Gothtober- Psyclon Nine : "More to Hell"

 

This album is the companion piece to the previous album "Less to Heaven". It features new songs and remixes. The first track is a droning crunch that carries the brand of industrial this project is known for with the screeching scream of Nero taking a chanted feel. Not new ground, but effective and true to what you would expect from these guys. The Pitch Black remix of " See You All in Hell" is another step in a darker direction as it feels like each song is taking you deeper into a hyperrealistic hellscape. The vocals are at times mixed behind the crunching layers of sound which on this song makes it hard to tell if it is a guitar or a synth. 

"Money and Sex and Death" makes it very apparent the influence that Ghostemane has had in recent years on the genre. The vocals are layered, one is a whisper, the other a low more rapped vocal . The latter is the part that has the more Ghostemane feel. The chorus is screamed but does not relent into the kind of metallic punch you brace for. The lyrics hold enough of a punch as they say "Fuck your god/ we worship suffering" There are some interesting sounds here that feel like they are progressing, rather than just staying in their comfort zone.

The Snakes of Russia remix of "See You All in Hell" is more interesting than the previous re-mixed version of this song, as it is darker, and carries a more haunting echo to it that sounds like something from the soundtrack of a horror movie where the main character is losing their mind.  Suicide Commando remixes "Money and Sex and Death". The vocal layering sits differently and does not make it sound as much like Ghostemane. The chorus still hits harder, but has a synth melody in the background that makes it feel like late 90s EBM. The last track "Bleeding Out" is a delicate piece of atmosphere that feels more like a memory that is fading than a song, though it serves it's purpose as an outro. 

"Give Your Love to the Devil" is creepy. It's progression is subtle and by the end, I thought it was just my gummie kicking in. Skold adds a great deal of melody and a more organic sense of musicality. The vocals are sung in a fragile manner. The effects used on them, work well. it is one of this album's strongest pieces.  I will give this album a 9, not their best, but better than most other band's , and brings some interesting apocalyptic visions of hell to your ears.