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Industrial music actually covers a lot of scope, from heavy dance music to experimental, ambient noise and this is where we introduce British band, Decommissioned Forests. So far there have only been singles released by the three men behind the project, though the latest single, “Ants Part 1” will be on their debut album Industry.

DECOMMISSIONED FORESTS

From the start you can hear the undeniable homage to Coil in their spoken word phase and Rael’s utterances are uncannily like the late John Balance. Ants Part 1 (Our Last Supper) is just over nine minutes long and is like a dissonant journey that seems pleasant, yet the lyrics are the disembodied oddities of strange and disturbing sequences. The one running thread is the ants running riot over the picnic as they transcend the existence of this plane it seems. The band agreed the track “Functional Programming For Humans” was their favourite to play in the studio.The low tones almost could the far off church organ while the quirky sounds could be firing synapses while the commentary is how not feel any emotion like an automaton unless it is turned on. Grand soundscape with cold barren wept vistas. The last song is “Base” and the first bars start like a droning sea shanty though this drone is sinister and full of loathing as the piano enforces it’s disappointment.

Decommissioned Forests (is) the result of friendships going back to the beginnings of this century and a shared love of the darker post-industrial world of Coil, Current 93, Cabaret Voltaire and Nurse With Wound. In this collaboration, Daniel Vincent (of cult space rockers The Resonance Association) handles the music, ably abetted by Howard Gardner (the multi-media artist behind Non-Bio, Pillars of Golden Misery and Down With Freedom), whilst the vocals are channeled by Max Rael (the lynch pin of post-industrial noiseniks History of Guns) – Decommissioned Forests bio says it better than I can. You can hear those influences so clearly in the music these guys create and there is definitely a passion for the genre. There is a timelessness in a way to Decommissioned Forests, not only the themes but expressions of love, loss, life and always the ants.

https://decommissionedforests.bandcamp.com/album/ants-part-1

Decommissioned Forests | Facebook

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Black Doldrums are from London and since their inception, self released their first EP, before signing to Club C30 and releasing two EPs on that label in 2018. 2021 saw the duo sign to Fuzz Club Records, become a trio and now fans are eagerly awaiting the debut album, Dead Awake, but in the meanwhile the first single has been dropped this month called “Sad Paradise“.

BLACK DOLDRUMS

I am just going to put it out there, these guys could have listened to a lot of Joy Division and lead singer, Kevin Gibbard’s vocals are a dead ringer for Ian Curtis. Like Curtis, his voice is deep and emotive which spoke to a legion of young people of the day and still does. A song about watching people float through life without really leaving anything remarkable to show for their existence. The music is glorious and pulls at your heart imperceptibly with the guitar chiming out and the driving rhythm section. Some of the progressions reminded me a lot of Echo And The Bunnymen or Jesus and Mary Chain which is never a bad thing with the psychedelic swirling guitar noise.

Jared Artaud of Vacant Lots, who are also on Fuzz Club, produced and mixed the new album, which is due for release in March 2022 and so far he has done a sterling job. So we wait to hear this debut album but if the single is indicative, it’s going to be a lush affair.

https://blackdoldrums.bandcamp.com/album/dead-awake

Black Doldrums | Facebook

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The ancient Greeks believed in mythical beings that sang to weary sailors, drawing them to their beautiful voices but in the end only offered death called sirens. ODDKO are an act from Los Angeles and have been around since 2011. 26th of November saw the release of the single “Siren Song“, with the man behind it all, Giovanni Bucci being joined by Francesco Paoli (Fleshgod Apocalypse) and Dave Tavanti (Kpanic) to record the EP, Digital Gods. Bucci is also known for being a filmmaker and specializing in special effects.

GIOVANNI BUCCI – ODDKO

“Siren Song” is very much about the commercialism of society, so much so the release date coincided with Black Friday.. An observation about people who feel that life will never complete if they don’t own the latest or the newest product. The producers get rich, those that consume poorer and the environment pays the biggest price in all this greed.

This video is a pretty show of virtual special effects which obviously this is due to Bucci’s prowess in this field but I have to say, he actually writes a mean tune as well. I am trying to put my finger on what I like about this track. Is it the catchy chorus? The orchestration? The huge guitar riffs that thunder through or is it Bucci’s passionate vocals? It is more than likely a combination of this and the theme they are pushing home.

https://oddko.bandcamp.com/album/siren-song

ODDKO | Facebook

http://oddko.com/about/

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Nathan Amundson, from Denver, Colorado, has been at the helm of the band Rivulets, since 2000. The latest single to be released on November the 1st, is a song that can be found on the 2006 album, You Are My Home, however this version is a digital master of the track “Can’t I Wonder“, performed solo by Amundson.

NATHAN AMUNDSON -RIVULETS

This is literally one man and his acoustic guitar. The vocals are soft and Amundson has a very sweet timbre. For me, the song makes me think of snow and frosty mornings, when the day is quiet. You are alone in your thoughts because a new day has broken and it full of possibilities.

This is a very stripped back affair compared to the 2006 version though I feel both deserve their time in the light. The current single has a sense of both lament and hope, brought to the foreground because the bones and soul have been lair bare for all to see. You could describe the music as minimalist indie folk but we will just say that Rivulets do this really well.

https://rivulets.bandcamp.com/track/cant-i-wonder-solo-version

Rivulets | Facebook

rivulets.net – Official site for Nathan Amundson and Rivulets

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David Lawrie is The Royal Ritual and November, 5th was the release date for the second single “Empires“, that will be on the new album, MARTYRS which is being released in the first half of 2022. Lawrie is the live guitarist with London After Midnight but also a composer/producer in his own right as well as sound engineer for television and movies, experience which he brings to his music,

DAVID LAWRIE – THE ROYAL RITUAL

There is something a little epic about the beginning, the pomp and ceremony of a bygone era. It evokes the images of India Raj and colonization in a movie. The vocals are deep and resonant enough to give you shivers up and down your spine. I am going to assume that the lyrics refer to the Victorian age of Empire, where being British came with a lot of privilege to plunder other cultures and yet there were so many rules to abide by in polite society so as not to lose face or standing. There is in the background a sad version of “Land Of Hope And Glory“, a testament to fall from grace.

There is no empire anymore, as time and world events have wiped it away and only a shadow of a ill remembered memory of something that was glorious. Or was it? Don’t speak of the poor houses, match girls and slums of merry England at the time. Lawrie is looking into the very British psyche of the stiff upper lip and he has found it lacking but more to a point, given us an almost cinematic and thought provoking track.

https://theroyalritual.bandcamp.com/album/empires

The Royal Ritual | Facebook

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Plastic Assault Network (PAN) is a new super group to hit the scene. Founded by singer/songwriter Robert Andrew Bowman (Randolph’s Grin) who has pulled talent from across three continents, including fifteen musicians into his cyberpunk collaboration. Their second single was released in November called “Wall Breaker“.

Walls are funny things. They have been built to keep people safe while keeping others out, then others have been built to hold humans in so they cannot escape. Those are the physical walls but even when they crumble the mental ones remain. “Wall Breaker” is about overcoming all barriers that cause conflict, hatred and bias. The vocals are passionate about the fear used to control the masses. This gets nice and bass heavy, with the electronics swirling and filling every space with sound, making the song come crashing down on your senses.

As you would expect from a project with several studios involved, the sound is seamless and crystal clear production. Have to say it is always satisfying hearing a real drummer smashing it in the rhythm section and this is Jörn Schwarzburger (Randolph’s Grin). Co-producer is Per-Anders Kurenbach (ex Psyche, The Eternal Afflict, Shock Therapy, Dark State, reADJUST, Nine Circles) who is well known for his mixing skills and keyboard wizardry, while on backing vocals duty as well as drums and guitar is Reyka Osburn of Death Valley High fame. So what is next for Plastic Assault Network? I guess we watch this space but it is a rather exciting prospect where they take this. Industrial music is the beating heart of resistance, speaking for those who that cannot.

https://plasticassaultnetwork.bandcamp.com/track/wall-breaker

Plastic Assault Network | Facebook

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Well let me tell a little story of a man named Jed, who lived on the Gold Coast of Queensland and proved he was not dead, who started up a solo project called Chiffon Magnifique and the post-punk was very chic. Jed A. Walters recently laid to rest his previous band, Tesla Cøils which made us a little sad, however since releasing the first single “Abomination” last month, things are looking up!

JED A. WALTERS – CHIFFON MAGNIFIQUE

I should warn you that this will be stuck in your head for a while, though your good fortune is that it’s a brilliant song. There are the bright synth lines and gorgeous jangly guitar, that lead you to Walters’ brooding vocals because baby he wants to be your abomination. He really is a master at creating wonderful catchy tunes that get under your skin.

This small taste has me desperately needing to hear more. For a one man project it is lush and Chiffon Magnifique definitely is as good as other current post-punk acts such as TRAITRS, She Past Away and Twin Tribes. We like this musical “Abomination” and now wait with baited breath for what comes next.

https://chiffonmagnifique.bandcamp.com/releases

http://chiffonmagnifique.com/

https://www.facebook.com/chiffonmagnifique/

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Matt Hart is continuing his musical odyssey of humans being hunted down by machines with his November 15th release of the single, “To The Core“. Terra 3808 is the album that first brought you this tale, but what has happened to the humans since the alien machines took control?

MATT HART

If you lived in an apocalyptic world, I’m pretty sure you would feel the desperation and anger in this song. The humans are burrowing into the earth to escape certain death, should they remain on the surface, with the machines who are intent on cleansing the planet.

The insistent and pounding rhythm on the heels of the fleeing survivors, the harsh guitar, Hart barking and snarling to go faster and deeper, all adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere. As always this is going to sound so good on a dark dance floor. So now we are waiting to hear the album because Mart Hart does fine industrial but more importantly, we need to know how this turns out for the last traces of humanity…

https://matthart.bandcamp.com/track/to-the-core

MATT HART | Facebook

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SINE is Rona Rougeheart, who is a singer, drummer and Texan. Rougeheart has been unleashing music under this pseudonym since 2016 and on the 29th of October, a new remix of the latest single, “Realitease” was released called “Virtual Realitease“. The bonus is that it has been remixed by Andee Blacksugar who is Black Sugar Transmissions and also the guitarist/composer for industrial group KMFDM.

From the breathy, electronic incantations of virtual to the funky guitar that takes flight into a magnificent solo, this is a pretty classy piece. Actually it reminds me a lot of Prince’s tracks from around the late 80s that were always heavily funk beat based and always tied up with that virtuoso guitar playing.

The original single and this remix can be found on the album Desire, Denial and Paramania that was released at the beginning of October this year. This is an odd mix of mellow versus electronic/electric sparks and it damn well works. Have a listen and then check out more SINE.

https://sineofficial.bandcamp.com/track/virtual-realitease-black-sugar-transmission-remix

https://www.facebook.com/SINEbandofficial

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If you love industrial music, then you should be checking out Isabella Chains’ project, Null Cell. The Omaha act is soon to release a full length album, Nemesis in December, but before then, you can sample the delight that is Null Cell with the first single off the album, “Over The Top“, which was released October 29th, out on Machine Man Records.

ISABELLA CHAINS – NULL CELL

Metal mixed industrial might be the best description, in a similar vein to many of the beloved Wax Trax bands. Pumping beat with harsh, angry guitar work and belligerent vocals. It is kind of the industrial version of don’t try to change me or tell me I’m wrong because this is my life by people who think they are always right.

The two remixes on this album are from HOSTILE ARCHITECT (H/A) and Varicella. You can pick H/A’s mix, by Mitch Kenny, a mile away with the signature synths and breaks. He has created a more futuristic version where the guitars are no longer at the core but still kept it deliciously dark. The Varicella version keeps to the guitar based sounds, injecting their electronic fingerprints and dare I say giving the track an even dirtier feel with the extra vocal manipulation.

The last track is a cover of “Wireframed Genocide“, originally written and recorded by Mind Teardown. The original has cleaner synths and a definitely more European flavour about it even though they are from Seattle, whilst the Null Cell cover is near pure angst, seething in it’s disdain.

“Over The Top” is name your price on Bandcamp. There is nothing to lose from checking out Null Cell and you just might gain a new act to really enjoy and follow.

https://nullcell.bandcamp.com/album/over-the-top-single

(7) Null Cell | Facebook

https://brutalresonance.bandcamp.com/album/lowgradelife

(6) HOSTILE ARCHITECT | Facebook

https://varicella.bandcamp.com/

(6) Varicella Band | Facebook

https://machinemanrecords.bandcamp.com/

(6) Machine Man Records | Facebook