The Top 10 Industrial Albums of 2025

Nothing is a more fitting soundtrack to watching the world unravel into a dystopian nightmare than Industrial? You would think fans of the genre would be celebrating this, but from what I have seen online, they are crying under the covers like the rest of the sheeple. If you are someone who believes that leaning into the end should be celebrated since it is a natural destination in the cycle, then you might appreciate the mood these albums created as much as I did.  After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of 2025. The very fact that these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album; there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day, what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, and you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list, and I have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway, here are the top 10 Industrial albums of 2025.

10-King Yosef- "Spire of Fear." 

This project has always leaned in the direction of the abrasive end of industrial. This album pushed that even further with its increasingly confrontational aggression. Sonically harrowing would be one way to describe what is going down here. The mechanical stomp of industrial music is captured here,  but with a very reverb-drenched mix that sets the vocals at the end of a dark tunnel

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/king-yosef-spire-of-fear.html

 

       

 9-Dark Sky Burial - 'Sacred Neurotic" 

It is interesting when metal heads take things in a different direction; most tend to go in a darker goth, post-punk, or industrial vein, and Shane Embry's project leans into the latter.  Though being from Napalm Death, you might expect things to go head in a Godflesh direction. That is not the case. There is a melodic edge, and thanks to his collaborator  Carl Stokes, there is a trippy element to the sound that brings to mind projects like Tear Garden, Psychic TV, and Legendary Pink Dots with a break beat that often builds into a more aggressive industrial-strength vocal. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/12/dark-sky-burial-sacred-neurotic.html

 

8-Linx- "Annihilation" 

This industrial rock duo hails from Canada, a country that has been exporting some pretty decent music lately. Vocalist Zee Jaber, uses her voice in a more rock manner, rather than a blunt instrument like so many industrial bands do. Though a couple of songs into things, she employs a harsher metal snarl. The songs might work off the '90s formula of '90s build-up on the chorus, but the flow well from electronic pulses to more of a Fear Factory feel. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/linx-annihilation.html

 

7-Ministry -" The Squirrelly Years Revisted"

 The joke about back when Ministry sounded like Depeche Mode wore thin on Uncle Al, as he had begun to polish off the early songs for live sets even before releasing their last album. This is a re-recording of the songs from the "Twitch" and "With Sympathy" era. The vocals are more in line with how Al sings now. Sometimes the guitars are providing more heft, but on a song like "Here We Go," things are pretty much like they were back in the day, with the more new wave-leaning dance beats driving the hot rod that Jesus built. In some cases, this works just well enough. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/ministry-squirrelly-years-revisted.html

 

6-Black Cross Motel - "Songs For Switches." 

This band's 2022 album made it to the number spot on the year's Top 10 Goth Albums list. This time around, they kick things off with a more guitar-forward approach and a more aggressive industrial energy behind some straight-up metal riffs. Once again, the guitarist from Stabbing Westward is teaming up with members of the Atlas Moth to bring this weird and wonderful sound to life. Synths help set the tone for the darker undertones, which find a creepy ambiance settling over the march of discontent. They have captured a sound that could have come from the post-Manson goth rock golden years. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/gothtober-black-cross-hotel-songs-for.html

 5- Youth Code - "Yours With Malice." 

It brings newly refined sounds that are topped off with a vengeful hook. Sara Taylor's angry snarl is chanted like an apocalyptic cheerleader, in a similar style and cadence as the previous song. This, along with the fact that the bouncing synth sounds are not far removed from what they already hit you with, creates an almost "Pretty Hate Machine" feel.>On previous releases, they felt more like a militant version of Skinny Puppy, so this might be more neon lit, and not as dark, as say 'A Place to Stand' They employ more dynamics this time around. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/youth-code-yours-with-malice.html

 4- the Young Gods - "Appear Disappear." 

This Swiss band influenced everyone from David Bowie in his industrial days to Faith No More. Since 1987, their sound has been at the very least industrial adjacent, and they have always been ahead of their time. So if you hear a song and think it sounds like Nine Inch Nails, the truth is Nine Inch Nails sounds like them. Perhaps this album is not as cinematic as some of their mid-period work it does not sound like they are stuck in the 90s or wrestling for relevancy. Franz Treichler might not be bellowing it out like he once did, but his voice has held up well. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-young-gods-appear-disappear.html

3-Street Sects  "Dry Drunk." 

The first new album from the industrial duo in 7 years finds them snarling back with a renewed chaotic aggression. It chronicles the stint of sobriety Leo Ashline has as well as the relapse that followed. Ben Chisholm from Chelsea Wolfe's band produced this. They pick up where they left off, with a bad attitude that sounds like Virgin Prunes jamming with Full of Hell. It takes a few listens to really sink in, but it has equal doses of fragmented groove and glitched-out noise.  It all ends up coming together. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/street-sects-dry-drunk.html

2-HEALTH- "CONFLICT DLC." 

Given how much I like these guys, it might be a surprise they did not take the number one spot, but the project that did evolve more into something different, where this band just streamlined and created a hookier, more accessible version of what they were already doing, maybe adding a vvitch house beat here and there, even then it was a close call, and give that this album is just now dropping vs an album I have had more time to spend with they landed here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/health-conflict-dlc.html

1-Author & Punisher - "Nocturnal Birding' 

This is the first album that finds guitarist Doug Sabolick joining as a bandmate, which contributes to the more rock feel to things. Every song has a bird theme. There is a more overt industrial crunch to the amazing stomp this album carries n."s. Megan from Couch Slut, lends her voice to the ruckus erupting, with more detailed layers of melody luring you into one of the year's best industrial songs. The addition of guitar offers a big step forward, even if it moves them marginally closer to the conventions of industrial rock. The genre itself allows and fosters experimentation that creates almost an anything-goes attitude. This song and the previous song have been the noisiest so far, with this texture being most effective here.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/author-punisher-nocturnal-birding.html

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The Top 10 Goth / Industrial Albums of 2025... so far

As the Doomsday Clock races, time speeds up, as 2025 is at its midpoint. With the impending end of times comes a celebration of darkness, and these bands are making substantial soundtracks for that. These lists serve as a decent snapshot of where the year is heading in terms of music. I have already received promos for albums dropping as far out as August in my inbox, so they will need to bring it to compete with the top five albums on this list. For the mid-year report card list, I'm combining goth with its close cousin, industrial.   I have included links to full reviews if you want to check these out, and with all that said, here are the top 10 Goth / Industrial albums of 2025 so far. 

10-Palindrones-Chapter 2 the Slender Blade" 

This British dark wave duo moves in interesting directions. We caught up with them on our podcast. Check that interview out here... 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6D9B509gzA&t=832s

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/palindrones-chapter-2-slender-blade.html

9-Sowulo -"NIHT"

Neo-folk has always been a sub-genre of goth more than folk; this Nordic project balances the more primal nature with a grandiose atmosphere that captures a darker mood than most, and earns them their spot on this list. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/sowulo-niht.html

8-Gaahl's Wyrd - "Braiding the Stories" 

I am glad to hear Gaahl continuing to explore his singing voice. The vocals are well layered, with more of his upper register present while the baritone croon holds center stage, which is on brand for him. It is not surprising that Gaahl and I are of a similar musical mindset, for here he proves that the emotive value of darkness is just as heavy as metal.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/gaahls-wyrd-braiding-stories.html

7- Bootblacks- "Paradise" 

This Brooklyn-based band, BOOTBLACKS, is dancing in a more dark wave direction with their new album, with songs driven by synth pulses. The reverb-slathered guitar sits back in the mix, content haunting the backdrop.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/bootblacks-paradise.html

6-Corlyx-"Purple Pain" 

This album showcases their strength of embracing both the past of traditional dark wave and still not shying away from paying tribute to this era, with new sounds, like vibrant synth-wave keyboard lines, and pop-inflected hooks.

  https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/corlyx-purple-pain.html

 

 5-The Cure- "Mixes of a Lost World" 

In case you forgot this was coming out, Robert Smith is not the control freak he once was, as he is allowing 24 artists to remix the band's 2024 masterpiece.It shows how much reach the Cure's influence has on music as a whole.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-cure-mixes-of-lost-world.html

 

 

4-Ministry- "the Squirrelly Years Revisited" 

The joke about back when Ministry sounded like Depeche Mode wore thin on Uncle Al, after polishing off the early songs for live sets, even before releasing their last album, he re-recorded the songs from the "Twitch" and "With Sympathy" era. The vocals are more in line with how Al sings now. Sometimes the guitars are providing more heft, with the more new wave leaning dance beats driving the hot rod that Jesus built. In some cases, this works just well enough. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/ministry-squirrelly-years-revisted.html

3-Peter Murphy- "Silver Shade" 

At 67, Murphy looks older than he sounds. The new wave bounce on these songs would not have been out of place on his 89 classic "Deep". Not as dark as Bauhaus, it is true to the era. He keeps the '80s pulse going paying a great deal of service to his fan base, which is wise. His pipes stay fluid even when going up into the wavering vibrato of his upper register. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/peter-murphy-silver-shade.html

 

2-Youth Code -"Yours, With Malice"  

On previous releases, they felt more like a militant version of Skinny Puppy, so this might be more neon lit, and not as dark as, say, 'A Place to Stand'. They employ more dynamics at times as Sara retains her signature scowling. It does not sound dated and moves industrial music forward, rather than solely focusing on the past eras.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/youth-code-yours-with-malice.html

1-Shedfrombody- "Whisper and Wane" 

This project from Finland marks another entry to the hallowed halls of ethereal hot girl music. It's almost like ASMR set to brooding post-rock. The vocals are hypnotically layered, and the songs have a subtle slither to them, but despite the somewhat hopeful cadence of the vocals, this album is dark like a brooding thunderstorm, and less dressed up for Halloween, though still dark enough to earn it's place at the top here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/shedfromthebody-whisper-and-wane.html

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April's Top Ten Albums

 

It's time for April's top 10 albums. Staying abreast of the month's highlights might help casual readers see what they missed and check these artists out. I am not writing little blurbs on them; I am just linking the reviews. Inclusion here does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my inbox that are not coming out til July, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month, there is a wide variety from Pop to Death Metal, so you may find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums of  April.  

10-Black Country New Road - "Forever Howlong" 

Progressive Rock

 

  https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/black-country-new-road-forever-howlong.html

9-Scowl -"Are We All Angels"

 

Grunge/alt-rock

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/scowl-are-we-all-angels.html

8-SKUNK ANANSIE - "The Painful Truth" 

Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/skunk-anansie-painful-truth.html

7-Floating - "Hesitating Lights"

Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/floating-hesitating-lights.html

6-Viagra Boys -"viagr aboys" 

indie rock 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/viagra-boys-viagr-aboys.html

5-Bon Iver - "SABLE fABLE" 

Pop

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/bon-iver-sable-fable.html

4-Blackwater Holylight - "If You Only Knew" 

post-doom

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/blackwater-holylight-if-you-only-knew.html

3-Superheaven- "s/t" 

Post-Hardcore-/shoegaze 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/superheaven-st.html

2-Youth Code - "Yours With Malice" 

Industrial 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/youth-code-yours-with-malice.html

1-Propagandhi-"At Peace" 

Thrash / Punk

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/propaghandi-at-peace.html

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Youth Code - "Yours, With Malice"

 The opening track of Youth Code's new EP was already one of our songs of the week last month, so you know it's a banger. It brings newly refined sounds that are topped off with a vengeful hook.  So the question I pose for the remaining four songs is, can they measure up to this bar that has been raised for them? Sara Taylor's angry snarl is chanted like an apocalyptic cheerleader, in a similar style and cadence as the previous song. This, along with the fact that the bouncing synth sounds are not far removed from what they already hit you with, creates an almost "Pretty Hate Machine" feel.

On previous releases they felt more like a militant version of Skinny Puppy, so this might be more neon lit, and not as dark, as say 'A Place to Stand' They employ more dynamics on "In Search of Tomorrow" despite Sara scowling with a similar disdain as she employed in the previous song, though they end the ditty with some interesting sonic choices. There is more of a groove to "Make Sense." It also finds them moving in a more spacious and shadowy cyber world of sonics. This added ebb and flow of sound plays to their favor. It also provides more contrast to Taylor's powerful declarations. 

"I'm Sorry" might be the most aggressive song so far, as it seems to match the opening track in sheer intensity. It kicks at you with a more frantic rate of BPMs. The layering of synth sounds is more complex, almost bordering on chaos.  I really enjoyed this, as with most of my reviews here, you are getting my first impressions. The song "Wishing Well," which bears similarities to the first song, will just take additional listens for me to process, so I will go ahead and round this up to a 10.  This is coming out May 16th on Sumerian Records. 

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Song of the Week - Youth Code- "No Consequence'

 

A precursor to the release of their new EP "Your's With Malice" which is dropping May 16th, It feels like like Skinny Puppy and more like a hard-core band playing hardcore thanks to the more mean-spirited vocal delivery of vocalist Sara Taylor. The video is pretty straightforward, and the most appealing aspect of the song is the lyrics as she declares that she will never pretend to be something that she is not. This holds more weight when you consider the listless tone of social media that finds people shifting with the short-sighted cultural trends of the moment, which they invest their identity in for it to only be forgotten in the next two-week news cycle. Youth Code is like most industrial bands raging against their own machines, but have a more endearing conviction that fuels their music aggression. 

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Gothtober-The Top 50 Industrial Albums : 40 - 31

This had to be done. Having read other lists from other publications that just were not getting it, I had to step up and set the record straight. What Industrial music should be about is to create an adversarial sonic force  that is transgressive, confrontational , the message should be we are fucked, the system is corrupt and now we living in a post apocalyptic nightmare. o I made sure my list reflected this. Certain   artists are darlings of the critics, because the cool kids are supposed to like them, but are making artful challenging music that might sound cool, but lacks aggression or just isn’t industrial . 

I saved this for October, despite the fact Industrial and goth are not the same thing, It is almost like comparing science fiction to horror, at times they share the same elements and cross over, industrial should be more aggressive. In making this list aggression was at the forefront when deciding what was or was not industrial music. The name itself suggests the machine-like gears of a factory pounding, which in fact are staple sounds found in the earlier works of the genre.  

I gave myself a few guidelines first off only one album by each artist, though side projects stand separate in this regard. The other guideline being to consider not what album  sold the most, or was supposed to be the most influential , but think of the albums that have the best songs that have stood the test of time and find me returning to the album again and again? After all that is what makes good music. So with that lets continue deeper down our list of the Top 50 Industrial Albums.. 

40-Bestial Mouths - "Resurrectedinblack " 2020

The first modern band on the list, this album was created under the full creative control of  front woman Lynette Cerezo. This project has slowly grown darker with each released and this album found it shedding the post-punk influence in favor of the machine like crunch of industrial as more electronic elements worked their way in. 

39-X Marks the Pedwalk-"the Killing Had Begun"1994

The German project's third album is also the first to feature vocals from Andre's wife Stephanie. This added another layer to their already varied tapestry fast paced anxious grooves for paranoid musings.

   

38-3Teeth - "Metawar" 2019

When it comes to newer acts , this band gets it right by not being bound to not emulating a specific artist, but drawing inspiration from an entire era of music. The nail the brand of aggression acts like Frontline Assembly brought down from the heavens. The vocals are dynamic rather than a robotic scream.

   

37- Leaether strip-" Science for the Satanic Citizen" 1990

I would think few would be surprised this is my favorite album by these guys. The excel at using sonic darkness to create a seething violence lurking in alley ways at night rather than just being in your face.

   

36-Chem Lab- "Eastside Militia"1996

The second album by the band finds more electronic elements picking up the slack for a less metallic guitar attack than what was delivered on their previous, this allows the songs to breathe, and made for catchier songs that I return to more often . 

 

 35- Psyclon 9-"Order of the Shadow Act 1"  2013 

Five albums into things they find the perfect blend of metal and industrial. The production of this album gives things a massive scale., The blackened screams of Nero echo out like a tortured soul falling into the hell the world had collapsed into. 

34- Negativeland-"Escape from Noise" 1987

San Francisco's purveyors of weird took a swing at popular music as a reflection of society it self and uses noise, ambiance and atmosphere in a manner that brings the smoke in a manner with as much malice as a wall of guitars. The staccato synth attack gets the point across more than most full on rock bands did in 1987, as they hit you with relentless samples.

   

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33- Laibach- "Jesus Christsuperstars"1996

One of the bands where it became hard to just pick one after I dug in and began revisiting their catalog, so after a few listens I was reminded that this album is their best due to their attack on Christianity, blasphemy should be included in my requirements of what industrial music should be. 

 

 32-Pop Will Eat Itself-"dos dedos mis amigos" 

A criminally underrated band, that wrote some incredible music, this album should have gotten them more notice given that it came out during the peak of industrial music, but regardless of that this is a classic that holds up everything I bump it.

   

31- Youth Code-"Commitment to Complications" 2016

I am still waiting on these kids to bring it like they did on this album, which was produced by Rhys Fulber of Frontline Assembly. They got the aggression right, and the rest of it all fell into place.  

Youth Code : " A Skeleton Key In the Doors of Depression"

This is a collaboration with King Yosef. The question here becomes what is King Yosef offering to this. The first song suggests the bark of his coarse vocals to contrast hers , and give more of a hard core sound. This album is rougher and gritter which seems to be his contribution as well. The thicker noise sheen  makes Youth Code's drum programming sound like dense. There are sections like the more melodic moments in "Burner' where their true sound pushes through. I do like this better than the opener , which was not a shabby song but this is closer to what I want from them. I am unsure how I feel about this Yosef fellow as I do not feel like this vocals on their own merit really add much , in fact they are just your average hard core tough guy. I do think they occupy as space Sara Taylor normally fills , so this frees her up to explore more melodic musings. 

"Head Underwater" just feels like a hard core band playing around with industrial and truth be told I already have Code Orange. I really like the more groovey tone to " the World Stage:" It gets darker and more in your face. The is more hook to it and proves to me they are maturing as song writers despite the barking of Yosef. There is a broader range of dynamics employed here. The beats get more innovative in how the grooves are arranged on ".A Mother's Love" but as far as songs go pales in comparison to "Deathsafe" which is the album's best song. Taylor employs a better vocal hook at the end of this song, and comes the closest to actually singing , her cleaner vocal is more of a chant most of the time.

There is a more rock feel to to the last song "Finally Docked" you can here a touch of black metal in the buzz of what sound to be guitar in the background. T5his album does have some good moments on it, I am on the fence with that guys voice, while I think Taylor's singing has gotten better and they have written a few really great songs I would rather hear just a Youth Code album without the added influence so for that reason I am giving this one an 8.5  

 

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Top 10 Albums of 2016

So here they are complied in relative order in one master list of metal and other genres to see what were the actual best albums of the year. These are largely based on which ones I got the most play out of . When I said relative earlier on one day I might be moved to listen to one album more than another that might be ranked higher so this can shift,, but a fairly accurate representation of what endured 2016. If you want to check these albums out then go to the review urls I posted with each one. Who cares if your favorite album did not make the list, the Kleenex is on aisle three of  CVS, these are my favorite albums of 2016 and thus when it comes to this blog the Top 10 Albums of 2016.

10-Anagnorisis -"Perpetia"

 The narrative these songs are woven around provides a more personal touch then most black metal band's allow themselves to create. There are no arctic wastelands or occult gibberish to hide behind. In some ways if it was not for the sonic storm cloud raging as this album's heart beat you might mistake this for hardcore.  The vocals keep their scathing snarl as a static coat of white noise to a similar effect as Deafheaven. Their approach to black metal is less atmospheric and the ambiance if of a more emotional nature. It is without question one of the better black metal albums I have come across recently and these guys have really stepped up their game when it comes to song writing.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/anagnorisis-peripeteia.html

9- Khemmis - "Hunted"

At times more NWOBHM than doom and "3 Gates" starts off to uptempo to be doom at all, but in the end it got the most play time and had enough melancholy to qualify as doom, after all Black Sabbath albums didn't always crawl all the way to the finish line so something can be said for the dynamics.This one earned it space at the top not because it was the most dismal, but because I listened to it the most, which at the end of the day is what matters.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/khemmis-hunted.html

8- Anthrax- "For All Kings"

 Anthrax used to be one of my favorite bands and to this day "Among the Living " is without a doubt one of the best metal albums ever with "Spreading the Disease" not too far behind. I hung tough with the band for the first six albums, even liking Jon Bush's first album. Then we grew apart.  "Worship Music"  saw the return of singer Joey Belladonna, but I never gave it a shot. I am giving them a chance here and while Belladonna might be 55, but I just reviewed the new David Bowie, and he is 69 so no body is slipping by due to age. Age might have helped Anthrax here , because with age Belladonna's voice is lower than even on "Persistence of Time" , but it gives him more aggression, which might have helped on albums like the almost too happy "State of Euphoria". There is younger blood injected in the band as Jonathan Donais from Shadows Fall is now in the band. They a surprisingly melodic section into the middle of the opener before thrashing back into it. They do not let up on the heavy with "Monster at the End", though it has a smoother groove allowing Belladonna's vocals to coast into a hookier chorus. A little less thrash and closer to mainstream metal, it's still a solid headbanger. .

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/anthrax-for-all-kings.html

7- Youth Code- "Commitment to Complications"

Production wise things have stepped up another level along with the song writing. After a melodic and perhaps dramatic synth intro the kick into the first proper song which kicks more like a rock song energetically than your typical industrial. Unlike your typical industrial there is not an obligatory layer of 90s thrash metal guitar over it. The synths are capable of summoning their own heft. This is in no way saying that there is not metal influence in place or this album isn't heavy. Ben from Goatwhore lends his snarl to the title track. It's interesting as he is not doing anything different from his normal delivery, but it's over a bunch of hammering synths.These kids are the real deal and not just hipsters playing dress up.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/youth-code-commitment-to-complications.html

6-Black Foxxes- "I'm Not Well" 

 This band is interesting as it's hard to imagine that they did not come from the late the 90s. While middle of the road when it comes to how hard the they do or do not rock,  I can appreciate the role the vocals play in their sound. As the opener builds there is more of  an early Pearl Jam like angst to the grit added in the vocals. They lock into a more traditional rock role on "Husk". When they ease their foot off the gas it offers a more dynamic glimpse at the band , but flirts with a more emo side than I am not sure I was ready to see yet on "Whatever Let's You Cope" .  There is an androgynous quality to their sound that doesn't glam it out like Placebo, but is there. They narrowly edged out Dinosaur Jr , I think I listened to this one a little more.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/black-foxxes-im-not-well.html

5- Merchandise- "a Corpse Wired For Sound"


 I guess the fact the band is on classic goth label 4AD , has finally settled in on them, so  it should not come as a surprise that the trappings of shoe gaze are more prominent in the guitar department on this album. It took a couple listens for me to fully appreciate the opening track.Perspective is a funny thing.  If I went Overall this album is great and Carson once again throws you a sonic curve ball and refuses to replicate past work and forge ahead creativelyinto the album not knowing it was Carson Cox and co, I would have latched onto the darker tones driving the songs.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/merchandise-corpse-wired-for-sound.html

4- Emma Ruth Rundle-"Marked For Death"

 In some ways there is not much difference between Emma Ruth Rundle's  second solo album and the last Marriages album, which is a good thing. If you were expecting just her and an acoustic guitar then think again. Perhaps the punches are not as rock and the songs are less jarring in their dynamic shifts, there is a very stormy mood that brews in the first songs.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/emma-ruth-rundle-marked-for-death.html

3- the Weeknd- Star Boy

 The tone of this album is much different and embracing more of a dance vibe with strong ties to house music. With the amount of drugs is supposedly does this is no surprise. The Micheal Jackson influence can be still felt on songs like "Rockin" though musically it is much more like Euro dance

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-weeknd-star-boy.html

2-Planes Mistaken for Stars- " Prey"

 These guys were always ahead of their time and finds music of today coming a little closer to meeting them in the middle. There has always been an unhinged side to the band and this is what the new album opens with. "Til it Clicks" is less explosive, but more of what I want from this band. The darker melody hangs around on "Riot Season" even after the pace picks up. The yowls of self loathing still haunt Jared's gravelly vocals riding the line between screaming and singing. The guitar to "Fucking Tenderness" carries some melody before tightening the tension. The vocals fill the spaces in the song perfectly and the band touching perfectly on all their trademarks without feeling like this song is any less urgent than it is.They are back in fine form and not standing stagnant in the legend of yesterday.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/planes-mistaken-for-stars-prey.html

1- David Bowie - "Black Star"

 It was the Thin White Duke's 25th album. He released it on his 69th birthday. Then he died and most of you made me sick the way you ran out to get this looking for clues if he was hinting that he knew the time was coming. So lets talk about the music ...it's vulgar I know but some body has go to do it. The lead single and title track opens the album, finding Bowie in a darker and more surreal place than his last album. There is a very experimental ambiance to things that will delight fans of his Brian Eno years. His collections of musicians  ranges from LCD Soundsystem to avant garde jazz , with the jazz contingent weighing more heavily. Not his best album ever, or even post-"Lets Dance" I think "Outside" is way better and "the Next Day" might be as well, but it's Bowie so no one can really compete making this almost a no contest.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/david-bowie-black-star.html

the Top Ten Goth /Industrial Albums of 2016

 This is just for the beautiful music of the children of the night now that post-punk is getting it's own list this year. So just like the old days at the club, goth, industrial and death rock are being lumped into the same dark cave for the list of the top 10 goth and industrial albums of a fairly dark year that saw the goth father David Bowie going back up into the stars where he came from. Now we are left with his bastard kids and here are some of the better moments in dark music.

 10- Spit Mask- "Swallow"

Never was into power electronics, but this looked alluring so checking out it and hoping for something that's a cross between Lords of Acid and Youth Code. I'm closer when it comes to the more industrial part of that equation. The synths that hammer around the old school club beat might remind you of "Pretty Hate Machine". It's Rachel's delivery that gives this a more abrasive edge . If there was a dude crooning over this it would sound more like Depeche Mode's new wave days.he album maintains it's sense of movement and if you are dj who spins industrial there is no reason any of these songs couldn't fit neatly into your set. Fortunately there are some different effect on the vocals to "Permission". The album closes with a spoken word  outro of sorts that is layered over a fairly simplistic beat. If you missed out on the whole Cleopatra Records thing in the 90s then this will be really new for you, but even if you are like me and have already been there and done that then you might find that is sets a nice mood for longs night prowling your basement in the gimp costume.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/08/spit-mask-swallow.html

9-Mutterlein- "Orphans of the Black Sun"


Mutterlein is a project out of France. This kind of music was tagged as a genre called "witch wave". Which makes sense though witch core might be more fitting as it's more aggressive than new wave. Though the traditional instrumentation of punk is not in play here. Synths and organs are being used, but in a manner suited for a 70's art school horror movie rather than anything to dance to. Marion's voice is gritty and carries a punch yet she can really sing when the song calls for it.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/mutterlein-orphans-of-black-sun.html


8- CYP6->"Песни Злых Цветов"

 Very dark wave in the sense that all of the beats that open us the album would get a dance floor moving. The operatic vocals are full of drama and a well departure from another band just trying to rip off Sisters of Mercy. The lyrics are all in Russian which makes the vocals sounds like they are being used as an instrument than moping about lost love. The cool thing about the Russian folk influence that dominates this album is the choice of intervals used in the melodies doesn't go with the typical vocal lines you expect from a dark wave band. There is enough spooky in their choices to resonate with most bat-kids. The guitar is very icy and the bass might be more audible on some songs than it others, how ever how many goth band have you already heard that roll down Fascination Street booming in that way so I'm good with something different.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/cpy6.html

7-Light of the Morning Star- "Cemetery Glow"

The vocals win me over right way. Is it very similar to new Tombs. Yes, but the goth thing is pushed even further to the forefront here. The guitars are playing too fast to be doom. It's droning but not black metal. The cold baritone croon of the vocals doesn't vary much, but it is so cool that I don't really give a shit.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/light-of-morning-star-cemetery-glow.html

 

6-Garden of Mary-"The Agony in Memory" 

 There a tons of hipsters digging through crates of vinyl and finding the jewels of the 80s, but few are implementing those influences in a way that is meaningful. This band does and more importantly gets where those bands were coming from. There is more to playing this music than just getting the right sound with the right reverb. All to often the emotional component is missing and that is the real jewel this band has walked away with. They are not death rock, but they are dark. Of all the labels you might want to slap on this I suppose post-punk works the best even though there is more of a new wave feel at time thanks to the emotive vocals sit back with the guitars and carry enough melodrama in their croon to convince me. The production is murky, but these guys know how to do it and the vocals don't seem like an after thought. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/06/garden-of-mary-agony-in-memory.html

5-Bootblacks- "Veins"

 More new wave than it's dark wave as it's largely coated in a sheen of plastic. The vocals of this Brooklyn based project stay in a baritone croon that reminded me more of Billy Idol on the first song then get a little less rock and a little more melodramatic on the second. The diligence to the 80s is both a blessing and a curse on this album. It's dialed back and the kind of emotion that made the 80s great  when it came to this kind of thing occurs and it makes you feel like you are in one of those John Hughes films.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/bootblacks-veins.html

4- King Dude - "Sex"

This album so finds things continuing to change as there is often a great deal more drive due to the fact bass plays a much more prominent role in the songs. A new instrument to  Cowgill he bangs on it with the raw power of punk rock. There is a dark and decidedly more goth like feel to  "Who Taught You How to Love". The guitar tone on this song is awesome and the cadaverous croon summoned to tell this story is equally brilliant.I think when he is sticking his black boots into the gothier waters the songs are at their peak and lose some of their focus when delving to far into the weirdness with the exception being "the Girls". Fans will finds something to love quite easily. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/king-dude-sex_13.html

3- Surgical Meth Machine-s/t

 Al is back, this time with a new project that is not under the Ministry banner, though the end result is something not far from the land of rape and honey. He doesn't dip into politics as much this go around and takes jabs at today's internet culture. The second half does take an odd turn so it lives up to Jourgensen's claim that this album is bi-polar. Even though it comes close in terms of aggression it's not a Ministry album and in many ways is more like a punk infused version of Revolting Cocks as the production is not as dense as a Ministry album.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/surgical-meth-machine-st.html



2- Atriarch-"We Are the Dead" 

 This tape release heralds a new era for the band, as they now have two new members in the band handling bass and guitar. With the bass driving a deadpan punk narrative self eulogizes over the lingering guitar. The over all sound here is closer to death rock as it's stripped down. While some of the heavier moments from their catalog play off layers of heaviness, This carries a raw urgency. It does build up into the kind of  cathartic metal explosion we have come to know them for. Atriarch is one of my favorite new band's of the past decade, so I might be protective in regards to changes that might  shift them away from the sound I have come to love. I trust their new direction as it proves that darkness is just as heavy as being metallically heavy. The emotional heaviness is very honest and feels more real than many bands who put on the angst ridden act when they get on stage. I don't feel the same ritualistic approach that they once had, but perhaps the ritual here is more internalized and has become a working part of their sound.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/08/atriarch-we-are-dead.html

1- Youth Code- "Commitment to Complications"

Production wise things have stepped up another level along with the song writing. After a melodic and perhaps dramatic synth intro the kick into the first proper song which kicks more like a rock song energetically than your typical industrial. Unlike your typical industrial there is not an obligatory layer of 90s thrash metal guitar over it. The synths are capable of summoning their own heft. This is in no way saying that there is not metal influence in place or this album isn't heavy. Ben from Goatwhore lends his snarl to the title track. It's interesting as he is not doing anything different from his normal delivery, but it's over a bunch of hammering synths.These kids are the real deal and not just hipsters playing dress up.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/youth-code-commitment-to-complications.html

the Top 10 Pop/ Rock Albums of 2016... So Far this Year

The year is at it's half way point so it is time once again to take a look at what has been the best pop and rock releases of the year so far. Pop and rock are being used to sum up everything that isn't metal, it includes some industrial and post-punk too. This one was much easier than the metal list which is still battling it out as a work in progress. These are based on how well made and performed the album is along with what I have actually been listening to. Rather than put streams or video with each entry there is a link to the full review that contains those.

 10- Death Index
 Carson Cox came out swinging with a more punk take on what he does than what we have heard from Merchandise in recent years.Overall there hasn't been a punk album dark enough to do much for me in sometime so it was good to hear something fresh from a voice I know and love.
 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/02/death-index-st.html

9 Alaric - "End of Mirrors"

 I've been a fan of this band since the whole death rock revival came into my consciousness. Now five years later, my fears that they might have broken up are put to rest making this a very welcome return. All the things that have made them work in the past are in place here. Like a doomed out version of Killing Joke the band plows into the post- apocalyptic wasteland their music conjures. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/alaric-end-of-mirrors.html br />

8- Hex Vessel - "When we are Death" This is way more rock n roll than I thought it would, but this band is fronted by Mat McNerney who we also know as Kvohst the lead singer of Grave Pleasures / Beast Milk. This album finds this project now occupying a more similar sonic space as Grave Pleasures , just dipping into a another decade . http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/hexvessel-when-we-are-death.html

7-Purson- "Desire's Magic Theater"

I've owned the band's previous EP and like what I have from them thus far. While summoning a retro vibe is part of their sound there was more of a hard rock under current to their sound which this new full length turns away from in favor of something that is supposed to be a rock opera aiming for Sgt. Pepper and Ziggy Stardust. Right from the get go it feels like it has more in common with T-Rex before colliding into more of a folkish hippy section midway into the opening song. There is more trippy Beatle like orchestration that meets with the band's previous Jethro Tull like prog leanings well. "Electric Landlady" not only has a clever title, but it pretty convincing trip into the 60's. These guys have more than their fair share of chops to make you a day dream believer. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/purson-desires-magic-theater.html

6- Future- "EVOL"

 This one I never reviewed, but I have listened to a ton, so I am not sure why I didn't review it as I have reviewed plenty of rap and hip-hop on here before, so why not trap rap. The song he does with the Weeknd " Low Life" is enough to earn a place on this list by itself.
 

5- Eagulls-"Ullages"

 The Sophomore effort by the British Post-punk band finds them maturing into a more melodic sound. Their debut had more of a punk energy to it and "Ullages" embraces lush textures of guitar and sharpened sense of song writing that brings a greater emotional depth to the table. The punk in the post-punk equation is taking a back seat much like it would as fellow Brits the Cure would.
http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/05/eagulls-ullages.html

4-Savages- "Adore"

No sophomore slump as this album enjoys the benefits of better production than their debut. The bass is thicker and Jenny Beth's vocals are up front and unencumbered by the mix. "Sad Person" hits a sweet spot between groove and punchy rock. The guitar still flirts with surreal layers leaving the hammer of the bass to carry the weight, but at other times the guitar takes on a much more rock feel than they had before, making this album harder than their first.
 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/savages-adore-life.html

3-Swans- "the Glowing Man"
 This is the last album by this incarnation of the re-vamped Swans. It opens with a darker elegance and a get deal of sonic texture. Gira's croon is a little more refined and less like the rants of "To Be Kind". This comes a little closer to what I want from the band though I enjoyed the albums of this phase of the band, the only thing I haven't liked it the hipster hippie crowd that began to show up post- Bonnaroo thinking they were a jam band and Gira's perhaps unintentional indulgence of this.My only real complaint being the length of  the songs that touch the twenty minute mark, the song writing could have been more efficient  and still gotten the point across, allowing them to jam it out more live if they so choose. Even with the twenty minutes songs Gira remains a master of his domain.
http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/06/swans-glowing-man.html

2- Youth Code- "Commitment to Complications"

 Heavy enough that it could have made it on the metal list, but the lack of guitars keeps it here/ Production wise things have stepped up another level along with the song writing. After a melodic and perhaps dramatic synth intro the kick into the first proper song which kicks more like a rock song energetically than your typical industrial. Unlike your typical industrial there is not an obligatory layer of 90s thrash metal guitar over it. The synths are capable of summoning their own heft. . Ben from Goatwhore lends his snarl to the title track and doesn't really have to switch it up in order to feel at home, but it's over a bunch of hammering synths.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/youth-code-commitment-to-complications.html

1-David Bowie- "Black Star"

 Its sadly funny how the review of this album was posted before his death, and then after his death everyone was changing their profile pictures to the album cover, when they showed little interest in it before he did, or did not even have the awareness of it's release. The lead single and title track opens the album, and found Bowie in a darker and more surreal place than his last album. There is a very experimental ambiance to things that will delight fans of his Brian Eno years. His collections of musicians  ranges from LCD Soundsystem to avant garde jazz , with the jazz contingent weighing more heavily. Now people have tried to look for clues that Bowie was warning people he was about to die. I find it sits nicely along side his body of work and while I still get more spins out of "Young Americans" I never skip past one of these songs when they pop up. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/david-bowie-black-star.html