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!
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 TheKosmokrator, 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 TheKosmokrator. 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.
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.
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”.
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.
Greek gothic rockers, The Black Capes have dropped their 3rd studio album called Looks LikeDeath. 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.
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 ViolenceState 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 SchkeuditzerKreuz 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.
Sequential Zero are back with a new single, released on the 28th of February on Mantravision label. “ThirdSequence” is not the name of the single but rather the third release in sequence for the three piece group. Australians, Ant Banister (Sounds Like Winter, Def FX) and Colin Gallagher (Burnt Souls) with American, Bruce Nullify (Orcus Nullify) are the nucleus of the band and each release so far has been a double “A” side.
The first track off this double single is “My Darker Side” and these guys are very open in the fact that they have a very early 80’s electronic sound with this gorgeous guitar glimmering through the synths. For a song that searches one’s self doubts, I find this track very heartwarming. The second track “Adjusting Expectations” is a truly interesting piece. Written during covid, when shows were being cancelled further and further into the future and restrictions were placed on where people could even go, keeping the live musicians wondering if they would ever return to what they love. Bannister does sound tired of it all with the glorious guitar work behind him, the piano as the disappointment and the synths the hope trying to break through.
There is a pure simplicity that evokes tremendous feelings of joy and sadness within Sequential Zero’s music. Both tracks are a little more bleaker in content then previous releases but there is no light without darkness. It really is a brilliant little darkwave project the lads have going and hopefully it will become a bigger project with the support it deserves.
The French have a very interesting history of coldwave/darkwave/gothic bands. Adding to that rich tapestry is the three piece band, JE T’AIME. If you were unaware of what the meaning of JE T’AIME, it is I love you. Yes, those smooth Parisian types have released an album on Valentine’s Day (14th February) called PASSIVE. This will be paired with the next album already named AGGRESSIVE to be released some time later this year by the guys, dBoy, Tall Bastard and Crazy Z.
The album starts off with “Another Day In Hell” and if this song is any indicator for the quality of the rest of the tracks, then I may have died and gone to a much better place. The synths bring in the percussion and the guitar lights up the track while we are treated to dBoy’s vocals. There is a certain amount of feeling of out of control in “Dirty Tricks“, as it speeds away without concern for the passengers, before we calm down a little with “Lonely Days“. and the chorus makes me conscious of this is how The Police would have sounded if they had been darker and makes me giggle a little. A great little track though with the classic line And she is dancing around my dead body.
“Unleashed” definitely is more foreboding in mood. A tale of a love that hurts yet unable to leave that power play because of the perception of losing that love. The vocals convey a certain desperation and longing. When you leave a relationship, certain songs will remind one of the other person, even if It reminds me of your shitty taste in music. This is “Stupid Songs” which features Saigon Blue Rain’s, Ophelia giving her sensual vocals in the maelstrom of conflicting emotions. The body of the relationship is “Cold” and dead. Really digging the synth lines versus the guitar as everything breaks apart. “Blood On Fire” has these really bright synths, I mean really upbeat which is nothing like the sentiments of the lyrics which tell of a man who has lost all interest in life and feels like the undead.
The music and vocals wrap around you with “Give Me More Kohl“. The joyous embrace of the night and everything that might be a bit vampiric in nature. The gothic anthem of the dark children. Talking of night children, “On The Phone” is about a rather awful gothic girl that is very cruel. The guitar is very beautiful and you can’t help but feel for the boy in the tale. Oooh yes, that bass wraps up the album full circle in “Marble Heroes“. The Cure influence is very strong, with rivulets of sound running down in an achingly gorgeous way.
There isn’t anything that I don’t like about PASSIVE and damn it, that bass alone is purely sexual post-punk candy. So much passion, unrequited love and the soul wrenching devastation of loss, all drenched in fabulous guitar and synth, with the agonised and honey dripping vocals. Now bring on AGGRESSION.
Phobos Reactor are a two person electronic group from Germany while HCH and TFG are from the Finnish band TONTTU. TONTTU normally perform songs about the evils of gnomes roaming around in the wild plotting against the human race but they have teamed up with Phobos Reactor to create an EP that is not about gnomes. It dropped on the 22nd of February on PANICMACHINE.
The clinical female voice over the electronic beats of “Subject” is broken up with the demonic grows below questioning. “Shadow” has the TONTTU vocals all over it, like Davros, the leader of the dalek from Dr Who, pondering existence and the futility of life, all to a serpentine dance rhythm and synths. The darkness and loathing within causes “Hatred” but it is good to hate to these sublime beats. “Confusion (Part 2: Nice Things)” is an interesting soliloquy about how they can’t have nice things because other people are just plain annoying. The last track is “Square” which has that rhythm that actually feels like it is doing right turns, needing to be constantly in motion with the vocal angst consuming the light. Though don’t take that too seriously.
This is a pretty fun EP. Phobos Reactor bringing the serious EBM mixed with the gutteral rantings of the Fins and the sleek female vocals. Apparently the lyrics were originally written in Finnish for another project, Dødsrige, but I think it suits this very well, translated into English. This is not the first time these two acts have teamed up and hopefully not the last either. Might not be about gnomes but remember there are other dark things that are waiting just for you…. like humans.
Onyx Music Reviews 