Ho99o9 "Cyber Warfare" (2019)

Less than a year on from one of last years favorites Cyber Cop, the vicious Punk Rock fusing and Hip Hop grooving duo Ho99o9 return with another vivid, conceptual EP that experiments with eerie cyber space hacker aesthetic. Opening up with Master Of Pain, gothic organs conjure an unsettling hallowed horror soundtrack atmosphere for slow tempo percussion to brood and then pivot into a riotous romp of synthetic guitar riffs fit for the pit. The back and forth is fantastic but this new gothic element sets a desire for more that is left alone on this one song. With Plexiglass a smothering, repetitive, obnoxious baseline fills the void akin to something you might hear on a TV commercial. A ridiculous mania of hurling frantic screams quickly stops this in its tracks as it turns up the intensity alongside scratchy discernible noise. At this point it may be hard to stomach for many a music listener.

Shadowrun slams into the Punk energy with fast and energetic guitar riffs, burred screams and pummeling drums. Its ecstatic and highly intriguing as the distortion and production techniques mask much of the instruments in layers of unusual aesthetic. From their the good songwriting emerges as the song leads into a fantastic closing groove played twice over. The end of the song introduces a layer of technological theming as a pitch dropped voice talks of internet connections. There is a few other bits like this but they fail to be interesting in my opinion. The next few tracks brings out the mean and gritty raps, delving into gloomy, dangerous street vibes akin to similar songs heard on their Horrors Of 1999 sophomore EP.

F.O.G. wraps up the record with some serious metallic stomping and tight drum patterns not far from something heard on a Extreme Metal record with its tight double pedal working. The song gets progressively heavier and distorted synths lead up to a ridiculous climax that maybe falls a little short of its intention. Overall this record is another fantastic chapter in what I hope will produce more of this paranoid cyber theming. Its not reached quite the peaks of Cyber Cop but it has produced some remarkable songs once again. This band are very much in a stride and I find myself dead excited for whatever it is they will do next.

Rating: 7/10
Favorite Tracks: Master Of Pain, Plexiglass, Shadowrun

Hocico "Artificial Extinction" (2019)

Its more than fair to say the Mexican duo Hocico have a sound set in stone. Their Agrro-tech tone and temperament hasn't budged in a over decade. 2017's Spider Bites offered some b-sides and inconclusive experiments that made for an interesting listen as a fan. This new album however sticks rigidly to their hard hitting and darkly formula, churning out another eleven four to five minute tracks of thumping drums, aggressive synths and harsh screams. What's different this time around isn't much. A noticeable switch up to Drumstep style beats on a couple of tracks, however they are the most generic of samples, ones which I enjoy of course.

With the mildest of change ups, the record as a whole fails to produce much that sparkles. Its a very routine album where you can simply drop in if your in the Hocico mood. It delivers on that, another installment of driving dance floor kick drums, heavy hitting, the backbone of many songs, steadily thumping through just about every track. Around that drive, harsh and filling clicks, clacks and buzzes of percussion and Industrial noise create a thick barraging wall of unearthly sound. Layered looping arrangements of unnerving melodies dance of the variety of synth tones tuned for each track. The vocals are one dimensional, every word delivered through the same "whispering scream" that tends to blur into the music in a drone.

It occurs to me now that even its interlude tracks stick to the blueprint, being interchangeable with others from previous records. With each song deploying a repetitive arrangement pummeling dark EDM, it takes an emergent melody or break to elevate the mood and that seems to take place every other song or so. Only one song excelled, Damaged. Its shift in percussive style exciting and the stand out melody with its spacey bells is thrilling every listen. Otherwise its the same old thing from this duo. Next time I wont bother since they seem set in their ways, even if I like that sound.

Favorite Track: Damaged

Rating: 4/10

Hexenkraft "Deep Space Invocations: Volume I" (2019)

With an album titled Permadeath looming in the distance, actually to be released the day the masses storm Area 51, this Dark Ambient two track record caught me by surprise. It is reminiscent of both the Starcraft and Diablo OST's, which Matt Uelman had a hand in both. Its janky spacecraft industrial noises and synths mixed alongside sinister strings, foreboding horns and eerily plucked acoustic guitars sounds like a natural allegiance of the game themes. The two eight minute songs share a brilliant aesthetic pallet primed with complimenting instruments that bridge classical sounds of isolated pianos and warning strings with gaunt bursts of electronic buzzing and mechanical whirling synths. Its held together with spacious percussive sounds, often lingering in reverb and leaning into Industrial smashes and strikes as spurs of tempo muster up brief and claustrophobic surges of rhythmic pounding, mostly dispelling back into uneasy temperament.

The songs are lengthy, slow in pace and forever brooding, usually on a sense of dread or void drifting loneliness. The songs progress swaying from one moment to the next with no arching conclusion or consequence. These are snapshots of time, danger lurking, sometimes growing to close for comfort but never arriving. Its underlying tone setter, the strings, sometimes pianos and guitars too, tend to linger on a few musical themes that lack a sense of evolution. As backing music this undoubtedly sets a vivid atmosphere to be indulged in. At the forefront these instruments lack of progression or movement into an expressive phase becomes quite frustrating. There are many moments and opportunities for the swells of mysterious sound to bust into life with a melody or chord progression. That however is what made the aforementioned soundtracks so fantastic. This doesn't have to be that, but it certainly broods a particular atmosphere ripe for deployment.

Rating: 5/10

3TEETH "Shutdown.exe" (2017)

Aesthetically speaking this band are absolutely my cup of tea. On this record we step back a fraction from the metallic element with a tonal shift towards the Electro-Industrial hilt. Distortion guitars are dialed back in presence from the meaty Metawar. A stronger emphasis is placed on the sonic pallet of busying robotic noises. Font man Mincolla sounds no less of his own, although the Manson mimicry is minimal, his voice is drenched in distortions and dystopian effects that have him drift into the middle of attention, like another layer of detail in the web of machine like constructs.

These songs are dense and textural, a tapestry of whirling mechanical, electronic and alien sounds that coheres into a cyber punk world of neon lights and endless smog. Its slightly uneasy, unsettled and futuristic, capturing a detachment from the natural world as one could imagine it the soundtrack to a dystopian vision of the future. With a plethora of sounds they decorate the blood pumping baselines and smashing thuds of kick and snare grooves that propel the songs forward. Softly screeching synths play rattled melodies and potent power chords inject force through the guitar element. It holds together a firm atmosphere that reminds me fondly of my favorite Industrial acts but doesn't go to far in defining itself.

As mentioned, Mincolla finds himself in the middle ground with all the other instruments that never seem to leap out at the listener. They all work on the same temperament and thus the album is short on attention grabbing tracks. It is most notably apparent with a lack of sing along hooks as his garbled voice often blends into the wall of sound. Atrophy manages to pull off a killer number as its elements are laid bare, chopping in and out. It gives the guitar a real kick when it drops in and the lyrics to seem to ride that wave. The rest of the songs make up a passing experience that comes in various degrees but under closer inspection it doesn't bite quite as hard.

Rating: 6/10

Favorite Tracks: Atrophy, Tower Of Disease

3TEETH "Metawar" (2019)

Hot damn do I love Industrial Metal and what a big meaty slab of electrocuted industrious filth this record is! Metawar is the Californian bands third full length and its undoubtedly my cup of tea but I can't praise it for originality. A fine tuned titanium studio production and good songwriting holds it up well against the obvious influences worn proudly here. From Nine Inch Nails, to Marilyn Manson, Ministry to Fear Factory and all in between, everything at play here feels but a fraction away from vibrations and moods conjured many a time before them, however it does have its own stamp.

The one place they excel is with the thrilling eight string guitar sound. Its dense, tight and lavished in a bludgeoning tone that inches towards sounding like moving parts of an industrial piston powered machine of death! They ring out with big chunks of booming momentous noise, taking influence from the likes of Nu and Groove Metal in its rhythmic sense of bounce. Its a delight mixing in alongside the harsh and jarring synths blare out anti-melodies. They feed into the unsatisfied, angry and dystopian feeling of rebellion these songs cry like anthems. The battering drums and deep baselines ram themselves into the condensed wall of noise being propelled your way, its a cohesive force of destruction that batters with its industrial metallic might.

Singer Alexis Mincolla has a firm and defining presence in the limelight. Roaring with fiery, strained screams between twisted, tormented spoken words of infliction he sounds apologetically like Manson. If they shared a third factor its the ability to put a sung hook down in a nature that grabs your attention but living in the shadow of such an artist he only occasionally escapes that mold of seeming like his influence. Its so well executed that its no drawback. If your looking for originality it may only be in one department but when it comes to the music this will easily win over Industrial fans.

At forty six minutes it does run through a fair few mediocre songs. The energy and temperament shifts through aggressive, atmospheric and alien vibes to keep it flowing however after a handful of listens you'll suss out your favorites. Its best comes on a handful of tracks and despite sounding utterly sharp and pounding the songs don't quite reach for the stars. There is much too love here, much promise for this band and if they continue improving I could see this sound being pushed further.

Favorite Tracks: Affluenze, American Landfill, President X, Pumped Up Kicks

Rating: 7/10

Rammstein "Rammstein" (2019)

With a ten year absence, German Industrial Metal titans Rammstein return on strong footing with a solid, bold slice of what they are best known for. My personal enjoyment of this untitled, or self titled record, may have been swayed by their lack of existence in my musical rotation over the last decade or so. Its long since the days of youth, when albums Sehnsucht and Mutter where binged frequently. These new songs set a path that doesn't attempt to recreate any former glory but aligns all the components of their distinct, trademarked identity, executing it sweetly on a welcome return to stir all the emotions and sounds they mustered in the past, as well as new ones.

The classic fist pumping, leg pounding stomp personified by brutish front man Till Lindermann's live antics can be felt from start to end. A sweet and sharp, snappy and cushioned snare drum maligns the songs with that charging industrial pounding. The guitars drop in with meaty chugs of palm muting and power chords played with cold rhythmic precision. They are slightly shy in the mix, at times feeling like an undercurrent, rather than the main focus. A string of songs from Puppe to Weit Weg sees the guitars play a more complimentary roll with plenty of absence and other instruments taking control. It works, adds flavor to the flow and yields a fantastic performance from Lindermann on Puppe who delivers intense and snarly shouts with a snatch of venom. It leads into a passageway blackened by nothing other than howling tremolo Black Metal guitars.

To my ears the songs movements and shifts are pivoted on chord progressions from the guitar department but its the electronics that are given ample space to texture and tone these songs. Often with simple and minimal components do they muster a strong sense of atmosphere and color. Their roll is so dynamic and swift at times it can almost feel unnoticed given the big industrial drive from its meatier instruments. The balance and diversity of these dynamics is a highlight. So is the brilliantly triumphant and enigmatic opening track. The German tongue sounding militant and mighty although I have no clue whats really being said. I prefer to leave the lyrical element a mystery, the music is far more intriguing this way. Overall I'm not left with a lot to say, this is a competent Rammstein sounding like they have little difficulty finding inspiration nearing twenty five years on their very robust formulae. It stands up well and has me excited to see them live again!

Favorite Tracks: Deutschland, Radio, Puppe, Tattoo

Rating: 7/10

The Young Gods "Data Mirage Tangram" (2019)

I believe it was David Bowie who once gave props to the Swiz group The Young Gods as a big influence on the Industrial Metal sound. That led me to their TV Sky album and since then I had not explored further. After nine years of silence the trio return with an interesting record that stumbles into pacing issues midway as its quirky atmospheres of subtle psychedelia, dialed down industrialism and lifeless abandon pivot into dull, quiet and lengthy iterations of its initial ideas. The first few tracks birth a sense of calm and obscure loneliness, a soundtrack to isolation on an alien planet. No threat is insight but madness lurks on the horizon of ones mind as the stillness oozes a soft eeriness. Erupting slabs of buzzed out distortion guitars ignite heightened event in moments of upheaval but otherwise the music is very laid back.

Steady downtempo beats set pace for elongated scenic synths to conjure a mood as buzzing baselines and subtle glitched electronic noises make a lining to the structure of its sound design. On Moon Above much of this structure looses ground as the percussion dissipates in a slippery audio collapse. Off beat drum strikes are slowly enveloped by tape stretching sound effects and glitched noises that break apart the song, reaching a dissipating conclusion. Its after this point that the album loses its stride. Going into an eleven minute drone of minimalism, it takes to long to reach its climatic eerie synths being roared upon by assailant, imposing guitars that cut the intended tension with a menacing shrill high frequency distortion.

After this dull escapade the charm returns a little with looping reverberations hooking in psychedelic vibes from the lead guitars in the second phase of You Gave Me A Name. It grows and emboldens with captivating style but it is one passageway in another dull stretch of lucid music. If it had stayed on track this album would be a keen contender for king of its niche vibe but with this lapse of pace in the second half it ends on a snooze. I don't wont to dwell too much on that issue, the opening music is interesting, indulgent and fantastic but as an album it cuts itself short of a fuller experience, dialing the energy down as the album progresses and failing to build on its initial ideas which are impactful when putting the record on for a spin. It has songs I will come back for, but not as a whole.

Favorite Tracks: Tear Up The Red Sky, Figure Sans Nom, You Gave Me A Name

Rating: 5/10

Ho99o9 "Cyber Cop" (2018)

Horror, stylized Ho99o9, are one of the most exciting acts Ive heard in recent years, their fusion of hardcore Hip Hop, Industrial and Punk with an anarchistic flavor is exhilarating! This new soundcloud EP flew right under my radar, which is a shame because its probably their best work yet! They struck me as having potential but in this moment its really manifesting. Their recent collaboration with The Prodigy seems to of rubbed off well on the duo as the production style here has more composure and occasional Big Beat vibes. The opening track even has a tune you could lift into a Prodigy song. Its also another short and sweet seven songs amassing eighteen minutes. A curated approach to music that is serving many artists well in my books.

A clear theme and identity for the record is established through its fascinating online release including digital artwork. Cyber Cop revolves around digital paranoia in this connected ages and stylizes its songs as unauthorized viruses. It lets the electronic aspect of their sound flourish with flavorful synths and digital noise playing into the computing heart of the theme. Just about every song has talking points. The second track has a hard siren and glittery beat you might link to Death Grips, however its the vocals that almost sound like MC Ride himself chanting Internet Thuggin' in a low voice. Its a maddening orgy of noise which much of the record indulges in. Mega City Nine samples Slipknot's Only One and Tattered & Torn, fusing their darkly demented melodies with vicious street raps. Its a treat for a metalhead who loves crossover however its the Punk and Industrial influences that dominate the narrative here.

Punk Police brings the unapologetic attitude to the forefront as the two yell into peaked mics shooting back at their critics. Its a short track with dirty synths and gritty drums, total Punk aesthetic! Delete My Browser History slows down the tempo and brings in some gorgeous 90s Industrial synth baselines also heard on the opening track. Its focus on atmosphere heightens when twirling, snappy synths jive in, leading to an explosion of distortion guitars that culminates exquisitely. It ends with Leader Of Pain, an absolute banger to play at high volume! The singing is phenomenal. They fully embrace a over the top echo reverberation and deliver unhinged maniacal chanting over slamming guitar riffs. It only plays its sweet spot twice and the second time it suddenly cuts off short, always leaving me yearning for more of the madness.  

Ive only talked in specifics so far. This record conjures it own realm of anarchistic digital madness that's spurred on by an aggressive release of youthful energy and rebellion. Its immediate and fiery, an adrenaline shot to the mind as it takes on an aesthetic assault fit to diverge down different paths which it does! Not a moment repeated itself and the seven tracks forge a unique distinction within the experience. Thrashing guitars, expansive electronics and a relentless vocal presence unite with explosive chemistry. This is undoubtedly their best to date and my current addiction!

Least Favorite Track: Forest Fires

Rating: 8/10

The Prodigy "No Tourists" (2018)

Many years on from their hay day, English Big Beat legends The Prodigy bring back their sound again for another round of 90s electronica mashed with booming drums beats on No Tourists, their seventh full length. The project was initially intended to be an EP but the quality of the music led them to a full length release that is noticeably shorter than The Day Is My Enemy. If it is curation or a short and sweet principle, this newest chapter definitely carries a more vibrant energy as it breezes by with a lively energy, charisma and focus on the big pounding drums that you'd expect of them.

The approach to sampling, electronics, melody and vocals all have a strong 90s feel, hailing back to their best era. Its not on par but their knack for jittery synths and the cramming together of intricate sounds to form a whole feels fluid and vibrant. Massive kicks and snares snap and pop throughout and the arsenal of accompanying sounds makes for a fury of body moving energy. Interestingly a collaboration with duo Ho99o9 stands out as an excellent moment where the two acts find a common ground to accommodate one another and produce the records most infectious song!

Beyond that one moment not much breaks expectations or deviates from form. Vocally the group focus more on the hooks and have their snippets on loops for the choruses. A lot of synth setups, tone, delivery and vocal samples hail back to their early days. If you know them well you will hear the links. This is The Prodigy delivering what fans want and if in the right mood it makes for a heck of a listen. Its far from original, a few spicy arrangements are in store but this is a full speed ahead, wild ride!

Favorite Tracks: No Tourists, Fight Fire With Fire, Champions Of London, Resonate
Rating: 7/10

Lycia "In Flickers" (2018)

I'll always be interested in some Ethereal Darkwave from Lycia. If its their classic Cold or the more recent A Line That Connects, it conjures a meditative mood Ive truly grown to love. They were one of a handful of bands to drew me to this cold, soothing and introspective sound that tinges on psychedelia. In Flickers has the experience I expected, forty three minutes of bleak, gloomy and forever drifting music. Its gentle and sombre in its pacing, soothing and indulgent with its reverb soaked instruments. We float precariously in a stasis of limbo, with purgatory just beyond our vision. Its a beautiful place that does not need anything happy or upbeat to be so.

For a moment the record surprised me as its second song, A Failure, includes the use of bold buzz saw synths and a punchier precussive beat that gives it a little feet moving dance and gusto. This shaped up my expectation to potentially hear an unleashing of a potent twist on the bands well defined sound. Unfortunately it wasn't so. Another one, Mist, returns to the idea for its almost five minute duration but two out of ten tracks leaves a musical idea that clearly works thoroughly unexplored. The chemistry only seems to give another dimension without taking anything away.

Through its shades of intensity and reworkings of the slow, dreary gothic soundscapes each song possesses, Rewrite stands out for its embracing of of a thick, distant and haunting sound at the heart of the song. Possibly a distortion guitar, the sound is lavished in effect pedals and comes through dense wall of ambiguous shadows. Its climatic melody soars with an unsettling darkness. Its forever marching baseline drives the song stride forward through this darkness in epic wonder.

In Flickers has all the hallmarks, slow and soft drums patter at humble pacing. Reverberated synths build snowy, chilling atmospheres and the singing of duo Mike and Tara bring arcane chorals and deeply spoken words to the fold within the composition style. Its very enjoyable and suited to its particular mood, with only a few sparks that transcend expectation Id say its a fair record, one for fans of the sound and a great introduction for those curios in Darkwave and Ethereal music.

Favorite Tracks: A Failure, Mist, 34 Palms, Rewrite, Autumn Into Winter

Rating: 6/10

VNV Nation "Noire" (2018)

Admittedly I had fallen behind with VNV Nation. Of Faith Power And Glory is the last record of theirs I own, that was almost over ten years ago! It is long overdue and I return to a lengthy album, over seventy minutes of new material that does not fly far from the nest, or even leave it. Every song sounds sweetly akin to a style perfected many years ago. It is only the a lone piano piece, Chopin cover, Nocturne No. Seven, that has any distinct resemblance to any theme portrayed by the name Noire.

The other twelve tracks are a keen collection of aptly tuned, finely crafted intelligent pop songs, structured through inspiration and channeled with aesthetic synth tones that pay eternal homage to Kraftwerk through layered arrangements of oscillated notation. That connection only struct me now as Ive only known of the German outfits legacy for a few years now. The track Guiding is a percussion less interlude piece that may in one moment show shades of a dusky Noire but can't help reach an uplifting stride through its warm and empowering string section that casts its light upon the music like rays of beaming light breaking through overcast clouds.

Its the one thing I can't put my finger on. As in the name, victory not vengeance, VNV Nation are continually uplifting, resolute and principled. This is the expectant working out of thought and lifes emotions through intelligent lyricism and sharp, crisp music. With a contagious dance thud and dose of inspired pop melody they stand with composed, broad shoulders, singing with sincerity as the atmosphere rises around them. None if it seems to verge towards anything resembling 40s Noire

Like many of their previous records VNV tend to dip toes into the various degrees of their formulae. Impresed leans into their meaner, Industrial side with a focus on the pounding beat. Collide rises itself from a longing sadness. Lights Go Out drives home a hook for the club life and Only Satellites reaches its arms to the sky in a eutrophic wander. Its all shades of a design they know all to well, soft airy and choral synths building atmosphere around dance-able EBM beats executed again with a familiar fondness but also made greater by absence. It does feel like little has changed.

Favorite Tracks: Armour, God Of All, Lights Go Out, Only Satalites

Rating: 7/10