ASCII Disko—ASCII
Disko—Metropolis
ASCII Disko’s roots are evidently
buried in a time with bigger hair and brighter colors in the land of electronic
music, yet the ideas and music are fresh and innovative. If Falco (at the
height of their 80s glory) got together with mid-90s European
electro-industrialists and modern synth-pop like Ladytron, ASCII Disko would be
the infectious result. Since the band consists only of guitarist/keyboardist
Daniel Holc (aka Kat D.D. Rokk of Slown and Venus Vegas), it is hard to believe
such range comes from one head. The name couldn’t make the purity of the
project simpler: electro disco music, and it’s damn good.
Dimmu
Borgir—Death Cult Armageddon—Nuclear Blast
Quite
possibly the best death metal ever. Dimmu’s riotously dramatic and
orchestrated style is remisniscent of Laibach’s unlikely dabblings with
Morbid Angel, but much more complex and layered. It is tight, theatrical,
monstrous and still as beautiful as it is brutal. Such a varied array of
creativity, style and enthusiasm comes through blaringly, making it a highly
listenable album with enough crossover appeal to lynch goth, industrial, and
metal fans into the same arena. Highly recommended.
Envy Is Blind—The Eye’s of
Time’s Conception—Unified Aesthetic
Envy Is Blind grasps
strongly at the ledge that will take them to a level beyond amateur. Not quite
there yet, though—especially with the more “industrial” tracks.
Repetitive beats and unrelenting vocals drown the listener under layers of
complexity without letting them up for air. In art there is a thing called
“white space,” that is to say that not every millimeter of canvas
must be plastered with a shock of color and noise. The same holds true for
music. Bands that grasp this concept are bands that create art, and this disc
is within grasping distance on a couple of the instrumental tracks. Overall The
Eye’s of Time’s Conception is close, but the proverbial cigar dangles
just out of reach.
Front Line
Assembly—Maniacal—Metropolis
Rhys Fulber is back in
black! After adding some fuel to the latest Delerium album, Fulber decided to
once again join Bill Leeb to kick up some dust, and from the sound of this
single the full-length album is going to kick some serious ass, FLA style.
Maniacal is similar to the ultra-industrial stuff offered on
the last album Epitaph, but with a little more acididty and
dare I say emotion, perhaps heralding a bright new age for Front Line
Assembly.
Ganymede—Space and
Time—Cohaagen
Perfect electro-pop from a perfect electro-pop
band. Space and Time is an album full of analog life, blending old and new
synth styles, (similar in effect to ASCII Disko, reviewed above) and galvanized
by a strong charisma in musical form. Ganymede is a refinery for synth and
electro-pop, taking the best elements of the genre and forging an impeccable
album. This 2-disc set includes a disc of remixes that enhance the originals to
even greater heights of coolness, and even includes a video for Daylight. Not
to be missed.
Melotron—Sternenstaub—Metropolis
Melotron seems to have come to the US out of nowhere, like flotsam landing
on a beach to kick ass right off the bat. This German outfit produces thick,
infectious synth-pop with heavy beats and German-only lyrics. The high energy
level of this album makes for an enthusiastic listen, even on the first
pass—a seldom seen (or rather heard) rarity. The fact that I can’t
understand a word of their songs makes the vocals meld into the strong music as
a catchy texture in itself. Fans of And One, De/Vision, and Beborn Beton should
revel in Sternenstaub, a new favorite who I will definitely
keep my eyes on.
Ohgr—Sunnypsyop—Spitfire
What can be said of Ohgr other than awesome. Former Skinny Puppy frontman
Ogre is still whipping cleverly off-beat verbal lashings at the world with Mark
Walk at the musical helm. Fans of the previous album Welt will
be lightly taken aback by the difference in sounds this album
produces—much less syrupy with an obvious spoonful of bitterness. Easily
as likable, however are the irresistible hooks and memorable lyrics that define
Ohgr as a pairing of mad geniuses. Sunnypsyop is a milestone in an
unpredictable evolution, setting a high standard for what is to
come.
Suicide Commando—Axis of
Evil—Metropolis
This is relentless, harsh, pounding
industrial as it was meant to be. No holds are barred on Axis of
Evil. Abusive beats, harsh vocals, and strong musical precision cut
like a scalpel and punch you in the head at the same time. Suicide Commando
(Johan Van Roy) seems to have captured a genre of white-knuckle industrial that
no one else can quite touch. It is the kind that feels like calculated
brutality or a car crash in cold, medicated musical form. The irony is that it
makes you come back for more and more. My recommendation is to keep
Axis of Evil out of your car. Listening to this album can
cause severe road rage.
