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Leeds goth rock band, Zeitgeist Zero, released their debut self titled album back in 2005, and since then have dropped albums very regularly. 2023 brought forth the current offering of Meddling With The Forces for this trio on the label Bat-Core. Mixing was conducted by Corin Zero and Steven Whitfield (The Cure), while the mastering is by Tim Hay at Autumn Giant Mastering and the whole shebang recorded at Inner Sanctum Studios.

Initial track, “Go To Hell” sets up the mystical stage, and what you are in for with Zeitgeist Zero. It is a mixture of swirling darkwave electronics, with powerful female vocals and a heavy dose of dance rhythms. With hints of Inkubus Sukkubus, it is time to “Set The Monster Free” with dashes of grinding guitar and sparkling synths, before we are faced with the far more rock heavy “Satanic Sex Witch,” that echoes and reverberates as she stalks you with a very pleasant ending. If a sex witch is your undoing, then at least you can stay in touch with a “Séance,” which might be more fun than using a mobile phone and is a spooky cute proposition from the band. None of this is possible however, without tapping into one’s “Psyche.” This is a much slower track, revelling between the sheets of ether world, floating through.

There is something quite delightful in the slightly chaotic disjointedness of “Night People,” as it is almost teeters on industrial ground both musically and for repressed aggression. Those children of the night is what we are all about. Continuing on the harsher side of electronics, the beginning of “Scream” greets your ears with grating noise, before rocking you with the outbursts of guitar and lulls of anticipation. The single “Toxic Twist” is designed to whip you up with its punk attitude and play between synths and guitar, about a relationship with a less than desirable toxic human. “Plastic Diamonds” look flashy but are worth nothing and the same can be said for people who act like fake jewels, where not everything that glitters is worthy, unlike this song. Final track is the lower, slower and heavier “The Unwanted One,” that smacks slightly of Concrete Blonde.

Zeitgeist Zero might be Meddling With The Forces, but you know this is not the first time they have travelled this gothic road. They are accomplished musicians with a back catalogue that I would highly suggest you check out. The album is full of ghoulish delights, whether they be musical textures or supernatural subjects. Witches, monsters and goths…oh my.

Meddling With The Forces | ZEITGEIST ZERO (bandcamp.com)

http://www.facebook.com/zeitgeistzero

http://www.zeitgeistzero.com/

https://www.instagram.com/officialzeitgeistzero/

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French industrial-darkwave project, Divine Shade are ending a successful year, with the release of the single “Heaven.” This track, as well as previous single “Oublier,” will be included on the album Fragments Vol.1, which will be dropping April, 2024.

Instantly attention grabbing, within the very first bars, and when the electronic drums thunder in along with the vocals, you are not disappointed. Wavering between the sweet beseeching and writhing angst, backed up by thrumming fuzzed out tones, it all courses through your veins, infecting your senses with the sheer vehemence of conviction.

“Heaven” is indeed a glorious track, magnetic in the way it calls out to the listener and utterly enjoyable. It brings together aspects of industrial and darkwave, with a sprinkle of coldwave nuances, which the French have always been so good at, blending them into something very special. “Heaven” is waiting with Divine Shade.

Heaven (Single) | Divine Shade (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/DIVINESHADEofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/divineshade/

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Creepy creepy, in Melbourne city, where gothic delights pervade in the form of Velatine and their new single, “Nothing To Do With You.” Loki Lockwood is the man with the plan, with Inga Liljeström, the siren, and it is out on the label Spooky Records.

The electronics have the air of unquelled domination and Liljeström launches into a story of a woman maligned by many, but, it seems, through her own volution, found herself in order to make her life better. The vocals are languid like molasses and just as rich.

Liljeström’s singing, in both tempo and sound, reminds me very much of Jonette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde (a personal favourite), combined with the ringing guitar and synth/programming of Lockwood, framing the story and focusing us on the tale at hand. Maybe it has “Nothing To Do With You,” but everything to do with Velatine and this really strong darkwave track.

Nothing To Do With You | Velatine (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/Velatine

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As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, Sebastian Sunkler will probably release a few more things before the year is out. So, November was the release for the new double sided single for STAHLSCHLAG, called Abhinivesha. “Om Mani Padme Hum” and “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo” will both be on the new album Amrita, which is slated to come out in 2024.

“Om Mani Padme Hum” starts with the charming chimes of temple bells, before the clever combination of harsher electronics and beats are injected into the track, becoming ever more demanding to be heard in the transcendental mirage of the universe.

The second track, “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo,” has a much darker edge to it, forbidding and sharp. It echoes with the waiting ghosts of past, cavernous sounding, pounding and primitive, only promising enlightenment to those whom dare to cross those boundaries.

As always, STAHLSCHLAG have pulled something unique out of the basket yet again, combining rhythmic noise with accents of that which is ancient and otherworldly, creating a fantasy soundscape to lose yourself in.

Abhinivesha | STAHLSCHLAG (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/STAHLSCHLAG/

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In the mid 80s, Tears For Fears were one of the huge names in popular music, topping the charts. One of their tracks is the still well loved “Mad World,” and Madil Hardis has released a cover of this iconic number.

Echoing, delicate singing of Hardis is the absolute focal point, with the electronics simply haunting the background. The Tears for Fears version was for the disaffected, while this new cover is ethereal and not bound to this world.

Pretty sure that I have said this in the past, but honestly the vocals are simply angelic in nature, touching that place within you that causes involuntary shivers down your spine. Otherworldly and poignant, with the ability to drag out emotions of even the most coldest of hearts, this is “Mad World” by Madil Hardis.

Music | Madil Hardis (bandcamp.com)

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From Louisville, Kentucky, the duo of Stephen Beasey and Brian Cain are the darkwave band Who Saw Her DIe?, and have released in December, the EP, Ignoring The Serpent.

Oh dear, “Emma” it seems is a stalker, who doesn’t understand the word no, looking to control the subject of her misplaced affection. The vocals deep and foreboding, as they tell of Emma’s indiscretions and unhealthy obsession. Angels can be found in many religions and not all are the light bringers which many pray to now. Rather, they are often avenging beings and this is the premise of “Angel Of Old.” There is a beautiful mix of synths and guitar, that play and intertwine throughout the track, all set to a spritely dance rhythm.

The last track is “Ignoring The Serpent,” slower and far more introspective. The serpent is the metaphor for evil and the premise is that no matter what happens to a person, we can hold onto that which makes us a decent human. The guitar sprinkles this lament with light while the synths and vocals are the grave warning of the loss of this humanity.

Who Saw Her Die? delves into the synth based sound of the 80s and marry it to the far more modern darkwave drone with sparkling guitar work. It really works for them, as they write about the human psyche, the paranormal and how they feed into each other. Don’t be ignoring this serpent, because the bite is quite intoxicating.

Ignoring the Serpent | Who Saw Her Die? (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/whosawherdie

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Natural Darkness is the new album offering from German born, London based Madil Hardis, with twelve original tracks and six remixes, meaning not only is there quality, but you are getting quantity too!. Hardis is known for her gloriously angelic vocals, married with very emotive musical scores that she has created.

The first cab off the rank is “Absence,” settings the tone for the album. Crystal like shards of life experience and poignant, filled with longing that is heart felt. “Crucifixus” has those deeply religious tones of devout exultation given by angels to the heavens in the form of vocals. The track “To The Heart” floats with an internal rhythm and the ever-present piano, caressed by the synths, as if trying to bring comfort, all the while Hardis‘ vocals soar above. Just one of the songs that showcase her talents.

One of the shortest numbers is also, for me, one of the most sublime. This is “Disintegration,” and it is one of those songs that can just cast you adrift on a forlorn sea. The title track, “Natural Darkness,” has a rather preternatural echoing air, haunting and ethereal, as if yesterdays spectres are waiting at the vale.

The remixes are done by the likes of Ashbury Heights, Vortex Four, Wandering Stars, Bérèche You, and Electro Spectra. There is a version of “Natural Darkness” that isn’t really a remix but rather features the cello talents of Michael Hyman, which just creates a feeling of welling beauty and haunting desperation. The others range from modern, through to experimental electronica, giving you new and intriguing ways of perceiving each track.

That is just a taste of Natural Darkness, from a lady with an abundance of natural talent. Madil Hardis carefully entwines classical tendrils with electronic ones, weaving music that is otherworldly and, at the same time, grabs your heart strings.

Natural Darkness | Madil Hardis (bandcamp.com)

https://facebook.com/madilhardis

http://madilhardis.com/

https://www.instagram.com/madilhardis/

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ESA (Electronic Substance Abuse) met Moaan Exis while playing a show in Prague in the beginning of 2020, just before Covid-19 shut down the world. Out on Negative Gain Productions, “Spit/Spite” is the end result of the UK’s Jamie Blacker (ESA) and France’s Mathieu Caudron (Moaan Exis), going head to head in a battle of the industrial power noise versus industrial punk. The plague has come and kind of gone, but now we have been hit with a much better outbreak in the form of this split single.

“Spit” does not let up with the energy, pushing you higher and further with an intoxicating mixture of scintillating synths, techno styled rhythms that max out the bass and duelling vocals. Even in all of this, I hear hints of a Middle Eastern flavour to the music creeping through.

Yeah, from the beginning of “Spite,” you are already left a veritable shell of a human, drooling over the abrasive rhythms that pound into your chest. The two vocalists taking turns in eviscerating your ears to the pounding beats and off kilter electronics, setting your teeth on edge. Magic.

Who was the winner in this battle royale? The answer is easy…us the listeners. Both tracks are fucking awesome. Crunchy textures, beats to rupture organs, and enough angst to wet the panties of any self-respecting industrial noise purveyor. ESA Vs Moaan Exis have me just me wanting more.

https://linktr.ee/moaanexis?fbclid=IwAR2kVRZui-H0xrfnMEtpv3TOvfkv-f3DR0LMhdXF1BPc6xQsWuRLG2cDjbg

Spit & Spite | ESA vs Moaan Exis | ESA (bandcamp.com)

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Music | MOAAN EXIS (bandcamp.com)

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We live in a world full of amazing things. Germany’s Neon Insect is pretty amazing and Nils Sinatsch has released the latest single “LOVE SEX + ROBOTS,” which features the vocal and lyrical talents of KVMILLA.

Slow and metered is the rhythm, a heavy mechanical sexuality, brought to life, and offset by KVMILLA. Her vocals expressing base human desires for connection, even if hurts. There is a guitar that is gently plucked away, as the music tantalizes your senses.

The track feeds into the New Moscow storyline, that Sinatsch has been carefully crafting, about a reality much more different to ours, due the fact that the USSR won the Cold War, invading the US. The populace have found the only way to survive is through cybernetics, and with procreation controlled by the powers that be, they now go underground for their sexual desires to be fulfilled by mechanical means. This is much more subdued than what we are used to from Neon Insect, and it shows a changing style with the changing storyline. “LOVE SEX + ROBOTS” is delicate with a undercurrent of a sexually harder edge. This begs the question….what comes next? Watch this space…..

LOVE SEX + ROBOTS | Neon Insect (bandcamp.com)

https://www.neon-insect.de/

https://www.instagram.com/neoninsect/

https://www.instagram.com/kvmilla/

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One might wonder what Fundustrial is, and the only answer can be, STAHLSCHLAG! I have been rather slack covering the new releases from Sebastian Sünkler, but every time I think he’s going to take a hiatus due to work commitments…. BOOM, there is another album/EP. The man is almost as much machine as the computers and synths that he uses, with the exception that he is one of the nicest guys in the industrial scene, though he does have the Terminator haircut. I’m just saying.

So, I have compiled the three Fundustrial EPs, Alpha!, Beta! and Gamma! into a bouncy castle, filled with clowns and glow sticks to give you an idea of what you need in your life. The Alpha! EP is just full of aggrotech dance with noise and it really smokes, like with the track “This Is Fundustrial,” being the prefect example of flesh pounding rhythms to make even the most tired cybergoth, want to stomp their New Rocks. “Whatever You Say” will make your blood pressure rise as a swirling dance floor filler, or the more rhythmic noise influenced “Dance Of Doom.” Honestly, who doesn’t like a bit of doom dancing?!

The second EP, Beta! does rather seem to be where Sünkler may have contemplated he needed a break, then thought ‘nah, it is all good,’ and so we have gotten something very much more off the wall. Glitching fast paced beats follow you through the EP, poking you with the feather of no mercy, so you can be cyber romanced by “My Generation,” or enjoy the wonderment of how potatoes and tomatoes are very entertaining with a huge techno helping of “Something Different.” Kill or be killed in the style of Tron, in the track “Get Ready,” or get lost in “I Have A Dream.”

‘Fundustrial is back, it’s fast, it’s hard and will make you crack,’ proclaims the female voice, about Gamma!, in the first track, “Make you Crack,” or how about being lost in the trance inducing “Anthem,” that might have been instigated the secretive lizard people. The track “Milk” could be the first industrial track I have ever heard with mooing cows and some animated voice threatening to make you drink the creamy white stuff. How can you go wrong with a titles like “Let’s Get Goth,” or a revamping of “Popular Slut Club,” which, by the way, has has the treatment Singery[Cdio], creating a echoing mind fuck, pushing you over the edge with its wonderous layers of noise.

Are these EPs fun? Yes. Are they industrial. Absolutely. So there is no doubt in my mind that this is indeed Fundustrial at its very best. It is nice to see a kooky side to STAHLSCHLAG, and it is really interesting to see the progression of this series. Party hearty with Fundustrial and for the people with clown phobias…. sorry but you’ll get over it.

Alpha! | Fundustrial | STAHLSCHLAG (bandcamp.com)

Beta! | Fundustrial | STAHLSCHLAG (bandcamp.com)

Gamma! | Fundustrial | STAHLSCHLAG (bandcamp.com)

https://www.facebook.com/STAHLSCHLAG/

https://www.instagram.com/stahlschlag_official/