CLXXVIII. Prurient | Black Vase

PRURIENT

Black Vase

©Load. US, 2005.

‟I've enjoyed the other albums from Prurient that I have heard, but this one... It's just too much. The album starts right off with absurdly high pitched feedback that continues for the entire 15 minute song. Listening to the entire first track is just plain masochistic. That's all I can say. There's some better moments later on, but it occasionally returns to the absurdity that it started with. On this album, Dominick Fernow succeeds in what was probably his goal: creating the most fucked up noise possible. Later in the album a cool, dark atmosphere is created that sort of draws the listener into the insanity. It's almost tormenting, but that's what makes it interesting. In the end, I really can't enjoy this album as a whole, but there are some good parts. If hell is real, this is probably what it sounds like.‟

 Master Ov Khaos



 

CLXXV. Autumnfair | 1986 - 1989

AUTUMNFAIR

1986 - 1989

©Mobilization. US, 2002.

‟Autumnfair is a side project formed in the mid 1980s by Savage Republic vocalist/guitarist/bass player Thom Fuhrmann along with british bassist/singer Val Haller (Wayne County). Autumnfair worked with several Los Angeles underground notables, including Savage Republic bassist Greg Grunke, Biff Sanders (Motiv Studios, Ethyl Meatplow), Scott Feemster (Halo) and Caroline Topalian (supplying transendent vocals).

Autumnfair has an expansive and dramatic "Factory Records/4AD" sound. The project mixes drum machines, live drums, multiple basses, reverberant soaring guitars and powerful, dramatic vocals. These beautiful songs are haunting, evocative and chilling.

The tracks are a mixture of vocal and instrumental. A 10" EP was released in the 1990s by Independent Project Records, entitled Glaciers and Gods.‟

Mobilization

CLXXII. Various Artists | Neue Deutsche Post Avantgarde

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Neue Deutsche Post Avantgarde

©Goethe-Institut Brasil. Brasil, 1988.

‟This here is a wonderful Industrial various that has a bit of a back story.  This was made in Germany in 1988 for the Goethe Institute in Brazil (Sao Paulo). A pressing of 2950 was made for them.  150 copies remained for sale, while the rest was sent, and apparently "lost" (according to Monographie Asmus Tietchens)

Artists on this are S.B.O.T.H.I., Cranioclast, P16 D4, Gerechtigkeits Liga, Graf Haufen, Mullah, H.N.A.S., Cinéma Vérité, Frieder Butzmann / Thomas Kapielski and Werkbund. 

Neue Deutsche Welle!‟

Luca

CLXVIII. Delerium | Morpheus

DELERIUM

Morpheus

©Hypnotic. US, 1997.

‟This was Delerium before they found the newage/pop sound. I cannot say this makes the album any less artistic. What you have here is a gothic version of Front Line Assembly. Granted, FLA would add lots of elements of gothic and darkwave later on, we need to look at the timeline. In 1989 FLA had released "Gashed Senses and Crossfire" which was an EBM industrial album in the vein of Front 242. So this album is extremely fresh for its time and was radically different from Leeb's FLA.

The music is I guess you could say, gothic darkwave EBM. You really cant dance to it and is meant to listen to at those long nights alone. The music is extremely atmospheric, has almost no vocals, and plenty of samples, but these are not flaws. This is basically Baroque music in the industrial genre. The amount of Baroque influences are just increasingly high. But once again, this is a really good thing. Being influenced by Bach is never a bad thing. Metal bands do it and so does industrial music.

So in short this is a worthwhile release. If you dig FLA, pick it up. If you dig atmospheric music, pick it up. This is a sonic adventure that plays out like a single song with many moods and structures. Basically, this is a modern Baroque piece. 

(Recorded originally for Nettwerk in 1989 Canada, reissue by Hypnotic 1997)‟

Col Kurtz

CLXI. Various Artists | Im Blutfeuer

VARIOUS ARTISTS

Im Blutfeuer

©Cthulhu. Deutschland, 1995.

‟Tan misteriosa como su nombre es la música que encontramos en esta placa, donde se reunen bandas de reconocida trayectoria como Death In June y Sol Invictus junto a otras muy prometedoras como lo son Blood Axis, Ernte y Allerseelen.

El inicio corre por cuenta de Blood Axis con 2 temas, el primero "Walked In Line" un cover de Joy Division en el que se aprecia un sonido oscuro y crudo muy en la línea de los de Mnachester, el sengundo corte de Blood Axis "The Storm Before The Calm" está directamente influenciado por Death In June, en el cual un piano da comienzo a una triste pieza musical; acompañado por lluvia, truenos, vientos y ruidillos varios que van formando la atmósfera perfecta para una inquietante abstracción.

Una balada acústica es la que ofrecen Ernte en su corte "Sonnenwende", la unión de voces por parte de Will-I Stasch y Rose Kasseckert nos seducen de principio a fin, y si a esto agregamos la participación de Tony Wakeford en guitarras, en entorno se vuelve alucinatemente celestial.

Siempre en una compilación hay un tema que sobresale en forma especial, ya sea por su originalidad, por su interpretación, por los arreglos o su magia. En este caso "Hebba Gabbler" de Sol Invictus es un joya de pieza musical, piano y cello adormecen melancólicamente bajo la voz de Wakeford, produciendo un estado de calma imborrable, uno de los mejores temas del grupo que he escuchado (con letra del Sr. John Cale además).

Apartándose un poco de la sutileza quietud de este álbum, Allerseelen se hace presente con "Santa Sangre" (canción inspirada en la película del chileno Jodorowsky). Un corte ácido e industrial, fuerte y opresivo con grabaciones del film y mucha niebla, similar a lo que hace gente como In Slaughter Natives o Metal Destruction.

Finalmente Death In June nos regala "My Black Diaries", un tema caótico, lleno de sonidos y sin un ritmo a seguir, sólo la tristeza y la intuición nos conducen por la poesía maldita de Douglas Pierce.

Para ser un sello tan poco conocido como Cthulhu Records, impresiona por las bandas que logra reunir, un buen apronte para seguir investigando.‟

José Villegas

(Revista Fakxion, 1998 Rancagua, Chile)

CLIX. Cabaret Voltaire | Mix-Up

CABARET VOLTAIRE

Mix-Up

©Rough Trade. UK, 1979.

‟Cabaret Voltaire were the grim Northern counterpart to Throbbing Gristle's London screech and squallor, and it is well known that these kindred spirits both birthed and pioneered the Industrial music genre.  Whereas TG were willfully repellent and menacing, the Cabs had a more seductive element to there menacing music, which seemed to slither with a subtle sexuality.

This was achieved mostly by their incorporating of funk and dub reggae, which would gradually move to the forefront of their sound as their career progressed.  Another influencial musical factor loomed much larger during this, the initial stages of their discography: German Krautrock.  They would willfully admit a heavy debt to both Can and Faust and the improvisational techniques both bands employed.

With these influences in mind, it's much easier to grasp the mindset and intent of their debut full-length Mix-Up.  What may sound like aimless experimentation for the sake of it, will reveal itself as hypnotic and instinctual, yet disciplined and thought out musical innovation.  This album takes multiple listens to penetrate, but after getting past the initial murk and haze, you'll discover:

1) Another stellar example of their knack for creating compelling cover versions of songs which are excitingly unrecognizable, or at least severally distorted from the original.  In this case it's done to The Seeds' "No Escape."

2) A completely engrossing and absolutely terrifying description of the LSD experience in the harrowing "Heaven and Hell."

3) One of their musical peaks and the only song on the album to feature live drumming, "On Every Other Street" is Cabaret Voltaire firing on all cylinders and engulfs the listener in a wave of lurching, trippy, robotic funk for the paranoid.

Ultimately, while this album does lull in some places and is not a masterpiece, it holds up extremely well when compared to all of their follow-ups and when taken as a whole, is quite an awesome experience.  A landmark of the Industrial and Post-Punk genres, as well as the legendary label Rough Trade, it is well worth seeking out and is also a good place to start with this band, if you aren't a fan of "best of" compilations.  It's also worth noting that Cabaret Voltaire released excellend singles and EPs and some of their best and most well-known material is not included on their studio albums.  So in addition, I would highly suggest tracking down the Living Legends compilation, which collects all the early singles and EPs.‟

Bennyshambles

CLVI. Psychic TV | Pagan Day

PSYCHIC TV

Pagan Day

©Cleopatra. US, 1994.

‟This recording was first ever released as catalogue number TOPY 003 on thee 23rd december 1984 as a Picture Disc limited edition ov 999 copies. One side was a full colour photograph ov Caresse P-Orridge as a baby, thee other side had text in red on white. It was only available to shops and distributors between 11am and 12am on that actual day! Rough Trade co-ordinated this through their telex lines for us. All thee music was recorded on a 4 track cassette machine under thee guidance of Alex Fergusson, thee original co-founder and partner, with Genesis P-Orridge, ov Psychic TV. "Pagan Day" was subtitled "Pages From A Notebook" because that is precisely what it was. Thee revealing ov thee process itself. Most PTV songs in their earliest era began life as these kinds ov cassette sketches often recorded in Alex's room at thee YMCA over coffee. "Pagan Day" is not therefore a "finished" recording in thee commonly accepted sense, it is an intimate glimpse into a place where "Source Are Rare". However, thee simplicity and privacy of it's evolution onto a record makes it appealing in quite a special way. Some songs were never intended to be heard outside our own living rooms but to conceal thee frailties would we felt, compromise thee integrity and honesty ov this chronicle. Due to popular interest, and extremely high "collector" prices being paid for thee original Picture Disc, "Pagan Day" was re-issued on normal vinyl, in a card sleeve as part ov Temple Records Library Series as a matter ov completeness, and as a matter ov fact.‟

Cleopatra

 

CXLIII. Test Dept. | Proven In Action

TEST DEPT.

Proven In Action

©Ministry Of Power. UK, 1991.

‟Another live Test Dept. album, recorded in 1990 in Montreal, Canada. This disc includes compositions from Pax Britannica and shows Test Dept. successfully augmenting their pounding percussion with bagpipes, organs, a live choir, and classical accompaniment with thundering and rousing results; Siege Of Quebec and Emigrant (aka From The Land / As An Fherann) in particular are worthy of attention.‟

We.Have.Esplosive

CXXXI. Various Artists | ...And Even Wolves Hid Their Teeth And Tongue Wherever Shelter Was Given

VARIOUS ARTISTS

...And Even Wolves Hid Their Teeth And Tongue Wherever Shelter Was Given

©Cold Meat Industry. Sverige, 1995.

‟A killer sampler priced low for the masses and designed to showcase current or upcoming Cold Meat artists and releases. There is an American counterpart to this that's fairly different, the only re-appearing tracks being from Mortiis, Morthound, and ConSono. You could get both, but quite honestly the Euro version is where it's at, so just be sure to get it first. The full line-up: Arcana, Raison d'être, Ordo Equilibrio, Mortiis, Aghast, MZ.412, Mental Destruction, Ildfrost, ConSono, Desiderii Marginis, Atomine Elektrine (Raison d'être side project), Memorandum, Morthound, Deutsch Nepal and Brighter Death Now... whew. Most of the material should be fairly new to most, highlights, among many, include a stunning piece from Raison d'être (the most emotional and beautiful work I've heard from him yet), an ethereal symphonic/vocal piece from Arcana (of all these bands, the one to watch), the doleful and demonic whispers of Aghast (THE darkest thing you'll ever hear - guaranteed), and the evil strangulations of B.D.N. Your chosing if you wish to wait for the full releases from these bands... but I wouldn't... it's just too damn good for that.‟

Jason Mantis 

 

CXXV. Swans | Cop

SWANS
Cop

©K 422. US. 1984.

‟This is one of the most monochromatic, boring albums I've ever listened to. The formula for each and every song is relatively low volume guitar white noise and the same start-stop plodding beat, while Michael Gira grumbles self-loathing or society hating lyrics.

In reading about the Swans I was sure I would like them. I like the No New York stuff, I like Einsturzende Neubauten and Throbbing Gristle, I like post-punk guitar noise.... the Swans take a very similar approach to all these artists but, at least on this album, the songs are stripped of all craft, groove, or even shock value. There's just nothing interesting about this album. It isn't even memorably unpleasant. It's... just... relentlessly... dull.‟

Razumov22

 

CXXI. Skin | Blood, Women, Roses

SKIN

Blood, Women, Roses 

©Product Inc. UK, 1987.

‟The World Of Skin was a project springing out of the American group Swans, and was a collaboration between the core Swans members Michael Gira and Jarboe.
The project was initially called Skin, with the first two albums being released under that name, the last one being released under the name the World of Skin. The musical style was similar to "The Burning World" and the other later Swans releases, although it shed most of its rock influences to play a mostly acoustic goth-folk style with electronics.
In the UK, the first two albums were released by Product Inc., an imprint of Mute Records, while the last was released on Gira's own Young God label.
"Blood, Women, Roses" (1987) was the project's first release and featured vocals entirely by Jarboe, who had previously mainly been performing backing vocals. Many of the tracks on this album were covers of show tunes and other popular songs (for example "Cry Me a River" and "The Man I Love").

"Blood, Women, Roses" was followed in 1988 by Shame, Humility. Revenge, which featured vocals by Michael Gira (although Jarboe did perform some backing vocals).‟

Urbanaspirines

CXIII. Lustmord | Carbon / Core

LUSTMORD

Carbon/Core

©Happy Pencil. US, 2004.

‟'The Intense Humming of Evil' is a song by the Manic Street Preachers about the Holocaust, but it could just as well have been used as a phrase to describe the music of Lustmord. The album opens with evil booming sounds from the ninth layer of hell, and from there on it just gets scarier! I really dislike to use cheesy cinematic metaphors to describe music, but Brian Warner leaves me no choice. His music is made on the sole purpose of evoking fear, and fear have many ugly and beautiful faces. "The Conflict of Symbols" is like taking a walk trough Silent Hill: On the surface everything's dark and decayed, and deep, deep down under the surface you can hear grinding machinery. "Beneath" is simply one of the creepiest things I've experienced: the first 2-3 minutes are calm albeit sinister, and then the evil grunting sounds show up in the background, like maggots digging into human flesh, and slowly and gradually twists the song into a Lovecraftian nightmare.

Of course, not everything Lustmord touches turns into gold. The concluding track might sound a little like rejected sound-experiments for a canceled horror movie (Brian W. works in Hollywood after all), but I'll give extra pluss points for the majestetic "Born of Cold Light" which is one rare occasion where the light forces outweights the darkness of evil. A soulful journey trough interdimensional realms to a dying galaxy - it might be among his best tracks. And 'Carbon/Core' as an album is definitely among Lustmord's best, if not THE best - just as good as the more well known 'Heresy' and 'The Place Where The Black Stars Hang'.‟

Hitherto

XCII. :Zoviet*France: | Gris

:ZOVIET*FRANCE:

Gris

©No Man's Land. Deutschland, 1985.

‟The title track bent my head good, echoing voice over electronic malfunctions. The first side sounds like Doctor Who on a bad trip. Originally a 10" record wrapped in a roofing shingle.

The early collages (1982) by Zoviet France were even more savage than Nurse With Wound's, evoking a cross between "musique concrete" and tribal music. The monumental double-albums "Mohnomishe" (1983) and "Eostre" (1984) reduced the impact of their "wall of noise", but retained the two key elements that set Zoviet France apart: a trance-oriented approach and "lo-fi" electronics. The tetralogy of "Charm, Ceremony, Chance, Prophecy" ("CCCP"), begun with "Misfits, Loony Tunes And Squalid Criminals" (1986), marked a move towards a less hostile and more atmospheric sound. ‟

Scaruffi

LXXXVIII. Cranes | Self-Non-Self

 

CRANES

Self-Non-Self

©Bite Back!. UK, 1989.

‟After the extremely limited release of the "Fuse" cassette, Cranes, now expanded to a four-piece, put out "Self Non Self" in 1989. Originally only six tracks, including a dramatic, stronger re-recording of "Fuse" itself, Dedicated added a further two upon its re-release in 1992. The rough, spooky sonics from the band's earliest days were there in force, but evidence of the increased texturing and powerful arrangements started to surface as well.

Alison Shaw's singing is already fully in place as the lost, lonely voice later releases would make all the more familiar, though at times, as on 'Focus Breathe', she has surprisingly deeper tones in comparison. The re-release bonus tracks include a live song called 'Reach', a strong, surging piece, and 'Nothing in the Middle, Nothing in the End', a murky little number with a rough snare drum rhythm and doomy bass.‟

Dogs Body

LXXXII. Coil | Scatology

COIL

Scatology

©Force And Form. UK, 1984.

‟Coil signified the transition of industrial-rock to a more esoteric and traditional fusion of styles. If Peter Christopherson's previous band, Throbbing Gristle, conjured the vision of the death factory, Coil were inspired by the musical forms of the pounding march, the national anthem, the symphonic element, the ritual, and then magnified them in an industrial context, thus maximizing the psychological effect.

It started with the distorted waltz "Ubu Noir", which served only as an introduction. The album started proper with the bombastic industrial music-hall "Panic" (a la Foetus). The psychological landscape of "At The Heart Of It All" was far more effective, it's symphonic psychedelia gliding around a frozen and frightening ambience. This intriguing sound was further highlighted by the ritualistic waltz "Tenderness Of Wolves", featuring vocals by Gavin Friday (of Virgin Prunes fame).

The clanging paroxysm of "The Spoiler" got into Killing Joke (circa What's THIS For...!) territory, albeit in a more chilly and haunted setting. The more normal industrial-glam "Solar Lodge" followed, but it was "The Sewage-Workers Birthday Party" that stole the show, built around feedback distortions. The metallic anthem/ stomp "Godhead=Deathead" was even more intense, exhibiting the power of a fascist march. "Cathedral In Flames" was cut from the same cloth, but emphasized the ritualistic aspect, as if the twisted coronation of a dictator.‟

Ily

LXXIX. Die Form | L'Âme Électrique

 

DIE FORM

L'Âme Électrique

©Hyperium. Deutschland, 1995.

‟Sounds great real loud or low enough to sleep too. I must warn you though: If you play this at nite while you sleep, the music & Elaine's voice will creep up under your flesh and contort your dreams into the dark realms of extascy and bliss....maybe, Then again you may find yourself in a 16th century dungeon just before the executioner chops off your head with an axe ....you never know?
I see myself buying many more Die Forms CD's in the near future. If I had to describe them I would say: A cross between Skinny Puppy/Thrill Kill Kult & Dead Can Dance/Enigma, maybe a touch of Frontline Assembly? Most Definately a Worthy addition to my collection. I know now why I can never find D.F. cd's in the used bin... either nobody in their right mind would ever get rid of them, or they just get snatched up quick ??? Oh well Some bands I dont mind paying full price for....PIG, M.Manson, NIN, Ministry, KMFDM, System of a Down, etc.
Hauntingly beautiful music,if you by chance think your house has a ghost floating around in it then I dont recommend listening to this by yourself, at night, alone, in the dark.‟  

Magadogx13

LXXVI. Diamanda Galás | The Litanies Of Satan

DIAMANDA GALÁS

The Litanies Of Satan

©Y Records. UK, 1982.

‟Una serie de sonidos que no bajan de lo francamente escalofriante. Lamentos, gritos, silbidos, chillidos... todo lo que pueda hacer un referente a la locura, a lo oscuro y lo macabro está contenido en dos tracks de verdadero culto. Diamanda muestra que llegó a este mundo a causar cuando menos un poco de perturbación y de qué manera lo logra. Un disco obligatorio.
Como decía un amigo por ahí, si los autoproclamados "góticos" estuvieran mejor informados, este disco debería ser su biblia negra y Diamanda su reina.

El primer corte de poco más de 12 minutos "The Letanies Of Satan" ha sido tomado desde el poema del mismo nombre del poeta maldito francés Charles Baudelaire, el segundo track de 17 minutos "Wild Woman With Steak-Knives (Homicidal Love Song For Solo Scream)" está inspirado en la tragedia grotesca "Eyes Without Blood" de la propia Diamanda Galás.

Definir este disco como oscuro es poco, es espeluznante, de verdad tenemos acá una visión infernal.‟

Projekct 5

LXXV. NON | In The Shadow Of The Sword

NON

In The Shadow Of The Sword

©Mute. UK, 1992.

‟This one is simply a classic. The first ever NON release I owned was the mind crushing "Physical Evidence". I then rushed out the moment "Blood And Flame" came out and purchased it. Back then, with out the aid of the internet, it was perfectly clear that Boyd Rice was off his nut. This was crystallized in 1990 with the Death In June track "Bring In The Night" and the venomous "Music, Martinis, and Misanthropy". During this time of hyper-creativity Boyd teamed up with friends Douglas P and Rose Mcdowall, fellow Misanthrope (and touring Japan at that time) Tony Wakeford... and Boyd's current roommate, a young Michael Moynihan (who at the time was wrapping up his existence as Coup De Grace). Together they played recorded a live performance in Osaka, Japan, July 3rd 1989. This powerful experience has been preserved in two forms; "In The Shadow Of The Sword" - presented here, and "Live In Osaka" the DVD.Non Live In Osaka, 1989. For this release tracks 1-8 represent the Osaka performance. 9-13 were recorded back in Colorado.‟

Emotions Will Kill Me

 

LXII. Malaria! | Compiled 1981-1984

MALARIA!

Compiled 1981-1984

©Moabit Musik. Deutschland, 2001.

‟So from the demise of Mania D, Bettina Koester and Gudrun Gut formed this band along with several others from the scene. Their first single "How Do You Like My New Dog" was actually the song that caught my attention, very dark yet somehow very catchy it's a very cool song. Their overall sound is rather eerie and moody with sort of post-punk/industrial sound with some neat little effects and noises throughout.  I love the way they make their music sort of blur when they really get frenzied and get going, it's so satisfying sounding.  My other favorite tunes from this compilation are "Kaltes Kalres Wasser" (which I understand to be their other biggest hit), "Geh Duschen", "Zarah" and "Your Turn To Run" however I do completely enjoy this entire compilation.  They actually managed to put out 2 albums and several EPs in the '80s, then reformed in the early '90s for another release.  I don't think that this compilation has everything they've recorded unfortunately but the material on here is pure gold and well worth hearing.  I think I love the fact that this group of German women were out there making music as gloomy as the boys without ever complaining about feminine problems or taking it to joke territory. On the other hand, I can't understand German so maybe they are... but I don't know the difference.‟

Goregirl

  

LVIII. Throbbing Gristle | 20 Jazz Funk Greats

  

THROBBING GRISTLE

20 Jazz Funk Greats

©Industrial Records. UK, 1979.

‟20 Jazz Funk Greats is a transitional album for Throbbing Gristle the band and a deep ripple of impression for musical attitudes all over. Often suggested as a starting point for the band, its a bit of a conundrum in that it is also the least representative of their live sound and philosophy. This results in its being a sort of testing ground for initiates, who either like what they hear and seek out the rough-edges of DoA or savage the album for its 'unmusical' pathos - though what that means evades me. Whereas the previous album proper was a collage/barrage of live/in-studio/industrial howl/dark-ambient/electronic sounds, this one is a bit less disquieting, though its best moments are exactly that. Early techno rhythms, dark-electro-ambient pieces, psychotic sing-speak and even some processed trumpet alluded to in the 'jazz' of the not-so-ironic title.

It stands on its own and that's what counts. The second side is nearly perfect. 'Walkabout' is beautiful pop, 'What a Day' is subverted techno before techno even had a chance to be straight-laced and 'Persuasion' sets a claustrophobic mood of perversion like no other. The first side tends more towards 'dark ambient' pieces such as 'Beachy Head' or the laidback, vibraphone-touched 'Tanith'. 'Convincing People' is a personal favorite, as it swings to a simple grungebox guitar lick and the repetition of Genesis' voice (which is always instantly recognizable and kind of soothing to me, oddly enough).

I have difficulty rating it as of yet - Throbbing Gristle albums are always more rewarding once digested and they're always a composite of conundrums, so I'll give it more time to grow - but expect a high number.

If you let the album stand alone for what it is and don't compare it to their earlier releases, you'll see that the group were open-minded enough to pursue this direction - and it's one that influenced countless Industrial, EBM, Dark Ambient, Minimal Wave and Coldwave artists to do what they do best. Reflect on the influences around them and then progress things a little further.‟

7 AA 1KS