Having formed in 2005, Mergel Kratzer is a fresh new-comer to the scene of electronic dance music, primarily EBM. With their first MCD, Virus, Mergel Kratzer present 4 pounding dance tracks with hearty rhythms, vigorous beats, grinding synths, and altered vocals. My immediate favorite was the Kadaver mix of Virus. Taking the potent elements from the original and incorporating a non 4/4 beat structure reminded me of past Asian electro acts such as DRP and 2nd Communication. The well placed breaks within Serve the World compliment the otherwise repetitive track. Deathgame is a roughed up EBM track with noisy synths and a throttling rhythm. For only having been together for about a year, I found Merger Kratzer to be unique in the fact that they are not trying to emulate another bands sound, but rather take a different approach to the programming and arrangements of electronic dance music.

written Nov '06

Hungry Lucy’s new MCD features 3 new tracks alongside of 3 reworked versions of pieces from their previous releases. The MCD begins with A Girl Alone, a relaxing electronic track that floats along, driven by Christina’s emotional vocals. Harvest features the soothing sounds of a piano and the equally as comforting sound of Christina’s vocals. Other, unobtrusive, musical elements such as a subtle beat and sweeping synth lines only compliment the song structure during the instrumental breaks. At times, on Losing Faith, Christina allows a peek into the more powerful side of her vocals during the chorus. The music is light and minimal, allowing the vocals to truly shine. The Haunted version of Alfred places raw string arrangements against a mild bass line and incorporates some wind instruments into the mix as well. The final track, Fearful (Live & Unplugged) is just what the title suggests. Possibly taken from one of their Podcasts, this reworking of Fearful is strictly a piano and vocal track that reminded me of early Tori Amos stuff. Before We Stand…We Crawl is a venture into the more emotional side of music. Those simply looking for edgy dance pieces can move along as this MCD was designed for the more mature listener who can appreciate all of the elements that go into making strong, moving music.

written Nov '06

Seabound returned in late 2006 with their third full length, Double Crosser. Much like the tunes on their previous releases, the songs on Double Crosser promote a dance atmosphere while retaining those infectious synth patterns and airy vocals. Not 100% EBM, future-pop, or synthie, Double Crosser crosses the boundary between all three and blends them together in a wonderfully addictive package. From Scorch the Ground to Breathe, you’ll find yourself tapping your feet and singing along. Some of the subtleties within the tracks, be it the whispered vocals in The Promise to the rhythmic breakdown in Domination to the piano sounds in October Song, are what keep me coming back for more. It seems that each track has something that I find myself looking forward to as I listen through the disc. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and Double Crosser rounds out at just shy of 50 minutes which, considering the 60+ minute time frames that most albums fall into, is the only relative downfall I could find. Fret not though as Dependent Records released a 2CD version of Double Crosser which features another 30 minutes of remixes and collaborations, including a beefed up and rougher version of The Promise as created by Covenant. Rotersand take a very similar approach to their mix of Scorch the Ground. Again, the beats are pushed into the forefront in order to create a more club friendly piece, but by doing so, some of the soul of the original is lost. By far the best mix on here is Seabound’s own club mix of The Promise in which they just did some slight tweaking on the rhythmic elements to get them a big higher in the mix, thus creating a true club version of the original. With the bonus CD, you’re looking at approximately 77 minutes worth of Seabound which is enough to satiate my need, for the time being.

written Nov '06

2006 has definitely been the year of Leæther Strip. Within the past 12 months, Claus has released 2 MCDs, a double CD full length, and now this 2 MCD set. Fetish begins with Be My Fetish, a simple, yet rugged electro track with cascading beats, scratchy synth lines, and ominous vocals. The intensity is bumped up a notch on Manic Aggression (Psychopharmocology version). Compared to Be My Fetish, the vocals on this one are edgier and rougher and the synths are harder, conjuring up some of the older Leæther Strip sound. Shouted vocals, a pounding beat, rumbling rhythms, and twisted synths all intertwine on Punktured Eyeballs, finding Claus at what is quite possibly his most angered state in about a decade. The musical aggression halts on We Will Walk With Pride (Moscow 28 May 2006 version). This is a slower, more emotional piece which focuses on the Russians non-acceptance of homosexuality and the attempt at their very first Gay Pride parade. The Kitchen Knife (Pocket Knife version) is a bouncy dance track with smooth vocals and quirky synths. Tears Run Rings, a cover of the Marc Almond classic, is exceptionally reworked by Claus. Retaining the airiness and addictive nature of the original, this version features ghostly synths, a distant beat, and a quivering rhythm. Claus also covers himself with an updated version of a Leæther Strip classic, Adrenalin Rush. While it’s not as powerful as the original, it is much cleaner sounding than its decade old counterpart.
The bonus MCD features Claus’ cover of John Carpenter’s Halloween Theme, complete with a thudding beat, creepy synths, and gruff vocals. Of the three versions presented, I really didn’t find them all to be all that different. The Shape version is simply an instrumental version of the original and the Vocoded Violence version just seems to tweak the vocals a tad. The 12” Cleaver version of The Kitchen Knife is an extended version of the version found on CD 1, but remixed Razormaid style, extending the track beyond the 10 minute mark.
Admittedly it has taken me a bit of time to get used to the new direction that Claus seems to be taking Leæther Strip in the past year, but after a few good listens to this MCD set, I am slowly finding myself once again settling in and really enjoying his work. With age comes maturity and the new material reflects that with a more mature sound and lyrics.

written Nov '06

Crwn Thy Frnicatr is Psyclon Nine’s third full length, and their second to be released stateside. Upon my initial listen I found elements of Suicide Commando, Wumpscut, and other, darker electro acts. I thought that the music throughout the CD was intense, hard, and extremely edgy, but I had a hard time with the vocals. The vocals came across like a screaming, devilish infant being drowned out by the music. Most of the time, they are completely undecipherable due to the excessive use of distortion and the aggressive music. It took a good 5 to 6 listens before I pieced it all together. Without the vocals the music just wouldn’t have the same dark punch that it has with them. While songs such as Parasitic and Better than Suicide ooze a bit too much influence from Suicide Commando, other tracks like Scar of the Deceiver and The Purging stray into their own dark musical realms. The former is a belligerent, guitar heavy electro track that aligns itself more with the small, electro-punk scene. The Purging is a slow moving, creepy, and twisted electro track with a thick, noisy rhythm. The cracking, ‘sampled’ piano really gives this track an eerie edge. Now that I’ve fully absorbed this disc I find it much more interesting than when I first gave it a shot. The dark nature of this CD is more so than most, and somewhat reminded me of Dementia Simplex from back in the 90’s.

written Nov '06

It is with great pleasure that I bring you the review of Run Level Zero's 3rd full length, Arctic Noise. Run Level Zero (RLZ) is one of those bands whose early demo I received back in the late 90's while the Industrial Bible was in full swing. One of the tracks on that demo CD, Battle of the Flies, became a staple of mine when I was spinning at Das Maschine and I've loved everything they've released ever since. Arctic Noise sees a new progression in the band's sound, melding intricate electronic melodies with strict rhythms and fierce beats ala (and I hate to compare) Front Line Assembly. Amongst a wall of pummeling beats; crisp, clear vocals drive Black Cinder, the album opener. What truly gives this track its replay value is within the last minute where RLZ introduce a very catchy breakdown propelled entirely by a pseudo breakbeat and Hans' gruff vocals. With its brusque beats, Hitting Ground could almost be placed within the nosier industrial category if it weren't for the natural and easily understood vocals. Slower in pace, Stroke is an eclectic track that relies heavily on the layered vocals and scattered beats. With One Voice sports an array of electronic elements that compliment the smooth vocals. While it's not aggressive by any means, it is still a dance floor ready piece. A jumpy rhythm, sing-along lyrics, and an unhurried rolling beat guide this piece along at an easygoing speed. Hey Mister sports a rambunctious beat coupled with sci-fi sounding synth lines which really come together nicely to create a track that will have you singing aloud in no time flat. With Lies Told, RLZ slow things down and implement a soothing, south of the border, style guitar alongside hard, raw beats and comforting vocals. The guitar returns in Plaything, a rougher and more scattered electro dance track that has some elements of 'brap' within it. The CD finale, The End of the Whorl, is a wind down, instrumental piece that brings the listener back to reality, but also leaves you wanting more. So, do as I do, press play, and start the thrilling ride all over again. With its variety and complexity, Arctic Noise should easily spawn a multitude of dance floor classics, so long as dj's are willing to give it a chance instead of playing the same, worn and tired angry industrial.

written Jan '08

While the song titles and Manson wannabe persona leave quite a lot to be desired, the music of Alien Vampires is quite interesting. Nysrok’s idea behind Alien Vampires was to create dark electronic using his musical background in black metal. Whereas I expected a multitude of heavy guitars I was actually surprised to hear very little what so ever. Evil Generation is more of an angry EBM project with loads of gloomy and spine chilling samples, quick and chilly synths, and trance-like beats. While the vocals sound very Hocico like, the music and sampling is reminiscent of early Velvet Acid Christ. Most pieces are dance floor orientated and on tracks like Excuse for All the Blood and We Will Rise there are also elements of future-pop to be found. Chernobyl is My Throne is a heavy techno / trance orientated piece with wet synth patterns, a constant rolling beat, and some nicely placed breaks. The fact that I thought Evil Generation was going to be an ear-splitting album with loads of heavy elements could not have been further from the truth. The truth is that I like it quite a bit, so long as I don’t have to see Nysrok’s picture or look at the song titles.

With each new album the sound of Alien Faktor changes. With the release of their (his) 5th and final full length, Arterial Spray...And Cattle Mutilations, Alien Faktor take their tracks further away from their experimental noise structure and more towards mainstream coldwave. Now, when I saw ‘mainstream’ I don’t mean MTV and Top 40, but more along the lines of bands like 16 Volt and Hate Dept., more accessible. The tracks on Arterial spray are more cohesive and much more aggressive than previous pieces have been. Songs like Ants, Sheep, Drugs, and Whores riddle the album with angst and aggression. Liber Hate contains raunchy guitars, accelerated sequences, and guest vocalist Chris Randall (of Sister Machine Gun.) The Divine Molestation is one of the few pieces that is not driven by anger. With it’s melodious sequences and sparse beats, this instrumental is as close as you’ll get to the older Alien Faktor sound. Picking up where Liber Hate left off, Afterbirth includes more throttling guitars, deep/half shouted vocals, and some accelerated programming. Zombie March falls into the angst category with biting vocals, crunchy guitars and a slamming beat. A much less abrasive track, Attrition forgoes the heavy guitars and opts for a mellower approach via wet synth work and a cymbal driven beat. Demonic vocals bellow out over top of distant guitar work and a pounding beat on Unhealthy Associations. As far as sound goes, Arterial Spray is (for the most part) a departure for Alien Faktor, but at the same time it’s their most mature release to date and will most likely be their most popular.

With an array of instruments that range from violas to guitars to violins, Aimless produce a harsh orchestral sound. On their self titled album, Aimless layer boisterous female vocals over top of strict guitar chords, pounding beats, and turbulent string arrangements. This style is best displayed on the opening track, Hypnotized. By opening up the album with an energetic piece featuring the aforementioned instruments immediately informs the listener of what is to follow. Le Soleil plays off like an experimental, medieval bard’s tale. A slow beat is held behind the aggressive strings. At one point, hard guitar riffs rifle their way into one of the refrains, kicking the feeling of the piece up a few notches. Distant reverberating guitar chords, echoing vocals, and subtle strings comprise Königssohn. Hidden is the one track that seems a bit out of place. On this piece, the song structure leans more towards alternative metal due to the overpowering, ‘heavy metal’ styled guitar work which practically drowns out the violin. Jaws continues down the same path, but on this piece the strings are allowed to be more forward in the mix. Bringing things back down to a less aggressive level, What To Say showcases Sandra’s vocals by permitting them to be an integral part of the overall song structure. So We Are… places all the positive elements of Aimless’ sound together to create a slow paced piece that is musically well rounded. The strings sweep through the track at an even level with Sandra’s vocals, while the beat and bass guitar are left to act as the backbone on which the rest of the track stands. Even though Aimless are in no way electro / industrial or even synth-pop, I still admire their song composition and structures. It’s always good to break away from the machines and hear music that is more organic. Aimless is exactly that…natural music with a diverse sound.

The trio known as Agonoize are awfully busy these days. Not only is there a new MCD due out on 6/6/06, but they also just released material under one of their alter-projects, Infekktion. These are not their only two projects, as they are also the men behind Sero.Overdose as well as Virtual>