Music

I'm not very good at describing music -- it's like describing feelings, and few people are. I can tell you what I like about songs and somewhat of how things sound. In the future I plan on having short clips of some of the better songs of each album available.

Front Line Assembly: Artifical Soldier Rating: 3.5 Stars
Now I might be Biased, but I love older FLA, (Tactical Neural Implant era. So, you might think I'd be less than pleased with this sometimes guitar heavy, techno-ish new album. But I've got a secret, I love guitars, and techno-electro-industrial pretty much says pegs it. So, when I put this disc on, I was stunned. The songs are trademark Front Line Assembly, the music is great, the lyrics, well they're the same cynical lyrics as always, and the whole thing fits together nicely.

This stuff is a lot faster and higher energy that Civilization. And the music spans the various incarnations on FLA we've heard for the last decade. Fans of Millennium should love this album. The first song, Unleashed comes out swinging, and rocking, and it doesn't let up anywhere. The second track, Lowlife, is a bit slower but very grooving for FLA. Beneath the Rubble and Decsention are also two more solid tracks, with flavors reminiscent of tracks off of Colombian Necktie and Fatalist. Dopamine is also a very good track worth mentioning. Humanity (World War Three) closes the album, and feels like it's straight off Tactical Neural Implant, which is probably their best album, or even Caustic Grip.

Once again you have to hear these tracks since I can't say stuff like "riveting" and expect anyone to get an accurate picture of it. So, I point you again to the iTunes Music Store.

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Wumpscut: Cannibal Anthem Rating: 4 Stars
Wumpscut is back at last, better than ever in this release. Actually, better then the last release. Of the 10 songs on this disc--there's 11 tracks but one is a short intro to the good stuff--4 stand out and 1 is a clunker. The other 5 are average and might be worth more listens to really get the feel for them. The smash single Jesus Antichristus is here of course, and worth every second of your time. Wir Warten stands out and feels like classic wumpscut with its crunchy distortion covering everything. Die Liebe feels like something off of the last Album, Evoke see review below. It has a simple climbing arpeggio synth line over booming drums and the staple vocals of Rudy R. The title track is a medium paced song that manages to stay just out of being boring with interesting sounds and arrangements -- there's even a bit of what sounds like guitar. This is definitely not dancefloor material here, but it grows on you after the third listen. Auf Der Jaged is an up-tempo instrumental that has an easy, catchy melody. Jetzt delivers a sense of urgency to it, and takes that energy and dispenses a solid Wumpscut entry. At first listen I was impressed it, and on successive listens it just got better. Hunger is noteworthy in that it has female vocals by Onca which are simply beautiful--if only I understood what she was singing. The last track Recth Vor Gnade is another good track that features a crunchy bass drum and a gentle string-like synth and punchy vocals. It's a classic rolling mid/high tempo Wumpscut song, and very likable.

You can listen to 30 second previews of Cannibal Anthem on the iTunes Music Store.

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KMFDM: Hau Ruck Rating: 4 Stars
What can I say about KMFDM that hasn't been said. Well, for one thing Hau Ruck sounds a lot more commercial than previous albums. There's quite a few songs with Lucia Cifarelli singing, which in past albums was rare. She does quite a good job though and her delivery comes off as powerful or sexy depending on which song it is.

The album starts out with Free Your Hate, which is easily the "poppiest" song on the album, and a very good pop song at that. KMFDM's hard metal guitars are in full force here, as they are in every song on this album. The weirdest thing about the first song is that at one point, Sasha sounds an awful lot like Psyclon 9's Marshall.
the Title track, Hau Ruck, is very far from a Pop song. Dark german vocals, part with as vocoder, come out menacing. This is one of the few tracks without Lucia. New American Century contiunes the pop vein. Sasha handle the most of the vocals in his trademark sound and Lucia's voice become a growl in this one. The Real Thing is right up there with Free Your Hate--vocals, poppiness, quality--except this is a down tempo song with the guitars only intruding in the chorus. Most of the melody is carried by synths. Every Day's A Good Day" is like Hau Ruck, except the vocals and lyrics are more aggressive. The intensity is one of the compelling things about this song.

The Stand out track, Ready To Blow has to be listened to. It combines all the elements that make KMFDM on of my favorite bands. I've mad this track listen-able. Unfortunately, I don't have an MP3 Editor to take only snippets, so you're going to have to listen to the whole thing, which is hardly a punishment.

The one thing that makes this album stand out from pop or metal songs is the synthesizers are often playing little snippets of sounds, from arpeggiated to frequency sweeps. Overall this album doesn't disappoint. I think new listeners will appreciate the album as an introduction to KMFDM. However, long time fans might be a bit turned off by the more "poppy" songs, and the sound is definitely more mainstream overall. This album is a close cousin to the Album Screw aka, Symbols. Would I buy it for a friend? Yes I think I would. And I'm recommending it to anyone who doesn't mind a bit of "Pop" with their industrial.

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Wumpscut: Evoke
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Wumpscut is back with yet another album, and this one is a departure from previous styles, or rather a refinement of them. The music seems to have been stripped down and built back up. Gone are the teeth gnashing walls of noise. In their place there are loud jarring synths. Even though these songs are simple in construction, often one synth carries the melody, a drum machine, and another synth delivers pops and beeps just at the right time. The lyrics have also been stripped down. One song, Don't Go, only consists of the lines, "I don't want you to go, don't go." in various arrangements. Evoke the title track, has an interesting cascade or flourish of notes, that carry it through in satisfying progression. Maiden brings back female vocals, but this time the delivery is sweet and matter of fact.

Overall the album is palatable to EBM and Electro fans, though hardcore industrial types may not like it. I can imagine old :Wumpscut: fans not liking this album, but the world and the music scene has changed very much since his first albums. This album could be considered a close relative of Wreath of Barbs. You can listen to snippets of Evoke at iTunes Music Store.

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Regina Spektor: Soviet Kitsch
Rating: 4.5 Stars
I first heard Regina Spektor on Late Night with Conan O'Brien many months back. At the time I wasn't captivated or anything, but the song she did, Us got caught in my head, or at least the part where she stutters "contage-ous-ous". A few weeks later the song crept back into my head, oddly resurfacing after not being thought of since that first night. I then saw her on some other show doing another song. (I can't remember which.) and Us resurfaced again. This time I followed up by hunting down her site. On the web site (http://www.reginaspektor.com) I found you can listen to bits of her songs from Soviet Kitsch (and her previous 2 albums), and it was through listening to it online that I decided to buy the album. (I encourage bands artists to put at least part of their music on line. It really does work to increase sales.)

This is a very good album, and there's not a bad song on it. in fact five of the songs, Ode to Divorce, Carbon Monoxide, Us, Your Honor, Chemo Limo rate at 4 or 5 stars. Since you can listen to the album on her web site, I'll be brief in describing the music. Most of the songs consist of just Regina singing and playing the piano. Your Honor sticks out because it's the only track on the album with guitar and drums. It's a fast clean punk song with a gentle refrain. Us has a string accompaniment that lifts the song up. In most of the songs, like Carbon Monoxide Regina does something to the lines and sings parts of words repeatedly like stuttering that's very catchy. Ode to Divorce and Chemo Limo are gentle sad songs. Chemo picks up a bit in one part and becomes angry,and it's that anger that's the hook on this song.

Overall I have to give this album 4.5 stars out of five since even the bad songs are good at 3 stars. The only bad part is that her label, Sire, is part of the RIAA, and I encourage people to boycott RIAA affiliated label. You can get this album on iTunes though. I picked up my copy in a used record store, and it was a promo, so I'm happy that the greedy record companies didn't make a dime off me or anyone else. You can listen to parts of the album online, and then decide if Regina is worth your hard earned cash.

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Wumpscut: Bone Peeler
Rating: 3.5 Stars
I realize this CD was released many months ago, but I wanted to give time to grow on me, and after many months of listening, I've finally decided it's time to review Bone Peeler. When I first got this album it sounded a lot like Wumpscut's earlier material. But after many months of review, it sounds like Wumpscut's earlier material.

The First track Crown Of Thorns is a strong lead off track. It captures the same feeling and sound scape that Wreath of Barbs does. Next, Just A Tenderness marches in and lays down classic Wumpscut rhythm. The March Of The Dead is constant prodding drums carry this tune into a deep place in my heart reserved for marches. Fear In Your Eyes has a catchy melody that you'll find your self humming absent mindedly. I couldn't get this song out of my head after I listened to it a few times. The fifth track Rise Again paints an ominous picture, but it gets old quickly. This is probably my least favorite track after the sixth song Final Warning. Both tracks drone on a bit too long. They'd both be better if they were three minutes long instead of five and a half. Even though the album is thrown off a bit, Fallen Angel gets it right back on track. This songs flies straight into your face and doesn't let up until it's done. And Life Goes On is an okay track. It simply lacks any real solid hooks, but it's well executed. Our Fatal Longing has a sample of a child counting in german in this lumbering song that feels a bit like something off of Born Again. Track 10, Scavenger is ok. It's a sparse dark song that feels "lonely." (That's the best way I can describe it.) In The Peace Of Night and Your Last Salute wrap up the album nicely. Both feel like solid wumpscut tracks from the dark side. YLS, has female vocals which is rare for Wumpscut. Because of the vocals I can't help but be reminded of Fear in Motion from Music For A Slaughtering Tribe.

Overall, this album is just above average for a Wumpscut album, which is why I gave it 3.5 stars. For me, it's a good album to put on in the background and let seep into your mind. From that point on it gets better with each listen.

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Front Line Assembly: Civilization
Rating: 4 Stars
An FLA album hasn't impressed me this much since Tactical Neural Implant. Each song in it has depth and feeling -- every track is a new aural treat, yet also familiar. The album starts with Psychosomatic, a raw in your face track that gets you pumped up for more. Maniacal delivers more forceful hooks. Then the pace slows down with Transmitter (Come Together). Civilization starts slow and gentle, but then kicks into gear much like Sex Offender, except with a swaggering rhythm and an acoustic guitar of all things (?!?). It's chorus is very catchy and you'll find yourself singing along. Fragmented is reminiscent of something off of Caustic Grip, with a quick slinking bass line and rough vocals. Parasite is a slow galloping song with good lyrics to sing along to.
The track Dissident made me laugh the first time I heard it because the sample of someone (that sounded like) laughing reminded me of the Big Brain, an inside joke between me and some friends. This song spins a quirky sound scape around rising spacey synths.
Overall, this album is way above average for Front Line Assembly. It spans a wide range of FLA's styles and invents some new ones. The album delivers on all of them. Even if you're not an FLA fan you do your ears a favor and listen to this album a few times. I give it 4.5 stars.

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Ohgr: SunnyPsyOp
Rating: 3 Stars
I was really looking forward to this album considering Ogre's first Album, Welt was a four star album. I thought I'd get more of same, but alas, it's not so in this case.

First off this album should have been an EP because only about half of this Album's eleven songs are decent enough to release. 30% are mediocre at best and the other 30% sucks donkey balls™. One track is actually called ShiTe and it is shit. Some of the drum loops in the album are so tired and/or simplistic that I found myself wincing while listening to them. Also, some of the melodies are all pretty one dimensional -- it's not uncommon to have only the percussion and one other sound going on at once besides the actual vocals. Other parts of some songs just seem like random noises tossed together in a makes-no-sense kind of way. Not even well enough to be considered "noise."

The Album starts with HiLo. The Casio drum loop number five is in full effect at the beginning, but luckily this song is saved by good vocals and an interesting sounding, but fairly simple, melody. So this on deserves to be on my vapor ep. Next up is maJiK, it's not as catchy as HiLo but it's good because it paints an interestingly quirky sound scape that changes throughout the song.The third song, JaKo is completely flat. It has one drum line aside from the break and the melody fits neatly into the space between the constant 2/2 beat. Luckily it's a short song -- I guess Ogre figured out that he really had nothing when he wrote the song and saved myself from having to hit the "Next" button on my CD player. Jako actually grew on me after repeated listening, so it ended up with four stars.ChemTale shares about the same one dimensional space the previous song had. It's harsh, grating and heavy handed. You might like it, if you like straight up, in your face songs, but this song had my squirming NOT to hit the "Next" button. Think of it this way, I listened to it, so you don't have to. ChemTaleandJaKo are both filler tracks to me. Luckily the next song, WaTergaTe, gets the album back on track. It's catchy in that 4/4, fast tempoed kind of way. It's two dimensional in basic design with lapses into one dimensionality. The second dimension is Ogre's vocals are like another instrument. Dog is a dog and should have been shot like Old Yeller. Ogre sings over and over "I'm feeling like a dog" while I was singing, "I'm feeling ripped off" in time with him. {insert cute smiley here}. In case you're counting we've been through 6 songs, and half of them are in the discard pile.
Track 7, iOvNoW is an experiment in sound at first, then turns into a slow, almost ballad that left me kind of flat. It was kinda boring and went on about a minute more than it should have. The lyrics are good though, so I'm on the fence on this one. I believe I heard a sample of a Yaesu FT-530's alarm going off on this track -- no kidding! I have a feeling it'd make a better closing track on my imaginary EP than a sixth song stretch. Unfortunately, then next song is ShiTe so any palate cleansing done by iOvNoW is ruined. It's basically Ogre or someone playing with a looping program and putting things in and taking them out in different combinations. No lyrics. No fun. No shit! I gave it a fair chance and listened to the whole thing...the guy's playing with loops and that's it folks.
Just when I'm ready to write this album off SunBurn comes is and kicks some serious ass. We got old school Ohgr vocals all nice and fucked up, a catchy rhythm and good sounds...ah...if only the rest of the album was this good.EnDai then comes in and paints a simple picture, neat and clean. It's an okay track, but not great. The last track is hidden, it's number 13 and only 8 seconds intercedes track 10 and 13. It's called PawSee. It's a simple instrumental, but there are actually vocals, but they're going through a vocorder. It's a light song, not really good or bad, it's just there making sparkly sounds and vocorded singing going on.
All in all this album only gets 2 stars because only 40% of it was any good.
Update: After repeated listenings, some of the songs have grown on me, which means this album as a whole has risen to an acceptable 3 stars. The only songs I still don't really like are ChemTale,Dog* and ShiTe*.

*These two I've removed from my play list entirely, which made the rest the album rise up.

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Goldfrapp: Black Cherry
Rating: 4 Stars
Most sophomore efforts are plagued with negative reviews because the band either delivered more of the same, or changed too much. Goldfrapp's second album, Black Cherry, is certainly a big departure from their first album, Felt Mountain but it does not disappoint. Black Cherry is heavily influenced by the Electroclash movement and delivers sophisticated melodies composed of buzzes and flourishes of sound. The one constant is Alison Goldfrapp's seductive voice that words melt out of. There's ten tracks on it, and half of them are fast and hook laden. The other five are a mixture of Electroclash and slow ethereal songs reminiscent of Felt Mountain. All the songs have the sound of early 80s synthesizers spruced up with modern technologies clarity and shine. The production values are such that I get the feeling that almost any of the songs on Black Cherry could be a pop hit.

The album opens with Crystalline Green which has a slightly slow funk feeling to it's melody backed up with Alison's lazy sauntering vocals.
My favorite of the album so far is Strict Machine. It's a very bouncy song, with quickly dealt out electronic hooks that flow dancing upward and whimsically flowing lyrics. Twist is an aura assault of pop and Alison's drifting voice that progresses into the jazzy chorus, "fight me... try me... kiss me, like you, like me... twist it round again and again." Tiptoe jerks and bleeps like a sly robot walking along a silky wave paved with lyrics. Its melodic riff could be an old video game music. While Train has its constant bouncy funk and sliding vocals to set your feet bouncing with the sauntering rhythm.
All in all, this album stands on it's own as an equal if not better album than the first. If you like the slower songs, I suggest the first album. But if you want something you can dance to, Black Cherry is my pick. I look forward to their next album to see what surprises Goldfrapp has in store.

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Hanzel Und Gretyl: Uber Alles
Rating: 4 Stars
With their legal battles over, Hanzel Und Gretyl are back, and they sound pissed. In the mid to late 90s Hanzel and Gretyl had a unique style that was a mixture of samples from science fiction shows, crowd cheers and guitars that could be best described and quirky and lighthearted, the quirkiness remains with them on Uber Alles, but most of the gentleness is almost all gone. I could say it's more of the same, but that's exactly what I wanted to hear from them. More of their style of Industrial (if you cold even classify them as that). The album delivers solid hard rock with the quirks that are HuG in spades.

The Guitars in this album are hard and relentless up, and the sonic texture of the album sounds more like metal than industrial. Many of them fall into the category of Anthem Rock -- simple chants repeated with ferociousness with a wall of guitars sound behind. The only thing that keeps this album out of being classified as metal is the samples that sound straight out of the 1990s. It feels like it's been in cold storage for a few years, then zapped in a microwave, and served piping hot. If you don't like guitars, then stay away from this album, If you do, then buy this Album! Here's a rundown on the better tracks.
Track 2: Third Reich from the Sun
Gretyl's vocals are fierce and simple. She chants "Third reich from the sun! Revolution". Air horns blaze and crowds cheer, while Gretyl switches to german and chants "Das ist mein kreig, das ist mein blut, das ist mein reich!!!" For such a simple song it rocks.
Track 3: Ich Bin Uber Alles
Is a pretty good track, it has a punk rock feel with growling vocals. It sound great cranked up, but it pales in comparison to the next track though.
Track 4: Komm zu Uns (Come to Us)
This one is a funky track with a sample "Rock the House" punctuating all german vocals. It was a little too funky for a friend of mine, but it's one of my favorite tracks on the album because of its more complete vision.
Track 6: SS Deathstar Supergalactik This track reminds me of a track off of their previous album with the repeating of the song title over and over, and the spacey lyrics. But it's nice and anthemy, and has some variation in the sound scape and broader vocals. It sounds a bit like the last albums 9d Galactic Center, but that's probably because this song also revolves around a galaxy spanning. (no pun intended.)
Track 7: Let the Planets Burn
Now this track feel and sounds like it could've been off the last album. The guitar is joined by keyboards and spacey twinkles of sound, while Vas (who I'll call Gretyl) delivers a monotone verses and a scathing chorus. This track is probably my second favorite track on the album.
Track 10: Verbotenland This track is probably the most different of the better songs on the album. The guitar is relegated to precise bursts during the verses and the refrain chock full of samples and guitar. The laughter heard on other albums also makes a cameo in this song. Track 12: Mein Kommandant Mein Kommandant has the most restrained guitars on the album, the lead is taken more but a fuzzy sounding bass synth line that rocks back and forth across the verses. The vocals are more laid back, and show virtually none of the chants as a lot of the tracks do. Track 13: Aufweidersehen HuG leaves this album on a soft note. "Angels fall from Heaven, Aufweidersehen." The guitar is not longer a walls of distortion, in stead it plays along with a gentle melody. Since it's the last track on the album, it feel like a hidden gem showing us that HuG is certainly quite capable of making more than just quirky heavy metal songs.