Sometimes, when you have an idea, a creative vision, it's best to work alone. It's not about being a control freak, but sometimes it's just easier when you know exactly what you want to achieve...like COMBICHRIST for example. Formed in 2003 by Andy LaPlegua, his studio work is his and his alone, only utilising a band for live shows (imagine CELLDWELLER but a bit heavier) and thus far it's been successful. Having toured with the likes of KMFDM and RAMMSTEIN, and even having a full video game soundtrack under their belts (DEVIL MAY CRY) 2016 see's them return with album number 8; "This Is Where Death Begins"...what kind of message is this? Let's find out...
We open up with "We Are The Plague" and really it's quite chilling, almost foreboding. With atmospheric tones plucked straight out of a horror movie, layered with some crunching guitar riffs, it's more standard heavy as opposed to the industrial we are accustomed to and it's a solid no nonsense introduction.
"My Life My Rules" gets things going with the Combichrist we all know and love, it's heavy, it's regimented and yet it carries with it a rough melody and for it's genre it's catchy, almost harking back to the likes of POWERMAN 5000 in places. Likewise, album highlight "SkullCrusher" stands out as a potentially huge rock-club floor filler, this is big on chorus and has a hell of a beat going on, this is good stuff right here!
Elsewhere slower tracks such as "Time Again" and "Blackened Heart" provide ample head bang-worthy filler but, not at all in a negative way, this is enjoyable let me tell you, while things are kept fresh with the addition of MOTIONLESS IN WHITE vocalist Chris Motionless on "Pay To Play". "Slakt" has an almost APOCALYPTICA style frenetic energy to it, if cello's sounded like angry Terminator's that is...before we finish up on "Homeward". A brooding, almost despairing track, giving not only this album but this chapter of Combichrist closure if you will...it's beautiful in it's own morbid way.
Following on from 2014's "We Love You", it appears as though Combichrist are on a run of good form, there's a momentum behind them. From start to finish this is a solid album; it retains the industrial tones expected of the genre but manages to avoid sounding pigeonholed or even niche. If this is where death begins, then thank (Combi) Christ for that, death could be much, much worse. [7]
We open up with "We Are The Plague" and really it's quite chilling, almost foreboding. With atmospheric tones plucked straight out of a horror movie, layered with some crunching guitar riffs, it's more standard heavy as opposed to the industrial we are accustomed to and it's a solid no nonsense introduction.
"My Life My Rules" gets things going with the Combichrist we all know and love, it's heavy, it's regimented and yet it carries with it a rough melody and for it's genre it's catchy, almost harking back to the likes of POWERMAN 5000 in places. Likewise, album highlight "SkullCrusher" stands out as a potentially huge rock-club floor filler, this is big on chorus and has a hell of a beat going on, this is good stuff right here!
Elsewhere slower tracks such as "Time Again" and "Blackened Heart" provide ample head bang-worthy filler but, not at all in a negative way, this is enjoyable let me tell you, while things are kept fresh with the addition of MOTIONLESS IN WHITE vocalist Chris Motionless on "Pay To Play". "Slakt" has an almost APOCALYPTICA style frenetic energy to it, if cello's sounded like angry Terminator's that is...before we finish up on "Homeward". A brooding, almost despairing track, giving not only this album but this chapter of Combichrist closure if you will...it's beautiful in it's own morbid way.
Following on from 2014's "We Love You", it appears as though Combichrist are on a run of good form, there's a momentum behind them. From start to finish this is a solid album; it retains the industrial tones expected of the genre but manages to avoid sounding pigeonholed or even niche. If this is where death begins, then thank (Combi) Christ for that, death could be much, much worse. [7]
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