, Holland - Dynamo August
28 - Utrecht, Holland - The Tivoli August
30 - Berlin, Germany - Heimathafen August
31 - Vienna, Austria - Szene September
1 - Krakow, Poland - Kwadrat September
2 - Leipzig, Germany - Werk II September
4 - Hamburg, Germany - Gruenspan September
5 - Duisburg, Germany - Pulp September
6 - Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff September
7 - Pinarella Di Cervia, Italy - Rock Planet Setpember
8 - Munchen, Germany - Freiheiz September
10 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof September
11 - Paris, France - La Scene Bastille September
12 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix September
13 - London, England - Shepherd's Bush Empire
TICKETS
GO ON SALE MARCH 25TH. (Links for tickets will be put up on the
25th.)
VIP
and Early Entry Upgrade packages go on sale to fan club members on
the 25th and to everyone else on the 26th. The VIP and Early Entry
packages do not include a ticket to the show. TICKETS TO THE SHOW
MUST BE BOUGHT SEPARATELY FROM THE UPGRADE PACKAGES
VIP
TICKETS INCLUDE: (limit 25 per show) Fight
Like A Girl flag Signed
Setlist VIP
Blend Tea You
can bring one additional item to be signed Photo
with Emilie Autumn taken with the Asylum Camera (this will be emailed
to the email addressed used when purchasing the upgrade package) COST
FOR VIP UPGRADE: $75 USD / approx 59 euro / approx 50 pounds
EARLY
ENTRY PACKAGE Includes: (limit 75 per show) Fight
Like a Girl Flag Signed
Set list entry
into the venue following the conclusion of the meet and
greet (approximately
10-15 minutes prior to doors) COST
FOR EARLY ENTRY UPGRADE: $45 USD / approx 35 euro / approx 30 pounds
In other news
ex-Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy has been making headlines with a DUI
charge ahead of his forthcoming world tour. But to the relief of his
loyal fans he revealed in a statement on Facebook that the charges
will not interfere with the scheduled tour.
That's all for this
week. We'll have an evening to chill out and then you can guarantee
we'll be hard at it over the weekend getting next week's articles
ready for you. But in the meantime here is Nine Inch Nails'
Self-Destruct Tour documentary that they've kindly posted on tumblr.
This new Leeds-based trio
made up of refugees from the recently, and regretfully, disbanded
acts Action Directe and Rome Burns have finally emerged with their
first EP, 'Liberty, Equality, Atrocity'. A proto-gothic post punk
mix of hard guitars, jaunty keyboards, sharp-tongued lyrics and hard repetitive beats. It's evident form this initial recording that the band are opting for a “less is more” policy that
isn't so much trying to reinvent the wheel, as hack it to pieces.
The six track EP is
nostalgic, even a little archaic with it's raw sound and repetitive
construction. But there is something quite charming about the whole thing as Joel
Hayes snarls his darkly witty lyrics over some very
catchy guitars and grooving bass.
The stronger songs in the band's arsenal 'Soldier Of
Love', 'Urban Guerilla' and 'Precious Thing' get the EP off to a
nice start with their energetic but dignified execution. While the sinister and creeping 'Be Cruel!' provides a nice counterpoint
in the middle, letting the piano take the strain off the guitars for a
bit more variety.
Finally, 'Tough Love'
and 'Atrocity Girl' round things off, picking the pace up again and
making good use of the electronic elements but suffering somewhat
from the overly fuzzy guitars that just make the mix sound rather
flat.
The production on 'Liberty, Equality, Atrocity' is
intentionally raw, which always has its good points and bad points.
Good in that it gives the songs an nice old school sound that inevitably strikes a chord of familiarity with the listener. But bad in that it really can dull the sound of an otherwise appealing song, which unfortunately does happen on occasion here.
If you're looking for a
band that will challenge genre conventions and defy expectations then
Quasimodo aren't for you. If, however, you're looking for some catchy,
guitar-orientated goth rock that will no-doubt translate well to the
live stage, then Quasimodo will be right up your street.
Channelling the best of
the 1990s' industrial rock output, Projekt F have made a few waves in
their north American stomping ground. And with good reason. The bands
hard, thrashy style recalls the heyday of Nothing Records talent like
Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, 2wo, Prick and Pig. It's a sound
that still fills dance floors around the world and the Canadian band
demonstrate on their début full-length album, 'Skins', that they
definitely have the tools to repackage it for the 2013 crowd.
The album mixes the
bass heavy, dissonant rock of 'The Downward Spiral' and 'Antichrist
Superstar' saturating electronics of 2wo's underrated 'Voyeurs' and
gODHEAD's '2,000 Years Of Human Error'. The end result is somewhat
nostalgic, but the band's grit and attention to detail make this an
utterly compelling album.
Songs like 'Evolved',
'The Wall', 'Lymph', 'Room 13' and 'Perfect Enclosure' give the album
a sheer driving force that makes good use of memorable hooks and
sing-a-long choruses. The band do like to slow things down though as
tracks like 'Rust', 'Disease', and 'Book Of The Flies' can attest to
with their use of dominant piano melodies to counterpoint the angst
of the majority of the album. However, the over-reliance of this
trick does tend to bog down the second half of the album and somewhat
stall the momentum of the first few songs.
Production-wise the
band have managed to get the balance between the harsh rock and
industrial electronics spot-on so that neither is too dominant,
effectively evoking that classic “Nothing” sound. The only real
fault to be found is that there are one or two songs where the vocals
don't quite sit right in the mix, which can be a little distracting.
Projekt F have crafted
a very strong début in 'Skins'. It will no doubt be equally praised
and criticised for it's nostalgic edge. But that is missing the
point. This is a solid first album, from a band with a lot of
potential, that displays a level of song-writing and execution that
can comfortably hold its own with some classic albums.
Australian industrial
metal quartet Cold Divide inject a frantic and glitchy style into
what seems to be a very quiet area of the industrial scene. The
elements may not be that original with the likes of Skinny Puppy,
ohGr, Nine Inch Nails and even Orgy being easy comparisons to make.
But the band just have that something about them that makes this EP
an intriguing listen.
The band's rock/metal
side is fairly straightforward in it's approach with a penchant for
chugging rhythms and hanging chords on the choruses. But it's the
band's penchant for glitchy electronics that gives them more
individuality in a scene that often favours melodies over heavy
guitars. The title track 'Weaponized' is perhaps the more balanced
sing-a-long anthem of the three tracks which, after it's catchy
intro, tends to play things a little too safe. 'Citizen Replaced'
feels a bit more disjointed and fun in it's construction that
benefits from some great guitar work for an end result that is catchy
enough for most industrial rock/metal fans to get into. The final
song though 'Cold War Skies' is a very strong offering that pushes
the band's glitch elements to stutter and cough throughout its
seamless blend of electronic and rock.
The vocals on the
tracks tend to vary in quality, getting stronger as the EP
progresses, and the mix occasionally feels a little flat on the
choruses when you really just want to throw your fist in the air and
sing-a-long at the top of your voice.
The songwriting here
fundamentally is very good. But the band need that kick to take
things to the next level. If they played on the glitchy electronics
more they would have no problem making a name for themselves internationally and
could possibly revive a side of industrial that seems to have all but
stalled.
After sending Goteki
back to bed recently, Ross Tregenza hasn't wasted any time in
striking out in a new direction. His début solo EP 'Snowdrift' has
it's roots in the slower and more introspective end of Goteki's
“Death Electro” sound. But here Tregenza takes the opportunity to
call on his vast experience as a computer game sound designer and
widen his scope to include more blues and indie rock, as well as
orchestral elements into the mix.
The title track is a
haunting ballad that maintains a dance floor appeal and a twisted pop
sensibility, but feels far more complex in it's construction
recalling the likes of David Bowie's 'Hours...' with it's mournful
pace. Tregenza's track record of appropriating other people's music
has been a pretty solid one, and the cover of Crystal Castle's
'Vanished' is a nice one to add to the list. It may not be vastly
different, but it fits the feel of the EP and the piano parts give it
an icy edge.
The remix of the title
track however is a sheer slice of genius. Re-imagined and re-worked
into a fake live track, it has all the pomp and grit of Depeche
Mode's 'Devotional' and some believable crowd noise – Only Type O
Negative's 'The Origin Of The Feces' does a better job at faking it.
Finally the closing instrumental 'Wolves' channels the likes of Nick
Cave & Warren Ellis' soundtrack work along with a hint of latter
day Sisters Of Mercy for a groovy and moody closer.
If its a fresh start
from Goteki Tregenza is after then 'Snowdrift' is a good first step.
The EP is built to slowly evolve beyond the more comfortable and
recognisable elements of his back catalogue and into something much
bigger and more interesting. There is still that electro grounding,
but the orchestral and more overt use of rock elements makes this a
more diverse experience. It will be interesting to see where Tregenza
takes things from here.
The last time these eyes witness Hocico, they laid waste to
a packed Hangar stage at their headline slot at M’era Luna last August.
That was a show in front of thousands of people, all united
in a great party – today we’re only talking hundreds, sometimes smaller crowds
are much harder to work.
Although, the way a few are bopping around to opening act
XMH, there’s clearly a crowd in the mood for it. Taking 30 minutes of simple
dancefloor fodder, they bring bouncy beats with hints of trance amongst the
energetic array of tracks.
They’ve clearly a small following of their own and they
certainly get people in the mood. Though
a lack of standout tracks and some done-to-death samples keep them from being
much more, however, an enjoyable start to the evening.
System:FX are much more organised on this, they hit the
right spots and hit them harder. It’s a
fully live set up with guitars, keyboards and drums and that adds an extra
boost to the tracks.
With gnarling vocals, catchy rhythms and crunching beats,
they hammer the point home and demonstrate just why they play such prime
slots. One of the UK’s stand out acts
for sure.
There’s a positive atmosphere brewing even before Hocico
take to stage, this is a band people are genuinely excited to see. That the
first big cheer is given when the onstage techies get the video stream working
just shows the head start they’ve got.
High expectations can lead to mass
disappointment, packed out venue, great support acts, crowd in a positive
mood…yeah, can be a set up to a fall….or… it can only get better.
The Hocico set is almost like a large party, the message on
the new album was “live every day like it’s your last” and everyone is dancing
like there’s no tomorrow as Erik and Oscar plough through a mix of new tracks
and old favourites, tracks like ‘Vile Whispers’ and ‘T.O.S of Reality’ are
standout tracks and so add those to an already impressive roster and you can
see why Hocico are doing so well 20 years into their career.
Their Latino harsh electro has become a staple many have
copied but few can come close to recreating the energetic power of a Hocico
live show. Whilst Oscar is mobile tied
up with keys, Erik more than makes up for this by jumping and bouncing around
the stage with full-on power and energy for well over an hour. It must keep him
very fit!
Of course, part of their live experience is also the
accompanying video projections, which on a smaller stage becomes a bigger part
of the experience – it’s almost like they’re part of the horror they’re
creating.
London has become another ground they’ve laid waste to, as
they demonstrate again why they’re one of the “leaders” of the scene.
“There’s
uplifting aspects in the video’s, there’s dark moody aspects, but
ultimately we follow the golden rule, that someone always dies at the
end, rather than use the old cliché that all ends well.”
With
their début album, 'Disasters: How To Leave A Scene', Eastleigh's
own Broken Links are fast making a name for themselves in the
alternative underground. With a sound that combines gritty rock with
post punk and industrial elements, referencing the likes of Killing
Joke and The Chameleons through to the likes of Nine Inch Nails,
Manic Street Preachers and even Massive Attack.
The
band's diverse sound has seen them supporting a wide range of acts in
the UK as well as Germany, and seen them compared to the likes of
Interpol, The Horrors and Editors in terms of commercial potential.
We caught up with vocalist/guitarist Mark Lawrence to have a chat
about the journey so far and the band's next step.
Intravenous
Magazine: Your début album, 'Disasters: How To Leave A Scene', was
released in November. What has the reaction been like to it so far?
Mark
Lawrence: It’s been really good, we’ve had a large amount of good
reviews, some high ratings, and some great feedback from our fans.
What we really like is that although we have our influences, it’s
been said that we combine them well & have actually come out with
a sound that’s unique at the moment.
IVM:
The songs on the album have a very broad in their range in terms of
influences exploring indie, new wave, industrial and more, and will
therefore appeal to fans of many different genres. Is this a style
you have consciously strived for or has it grown more organically?
ML: It’s
definitely grown organically and naturally. Over the years I’ve
been obsessed with a number of bands, starting with Metallica, then
NIN, then other bands such as Embrace, U2, Feeder etc..I guessed my
mind has naturally picked out the bits I liked most from every band
I’ve listened to and incorporated them into our songs.
IVM:
The album collects together a wealth of material from your
independently released EPs. How did you approach deciding what to
include and re-working them for the new album?
ML: We
just really picked all the songs we thought defined us for the album,
and at the same time, ensured that we were picking our best songs. It
was mainly our earlier songs that didn’t make it onto the album, as
when we first started our style was very raw and a little “stoner”,
but we started to develop into a more electro’y type act. ‘What
Are You Addicted To?’ was a song we always played live but had
never been recorded for our previous EPs, so we wanted to get that
onto the album so the album would at least have one fresh song for
our die-hard fans.
IVM:
Were there any instances where you've felt inclined to really mix
things up in terms of restructuring the songs?
ML: Not
really. What we mainly wanted to do was make all of the songs
straight to the point. The songs on the EPs were very long, so
instead of making everything musical and epic, Chris Coulter
(producer) sat down with all our songs, and just trimmed the fat. I
think they’re a much more enjoyable listening experience now... and
it means we can squeeze in more songs into our live sets!!!
IVM:
The album was released on new label Devil Theory Records. How did the
partnership come about?
ML: The
guys from the label approached us at one of our London gigs and asked
if we were interested in being associated with a label, which didn’t
really matter to us, but we’ve basically been given a free reign to
do what we want. It works really well, it’s a DIY indie label, and
we’re very much DIY. Nothing has really changed for us, other than
our album has been released with the ‘Devil Theory’ brand
associated with it, which helps certain aspects. The guys at the
label help us out with PR & Bookings too.
IVM:
The album's title is very evocative. What are the underlying themes
and ideas explored on the album?
ML: The
album is really about life’s ‘disasters’, it’s all about
‘growing pains’, the breakdown of relationships, a bit of self
loathing is in there for good measure.
IVM:
So far you've released music videos for the tracks 'We're All
Paranoid' and 'Within Isolation', which both deal with traumatic
situations. How important is it for you to present this visual aspect
of the album?
ML: Emotion
is a big aspect of our music. We like the music to be dark and moody
as possible, but at the same time, uplifting. With this much going
into the songs it would seem wrong to not do this for the videos as
well. There’s uplifting aspects in the video’s, there’s dark
moody aspects, but ultimately we follow the golden rule, that someone
always dies at the end, rather than use the old cliché that all ends
well. Ultimately, the video is going to provide the image for our
song, therefore its highly important that the video is relevant and
has the same emotion as the music, luckily every production company
we’ve worked with have been amazing and we’ve had some great
videos made.
IVM:
The singles that the videos accompanied were also released through
your bandcamp page for free. Is this a trend that you would like to
continue?
ML: Yeah,
we really did that to build up a bit of anticipation for the release
of the album, but it made perfect sense to release the singles for
free, and for the videos we had. We’ll definitely be doing it
again, with the state the music industry is in it doesn’t seem
right to charge large sums for music anymore, which is why we give
the album away at our gigs, as a sort of thank you for paying to
watch us.
IVM:
Are there plans for any more videos for the album?
ML: No,
not unless an offer comes in to film one for next to nothing. At the
moment all our focus and money is going on the recording of the
second album. Then there should be some new videos for the new tracks
around about then.
IVM:
You completed a UK tour in November as well. How did you find that
and were there any memorable experiences you'd like to share?
ML: Liverpool
was fantastic, we’ve got some great fans up there, and the two
support acts we played with were great, The Possibles, and Bombshock.
We also had a really good night in London at the Rattlesnake, we
played the best we’ve played in ages there. I also had my first
ever KFC Twister meal at a motorway services just outside of
Liverpool!
IVM:
Previously you've played shows in Germany and Italy. How have your
experiences of Europe been so far, and how do they compare to the
UK?
ML: The
European crowd perhaps appreciate us a bit more than the UK due to
our industrial moody sound. The UK is mainly focused around pop, it’s
all that’s ever on the TV. That’s not of course true when we play
shows to our fans, but it’s true when we play gigs to a new crowd,
some people ‘get us’, but most don’t. We are a god awful noise.
IVM:
Are any more European gigs on the cards for the band in 2013?
ML: We’re
actually playing Berlin, Chemnitz, and Liege in two weeks time.
Hopefully we’ll be back over there again before the end of the
year!
IVM:
Finally, you're also already working on your second album. What
details can you give us about that at the moment?
ML: Not
much to say just yet, only that six songs have already been recorded.
It’s certainly not a “difficult second album”, we’re churning
out the tracks, I think it’s a lot more experimental this time
round.
The
latest crop of bands have been announced for this years Wave Gotik
Treffan festival in Leipzig.
The Birthday Massacre, Brigade Werther, Lord Of The Lost, Unitary,
Incubite, Passion Play, Crematory, Phosgore, Velvet Acid Christ, A
Split Second, Shiv-R, Orange Sector, Fejd, Still Patient?, The
Twilight Garden, Altar Of Plagues.
The
number of acts performing now stands at 88.
The
festival will take place this year from 17th May until 20th May. For
more information please visit the official Wave
Gotik Treffen website.
It's the end of another
week. But it has been a good week I think. Our Kev went down to
London town to check out Hocico for us, and will have a report for us
soon. And I made a trip into the delightful industrial garden town
(*gags*) of Scunthorpe to get a new tattoo from the good people at
Holy Mountain Tattoo And Piercing.
On the facebook page
though it has been a little quiet this week with a free download fromDead Can Dance, and the announcement that Joe Black will be appearing
at this year's Dark Waters festival. We'll try and have a
few more bits for you next week though.
But now it's time to
kick back with a fine cognac, put my slippers on, light up my pipe
and enjoy the weekend with some old school horror films that I picked
up cheap from a certain ailing high street chain.
From The Bogs Of
Aughiska first slithered into the dark ambient scene in 2010 and have
since seen themselves share stages across Europe with the likes of
Ulver, Boyd Rice and most recently Zatokrev. It's no wonder then that
their new album, 'Roots Of This Earth Within My Blood' is some
seriously bleak listening. Mixing atmospheric and ambient strains
with feedback ridden noise, the band occupy a sound that is both
entrancing and confrontational.
The way the album is
constructed gives it the feel of an overall larger piece cut up into
individual movements which flow into one another. Which serves to
give the album a sense of metamorphosis as each track slowly becomes
something entirely different. The first song 'Aughiska Mor' is quite
a typical experimental ambient black metal track with its prevalent
dissonance over more pleasant sounds which are almost drowned in the
mix. This slowly fades into 'An Senchaí'
which features a slightly out of sync one-sided conversation with
story teller Eddie Lenihen which sits prominently over a looping
ambient electronic backdrop. 'Hell Complex' feels more typically
black metal with the vocal contributions of Maurice
De Jong from Gnaw Their Tongues
jarring against the haunting soundscape.
'I
Rise In Beltaine, Turn To Ash In Samhain' is a more restrained
electro-ambient track that manages to keep a nice balance between
both the ethereal and the ominous with nice use of watery samples
mixed in with rhythmic echoes and hanging chords. 'Inish Cathaigh'
walks a similar dark path as its predecessor but has a more
pronounced sense of space thanks to some prominent wind samples that
evoke the picture of a bleak winter moorland (rather than a dank cave
as the previous track did), coupled with the spoken lyrics it makes
for a very enjoyable listen. The title track enlists both Chris
Naughton of Winterfylleth and Ken Sorceron of Abigail Williams
for another spooky and jarring track that, after a slow build up,
slips easily into an enjoyably experimental black metal form. The
final song on the album, 'Conversatio Morum' breaks out the Gregorian
chant and heavy feedback for a slightly disappointing closer. The
juxtaposition between the sublime ambience of the chant and the
droning static feels too lazy for a band that have made some
genuinely interesting work until this point.
This
is a very challenging listen that will most likely alienate most
listeners in the first minute or so. It is a rewarding one though if
you stick with it as From The Bogs Of Aughiska are very capable of
creating some original and intellectually stimulating work.
Chicago's Death Of Self
is another one of those one-man industrial-noise bands making some
genuinely interesting work that seems to just be hovering on the
periphery of the scene. Yes, this is a slow and somewhat depressing
slant on the genre, but there are some great melodies and
dance-friendly beats sprinkled liberally throughout 'Embracing The
Things We Hate About Ourselves' that will no doubt find a ready and
willing audience.
The opening song 'No
Control' is a brilliant introduction that makes good use of a slow
and sinister pace underpinned by a memorable melody and simple rhythm
that won't send people running for the hills. However things quickly
get more interesting on songs like 'Solitude', 'The Machine',
'Meaningless' and 'More Interactions With People' with their increasingly more
dissonant, tortured and layered sounds that still manage to retain a simple
and approachable rhythmic structure to keep a toe in the potential
club waters. The album also makes good use of the heavily distorted
vocals as a further rhythmic device rather than part of the melody,
which is often left to the various samples. However this does have
the occasional draw back, such as on 'Broken Glass' where the vocal
line is simply too repetitive in conjunction with the beat.
As
with a lot of industrial-noise releases the mix can become quickly
over-saturated with distortion on all the various elements of the
tracks which then quickly swamps everything ultimately dulling its
listening potential. But this is not a common occurrence as for the
most part the album is well-balanced, if a little repetitive in
places.
For a first full-length
'Embracing The Things We Hate About Ourselves' is meticulous in its
construction and should be a good stepping stone for Death Of Self
that has both live and club potential. Some more variations and
changes in pace would expand nicely on what is already an
uncomfortable but compelling listening experience.
With Trent Reznor
announcing that his other band will be returning to life later
this year, those who have so far whole-heartedly disavowed How To
Destroy Angels will be able to breathe a sigh of relief.
But if his past four years away from his main project that made him
has been about anything it has been about exorcising his other
ambitions. So far this has seen him receive a Golden Globes and an
Academy Award for his experimental style of film soundtracks, which would seem like enough for most people. But for Reznor
it isn't. As the long-awaited début album from How To Destroy Angels
'Welcome Oblivion' attests.
Last
year's 'Omen' EP might not have been the revelation that was hinted
at in the self-titled début EP, but it did provide an intriguing
glimpse of things to come that the full-length 'Welcome Oblivion'
expands on. The opening track 'The Wake-Up' gives us a 'Year
Zero' style attention grabber right off the bat while the cuts from
the EP 'Keep It Together', 'Ice Age' 'On The Wing' and 'The Loop
Closes' sit prominently within the track list with their blend of
glitchy electronica, dissonant industrial and haunting and rhythmic
acoustic embellishments that stylistically inform the majority of
the album. Songs like 'Welcome Oblivion', 'We Fade Away' and
'Hallowed Ground' give the album a dark and delectable underbelly
that invites the listener to sink into layers of melodic analogue
bliss. 'How Long?', on the other hand, replicates the style of the
band's cover of Bryan Ferry's 'Is Your Love Strong Enough?' with it's
funky but still rather straight composition that sees Maandig's
luscious vocals receive a cleaner presentation.
Though
the album takes its cues from a younger selection of artist such as
Salem and Burial, the album is somewhat self-referencing as there are
ideas that were hinted at on Nine Inch Nails records such as 'The
Fragile' and 'Year Zero' played out with a more experimental zeal that
has no doubt come from Reznor and Ross' recent soundtrack work.
The
main criticism of the album is that there is always a sense that the
band are holding something back. At times the vocals can be too
understated and the songs sometimes feel like they're waiting for a
“kick” that never quite materialises, which is a little
frustrating given the band's collective history. Certainly if HTDA
were a brand new band without the hindrance of any kind of pedigree,
then no doubt 'Welcome Oblivion' would have critics hailing them in
the same way as they did when 'Pretty Hate Machine' was released. But
with an impressive list of albums to their name for comparison, it
leaves 'Welcome Oblivion' feeling like it could deliver more.
With
the reactivation of Nine Inch Nails on the horizon, How To Destroy
Angels' future has a big question mark hanging over its head. Which
is a shame, as the project is a refreshing change of pace from the
47-year-old Reznor that is not only deeply engrossing but also
capable of going in a number of very interesting and perhaps
challenging directions that are just hinted at here.
Sam Rosenthal, musician
and lyricist for underground dark cabaret band Black Tape For A Blue
Girl, and the head of Projekt Records, has announced a tour this
April in support of his new erotic novel Rye:
“I
have a whole bunch of events lined-up in April. Touring for Rye
with
a suitcase of books is fun, in a traveling-salesman / vagabond-kind
of way. Meeting up with friends, hanging out at stores, telling you
some stories, eating yummy local food. I'd love to see you at one of
these...”
Saturday
April 6 – Shameless Grounds, St. Louis, MO 7pm
– 8pm. 2650 Sidney Street, Saint Louis, MO 63104 — (314)
773-9900 Facebook
Event Page | shamelessgrounds.com
Sunday
April 7 – Boxcar Books, Bloomington, IN 5:30
– 6:30pm. 408 E. 6th St. Bloomington, IN 47408 — (812) 339-8710.
Facebook
Event Page | boxcarbooks.org/
Saturday
April 13 – Rainbow Book Fair, NYC Noon
– 6pm; Holiday Inn Midtown; 440 W. 57th Street, NYC 10019 (between
9th and 10th Avenues). Website.
Tuesday
April 16 – The Erotic Literary Salon, Philadelphia 7:30pm
– 9:30. TIME (The Bohemian Absinthe Lounge). 1315 Sansom Street,
Center City, Philadelphia. TheEroticLiterarySalon.com
Sunday
April 21 – Good Vibrations, Brookline, MA 4
– 5pm. 308A Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446 — (617)
264-4400 Facebook
Event Page | goodvibes.com
You can also
catch Rosenthal at “TheBusinessof Music in a Digital Age”
discussion, Thursday
April 4 – Lake Forest College, Chicago, which will include
Rosenthal as a guest panellist.
Nick Cave, famous for
his contributions to popular music with such bands as The Birthday
Party, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds and Grinderman has launched an app
for the music streaming service Spotify to help make sense of his
expansive back catalogue.
Developed in tandem with web
design agency Retrofuzz and Kobalt Label Services, the
app covers over 20 albums that Cave and his various bands have
produced over the past 30 years, as well as various collaborations,
and generates play lists according to several categories as defined
by Cave himself: Classic, Murder & Mayhem, Spiritual,
Confessional, Blasphemy, Sex, Heartbreak, Comic, Love, and Super
Dark.
In addition to this are playlists from artists Jarvis
Cocker, Dave Gahan, Lou Reed and Mary Ann Hobbs with the songs that
have inspired them.
“AT
LAST AN APP TO MAKES SENSE OF THE STYLISTIC MAYHEM OF MY BACK
CATALOGUE. MY SENSATIONAL ALL-NEW “MOOD” APP. ORIGINAL AND
WITHOUT PRECEDENT – AN APP TO HELP THE UNINITIATED NAVIGATE MY VAST
AND TERRIFYING CATALOGUE”
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