:CD Review: Souless Affection – Shattered

Souless Affection – Shattered
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Label: DMWI Productions
Website: facebook.com/soulessaffection

Review By: Drln Nki Nicosia

I don’t know what I expected before I listened to Shattered, the latest CD from San Antonio-based Souless Affection. I had been spinning the remix of “Victim” (Track 10 on the CD) for a few weeks prior to the release, but I was wondering what the tone of a CD based on surviving horrific abuse would be. Industrial music is often a way for artists to work through personal issues, but rarely are those issues as difficult to imagine and comprehend as those addressed here. But somehow, you don’t get lost in the darkness of the subject… you want to hear the next track to understand how the writer made it through. (more…)

:2011 Year In Review: Drln Nki Nicosia – COMA Staff

Drln Nki Nicosia – DJ, CD Reviews and Mistress of The Castle (more…)

:CD Review: Re:\Legion – 11.11.11

Re:\Legion – 11.11.11
Released: November 11, 2011
Label: e-noxe
Website: re-legion.de

Review By: Drln Nki Nicosia

I had eagerly awaited word about Re:\Legion’s latest release since I had discovered them (very late in the game… I know) earlier this year. Looking back though, it is fitting that I would discover them in 2011…

Allow me to explain…

When I first heard the title and release date “11.11.11″ (released, you guessed it, November 11, 2011), I will admit I questioned their choice. It seemed so cliché coming from a band who had literally blown me away with several of their original songs (as well as some truly amazing remixes they have done for other bands). I should have known there would be far more to this seemingly unimaginative title and date. (more…)

:CD Review: Autodafeh – Act of Faith

Autodafeh – Act of Faith
Label: Scanner/Dark Dimensions Label Group
Release Date: September 16, 2011
Website: autodafeh.com

Review By: Drln Nki Nicosia

The new CD by Autodafeh, Act of Faith, made me realize something about the way I listen to CDs. It was not something that I was even aware I did, at least not on a conscious level. I listen to any new CD in two completely different ways.

The first way I listen is as a DJ. I listen to each song individually as a stand-alone track. I am looking for the beat, analyzing the intro and the outro for its mixing points, and the dance floor potential of each track. I decide which tracks I love, which tracks I like, and which tracks… well… not so much. During this step I am also thinking about which songs will be possible mixes in and out of the track. There were several tracks I can honestly say I loved on this CD. (more…)

Happy 5th Birthday COMA Music Magazine!

October 27, 2011 marks the fifth birthday of COMA Music Magazine, which for us is a pretty significant event. The past year has seen lots of growth, some frustration and a whole lot of awesomeness. Our illustrious founder and a few of our contributors we able to fit some time into their busy lives [Editor’s Note: lives? We don’t have lives!] to write a little about their experiences.
(more…)

:CD Review: XP8 – X – A Decade of Decadence

XP8 – X – A Decade of Decadence
Release Date: October 27, 2011 – Digital/December 2, 2011 – Physical
Label: Deathwatch Asia
Website: xp8.org

Review By: Drln Nki Nicosia

Releasing the CD for full streaming and digital download purchase through their Bandcamp site at the same time that they officially announced it, XP8 gave this reviewer slightly more than 24 hours to listen to it and formulate a review… I needed about 10 minutes to know that I was listening to something special. And by the end, I had only one thought… this is amazing. I don’t say that easily about an entire CD. A track here and there, yes, but this entire CD held my attention from beginning to end… and then over and over. A friend asked me “Who does it sound like?” and I could not think of any answer except “No one you are hearing on the floors right now… but you will be hearing a lot of bands who sound like XP8 from now on.” This CD is a game changer. With a nod to the great bands of the EBM and early futurepop years, it evokes a nostalgia while still looking ahead. (more…)

:CD Review: System Syn – All Seasons Pass

System Syn – All Seasons Pass
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Label: Metropolis Records
Website: systemsyn.com

Review By: Drln Nki Nicosia

I have been listening to System Syn for several years now and I am always surprised by the System Syn of the CDs and the live incarnation… I always think of their energy and raw emotions on stage. I forget about the different styles that they incorporate into each CD. Their newest release All Seasons Pass is no different, and as always, I was unsure what to think until my second or third listen. They seem to manage to have a track that fits nearly everything that has been happening in the scene during the past couple of years while managing to not sound trendy or cliché. That is a very hard line to walk, especially when the main creative force in the band is involved in SO many other projects. Somehow, Clint Carney manages to bring his energy and talent to everything he does, while maintaining the individuality of each band. Now performing on the Triptych Tour, System Syn will be earning the notice of an entire new legion of fans… and Clint will be the hardest working musician ever, playing a role in all three bands – God Module and Imperative Reaction being the other two. (more…)