#017 - Astrovamps

Not so much an industrial band anymore, but since it's somewhere linked to industrial also lets check this also. Coming from Los Angeles Astrovamps is described as death rock band. I'd say this is more like b-movie kinda horror punk, which I usually like quite a lot. Founded early 90s and they released four albums before disbanding late 2007.

As mentioned I'm quite into this kind of dark, ironic and sinister punk that can be described as musical version of b-movies. But unfortunately I have to admit that, I don't like Astrovamps version so much. It just not go far enough and everything seems just too sloppy. This has been done so much better also that I just don't like to waste my time too much on this one. You either got IT or not and my verdict on this case is: you don't have IT.

Here's one sample from their Amerikan Gothick (2004) album song called Alice in Gothland (SIC!).







Some links:
http://www.astrovamps.com
http://www.myspace.com/astrovamps
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrovamps
http://www.last.fm/music/Astrovamps
http://open.spotify.com/artist/3WPARgSLhpj9JFHCwcfelz

#016 - Assemblage 23

Founded already 1988 in Seattle, USA Assemblage 23 represents a little bit different seattle sound compared to grunge. This "band" is a brain child of it's sole member Tom Shear. It started when he was experimenting with electronic music when he was the opening act for Depeche Mode late 80s. Depeche Mode must be also one of the key influence for Assemblage 23.

I like his soudn quite a lot. Really poppy sound and reminds quite a lot about Depeche Mode as mentioned. Since starting his label career (surprise surprise he's on Metropolis also nowadays) the sound hasn't changed that much. If you compare the 2001 released Failure to Compass released last year, of course there's some changes since especially this kind of music has had quite a big jumps soundwise. But the overall feeling is quite similar. Have to get more familiar with this guys also in the future. I definately recommend to check this one.

Here's a sample from 2007 released Meta album, a song called Damaged.






Some links:
http://www.assemblage23.com
http://www.myspace.com/officialassemblage23
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assemblage_23
http://www.last.fm/music/Assemblage%252023
http://open.spotify.com/artist/7pwThElmrxl0pjTwXMojCx

#015 - Asmodeus X

This electro-indu-goth due from USA sounds surprisingly lot like those German counterparts. Lead vocalist Paul Fredric has some really strange accent, he must have some German roots. The band has said to be influenced by the music of Laibach, Kraftwerk, Death in June and Front 242 so that might explaind that vocal works orientation. Band was founded by Fredric with Brad Marshal when their old goth band Morphine Angel disbanded.

I have to admit that I don't like the vocals at all, it just sounds stoopid. Maybe I should have been born little bit earlier so I would have got into this 80s kinda industrial/synth/electro sound. Asmodeus X is a strange group in that sence also that even thought their sound is straight from the Eighties its roots go only back to 1999. Well they must like that sound then, well I don't.

But you judge yourself. Here's a track called MuZ. Don't know from which album this is taken, but you get the idea.






Some links:
http://www.asmodeusx.com
http://www.myspace.com/asmodeusx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asmodeus_X
http://www.last.fm/music/Asmodeus%2520X
http://open.spotify.com/artist/40aXgEzU7Hyhuvb7tOLb8d

#014 - Ascension of the Watchers

And then another Fear Factory related artist just after Arkaea. Ascension of the Watchers is a band formed by Fear Factory vocalist Burton C. Bell together with keyboardist John Bechdel whose back catalogue is really impressing at least in industrial metal environment. He's been in Ministry, Fear Factory, Killing Joke, Prong, Murder, Inc. among others. They also added guitarist Edu Messi to the lineup later.

After self released early career EP Iconoclast they've released one album Numinosum throught former Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen's label 13th Planet Records. Numinosum is really ambient influenced album, some might say also gothish. I fell in love with their sound immediately. There's something really catchy in their works. Bell's vocals are also much more cleaner compared to Fear Factory and that just works perfectly with the backgrounds.

Here's one example from that debut album. An animated video for the song Residual Presence.








Some links:
http://www.thewatchers.org
http://www.myspace.com/aotw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_of_the_Watchers
http://www.last.fm/music/Ascension%20of%20the%20Watchers
http://open.spotify.com/artist/0O8vxTRA2m8oHMPquL6tlz

#013 - Arkaea

When I first heard about this band my expectations went up quite fast. Anyway in this band you have two former Fear Factory men Christian Olde Wolbers and
Raymond Herrera who actually founded the band. And i have to admit that I like Fear Factory quite a lot. I had also heard about band called Threat Signal whose vocalist Jon Howard and bassist Pat Kavanagh are the two other guys in this band.

Overall I was anyway little bit dissapointed their overall performance with their debut album Years in the Darkness which was releases in summer 2009. Surely this has the elements of Fear Factory, no surprise since Wolbers and Herrera have admitted that half of the songs are originally intented to be in the Fear Factory album. But I think since the situation has changed quite dramatically in that band lately they just decided to use those songs with their new band.

All the components are here and nicely positioned also, but "THE THING" is missing. Anyway here's their video track Locust from that so far only album.






Some links:
http://arkaea.ning.com
http://www.myspace.com/arkaea
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkaea
http://www.last.fm/music/Arkaea
http://open.spotify.com/artist/2BHzqg2toz6AFz5JWJD6Zr

#012 - Apples of Idun

Another Finnish band to this list also. I'm familiar with the Apples of Iduns work already earlier. Never really got the good touch to this though. There's not that many industrial bands in Finland, but overall the quality is quite high. Apples of Idun just released their second album last year and it has received quite nice feedback and I anyway have to admit also that this is not bad at all. That final "hook" ís just missing still, maybe every once and awhile they are a bit too 80s for my taste.

Apples of Iduns combination of dark landscapes, occasional distorted guitars, "symphonic" backgrounds and unfortunately maybe little too cliche samples creates quite nice sound. And they do know how to vary their sound to keep everything interesting.

Here's the video track, The Bang, of their latest Disaster Art release.






Some links:
http://www.applesofidun.com
http://www.myspace.com/applesofidun
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apples_of_Idun (NOTE! Finnish Wiki page only)
http://www.last.fm/music/Apples+Of+Idun
http://open.spotify.com/artist/4Lr4ZFaB5IdiAn2SDrQ8Km

#011 - AP2

Already defunct AP2 was formerly known as Argyle Park. Argyle Park was active mid-90s and after reactivation for couple of years in the end of the 90s "they" used that other name. They is in quotation marks in there, since it seems that there seem to be only one guy, Scott Albert, in this band. He's just using different aliases. One alias is not officially identified, but there's some rumors that it could be MTV producer Chris Martello. But anyway this project seem to be more or less the brainchild of Albert, who is lately been more known under moniker Celldweller.

Even though AP2 is categorized as Christian music you really have to know this beforehand. At least I didn't get any Christianity from this. The mix of techno, guitars, samples, distorted vocals and lots of other stuff creates quite interesting sound. Sometimes this reminds me of Prodigy, but this is definately not a Prodigy ripoff. Every listening shows some new side of this group. Interesting group after all.

Here's a nice sample from the Suspension of Disbelief album released 2000.







Some links:
http://www.kevspace.net/argylepark
http://www.myspace.com/ap2
http://www.myspace.com/argylepark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyle_Park
http://www.last.fm/music/AP2?ac=ap2
http://open.spotify.com/artist/2ndBxzOVDVTpq0VVabD7CC