Machines Of Loving Grace "Concentration" (1993)

In search of a slice of the nineties? Absolutely! Having somehow evaded my radar, Machines Of Loving Grace embrace the lighter side of Metal. An Industrial Rock hybrid with a soft touch of Funk and Electro, spirited by the Alternative movement. They initially reminded me of NIN's debut but more so Head Of David, who two years prior struck a nerve with Seed State. This discovery has been a personal delight.

Machine's merits stem from a slick execution of sharp unravelling guitar riffs and tight percussion patterns rocking a snappy snare that cuts through the mix with intense mechanical precision. Powerful, hard hitting, repetitive, somehow never tiring one out. The pair lay a rhythmic foundation for the record to kick off with drive and groove. Its opening numbers make a meaty offering with amped up Ministry energy bangers.

Pretty swiftly the album dissipates into its diversity. Each sequential track exploring charactered moods as the metallic energy drops out for more variety. Beautifully orchestrated alongside front man Scott Benzel's competent voice, we hear so much chemistry, from Ethereal synths to Trip Hop drums, a cast of 90s scenes emerge. Grunge, Shoegaze & Funk Metal dazzle among many stylistic tropes of the era.

The album caught my ear thanks to its standout track Butterfly Wings. The sliding distortion guitar keenly reminiscent of Michael Jackson's D.S. With some clear Industrial influence, its another trace of musical taste from my childhood. Tangents aside, Concentration is a fine record by talented musicians who explore their ideas with a seasoned maturity and youthful excitement that captures the moment well.

Rating: 7/10

Frank Klepacki "Initiative" (2023)

 Frank Klepacki is back! Not the first post-Remaster release, but one that caught my eye! Picking up his battle axe and throwing down stompy thrash grooves alongside dystopian synths, Frank revives classic Command & Conquer vibes and aesthetics for another metallic romp of his janky Electronic Industrual funk! This outing comes steady, lean and refined, a consistent burn with anything in the way of experimental or out of the ordinary arriving through his guests Glenn Kachulis & Connor Engstrom.

 Gunslinger mashes his cyberpunk Disco thump with slick Mexican guitar licks. An unusual union that somehow persuades despite its dramatic shift in tone. The following Dark Assault showcases Connor's flashy lead guitar talents, a dazzle of steely blazing melodies to act as a voice. Unfortunately it spells missed opportunity, as Frank ditches his unique Industrial sound design for a high speed metallic fodder. The result is a rather generic splash of pacey fire and fury. Slick but again shifting tone.

The rest of the music finds familiar face, an unravel of detached melodies, woven through a web of hard hitting instruments. Arrangements whirl with sequenced mechanical activity as pulses, zaps and industrial clank rub and rattle against its organic tones. The contrast can be enjoyed with little effort. Flushes of Prog Rock leads and Metal guitar accompany its varying temperaments. A solid listen to stir up a colorful dystopian vision of futuristic proportions but lacks anything truly special.

Rating: 6/10

Living Colour "Stain" (1993)

I may just close the book on this particular musical avenue. A staleness is setting in from a band in steady decline. Their sparkling debut Vivid was quite the experience but since then the re-arranging of influences isn't landing anywhere significant. This time around a tonal rawness and Industrial edge are introduced. Its crass production takes a step back again, the guitar tone has a loose, gritty tone, fit for Thrash and Hardcore riffs but lacking glue. Its on a separate plane from the bass guitar and the musical aesthetic has a sparseness Glover barely holds together with his singing.

His presence is warm in tone, smooth in delivery but the lyrics are handled bluntly. Ideals and topics are persuaded through plain language that sounds so of the time and frankly dated. Its socially and political oriented as you'd expect and the themes range from wealth guilt to sexuality and all of them are expressed with little room for reflection. Essentially I am listing points where this record doesn't resonate. Nothing here is truly awful but the record passes without any attention grabbing moments.

Vernon Reid does get to flash off his advantageous guitaring ability with wild, erupting, dazzling solos however they arise from mediocrity which dampens the impact. There is actually a fair arsenal of thrash and groove riffs in the mix but something in albums raw aesthetic dispels any magic. Auslander is a good example of a track set to bang. Its got a driving Industrial backbone and rowdy baseline yet the two don't gel and the song drifts into a monotone, lifeless drone that chops and churns its way by.

Leave It Alone is about the only song that really has something going for. The rest just gets by on a limb, then Wtff arrives with a turn table break beat jam and the record drops of completely for the remaining few songs. Its a strange record because its loaded with good riffs and interesting elements but none of it fuses and the whole thing is left stiff and stale. Its disappointing but not awful, worth a spin but no more.

Favorite Track: Leave It Alone

Rating: 4/10

Wartime "Fast Food For Thought" (1990)

This obscure "side project" EP is the brainchild of bassist Andrew Weiss, who invites his fellow band mate Henry Rollins to lay down the vocals in his typical style. The duo are both from the Rollins Band however Wartime is a different beast, Rollins' unshakable style remains grounded over Weiss' instrumentals that take an Industrial, Funk laden, bass driven approach. Some of the core grooves can be heard in similarity to the pairs main ambition however "Fast Food For Thought" comes off as an unapologetic, noisy hash of idea's with a backbone of grooving funk.

Its aesthetic is of the age, dainty factory setting percussive tracks lined with bongo hits set the tempo for Weiss' monstrous distorted bass tones, dripping in texture with warping gurgles and snarling oscillations. It makes a racket, multiple baselines, some popped and slapped, a sprinkling of acoustic guitar licks and the occasional synth, samples make an overwhelming roaring backdrop for the man with the big mouth to direction your attention to the themes that inspired the food for thought.

Two years before "The End Of Silence" we hear Rollins defining his loud mouthed shouted vocal style at its inception. His tone, delivery and intense presence is a great match for the noisy instrumentals. The lyrical themes and words themselves are a little soft and obvious in terms of craft of rhyme. The topics and points made are certainly worth your time but the poetry is stitched together with obvious, simplistic links that have Rollins sounding like a 90s parody rapper in some respects, despite the words having a measure of weight to them.

The whole thing plays like a singular track with no break in tone, consistency or texture. Its very upfront, immediate and riddled with "dated" sounds but that's part of the charm of digging out this forgotten relic from one of my favorite bands. In a way it feels like some great ideas were born here, with Rollins' vocal style evolving and Weiss' burgeoning riffs amping the duo for their greatest collaboration when returning to Rollins Band in 92. Well worth your time if your a fan.

Favorite Tracks: Right To Life, The Whole Truth
Rating: 6/10