The Italian Cyberpunks share some words with COMA
It’s no mystery that technology influences the daily lives of almost everyone in the world around us. Even the Amish are getting into it with their reality shows. The Italian Cyberpunk band Dope Stars Inc., however, takes an even more in-depth look at how technology affects society and how we truly interact with gadgets like iPhones and laptops. (more…)
Dope Stars Inc., The Rabid Whole, and Sinsect
May 1, 2013
Dallas, TX @ Trees
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
With four albums and a couple of EPs in their musical arsenal it’s about time Dope Stars Inc. (DSI) made it to the United States. They began their tour April 26 in San Francisco, even though some of the band members had to stay behind due to visa-related issues. On May 1, frontman and guitarist Victor Love, bassist Darin Yevonde and drummer Mark Madhoney played 75 minutes worth of their cyberpunk, ultra-wired Industrial music at Trees in Deep Ellum, the heart of Dallas’s music scene. Accompanying them was Toronto-based The Rabid Whole and local experimental group Sinsect. (more…)
Mindless Self Indulgence – How I Learned to Stop Giving a Shit and Love Mindless Self Indulgence
Release Date: March 13, 2013
Label: Uppity Cracker
Website: www.MindlessSelfIndulgence.com
Review by Grant V. Ziegler
The musically unclassifiable hellraisers known as Mindless Self Indulgence have returned with another amped-up, genre-bending and hilarious album: How I Learned to Stop Giving a Shit and Love Mindless Self Indulgence. It has been a few years since their last release, but after a successful Kickstarter that raised the funds to release this new album, MSI embarked on a tour playing a slew of old and new material. Presently, the album is only available on tour or if you ordered it from the Kickstarter. But soon the public will be able to mindlessly indulge and stop giving a shit, too. (more…)
Davey Suicide – Davey Suicide
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Label: Standby Records
Website: http://daveysuicide.tumblr.com
Review by Grant V. Ziegler
With a successful EP (Put Our Trust in Suicide) and two tours opening for Orgy on his resume, it would appear that Davey Suicide had already made a name for himself in the music industry. But in fact, Davey Suicide has barely started unleashing his fury on to the world. In early March, Davey released his first full-length album, simply called Davey Suicide. Although there was a bit of a delay between the EP and the album, it was well worth the wait. (more…)
White Shadow – Zugzwang (Single)
Release date: October 11, 2012
Label: White Shadow Music
Website: www.WhiteShadowMusic.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
Maryland hasn’t always been a hotbed of good, new or up-and-coming music, but White Shadow wants to prove that Maryland is very much on the map of good taste. In the past, they’ve done so with a few respectable Industrial Metal albums and singles. And now they’re back to assault eardrums once more with their new single, Zugzwang, which features an interesting blend of remixes and exclusive content. (more…)
True Fallacy – Making the Noise All Go Away
Release Date: March 25, 2013
Label: Self-Released
Website: http://truefallacy.co
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
With a plethora of Industrial and Rock bands coming from Texas, it’s not always easy to spot the ones with true potential. However, a newer gem from Dallas may be right on the horizon of catching ears not just locally, but globally. That gem is True Fallacy. The two-man band consists of Ben Gorena (founder, writer and vocalist) and Ryan Main (keyboards, synths) who have been playing shows together since 2009. True Fallacy has shared the stage with Slick Idiot, but Gorena may be best known for writing the score for the Nine Inch Nails live DVD Another Version of the Truth. (more…)
Mindless Self Indulgence
March 28, 2013
Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
Barely a year after their last performance in Dallas, Mindless Self Indulgence (MSI) returned to the Dallas House of Blues on March 28. This time they brought a brand new bag of tricks and songs. (more…)
IAMX – The Unified Field
Release Date: March 22, 2013
Label: 61Seconds
Website: www.iamx.eu
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
From “Kiss and Swallow,” to “President,” and “My Secret Friend,” IAMX has been creating countless Electro masterpieces. But IAMX isn’t just music. It’s art. I know that may sound redundant since music is a form of art, but lately music has been lacking that artsy vibe. Thankfully, IAMX frontman Chris Corner is bringing it back. (more…)
What’s that ruckus coming through the night? It’s Jimmy Urine, mastermind of the infamous and unclassifiable band Mindless Self Indulgence. Since their creation in 1995, MSI has gone against the grain, done their own thing despite what everyone thinks they should do and just made it work. They released their first album, Tight, in 1999 and another in 2000 titled Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy and a made a name for themselves playing a mixture of Industrial, Alternative, Hip-Hop and Rock tracks. They’re arguably one of the first bands to make Glitch music mainstream. Glitch music is something that was originally puzzling to listeners, but now it is accepted and cherished by Techno and Dubstep enthusiasts. (more…)
Dead When I Found Her – Rag Doll Blues
Released: Oct. 9, 2012
Label: ArtofFact Records
Website: http://dwifh.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
I try not to personalize my reviews, choosing instead to keep them strictly about the music I’m reviewing, but this new album from Portland’s Dead When I Found Her led me in a different direction. When I put on my headphones and delved into Rag Doll Blues, it took me back to a place in my mind I never thought to revisit. I was transported back to when I was about six or seven years old, and having a difficult time sleeping because my brother would blare his usually awful music from the room next to me. But one night, he brought home something different. He came home with Skinny Puppy and some other Industrial bands that I still don’t recognize even now. I was mesmerized by the synths and the dark content, and I found myself lost in this world I had never encountered before. This is the beautiful flashback that Rag Doll Blues conjured up for me. (more…)
While icons such as Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan and Marilyn Manson receive a great deal of credit for revolutionizing the Rock/Industrial genres, it is also true that there is almost always someone else around, just outside the spotlight, who is working with them and helping them perfect their craft. For Reznor, Corgan, and Manson, that someone is Chris Vrenna. He may not get all the accolades that the aforementioned megastars get, but chances are if you loved Industrial music in the 1990s you had Vrenna to thank. (more…)
Faderhead – FH4
Release Date: March 1, 2013
Label: L-Tracks
Website: www.Faderhead.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
Cue the hate mail – Faderhead is back with another album. Love him or hate him, he’s back to drop some fat, sexy, and hardcore beats on your head. In FH4, as in previous Faderhead albums, there are many dance-happy, slamming tracks with a few “huh?” songs mixed in. On this particular album, however, even the generally out-of-place tracks that can sometimes lose the industrial purists are actually quite satisfying. (more…)
Cynical Existence – Come Out and Play
Release Date: February 22, 2013
Label: Alfa-Matrix
Website: www.facebook.com/cynical.existence.official
Review by Grant V. Ziegler
One would think it’s only a matter of time before Fredrik Croona would release something that sucks. But from his days in Menschdefekt, to Project Rotten and now his solo effort, Cynical Existence, Croona has been a consistent driving force in the Harsh/EBM scene. And after releasing two intense and ear-catching EPs within a calendar year, it was time for Cynical Existence to release a full-length album and bestow another grand musical experience upon us all. (more…)
Nohycit – Sinister
Release Date: Feb. 19, 2013
Label: Engraved Ritual
Website: www.facebook.com/Nohycit
Review by Grant V. Ziegler
As the Goth/Industrial scene continues to gain traction, more and more acts are popping up internationally. Nohycit is an up-and-coming project from Bolivia that proves harsh, unforgiving and boot-stomping music can survive anywhere. (more…)
The Razorblade Dolls – Scream Queen Phenomenon
Release Date: December 9, 2012
Label: Self-released
Website: www.therazorbladedolls.org
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
If you return home at four in the morning covered in blood and pig parts, you’re either a butcher working the late night shift or you just got done seeing the Razorblade Dolls perform live. Since 2006, this Dallas, Texas-based act has accrued a decently-sized and dedicated following mainly due to their insane and intense live shows. (more…)
MyParasites – ParaLies
Released: Nov. 23, 2012
Label: Beyond Therapy Records
Website: www.MyParasites.com
Review by Grant V. Ziegler
Surrounding yourself with greatness doesn’t necessarily make you great, but MyParasites are off to a helluva good start. They’re signed to Beyond Therapy records, the label run by Ben V. of Ludovico Technique, and they’ve just wrapped up the Wall Street Massacre tour with Cyanotic and Angelspit. This contact with industrial greatness, of course, is not an accident or a coincidence. MyParasites’ performance in Dallas on this recent tour was excellent and their first album, ParaLies, is no different. (more…)
Davey Suicide – Put Our Trust in Suicide
Release Date: Nov. 6, 2012
Label: Standby Records
Official website: daveysuicide.tumblr.com
Review by Grant V. Ziegler
Davey Suicide should be the prototype for metal music in the year 2013. Even with just their look and their 4-track single Put Our Trust in Suicide they’ve already invented a new and better path to tread upon. (more…)
Blutzukker – The Vampire Strikes Back
Release date: Oct. 12, 2012
Label: Self-released
Website: www.blutzukker.com
Review by Grant V. Ziegler
Haunted by the twinkling and sparkling undead featured in the Twilight movies, German electro act Blutzukker (“Blood Sugar” in English) knew something had to be done. In retaliation against the movies and the Twi-hards, they released The Vampire Strikes Back, a bouncy and humorous industrial album full of sci-fi and horror movie puns. (more…)
Various Artists – Net.Ware Bouncing Boobs
Release date: November 16, 2012
Label: Electro Arc
Website: electro-arc.jimdo.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
If robots were trying to seduce other robots, this compilation is what they’d use. These 14 tracks from relatively unknown artists create a sexy, synthetic and horny atmosphere for those who like to dance, bounce or fornicate. Stylistically, the album consists of EBM, Techno and some cyber-sounding Electro. Think of this compilation as the soundtrack to a Star Wars porno. (more…)
SCUM of the Earth – The Devil Made Me Do It
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Label: Goomba Music
Website: www.facebook.com/scumoftheearth
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
Scum of the Earth (SOTE) has proved over the years that they’re not just riding on the coat tails of the Rob Zombie experience. Sure, it would seem as if former Rob Zombie henchman Riggs is doing his best to impersonate Rob vocally, but the music has definitely taken on a style of its own. (more…)
For 25 years the succulently smooth voice of Douglas J. McCarthy has been heard all over the world. Whether it’s in the darkest gothic nightclub or at a massive European rave – McCarthy’s voice is almost always a presence. In 1987, he and his band Nitzer Ebb released That Total Age, an album that has influenced DJ set lists for decades. From that album are two of the most influential industrial tracks of all time: “Join in the Chant” and “Murderous.” They’ve been played and remixed thousands of times and to this day are still being danced to in clubs everywhere. (more…)
Douglas J. McCarthy – Kill Your Friends
Release date: November 27, 2012
Label: Pylon
Website: www.douglasjmccarthy.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
This was overdue. The magnificent voice of Douglas J. McCarthy on a project he had complete control of. Yes, the Nitzer Ebb front-man has been wooing audiences with his sultry vocals for decades, and making ladies (and sometimes gentlemen too) weak in the knees with his signature “ow” sound effect. But now, he’s released a solo album titled Kill Your Friends. (more…)
Various Artists – Endzeit Bunkertracks Act VI
Release date: October 26, 2012
Label: Alfa Matrix
Website: www.alfa-matrix.com/endzeit6
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
The Alfa Matrix record label is home to many current, past, and up-and-coming industrial artists. Since its inception, Alfa Matrix has strived to give struggling and established artists a chance to flourish in this dying music market. And on October 26th, Alfa Matrix released its sixth installment of the Endzeit Bunkertracks compilation. This gargantuan music-festival-in-a-box seems to grow with each and every release, and this time it contains four separate CDs comprised of 68 tracks and five hours of music. (more…)
Cynical Existence – Ruined Portrait (EP)
Release Date: September 24, 2012
Label: Alfa Matrix
Website: www.facebook.com/cynical.existence.official
Reviewed by: Grant V. Ziegler
From Menschdefekt to Project Rotten and now his solo project Cynical Existence, you can always count on Fredrik Croona to deliver a nefarious and dark experience. Cynical Existence’s most recent release, Ruined Portrait (EP), is no exception. The band’s first album, A Familiar Kind of Pain, was released earlier this year in June, and just a few months later, Croona felt ready to unleash another demon into the musical world. (more…)
Goteborg, Sweden’s Fredrik Croona may not be the most well-known name in the industrial scene, yet. But through various projects and collaborations he has slowly built a stellar reputation for himself and his product.
Croona, formerly of Menschdefekt and Necroleptic, has been keeping himself busy with Project Rotten and his latest solo-creation: Cynical Existence. What he says started out as just an experiment has flourished into a full-fledged project. Cynical Existence’s first release A Familiar Kind of Pain was released on April 1, 2012 but was no April Fool’s joke. Croona shed just a bit of his digital skin to make something a bit more human than his previous projects. What musical skin was peeled was rebirthed by slamming synths, sinister snarls and pounding beats. Tracks like “Always and Forever” became a dance floor stomp sensation in underground and Goth night clubs. (more…)
Solemn Assembly – Aftershock
Release Date: November 11, 2012
Label: Zero Clash Audio/T.I.A.M.P
Website: www.solemnassembly.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
Since 1998, DJ Joe Virus has been destroying speakers and busting ear drums at the underground nightclub, The Church, in Dallas, Texas. But when he’s not the sole cause of Goth sadists and masochists shaking their asses on the dance floor, he’s the writer and frontman of his band Solemn Assembly. (more…)
Photo by Grant V. Ziegler – Singer, Groovie Mann, belts to the crowd.
Originally posted on News Register Online. Reprinted with permission.
Amerika’s most dangerous Kult celebrates 25 years of horror, occult and the funk.
Before Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, there was My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult (TKK). Formed in 1987, TKK paved the way for industrial music acts, such as Manson’s to flourish. Originally, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult was to be the name of a movie conceived by founding members Groovie Mann and Buzz McCoy. The movie was never completed. However, the music Groovie and Buzz created for it made an impression.
At the time, the most notorious industrial label was Wax Trax! Records who decided to give TKK a chance. After positive responses to a 3-song EP that was supposed to be the movie soundtrack, the band released its first album in 1988 titled I See Good Spirits, I See Bad Spirits. The album was welcomed with open arms from music lovers, but protested by various religious organizations for its dark and satanic imagery. Songs like “Do You Fear for Your Child” and “On this Rack” delighted the patrons in Goth and underground clubs, while parents and much of mainstream America found a new scapegoat to explain why the morals of society were being lost. (more…)
De/Vision – Rockets and Swords
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Label: Metropolis Records
Website: www.devision-music.de
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
After the release of their previous album, POPGEFAHR, I had never been more excited to be a fan of De/Vision. It had all the elements of sensual beauty that you could ask for from a Synthpop album, but it also added some much needed attitude that I felt De/Vision’s previous efforts lacked. Following up POPGEFAHR would be a challenge, but De/Vision met this challenge, and their newest creation, Rockets and Swords, does not disappoint. (more…)
The Spiritual Bat
August 31, 2012
Dallas, TX @ The Crown and Harp
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
It was a dark and stormy night in Dallas when the Spiritual Bat embraced the North Texas scene. I’m kidding, it was late August and hot as hell. The streets were also full of hipsters and metrosexuals yelling loudly into their cell pones. In other words, it was anything but a fitting night for an amazing Goth act such as the Spiritual Bat. (more…)
Espermachine – Dying Life
Release Date: May 9, 2012
Label: 23 DB Records
Website: espermachine.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
The strength of EBM and Synthpop music is becoming more and more evident with it popping up all over the nation. In this case, the new band Espermachine comes from the unexpected location of Arkansas. Creator of Espermachine, James Esper, joined forces with Tom Shear of Assemblage 23 to release Dying Life, a debut album that will surely sooth ears and move asses. (more…)
Fatal Casualties – Paria EP
Release Date: August 1, 2012
Label: Self Released
Website: fatalcasualties.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
It’s been 21 years since the Swedish band Fatal Casualties called it quits. But now in 2012, they’ve reunited and released an EP titled Paria. Before this release, Fatal Casualties had only released some rough demos and played gigs in Europe. Maybe they were ahead of their time and their time is now. (more…)
Chrysalide – Don’t Be Scared, It’s About Life
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Label: Audiotrauma/Artoffact
Website: noize-guerilla.org
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
In most reviews I try to come up with some catchy or clever way to describe a band but this time I’m going to steal Chrysalide’s self-description because I don’t think I can top it. They describe themselves by asking the question: “Ever wonder what it would sound like if Satan were French and he started a digital hardcore/industrial act?” (source: facebook.com/chrysalide.audiotrauma). My only argument with that description is the fact that even though they are French, they sing in English. The Satan and digital hardcore parts are spot on, though. (more…)
The Swans – The Seer
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Label: Young God Records
Website: swans.pair.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
If you have two hours to spare and are looking for something interesting to do, listen to the Swan’s new album The Seer. Next year will mark the 30-year anniversary of The Swans’ first album Filth. And now, after a lengthy hiatus, front-man and multi-instrumentalist Michael Gira is proving that the Swans are adaptable and can not only survive, but thrive in this new music generation. With roughly three albums worth of material on two discs, the musical treasures on this new album are frequent and long-lasting. (more…)
Ludovico Technique – Some Things Are Beyond Therapy
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Label: Metropolis Records
Website: ludotechnique.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
Named after the “therapy” method used in A Clockwork Orange where individuals had to watch graphic and violent images, Ludovico Technique has returned to release Some Things Are Beyond Therapy. This will be their follow-up to their self-titled, self-released EP. The potential for LT is limitless now, as they are now signed to Metropolis Records and will be touring with Imperative Reaction, Everything Goes Cold and the Witch Was Right. This tour will keep chiropractors in business after it causes a multitude of sore necks and stiff bodies. (more…)
Cynergy 67 – SINthesize
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Label: Sonic Angel / Lektroland / Digital Transmission
Website: cynergy67.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
Hey, wait – what the hell is that noise? Oh yeah, it’s a guitar. It’s been a while since I’ve heard one of those. With the new world order of industrial becoming completely mechanized with synths and laptops it’s almost weird to hear a guitar nowadays, but Cynergy 67’s SINthesize brings them back with style. (more…)
Dismantled – Whole Wide World
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Label: Metropolis Records
Website: dismantled.org
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
In June 2011, Dismantled released War Inside Me, which could be considered the perfect soundtrack to the apocalypse. So how can front-man Gary Zon follow up such a destructive masterpiece and not have it sound like a disappointment? By releasing an EP that puts the EP in EPic, that’s how. (more…)
Bomb Gang Girlz – A Taste 4 Trouble
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Label: SleazeBox Music
Website: facebook.com/BombGangGirlz
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult has been unleashing their evil disco for 25 years now. It’s about time their dancers and backup singers, the villainous vixens known as the Bomb Gang Girlz, finally got an album of their own. On July 31, the damsels of the devil, with the help of TKK frontman Groovie Mann and keyboardist Buzz McCoy, released A Taste 4 Trouble. (more…)
Various Artists – More Than Nine Lives
Release date: November 22, 2011
Label: Industry 8
Website: industryeight.com
Review by: Grant V. Ziegler
If you love Goth rock, death rock, post-punk, darkwave and puppies and kittens – REJOICE! You can enjoy all those things with the More Than Nine Lives (MTNL) 2-CD compilation. The list of bands on MTNL consists mostly of underground artists, but there are a few bands that those in the Goth scene would know such as Black Tape for a Blue Girl and Frozen Autumn. (more…)
