After spending around 10 years trying to find out what kind of music I really like, I realized that industrial related music most often interest me. But still I don't know THAT MANY bands actually involved in this genre. So here's my adventure in industrial world.
Now we are jumping more noisier side of industrial. Even though combining lots of different sound Zak Roberts from Denver, Colorado concentrates anyway more on the extreme side of electronic music. Even going all the way to pure noise and ambient. But there is nice melodies also attached at least partly and also mixing some world music type of elements to the sound makes it more interesting. In some songs I can even hear similarities to Serj Tankian's Serart project. These songs start to get really hypnotic after few minutes. That can't be bad, it's how this kind of music should work. So I have to admit that Cdatakill delivers what it has promised.
Roberts has made made music since mid-90s, but if I've understood correctly Cdatakill was born around Millenium. At least first Black & Red EP is said to be released in 2001. After that Cdatakill has released quite a lot of stuff. Of course many of those are 7"s and 12"s, but he has also released some CD albums lately via Ad Noiseam.
Here's one sample from 2006 released Valentine album.
First time I started to listen this electropunk band from Sweden I thougt this was total crap. But after couple of rounds this realll started to stick to back of my head. Actually this is quite OK stuff. Nothing brilliant though, but anyway it was better to have another tasting on this one. Combining electro sounds with punk and metal guitars with EBM creates quite nice overall sound.
Formed already 1984, they've released their latest album in 1999, called People as Prey (first track is named Eating People Is Fun [niiiice!!!]). But at least according couple in Internet source they haven't actually called it quits. Some demos have surfed the net after that also, but it has been really silent. Their homepage latest update is already over one year old. So lets see if they actually come back someday.
Cabaret Voltaire has some sort of "legend" sticker attached to them. Band was signed to indie labels more or less all their career that ended in mid-90s. Even though reunion rumors were out there end of the 90s it never happened. They had quite nice chart success even in the UK. In 15 years they released 15 albums, nice amount of compilation (including several after their split-up).
To my taste Cabaret Voltaire is way too "sound of the 80s". I was too young then to actually understand anything about this kind stuff. Their sound describes quite nicely what was going on then. Their career included many different eras though - from postpunk to synthpop and eventually even techno. But still this 80s sound is something that combines everything under one flag.
Here's one sample of that sound. Yashar was released orignally as a single in 1982 via legendary Factory Records.
Now I have to say that I hit the first jackpot - this is why I started this project. Bong-ra, haling from Netherlands, is a breakcore group (have to say I've no idea what breakcore means, but I seem to like it) founded 1996 and they've released lots of 7"'s, 12"'s and EPs, but I have to say I've no idea how they discography should be read - at least some albums seem to be collections of those "smaller" records.
Well, who cares about the actual releases. At least from Spotify you can find quite many tracks and when I first tested the first track of their Spotify list I was sold. Their combination of techno, industrial, rap, alternative, metal, jazz, younamethenexttengenres is so catchy that you can't resist. You just have to dive in there and feel the noise.
Their style is described also as raggacore and some tracks sounds just like Skindred (which is one of the better bands I know). But overall this band is just taking too many right pills when they start "jamming". And they're definately having real sense of irony. Here's that "first track" I tested also - 666mph.
First time in Japan during this project. From there we find a group called Blood, who actually ended their career last year. Wikipedia tells the following: "Blood's aim was to create music that expresses the meaning of human emotion that breaks the musical frame. They were closely associated with visual kei, but the band referred to themselves as a gothic band". Well... They sound a bit like gothic from time to time, but to me this reminds too often those horrid Eurovision song contest "artists".
There's some songs that are more "industrial" like material and those sound much better. But overall I have to say that this sucks, I've never really got this visual-kei stuff and this proves again, that it might not be something that I should waste my time on.
A lets jump back to USA. From there we find a band called Bile. The group is lead by thrash metal band Napalm's former vocalist Krztoff (he's also active member in legendary Pigface). Band was founded 1992 and they've become known for performances including up to eleven people on-stage — including a dominatrix and fire-breather. They've released something like ten albums (some of those must be compilations though). Latest, Hate Radio, coming out last year.
When I start listening first track from Hate Radio album, I keep on wondering who the hell they sound like. Like the Plague sounds so familiar, can someone tell which song that track sounds like? Anyway, their combination of Ministry-like industrial meets even more metallic side of industrial (they have been tagged even with grindcore in Last.fm, which is little bit too much though) sounds really good and songs are catchy. Nightmare Before Krztoff sounds actually really spooky even, which is of course the point also. Overall Bile is really nice surprise.
Here's a track from their Sex Reflex album called In League. Song is featured also in movie Strangeland written by Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister.
Suprisingly again from Germany comes now already defunct Bigod 20. The band, categorized as EBM or electro-industrial, was formed already in 1988 by producers Andreas Tomalla and Markus Nikolai. So we have a duo here again. They release two albums in early 90s, which both are available in Spotify. Of course lots of singles are also released during their under 10 years career. Band was actually eventually signed to legendary Sire Records.
Bands sound is actually still very relevant and interesting. Although they don't reach any mindblowing levels, overall these albums are really nice to listen. Using a lot of speach sections in their songs and varying the vocals a lot between the songs, they keep the interest level up all the time.
Here's a clip from Carpe Diem single which is actually not included to any album.
From America, more precisely from Charlottesville, Virginia, comes a gothic industrial combo called Bella Morte (I think this translates to Beutiful Death which is actually their latest album also). I've always had little problems with this whole gothic thing. Most of the time these bands just sounds so fake. Everything is so "bloody" dark and gloomy. And at the same time you're so transparently populist.
Founded already 1996 has a lot more industrial elements in their sound on their earlier releases. Latest offerings unfortunately contains much less samplings and they sound more and more just another gothic rock band. And I have to say that I'm not surprised why HIM is so big in America. This is just again just another gothic nail to that coffin that that one day will be buried and maybe then they won't rise anymore.
The earlier records sounds little bit better, but still that gothic twist ruins everything..
Bahntier is an Italian trio originally founded 1999. The founder of the group is Stefano Rossello, who was the sole member also in the beginning. After a year Filippo Corradin and Justin Bennett (live drummer for Skinny Puppy) joined the group. They are signed to Rustblade which is an Italian independent label run by Stefano Rossello.
I don't quite get what Bahntier tries to achieve. Backgrounds are way too simple to create any real atmosphere, vocals are really bland and arrangements really unsurprising. Maybe they try to catch some noise atmosphere, but I've to say this is quite boring. At least based on 2005 released Revulsive.
Last artist starting with letter A on my list at the moment that can be found from Spotify (doesn't mean that I'm done with these, I just come back to these later).
Again interesting sounds from Canada. This country seem to have some real issues with this kind of music, since so many good artist in industrial scene comes from Canada. Ayria (pronounced area) is a futurepop project formed by it's vocalist Jennifer Parkin.Signed to Belgian label Alfa Matrix they've released three albums and two EPs since formation 2003.
Ayrias sound is quite minimal but i have to say I like the combination of real simple backgrounds and Parkins melodic vocals. I can't say that this is something that would rock my world in any way, but I definately check these later if I somewhere crash to them. Here's a video trackMy Device from their Flicker album released 2005.
Have to mention also that they've madealso Deftones cover Change. I've liked Deftones many many year and I have to say that cover version was a total waste of time. No new ideas inserted there and it was just boring interpretation, there was no sound of Ayria in that. Don't do those kind of version anymore.
I'm a music enthusiast from Finland. Have been running a music web magazine Noise.fi around ten years. As described in that "header" text also, just trying to find out more what kind of music I really like. I've come to conclusion that industrial-kinda music is my thing, but don't know the genre enough well. So now trying to find more and more bands which I can test. And here's my results, just my opinions (sometimes even really fast verdicts).
I'll try many different styles of industrial related bands. Goth, metal, electro, pop, ebm, ambient, rock and even hip hop (I think hip hop is not that far from this industrial anyway, listen to Dälek if you disagree). So anything will go if it's even remotely attached to industrial.
Please recommend new bands if you don't see your favourite on the list yet.
