Proud goth, ex DJ and music reviewer

by on

From the dark depths of merry old London town, there is a project by the name of VHS¥DEATH. What is this all about you might ask and I shall reply Natalie Wardle is VHS¥DEATH and along with Cruel Nature Records are releasing the EP, Corrupted Geisha on limited tape format as of March 11th, 2022.

So we start off with “Space Bankers See You, The End Is Near” and the title alone is intriguing enough. Hip hop beats with broken pieces of conversation, singing and maybe a little Southern soul, that is until a man is telling how things are in the real world to a sweet stream of relaxation music. “Falsehood Of Man (Dystopian Mix)” is a whirlwind of soliloquy angst and breakbeats before “666 Pounds of Zero Gravity” with its electronic vocalizations. The connections between the demonic, the angelic and creation.

The dour organ plays sickly to Wardle’s distorted utterances for “Snakes In The Grass“. Like a possession gone wrong, this is part disturbing and part cute with the drum and bass tapping along nicely, Guitar distortion and multi layering are almost to the point of overwhelming in “What Is Your Worth, Vampire?“. Underneath all is this lovely guitar jangle and vocals that eventually comes to the fore.

If you are into industrial music and you don’t know the original “Everyday Is Halloween” then you should go sit in the corner and contemplate what you are doing with your life. The Ministry track is given a synth makeover, making it even more electronic, if that is possible. Wardle definitely can sing and does a sterling job in this sensuous ode to being a weirdo in a weird world.

This is experimental industrial music and it is not going to be everyone’s taste. The best way I can describe VHS¥DEATH is chaos with a zen centre. A sponge taking in all around them and then trying to make sense of so much information in order to find balance. The fusion of hip hop, drum & bass with synths and a smattering of guitar can be challenging and yet also pleasing to the ear. Well worth the listen and maybe your curiosity to listen to the Ministry cover might pull you in.

Corrupted Geisha EP | VHS¥DEATH | Cruel Nature Records (bandcamp.com)

Cruel Nature Records | Facebook

by on

Here on Onyx, we love our Australian underground music. To that end, we figured people needed to know about the latest video from post-punk provocateurs, Sounds Like Winter. “No Interest“, off their third album, Fight The Stairs, is a combination of footage from around the time of the original Wall Street Crash and the live online video of the band’s album launch.

We previously said…The tribal beats are unmissable here and maybe a harkening back to Southern Death Cult. “No Interest” is the cold reality that humanity isn’t so humane and will ignore you when you are at your lowest point. As their promoter, UTM Music Group said…..If you’ve been ignoring this band, you’re clearly a fucking idiot. Could not have really said it better myself.

Merch | Sounds Like Winter (bandcamp.com)

Sounds Like Winter (facebook.com)

by on

Honestly, there are very few people who are into post-punk music, that do not know the name David J. David John Haskins, a founding member of Bauhaus and a member of Love And Rockets, also known as The Bubblemen, has worked on a solo career since 1983. While being very prolific in the avant-guard music world, he has had a huge influence on many musicians with his writing style, experimentation and most definitely his bass playing. To this end, David J has released a compilation of tracks, originally only available to his Patreon fans but now available on CD, digital and vinyl. Called “What The Patrons Heard“, these are previously unreleased tracks and it all drops on March the 25th, 2022, on the label GIVE/TAKE.

There is the overly jaunty “Lay Over And Lay” and it sweeps in and takes your breath away with a joyous veracity. What a start to this venture. “(I Don’t Want To Destroy) Our Beautiful Thing” is a far more subdued affair. A slight country feel in this one as David J goes deep on the title of the song. A love song about the person that has stuck with him through the good and bad… and it really is a beautiful thing. After being associated with one of the most goth bands and having a huge amount of input into writing the most famous and possibly longest vampire song ever, maybe you do get the “Vampire Blues“. However this vampire seems to be definitely on the fuzzy pedal of undead music. Slow and deliberate, with what sounds like something being dragged across the strings of a piano, give it all a deranged quality.

“Gimme Some Truth” is almost a throw back to the Love And Rocket days, with near staccato vocals ie “Ball Of Confusion” style, mixed with hurdy-gurdy fair flare and cuts of Trump in full flight absurdity. There is some backwards tape playing and Spanish inspired guitar while David J narrates a story about “His Majestiy The Executioner” while the music swirls in the background in support, trickling like a train of thought. A story of a State were there is very little tolerance -not very nice having the ice cream seller executed! There is something so very charming about “The Shadow” even if they are a creature of the night, whom has a penchant for a touch of murder, for he is Death. The near whispered tale of the shadow that has no pity for the humans who are leaving this mortal coil.

The name “The Rape Of The Rose Garden” sounds a little serious but this is almost a Pogues style piece, it feels like a Irish dittie about apple trees being planted in the White House garden by Jackie Kennedy. There is such a overwhelming feeling of loss or being lost in “Scott Walker 1996“. A drone in the background and what is presumed to be castanets, keeping the time to the spoken word. There is a certain amount of absurdness in “Down In The Tenderloin“. And yet there is also a certain amount of wistfulness in this oddity. “A Girl In Port” is the last tune and it is a sweet track, with reference to Camden Town. A gorgeous homage about a girl, done on acoustic guitar, piano, some slide guitar and violin. His voice melts into you, warm and golden.

For me personally, it is heartwarming to hear David J performing these tracks. They are quirky, symbolic and have the ability to transport you away to another place or another life. It is also nice to see that unlike other “gothic” heroes, he still enjoys the macabre and dark, mixing grim history with his tongue firmly placed in cheek. As an orator Mr J is beautifully spoken and as a singer, he calls to your soul with a voice, it seems, untouched with age. My favourites are “The Shadow” and “A Girl In Port“, so maybe you need to discover yours from “What The Patrons Heard“.

Merch | David J (official) (bandcamp.com)

David J | Facebook

GIVE/TAKE | Facebook

by on

So Z Cluster have been a little quiet recently, though hardly surprising with Covid-19 locking down both Sydney and Melbourne, where one each of the duo live and then the pandemic progeny are also an after effect….so congratulations are due. However, INfest8 & Sai Jaiden Lillith, somehow have found the time to write and record a new single….which is leading to a new EP. Huzzah!! The latest tune is called “The Rapture” and it dropped on the 28th of February.

Fuzzy beats with a guitar that is trying to wind up and Sai’s vocals provocatively imploring are just the start. It is that slow burn that leads you to be engulfed in a blaze of euphoria. Cheaps Coffins has taken “The Rapture” and remixed it into something huge, which is lying in wait to rip into you. He has brought in his more metal/industrial influences and made “The Rapture” into this amazingly tortured spectacle, with a Middle Eastern touch.

Not going to lie. I heard Nine Inch Nails in the delivery, those waves of attacking lyrics that pull back like waves on the beach after they have crashed. The Cheap Coffins remix is not the first we have heard from him and at this rate definitely not the last! There really is nothing stopping you from checking out Z Cluster’s “The Rapture” especially when it is priced on Bandcamp for free!

ZCluster (bandcamp.com)

ZCluster | Facebook

Music | Cheap Coffins (bandcamp.com)

Cheap Coffins | Facebook

by on

We are going back in time but also forward if that makes any sense. Greek industrial band, Pre-Emptive Strike 0.1 dropped Declaration Of War (2006-2015), a six track release on download or collector’s nuclear slime green tape (most attractive). There is one new track, though not actually new but rather written in that era but never released, while the other five tracks are classics that have all been reworked. Founder, Jim Blaster (D. Argyrakis) and Yiannis Dseq (Yiannis Chatzakis) are the current members.

“The Base Was Overrun” is the first track and it is also the track that was never released due to the band finding at the time that it didn’t quite fit into the tempo of Epos V when written in 2014. It is definitely slower and deliberately in the contemplative mode that all hope is lost to an unknown foe. It is the track “Lethal Defense Systems” that propelled Pre-Emptive Strike 0.1 into the industrial light for fans though this version is based far more closely on the 2005 demo version. This is a actually a little more stripped down and not as harsh as the original but works so well and it will still make you want to dance. A fan favourite is “Preeemptive Strike (2021 Version)” and this revamped version has lost none of its aggression.

“Declaration Of War” was released in 2010 on The Kosmokrator, originally all in German but now performed in English by Jim Blaster. It rolls smoothly and honestly it could be in Gaelic and it would still sound so good. Blaster replaces the vocals done by guest singer Deranged Psyche from NEBULA H/EX-ES in “Robotic Disintegrator” originally for The Kosmokrator. Angry and antagonistic, the lads throw you into a whirlwind of extreme electronics because the machines are coming to get you. The last track is “Epos Of The Argonauts (Dark Mix)” which was on the 2015 album Epos V. You really can’t get more Greek than telling the tale of Jason and The Argonauts. The original has almost traditional quality to it but this has been turned into a stellar, near science fiction version of a modern age tragedy.

The original version of Lethal Defense Systems

Those wandering highlighting synths are still as wonderful as ever and the gravelly vocals were/are their trademark. I really love “Lethal Defense Systems” with fond memories of listening to it when it first came out and forgotten how dance inducing Pre-Emptive Strike 0.1 can be. Would cyber industrial been as good without these guys,,, I don’t think so. These songs still hold up and it might be time to become reacquainted with the 2021 versions.

PREEMPTIVE STRIKE 0.1 – Redeclaration Of War (2006-2015) | Preemptive Strike 0.1 (bandcamp.com)

Pre-Emptive Strike 0.1 | Facebook

by on

From Fort Lauderdale in the US, electro-goth pop princess, Miss FD has released her latest EP, As Above, So Below as of the 11th of February, on Quantum Release Records. She has taken inspiration from the archaeological exploration of  Göbekli Tepe, a Neolithic settlement in South Eastern Anatolia, Turkey and some spirituality as well.

There is a delightful Middle Eastern influence in the “Summoning” mixed with the electronics and perhaps conjure an ancient angel or djinn to find solace in the desert night air. “The Veil” is thought to be the barrier between the living and the dead. Only the dead may pass though and at certain times of the year, Day of the Dead/Halloween the veil is at it’s thinnest. It pulses with life and beats while wishing to dalliance with the ethereal to meet with lost loves. A bit darker and oh so alluring is the title track, “As Above, So Below” with that great driving rhythm and the alluring vocals of Miss FD sweep you away to the dichotomy that is the earthly and the mystical.

The term as above, so below is used as a reference in the belief that what we do on this earthly plane, will also be played out in the spiritual world. Through all three tracks, you can hear the references to the other worldly, intangible and karmic. The music curls around your ears, like the smoke from the hookah the Caterpillar smoked in Alice In Wonderland, permeating your being just as a drug would and Miss FD’s vocals coo and call you to the other side like a siren. Maybe time to contemplate your mortality because As Above, So Below.

As Above, So Below – EP | Miss FD (bandcamp.com)

Miss FD | Facebook

by on

The 4th of March is the day Brisbane band, Daylight Ghosts unleashed their latest single, “Golden Hour” which is off then soon to be released debut album Urban Umbra, Adam Dawe (lyrics, vocals) and Karl O’Shea (acoustic guitar, glockenspiel, sleigh bells, keyboards) are the duo responsible and Karl is so very lucky I didn’t know about the sleigh bells or that would have been questioned vigorously in the interview that will be available after Urban Umbra is released on March the 25th. A stalwart of the Brisbane music scene, Matt Dodds was involved in programming, production, mixing and mastering.

The acoustic guitar and glockenspiel are such simple instruments and yet they convey such emotion and warmth. The synths are like a virtuoso filler, giving the song a fuller feel as it proceeds. Dawes’ vocals are heart-wrenching and poignant as he sings about all beautiful moments will draw to a close.

“Golden Hour is a song about beautiful moments and the cruel realisation that they have to inevitably end” explains vocalist/lyricist Adam Dawe. “It’s a personal reminder to make the most of the moments as they all have an expiry date and nothing lasts forever. To enjoy the last rays of light before the sun inevitably sets for the day.”

Life is full of moments of realising that that particularly wonderful instant will fade and it is bittersweet but there is also the realisation that there will be many more of those moments in time. The video was created with director/DOP Rhys Tyack, with the band members in the bush looking completely wrecked and human crows waiting for their last moments. Even O’Shea’s bandmate from Ghostwoods, James Lees had a hand in making the video and it is jolly well worth a look. So, sit back and relax in the glow and gorgeous warmth of the “Golden Hour”.

Golden Hour | Daylight Ghosts (bandcamp.com)

Daylight Ghosts | Facebook

by on

You might not know it, but Hong Kong has a pretty big underground alternative music scene. Deer Mx are a Mexican duo living in HK and creating their own style of electronic/industrial music. They dropped a new single on February 16th called “אIV (Out Of The Mountain Of Despair)” and no, I have no idea how to say the symbol part. Adriana (vocals, guitar) and Miguel (synths, programming, bass guitar, piano) are the members of Deer Mx while Alfonso Rosales (drums) and Peter Enderberg (guitar) joined them in the studio. The song was produced by the band and mastered by Magnus Lindberg.

I have found Deer Mx make this great bouncy pop inspired industrial music. There are the fuzzy tones mixed with the piano, the guitars wailing out for your attention, the drummer keeping them all in time while Adriana just sings over it all. She sings of oppression, control, sanctioned violence and mentions April the 4th which is the day Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated and also the day the Hong Kong flag was also changed.

Does that sound like a mess? Absolutely not! Everything has a purpose and a place in this tune, blending to create a quirky and danceable piece. It also has something deep to say and in the current world climate there are wars for heart and minds on the world wide web as much as there are running battles in the name of freedom on the ground. Let Deer Mx prick your ears and maybe your conscious as well.

אIV (Out of the Mountain of Despair)  | Deer Mx | Deer (Mx) (bandcamp.com)

Deer Mx | Facebook

by on

Greek gothic rockers, The Black Capes have dropped their 3rd studio album called Looks Like Death. Released on the 3rd of March, via the labels The Council Of Bones (USA) and Ikaros Records (Europe), and recorded at the Devasoundz Studios which also boasts working with Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh and On Thorns I Lay.

Do not be fooled by the gentle beginning with “Apokalypsis” as it soon takes off on a supernatural plane as the spirits call you to The Black Capes convergence. In “Asphxiate“, even though the music swirls, there is something cloying and suffocating within the song, along with the feeling of no hope. The drums and guitars are on the move like a train that has no stops in “Love Is Love” because there is no one who should judge what love is. Every rock band needs an anthem song and Black Capes have “The Reject Anthem” with it’s beautiful guitar work and delicate piano that peeks through, It swells and proclaims I could have been in your place, You could have been in mine, for many do not choose rejection in society.

The sad somber saxophone rings in the more serious track “Reset” with the theme of domestic violence and staying instead of running away. There is an air of Sisters Of Mercy mixed with the perfect amounts of guitar and ever pervasive saxophone. “Cruel World” reminds me a bit of Amorphis which is not a bad thing with it with the clean guitars and even vocally is reminiscent while “Forever And Ever” gives me the Vile Valo chills as they resurrect HIM from the dead. This is possibly my favourite track off the album.

Nice heavy bass propels you through “Apathy“. Little untruths never cause problems..do they? Soaring organ style keyboards are the cherry on top. Neil Gaiman’s Death was a female comic book heroine and a thousand gothic girls wanted to emulate that look. No wonder we have the brilliant “Looks Like Death“. Seems “The Beast Within” in residing in the lead singer’s mind and it is one of those devilish women in a black dress who has cast doubt and misery. Psychic vampire or a phantom of depression, we may never know but does make for a cracking tune.

There is a plethora of influences coming through such as Sisters, HIM and Amorphis but also Type O Negative and Paradise Lost to name a few more. Not that The Black Capes are imitating these other bands, not at all but rather they are using what came before them to craft new gothic rock. It is dark, occasionally foreboding and never boring.

THE BLACK CAPES (bandcamp.com)

The Black Capes | Facebook

by on

Punk music has always been a political voice. Born of upheaval and social injustice. Schkeuditzer Kreuz is the industrial project with a crust punk heart for Kieren Hills, an ex-pat Kiwi who now resides in the Blue Mountains of Australia. Previously, he released he released a cover of the timeless Discharge track, “State Violence State Control” but to celebrate the UK and European vinyl release with Pyrrhic Defeat Records, a brilliant new video was created by Photoyunist (photographer, illustrator and filmmaker extraordinaire). This is also the re-recorded version that appears on the album, Isolated And Alone. Filmed at a live show at Melbourne’s Last Chance Rock and Roll Bar on 21 January 2022, this is a small insight into the high energy shows that Hills excels at.

Discharge released “State Violence State Control” in 1982, making the song 40 years old this year. Even though it is a song that was written 40 years ago, it is just as pertinent now as it has ever been and Schkeuditzer Kreuz is not so subtly reminding us of not only a great track but a call to not give in to the forces that try to subvert our will and freedoms. No, this music is not going to be for everyone, but for me personally, I love it and if you find yourself loving it as well, then check out the album and EPs because it is going to be well worth your while.

Isolated and Alone | Schkeuditzer Kreuz (bandcamp.com)

Schkeuditzer Kreuz (facebook.com)

Pyrrhic Defeat Records – Schkeuditzer Kreuz – Isolated and Alone LP (limitedrun.com)

Isolated and Alone | Schkeuditzer Kreuz (bandcamp.com)

Isolated and Alone | SCHKEUDITZER KREUZ | Already Broken Records (bandcamp.com)

sıunʎ (@photoyunist) • Instagram photos and videos