Till Lindemann : "Zunge"

 The singer from Rammstein debuted his solo album last month, He had help from Sky Van Hoff of Machinemade God who has also produced albums for Rammstein, as well as other German metal bands like Kreator and Caliban. Carach Angren keyboardist Clemens Wijers also lent a hand to things. The title track takes things slower to get warmed up than "Sport Frei" which bounces to life with a more orchestral backdrop. Guitars are present and synths drive things though the first two songs feel less industrial than Rammstein. "Altes Fleisch" has more of an industrial groove to it thanks to the synths. The song also flows better than the first two, which are still well-written, but get almost too grandiose.

"Ubers Meer" is somewhat anthemic. The vocals are more thoughtful. His delivery is consistent with what he normally does for his day job, though I am surprised he is not singing more since the songs were solely written to showcase him as a singer. Sometimes things move at more of a waltz and in case you did not know a waltz is not an industrial time signature, as the machine-like nature of industrial music requires it to be staccato. 'Tanzleherin" is more of a German folk song. It works off acoustic guitar, but the positive to this is he sings more. I can not fault him for wanting to explore other kinds of music when venturing out on his own. 

"Nass" almost sounds like a German take on Loud Reeds " Walk on the Wildside" before it kicks in. It goes in both a heavier and darker direction which works for me. We also get to hear him sing more forcefully. It might be the best display of his talents thus far. There are some more dramatic moments on this album where he sounds like Joel Grey in "Cabaret".  "Schweiss" finds a more grooving dynamic setting it, though dipped in the expected melodrama. "Lecker" packs a little more punch, but sounds like most radio rock when the hook comes in. 

Then the album drops into balladry. I mean I wanted to hear him actually sing more, but did not want the equivalent of "Home Sweet Home". I do not hate ballads, but it's easy for them to become boring. "Rodel" picks the pace up, almost to the point of sounding like something you might hear at the Germany exhibit in EPCOT. I will give this album an 8.5, it has some strong moments and more often than not delivers what you want from him even without Rammstein. 

Gothtober- the Top 10 Industrial Albums of 2022

Industrial music is the much-needed herald for the looming apocalypse, the news networks conveniently seem to ignore. This year industrial is getting its own list. In the past it was lumped into goth or electronic.  Much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. The fact these artists 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, you look forward to listening to it again. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 industrial albums of 2022

10- Suicide Commando-"Goddestrucktor" 

The 10th album from Belgium's dark industrial aggrotech. With lyrics like " kill all humanity" opening the album I am onboard for the message they are spreading this time around.  I appreciate the use of samples on this album, it reminds me of Electric Hellfire Club. The darkness is reignited for this album. 

Abysmal Hymns: Suicide Commando : ""Goddestruktor"

9-Celldweller-" Satellites" 

Klayton is back with the fifth album from this project that's he has kept in motion since the 2003 debut. Almost 20 years of smartly written industrial strength electronic based hard rock. Sometimes cross over more into nu-metal in the early days but written with more finesse than bands who are household names now. This time there is a touch of metal in his mind, He barks out some of the vocals and sings other in a manner that is more familiar.  He is great at creating almost robotic vocal harmonies he can flip into a hook. A talent he has continued to refine on this album. 

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Celldweller : "Satellites"

8-Rabbit Junk-"Apocalypse for Beginners" 

These guys are on the fun trailer park nu-metal side of industrial. The emphasis on fun. Very groove and hook oriented. Growled vocals collide with almost dub-step sounds. Industrial music should be equal parts apocalypse and catchy melodies contrasting the militant crunch.

Abysmal Hymns: Gothtober- Rabbit Junk : "Apocalypse for Beginners"

7-Luminous Vault -"Animate the Emptiness" 

This is not merely just another sludged out metal band working in industrial, nor is it industrial revivalist fare, which tends to be less ballsy than what goes down here. The death metal rasp tends to give things a more metallic feel. They quickly prove the drum machines were not going to be weak, and they would not just be playing against the monochrome dynamics of a preset drum pattern.

Abysmal Hymns: Luminous Vault : " Animate the Emptiness"

6-Psyclon Nine-"Less to Heaven" 

The 7th album from the dark industrial projects, continues down a similar path though the focus this time around leans more toward gritty electronic beats and the darker vocals seething from the shadows rather than the almost black metal screeching we have heard from them on some of their past releases.

Abysmal Hymns: Psyclon Nine : "Less to Heaven:

 

5-Rammstein-"Zeit" 

The band's 8th album came about as a result of their touring being cancelled due to the pandemic. The 9bum opens with synths overpowering guitars in the mix. I can appreciate that they are not just rehashing the classics

 

Abysmal Hymns: Rammstein : "Zeit"

4-KMFDM- "Hyena"

22 albums later and KMFDM is doing it again. This might be the band's most rock n roll album. Yes, there are electronic elements in place. The guitars do not bring the synchronized crunch that once had them labelled as an industrial band. Sonically it has more in common with My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, as it is more fun loving and less aggressive militant guitars

Abysmal Hymns: KMFDM : " Hyëna"

3-HEALTH -"Disc4 Part 2"

HEALTH is back with another collaborative album, the first part of this somehow flew under the radar here or I figured it to be a remix album so did not give it much thought. The choice of collaborators normally draws from the right of center names in heavy adjacent hipster electro you might expect. These kids are cool so they are not going to have guys like Slipknot or Motionless in White on their shit.

Abysmal Hymns: HEALTH : "Disco4: Part II "

2-Black Magnet - " Body Prophecy" 

This project gets right what many of the industrial revivalists downplay at best, altogether ignore more often than not, which is the influence metal had in brining industrial music to the masses. There is far too little guitar in most. Here there is not only more guitar, but more aggressive vocals that pack a heavier punch with their anger. All of the iconic elements come together in perfect apocalyptic unison

Abysmal Hymns: Black Magnet: " Body Prophecy"

1-Author & Punisher-"KRÜLLER"

This is a more organic and atmospheric feeling album than any of Shore's previous releases. The more experimental touches that detract from the song writing are balanced out by the songs where he really goes above and beyond by striving to push himself as a singer and a song writer rather than just being the guy who makes music with machines

Abysmal Hymns: Author & Punisher : "KRÜLLER"

Rammstein : "Zeit"

 

The band's 8th album came about as a result of their touring being cancelled due to the pandemic. The 9bum opens with synths overpowering guitars in the mix, which I can appreciate due to the fact that it is not the band just rehashing the classics. The title track is a dramatic power ballad which works well enough, I prefer the first song as this one follows a safe formula. There is a less ballad like feel to "Schwarz". It is not until "Giftig" that follow that is band is back in a direction with more in common with their harder driving classic sound that could be defined as industrial, where the two previous songs might have more in common with VNV Nation. 

"Zick Zack" fins the band back in a more comfortable groove. The guitar reminds me more of Megadeth's "Symphony of Destruction".  The vocals are more sung in the chorus, which I prefer over his more typical almost spoken narrative. Not unlike the tone of the singles from their previous album "OK" flirts closely with mainstream rock n roll, though through a filter of Liabach.  After this they go into an introspective moment full of teenage girl drama that feels more like Evanescence, but his purr keeps things marginally darker. It is not until the predictably named "Angst' that the guitars are crunching down with more menace. 

Then things take an odd turn with the feel of a 1940s marching band during a press clip brightens up the edges of "Dicke Titten". It is out to rock more often than not which with these guys is all I am asking for here if we can keep the pianos out o the studio that would be great. "Lagen" took a couple listens to grow on me while it does work off a more subdued dynamic, I love what they do with the vocal effects on this one. I f I had to guess and not check the credits on Wiki, my best would be on a pop producer from Europe was on the board. But no, it's Olsen who they have worked with before. This album is more polished, the last song is what it might sound like if Disney made an animated musical about Nazis being the good guys in another reality. I will give it a 9.5, and see how it sits with me, these guys are total pros, so I was pretty sure they were not going to just put out garbage and they have stuck to their standard though perhaps more sentimental.   

The Best Albums of 2019 ...So far

It is that time of the year. We are half way into 2019 so here is a look at the albums that have been released so far.By best , I have already done a best of metal list, so this represents genres that are not metal. So it spans from pop to indie rock.Their placement is based off of score of review and how much did I actually listen to something, as all the cool critics can claim an album is important , but if it doesn't make you want to listen to it all the time then how good can it be. How many of these will stand up over the next six months to come. Experience with these shows at least half, which is typically the bulk of the top five. Did not include samples of the music those can be found on the links to the reviews I posted alongside the entries.   So if you want to read more about them or hear them use those urls to go to the full review.

10-Conny Ochs-"Doom Folk"

 Genre- folk His songwriting is pretty remarkable. It's like if you took 60s pop songs and made them darker. In some ways it's like stripped stoner rock in others it's like the AOR out of California in 70s but on different drugs.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/01/conny-ochs-doom-folk.html

9- Health - "Slaves of Fear"


 Genre- Electronic

 This album is the first without guitarist Jupiter Keys and their is a noted change in their over all sound. It starts of in a harsher more experimental direction and waits til "Feel Nothing " to get focused on the kind of songs that originally won me over. It's equal parts pop and industrial.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/02/health-slaves-of-fear.html

8-Frontlime Assembly -"Wake Up the Coma"


 The project's 20th album finds them pumping out what you would want from them. Aggressive dystopian dance music with slithering grooves. The first departure from their tried and true formula is on their cover of Falco's " Rock Me Amadeus" with Jimmy Urine from Mindless Self Indulgence on vocals.

 Genre- Industrial

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/02/frontline-assembly-wake-up-coma.html

7- Gold- "Why Aren't You Laughing?" <- -="" 4th="" a="" abysmalhymns.blogspot.com="" adding="" album="" and="" are="" aren="" atmosphere="" br="" can="" depth="" feeling.="" few="" first="" for="" from="" genre="" gold-why-arent-you-laughing.html="" gold="" hear="" https:="" indie="" introspective.="" laughing="" little="" making="" moments="" more="" most="" of="" right="" rock="" s="" t="" the="" them="" they="" vocals="" what="" while="" why="" works="" you="">

If you told me this was from the 4AD archives I would believe you.There is a similar sonic intensity to "the Garlands" where the more some fey vocals were cast against a more aggressive backdrop.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/03/gold-why-arent-you-laughing.html

6- New Years Day - "Unbreakable"

Genre- hard rock

I have typically liked what this band does. Ash Costello's vocals seem to get better with every album. Slick arena sounding production helps the overall sound, but it is the hook in their choruses that really sells it.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/04/new-years-day-unbreakable.html

5- Low Dose - s/t />

 Genre - Grunge

 The guys from Fight Amp have formed a new band with singer , guitarist Itarya Rosenberg, that owes more to 90s alternative than pumped up noise rock. Not that some of the more pounding angular bit are not there, along with punk influences, but they have more in common with L7 thanks to Rosenberg.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/03/low-dose-st.html

4 Rammstein- "s/t" 

 After 10 years these guys are back. No line up changes. Their sound is still intact, They have not changed with the times, but still feel fresh. Perhaps the only thing that different is some of the synth sounds. They are worked in a way that is very true to the band.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/05/rammstein-st.html

3-Miley Cyrus - "She is Coming"


 Genre- Pop

 Drugs made thing darker for Miley and her music was rewarded by this. I can leave this album on and just let it play . It's hard to mine there could be a pop album that is better than this one


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/06/report-to-dance-floor-miley-cyrus-she.html

2-Brutus- "Nest" 

 Genre- Indie Rock

 It is impressive that as a trio they are kicking up this amount of noise and their singer Stefanie is also playing the drums. She has a pretty good voice that at times makes me imagine that this is how Bjork might sound if she decided to play punk. I guess this is post-punk, but not in the sense that they want to be Siouxsie and the Banshees.It's more like dashes of post-rock atmosphere are thrown against taunt punk temper tantrums

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/03/brutus-nest.html

1-Morrissey- "California Son"

" Genre - rock

 The strength of the vocal performances on this album gives it an edge. Obviously if you are a regular reader you know I am a huge Morrissey fan, that does not mean I am going to just give him a free pass, in fact the bar is raised higher and he pretty much comes back in full force and nails better than he has since perhaps "Ringleader of the Tormentors.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/05/morrissey-california-son.html

Rammstein : " s/t"

After 10 years these guys are back. No line up changes. Their sound is still intact, They have not changed with the times, but still feel fresh. Perhaps the only thing that different is some of the synth sounds. They are worked in a way that is very true to the band. The album opens with the first two singles from the band. They are both very catchy yet not pandering to a wider audience. Either you like what they do or you don't. They are too comfortable with themselves to give a fuck. "Zeig Dich" is more aggressive. It holds a dynamic tension to it's driving beat and thrash guitar. There is more of a techno thump to "Auslander" . It might be as darkly triumphant as the first few songs. The vocals always keep a militant grip to things, but this more upbeat.

They continue on a more upbeat vibe with "Sex". This time with a dose of arena rock. This really high lights how big the production of this album sounds. "Puppe" finds them using dynamics that make this song row darker as it progresses. It also deviates from their standard formula. "Was Ich Liebe"  works off a soaring chorus and enough of the reich n roll we need from these guys. "Dia Mant"is a ballad with  more nuance to the singing. The electronics become more dominant on " Weit Weg" which plays of the strength of their song writing and how they use familiar sounds with a fresh spin on them to reinvent their wheels.

 "Tattoo" works off of solid drumming and a more metallic intent. Their are some really good bass tones on the his album and the last song opens with one of them. IT doesn't  venture as far from the formula as some of the songs, but if it is not broken then why fix it. These guys do that without being and AC/ DC or Motorhead and recycling the same old same old. I will go ahead and round this up to a 10 as the songs that did not feel perfet to me are really just a matter of growing on me. These guys prove why they are at the top of the heap when it comes to industrial metal bands spawned from the 90s.

The Top 100 Albums From the 90s : 100 to 91

Living up to my word here's the top 100 albums from the 90s starting with 100 to 91. The deciding factor on these albums isn't how many they sold or how critical acclaim they received , but how they have stood the test of time and how much I find myself listening to them decades later.


  100- Mogwai -"Come on Die Young" One thing I reflected upon in regards to the 90s while I was making this list is that they were a decade in which I did not take a sober breath. So one of the big questions asked of music during this time was... "How does it sound when I'm high? "...Here is a band that passed that test with flying colors, they are from the days when post-rock wasn't a thing, this dreamy drug soundtrack bubbled into my mind.

 

99- AFI - "Black Sails in the Sunset" I remember thinking , these guys kinda sound like LA Guns. They brought cock rock vocals into hard core punk, before inspiring Myspace bands to do the same a decade later.

 


98-Skid Row - "Slave to the Grind" 


A more metallic swan song to the days of hair metal and an album that helped us transition out of the 80s once and for all. These guys were always harder than other hair bands, I saw Pantera open up for them on this tour.

   

97- the Refused- "The Shape of Punk to Come" Little did they know how prophetic this album title was. More scream than emo.

 

  96-Agalloch - "Pale Folklore" 1999 ? Shit there are bands still trying to catch up to these guys. This displays more of their folk side than they currently embrace.

 


95-King Diamond- "the Eye" This came out on the heels of the first three albums, which are classics. It might not be the first King Diamond album I grab to listen to, but it has held up better than some that came after it.He never really fit into the 90s as the 80s epic Iron Maiden vibe drenched in Halloween was more of his thing.



94-Dimmu Borgir - "Spiritual Black Dimensions" The second wave of black metal might have come out of Norway in the 90s , but that didn't mean Americans were listening to no matter how cvlt they claim to be at best you were listening to Deicide or Incantation, I known I was working at a record store when this came out and it took blast beats a minute to grow on me. This is the first album that would cement what would become their classic sound.




93- Death Angel - "Act III" We might fondly think of these guys as old school thrashers carrying the flame now, but this album symbolized the nail in the coffin for thrash as it now only had a power ballad that sounded more like "Under the Bridge" than "One", but this was before "Under the Bridge" had even come out. It's what happened when the Anthrax skate -shorts wearing metal hit the West Coast.



92-Rammstein -"Sehnsucht" Yes... the album with "Du Hast", though most of the other songs on this album are better than that. These guys still party like its 1996. I prefer the songs where he sings and the whole stiff German thing doesn't do it for me like some of the more grooving parts. Held up much better over the years than Fear Factory.




91- Vast - "Video Sensory Audio Theater" These guys held up better over the years than Stabbing Westward and when you put this album on aside from some of the sequencing. When this album came out it took me a minute to get into it. "Touched" was their calling card and compared to what some other bands were doing it didn't seem all that heavy, but the songwriting proved to be good for girl friend metal.