What is This That Stands Before Me ? : Sacred Bones Black Sabbath Tribute

This is an easy sell. Sacred Bones a label who has kept the new wave of goth alive , takes the artists on their roster and does a Black Sabbath tribute album. Up first is the Soft Moon, who almost nails "Black Sabbath" , the groove on the "coming round the bend" section of gets lost in the murk though they get heavier at the end. The only artist I was not familiar with was Russian synth wave act Molchat Doma, who gets props for taking on "Heaven & Hell". The bulk of Sabbath tributes neglect anything that is not Ozzy. The guy is no Dio. Singing in his native tongue , well I guess this would be a good way to learn a little Russian since I already know the words. The spoken part is a little meh. I do not see these guys listening to a great deal of Sabbath in their free time as it sounds like the are more into Kraftwerk. Thou is the heaviest band here, so they have to nail "Supernaut" which might be the easiest song here. They guitar tone is pretty mean. They use snarled vocals .

Of course Marissa Nadler is going to knock "Solitude" it seems like an almost too obvious choice. I would have spaced Hilary Woods out from Nadler , maybe had her second to last as their styles are somewhat similar. Though Nadler has more of a country thing going. Woods proves to be more atmospheric, as this song is almost not there. If I was her I would have played the bass line with the left hand on the piano. Zola Jesus doing changes is also very obvious. But she sings the hell out of it. If I still smoked pot I would find Moon Duo's take on "Planet Caravan" more compelling. There is actually more going on than the Sabbath version. Dean Hurley does what he calls the bar band version of "the Warning" . The feel of the song is there.  Not familiar with this guy so I am impressed.

Energy wise I know what I was going to get from Uniform doing "Symptom of the Universe". I that the vocal were going to be more of an issue. He is doing more of a punk shout , yes he is a little flat but it comes closer than I would have expected as the vocals are always a sticking point with those guys. I will give it an 8.5 , as the obvious choices that gave it a mellower mood could have been darker. I should not have to say it could have been darker when it comes to Sacred Bones artists.

the Soft Moon : "Criminal"

The 4th album from Luis Vasquez finds him taking this project into  a some what streamlined sound. It is not as dark and dense. The vocals continue to be just as brooding as they were on the previous album "Deeper". The first song sounds a little more organic like some of the sounds are looped guitar parts and an actual bass with strings might have been used. It sounds like early Nine Inch Nails though with less of a metallic aggression. Then it's decidedly less organic on the second song"Choke". The vocals float under more effects against the groove. The vocals come across as more chanted than sung. The sounds all work together , but it rides the beat rather than coming together as a song. While I can accept this early on in the album as it progresses I am not going to be content with grooves alone.

The vocals float into a higher falsetto on "Give Something" . The instrumentation under them is murky and distant. Like the first two songs it rides the pulse. There is a more driving dark wave like beat to "Like a Father". The vocals are more spoken behind a distorted filter. The song has a fuzzy coat of feed back around it. The chant of "Somethings got to give" keeps returning. "The Pain" sounds like more minimalist Stabbing Westward, until the more post-punk bass line falls into place. It is when Luis finds the balance of indie rock cool to make this seem vital, with the depth of 90s industrial that this really works best . Some of this rides heavily on the mix and how high certain synth lines are in this balance. He also needs to put a little more behind the vocals than the chants he uses on "It Kills".

"Ill" is a droning instrumental that is more of an interlude. The more throbbing dark wave direction of "Young" makes it one of the albums best songs. The momentum of this creative spark carries onto into "Born Into This" and it begins to make the first half of the album seem like filler. The album closes with the title track and it takes half of the song for it to really get wound into it. This album sounds great and expands on the over all scope, though song wise I do not think it's as good as "Deeper", so I am giving it a 8.5. Out on Sacred Bones.

Top 10 Industrial Albums of 2015

Industrial is getting it's own top 10 list this year. While this list took a little more searching and broadening of the definition than the goth list did, it's hear for your reading enjoyment none the less. Some of the projects carrying more of a edm vibe, but that is nothing new since so does Skinny Puppy these days. Some rock out more than other and a couple are more rooted in rock than electronic music. The stark atmosphere of industrial was one of the most important qaulities an most are ranked by what I listened to the most this year. If you want a listen most have review links there was only one I never got around to reviewing. So here are our top 10 Industrial albums of 2015.
  10-Chant : "Brave New Apocalypse"

 This is more of an honorable mention, since I did not get to spend much time with this one. They were impressive when I saw them live, obviously the album can not pack the same punch as the live show, but it's a decent substitute. Fans of older Nine Inch Nails...Pretty Hate Machine era, will really dig these guys.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/chant-brave-new-apocalypse.html

9-Prodigy : "the Day is My Enemy"

 Never got around to reviewing this one. These guys have aged well and adapted to the times, not just trying to re-kindle the fire starter. While their energy is more industrial than many of the sounds they make, if I remember the 90s , they got played in industrial clubs so they belong here.

8-God Module : "Prophecy"

 Dark ebm with distorted vocal that typifies the post-90s industrial. There is plenty of Skinny Puppy influence , but also moments most suited for the dance floor. Its aggressive without being heavy as metal. Production wise everything is on point. The vocals sit where they need to and the beats are dirtied up enough to not sound poppy. These are dark anthems for goth clubs in the wee hours before last call.It is more like aggressive edm to me, but if that where industrial music wants to go, that's cool there is room for different brands and these guys do a good job of it.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/god-module-prophecy.html

7-Ego Likeness : "When the Wolves Return"

 My primary experience with Ego Likeness has been from Dragon-con and some of the State of the Goth Scene panels, their music taps into a very dramatic and romantic vein of dark-wave. One thing that gives them the edge is the use of of guitar to give the pulse of the songs more drive. The sultry syrup of her voice drips off the banging synths. If you are into dark wave their is more to like than not on this album, I give them big props for not just ripping off Faith and the Muse or Siouxsie , but still acknowledging those influences. If you are already a fan it might be their perfect album.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/07/ego-likeness-when-wolves-return.html

6-Pinkish Black: "Bottom of the Morning"

 The new one from the Fort Worth synth drone duo, who really defies most genres , but that won't stop me from trying to peg one onto  there dark brand of synth drive post-punk. On their debut for Relapse Records , the vocals are even more prominent coming out from behind the wall of murky effects and over driven synth swirl that dominated previous releases. Due to this the lyrics are more discernible than previous releases. Before you are too quick to compare them to Joy Division they are much more like a darker version of "Obscured by Clouds " era Pink Floyd. I read one review of this album where Mike Patton was brought up and I wonder what album they were listening to.If anything there is sometimes more of a Josh Homme feel to the melodies.  They take on a heavier drive with "Special Dark" that finds their singer dropping down into a more ghoulishly goth croon. It's pretty murky even with the hammering pulse of sounds like a bass, but knowing these guys is more likely over driven synth. If you are a fan of their previous work, they have not sold out by a long shot. If you have never given them a listen, this album is a decent entry point.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/pinkish-black-bottom-of-morning.html

5-Corrections House: "How to Carry a Whip"

While it was an enjoyable listen , I was not blown away by their first album, however Their second album gets off to a much more industrial start. I like this more than the first album since its darker. Even the samples that begin bubbling up from behind the jagged guitar sound like they could have been on a 90s Neurosis album. A vast improvement from the first album and I want to hear them dig further into the darkness on the next one.

4- Die Krupps: "Metal Machine Music"

 If bands like KMFDM have become to edm for you, here is an industrial album that makes no bones about it and kicks you in the teeth like its 1990. Before you try to compare them to Rammstein, take note that these guys beat them to the punch by ten years.  I first became aware of the band after they put out a Metallica  tribute album in the 90s . Then in the 2000s when it seemed every year another industrial tribute to something was coming out , these guys showed up on their fair share of those. There riffs have remained just as tough, and benefit from better production today's technology allows. This album will sucks you in and weaves a sonic world around you that finely tuned, well composed industrial music can. These guys are not just pushing buttons and tossing samples around.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/07/die-krupps-metal-machine-music

 

3-the Soft Moon : "Deeper"

I was so impressed by the first glimpse of this band that I had to hunt their label down.The album starts off with very industrial ambiance. The first single "Deeper" is pretty damn dark, it might remind you of "Pretty Hate Machine" era Nine Inch Nail, though these guys have put a glossy glaze of weirdness over that formula. the vocal arrangements tend to be more chanted and droning than anything Reznor does. They have a really good and dense synth sound that has the metallic edge of a guitar to it.Fans of bands bands ranging from Cold Cave to Skinny Puppy can find something to move them on this album.   Overall it's a pretty incredible listen.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-soft-moon-deeper.

3-Author&Punisher : "Melk En Honing"

 Following "Women & Children" the bar is raised pretty high. Tristan Shore has been a one man wrecking crew when it comes to industrial by making music using a a complex system of  home made machines fitting for the genre. The first thing I notice is the vocals are not as distorted as pervious albums. He still has Godflesh like grit to his voice. It is dark and doomy with something that sounds like Arabian wailing floating over the droning rumble.This album was worth the wait there are a few moments that have to grow on me, I think this album is heavier than his last. He doesn't make the same album twice and retains the sonic intensity and his way of doing things .

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/06/author-melk-en-honing.html

1- Health :"Death Magic"

 I first questioned some of the reviews where this project referred to as industrial, they seemed more like edm with a dark and dirty slant to it and a kick , but Industrial ? Well it took many listens to convince me of this. This is their sixth album and it's been five years in the making, so no wonder  they  have become masters at layering some clever vocal melodies over yearning grooves to create some hooks that sink into your brain and pull you along for the ride. The first hint it might just be industrial came in the tribal pound of  drums that open " Men Today" that has some noise to it , while the sounds assembled are cool , for an album with such emphasis place on sex and drugs it feels sometimes like foreplay with no climax.Until the subtle hooks are latched into your brain. There's an old 80s dance feel to "Flesh World" the androgynous are very fey in the same manner of Sliversun Pick ups or Savage Garden. There are some glitch ridden sounds thrown into the sonic jumble. I have always wondered if the remixes are going to sound better than the originals , then why not just make the original songs sound like that in  the first place? Well the solve that by making "Flesh World" sound like it has already been re-mixed. This album made me want to go back and dig up their earlier stuff, which I was unable to do since I was so hooked on this one.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/health-death-magic.html

Top 10 Goth/Industrial Albums of 2015 ...so far

So under the big black umbrella of goth we have also thrown in darkwave, new wave, dark pop and dream pop, along with an industrial album or two. Though more likely bands influenced by industrial in this day and age. The bulk of post-punk got shoved in with rock, so keep your eyes open for that list coming soon 10-Camouflage - "Grey Scale" Subtle dark wave that is heavy on its pop hooks. The singer from Vnv Nation is on this album so there is no question as to if it belongs here. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/05/report-to-dance-floor-camouflages.html 9- Kesa -self titled These wacky guys throw in more than most post-punk bands. Hell, they don't even want to be Joy Division. They do mix in the new wave and have punk attitude. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/kesa-st.html 8-Tidemouth "Velvet and Stone" These hard core kids went goth, but unlike most other bands that do that once they grow up, they did not forget where they put there distortion pedals and aside from Atriarch might be the most aggressive goth revival band going. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/06/tidemouth-velvet-and-stone.html
7- Them are Us Too- "Remain" The challenge is finding the moments where they don't sound like the Cocteau Twins. Why did it make it to number 7? How many other bands sound like the Cocteau Twins? http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/them-are-us-too-remain.html 6-the Soft Moon- "Deeper" Loved this album when I first got it, haven't given it enough spins since. More of an edge to this than your typical hipster dark wave. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-soft-moon-deeper.html 5- Author & Punisher- "Melk en Honing" Heavier than "Women & Children" not sure if it's better. Still in the iPod so its doing something right. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/06/author-melk-en-honing.html

4-Marilyn Manson- "The Pale Emperor" This album got worn out when I first got it. This one redeems the previous two albums and stands up against his others. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/01/marilyn-manson-pale-emperor.html 3- Karin Park- "Apocalypse Pop" A European fashion model making pop music, how good can this be? Way better than you would imagine, if you like the thought of Lorde but not the reality of her then this album is for you. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/05/report-to-dance-floor-karin-parks.html

2- Twin Shadow- "Eclipse" One of the best dark pop albums of the decade.This could be the album of the year and should be number one since the number one album isn't out yet. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/report-to-dance-floor-twin-shadows.html

1- Chelsea Wolfe- "Abyss" She really only beat Twin Shadows awesome album by merit of being darker, though it is still growing on me. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/06/chelsea-wolfe-abyss.html

The Soft Moon: "Deeper"

I was so impressed by the first glimpse of this band that I had to hunt their label down.The album starts off with very industrial ambiance. The first single "Deeper" is pretty damn dark, it might remind you of "Pretty Hate Machine" era Nine Inch Nail, though these guys have put a glossy glaze of weirdness over that formula. the vocal arrangements tend to be more chanted and droning than anything Reznor does. They have a really good and dense synth sound that has the metallic edge of a guitar to it. The Faint is also a good reference point if you are talking "Danse Macabre" days. They are not too depressed to dance as evident on the more upbeat "Far". There is a more organic element to this one The vocal are breathtakingly produced. The effect that lay on them are perfect , that is not to say his melody is not pretty fucking as well.

Lyrical they sing about life being hard and killing them inside even when they are dancing. There 90's feeling you think you might get from this is smashed against the kinda of roughened up distortion that once haunted witch house. That drugged spectral sluggish feeling that "witch house" had floats out of a throbbing kraut rock star system on "Wasting" to give it the surreal feeling that shoes gaze often takes you away with. "Wrong" hits with more of an industrial feel, but the kids with the cyber dreads are missing out on this one.

The band is capable of creating a more organic sound on as shown on " Try", but to call it post-punk might be a stretch despite some Cure like undertones in the guitar sounds. They retain tension differently than post-punk bands do. It is more like the sensual marriage of shoe-gaze to new wave that someone like Death of Lovers does, but without delving to deep into the bat-cave, though this would not raise eyebrows if a dj worked it into a goth night soundtrack. If you asked the band if they are goth they would more than likely say no, but then Robert Smith says the same thing.

The oppressive industrial mood returns to "Desertion" . The breathy vocals glide over the robot shift of the bass line. A techno synth pattern weaves it's way into the song. It's an apocalyptic hypnosis droning you onto the dance floor. The hollow piano weeps onto cyber punk balladry of "Without" . This is easily something someone like Stabbing Westward or Vast might have dipped into in their hey day. The dramatic vocal build the song's emotional current more than the accompaniment. The electro-grooves they hit can't really be called dark wave. The bass line to "Feel" carries a riveting angular juxtaposition to the guitar shimmering around the vocal accents. The most unexpected and interesting beat on the album is the tribal flourishes on the title track.

The album closes on a weird note, with whispering and samples over a mesmerizing guitar riff that echoes out into a dreamscape of sound, this builds into something that takes a harsh noisy turn after the more industrial elements converge into something kinda heavy sonically not metal . Only the first three and a half minutes are the song the rest is the drawn out feedback of crickets in space. Fans of bands bands ranging from Cold Cave to Skinny Puppy can find something to move them on this album. I'll go and round this up to a 10 as I think some of the songs that departed from the darker beginnings of the album will grow on me and the last thing is more of an outro than a song. Overall it's a pretty incredible listen and one of the first real contenders for album of the year if it sticks with me for the rest of 2015.