Seattle, Washington may be famed for its contributions to grunge when talking about alternative music, but there’s more to the Emerald City than miserable vocals and despondent guitar tones…sometimes other genres are allowed to raise their, UGLYHEAD if you will? Yes Uglyhead are the brainchild of sound engineer / producer Jake Alejo, and while in their formative years (With Jake being the primary member using only session / backing musicians for certain shows) they only really got airplay on late night college radio shows, it wasn’t too long before he got picked up by Automation Records for his 2007 debut. With more label backing, some additional EP’s and even finding a soundtrack placement on “Greg Hasting’s Paintball 2” for Wii, Xbox and PS3, he soon gained more and more momentum. 2019 finds Jake continuing on his path of noise experimentation with the brand new EP entitled “Disembodied” (Scheduled for release April 26th), collaborating with PIG / JULIEN-K percussionist Galen Walling…let’s check it out…

The EP opens up with a double-barrelled head-fuck of “Here But Not Here” and “There But Not There”…the former offering a light, synth-driven lead countering off-kilter programming and percussion over some raspy, manipulated vocals. The tone is dark despite the subtle joviality of the electronica as he sings of ghostly apparitions, and it’s quite the creepy opener, while the latter transitions into some vocal distortion and an up-tempo instrumental fill. There’s  a lot more urgency to this track and you get more of a feel for the industrial influences…some of the wailing is hard to differentiate from twisted sampling, with the dark dub elements and a certain EDM vibe, blended well with gothic techno. Overall a decent if not expected start…

The title track then takes on a much more, sinister, subdued pace as it skulks along sounding as if musically trapped somewhere between vaudevillian MARILYN MANSON and early ORGY aesthetically…the hypnotic tones allowing for the conceptual outer-body experience as is the theme of the EP, and while not the most entertaining of tracks musically, it’s moody and atmospheric in its own right, and really wouldn’t feel out of place on one of “The Crow” soundtracks. Sadly then we’re given “Too Real For Love” and it’s here the EP starts to struggle on the home stretch…over seven minutes long, the deeply foreboding synths can only maintain their aura for so long and it’s not long before this track seems to just drone on miserably, until closing track “The Funhole” (I’m not even kidding) literally takes up the arse-end of the EP; another slow, off-key pulsing piece of warbling electronica, and echoed, barely discernible vocals.

Jake may have aimed for transcendence with his blend of deep alternative techno, but his proposed outer-body experience sadly stays very much within the confines of your skull, resulting in a headache upon sitting through the whole EP. Things started off really quite promisingly, all things considered with this genre of music, but the last two tracks sadly leak one out the aforementioned funhole and soil the EP. Regardless of what the opening tracks suggest, unless you're a fan of say, ALIEN SEX FIEND for example, it’s neither here OR there. [3]

Idea’s and plans are great when they work out, but sometimes life throws little curve-balls at you causing delays in getting to your overall destination or goal. This is the case for London progressive metal outfit KHAIDIAN; originally formed in 2010 by founding members, guitarist John Tyrell (Formerly of INTERLOCK) and bassist Joe Perunal (MORTAD) it’s fair to say it’s taken them a little while to really get the ball rolling.

After initially completing their line up with vocalist Andy Hutton, having consciously made a point to avoid all of the expected ‘screamy / growly’ vocals, and drummer Paul Fowler, everything was set for them to release their debut album back in 2016…however, Paul then  decided to up and leave throwing a massive fucking spanner in the works. This led to a year of frantically searching for an able replacement but finally, in 2018, they got what they were looking for in the shape of GRAVIL’s own Kris Perrin. Now, in early 2019 the band are FINALLY ready to try again, as they unleash their long-awaited debut “Penumbra” onto the world. The question is, was it REALLY worth the wait?

The seven-track mini-album opens up with “Pearls Before Swine” and we’re greeted with the deep-rumblings of the djent inspired riffs, coupled with an almost up-tempo thrash metal intensity…though it’s balanced by the subtle but icy synths layered within the tracks tapestry, while Andy’s vocals carry the bulk of the melody with their promised, clean delivery. Recent single “Dominion” continues in the same fashion with its poly-rhythmic, off-kilter riff offerings; the progressive influences shine through here and fans of the likes of MESHUGGAH and TOOL will likely appreciate this one.

“Thrive” delves deeper into the bands electronic influences as it incorporates a more subtle techno / light industrial vibe within the tracks intro, being used sparingly then throughout the course of the track, giving their sound extra character but not detracting from their overall prog-metal sound. The same can be said for “Sense Of The Spherical” as it continues to add more layers of instrumentation…with the synths providing a more hushed, atmospheric tone, while the pacing and general style of the track allows for more, almost dub-qualities, before closing track “Dramatic Professions Of Martyrdom” rounds the album off as it started; up-tempo and harder hitting, before essentially just meandering off.

The initial question was, was this all worth the wait at the end of the day, and truthfully it’s a bit 50/50. While musically and instrumentally the band are clearly on fine form; they’ve taken a djent-inspired prog-metal blueprint and melded it, albeit minimally, with other styles and pulled off a decent prog-metal album…it’s oxymoronic that the band CHOSE to eschew any potentially clichéd growled vocals, as really it’s the missing ingredient. While I’m not suggesting they COMPLETELY change their sound just to include all dem’ snarls…but the added aggression would have elevated at least some of these tracks. Penumbra by name, and that’s appropriate as it’s a shadow of what it potentially could be. [5]

If you cast your mind back to a little over a month ago, I shared a review covering an artist by the name of THE ANIX…initially forwarded to me by the team over at FiXT, it highlighted their steady expansion as they slowly build up their label roster with newer, outside artists. While musically it didn’t differ a GREAT deal from their already established acts, it was promising nevertheless…and today we’re going to be looking at another of their newest signings; let me introduce to you SOUL EXTRACT.

Originally based out of Atlanta, Georgia, Soul Extract is the creation of composer Josh Mullis and he formed the project way back in 1998! With certain setbacks however it’s taken a fair amount of time for his music to see the light of day, but now, confident and comfortable on the FiXT roster, he’s able to share his hard work and efforts through the album “Circadian Algorithm”; both his label and musical debut…let’s check it out.

The album opens up with “Project Terraform” and immediately you’re swept into a grandiose, almost cinematic musical score; intense and dramatic string elements backing a slowly emanating techno wave. It’s the kind of instrumentation that would easily find itself slotted into a Transformers movie or something akin to that….vocally switching back and forth between cleaner, synth fuelled segments and angst-ridden screams; it fits in perfectly well with the likes of CELLDWELLER and also reminds me of more local acts such as CLEAR THE AUDITORIUM. Follow up track “Decryption” takes us back to Extract’s formative years and here you can clearly hear some of that early nu-metal influence. Josh openly cites LINKIN PARK as an inspiration and you can clearly hear that within not only the vocals of this track, which are a nice homage to Chester at this point, but you can hear it within the composition and instrumentation too, with some of riffs and electronic touches sounding like they’ve come straight out of the “Meteora” writing sessions.

The nu-metal influence can also be heard on the likes of “Take Another” with the vocals giving off a subtle KORN vibe, alongside the slower, more crunchier instrumentation, mirroring artists such as ADEMA to boot. Speaking of slowing things down, “Oblivion” offers a far more chilling, mellow synth-heavy pop affair; with its anti-ballad qualities, mixing icy piano keys with a bold chorus and an orchestral climatic flurry, allows for a laid back but luxurious listen. Elsewhere “Aphotic Destiny” if nothing else taught me a new word today, however its pulsing techno perfectly suits its title, as it metaphorically submerges you into the deepest, darkest watery depths, before closing track “Singularity” rounds things off with more Celldweller-inspired, vocally raw, orchestral-tinged electronic rock.

Aesthetically this album is a nice little nostalgia trip for the most part, merging those early electro-rock influences with the more modern production value found through working with FiXT. While musically fine, if anything is to be noted as a negative it’s the track length; nothing here is under four minutes long, resulting in a ten-track album sounding far longer than it actually is. Condense one or two of these down and you could have some decent singles to promote off of the back of this, and that’s about the only real issue going forward. Other than that, it’s a fine record and nice way to maybe coax some more nu-metal fans towards the FiXT brand. [6]

The place you grow up, the place you call home very often has an impact on your outlook on life, easily shaping who you can become, and this can ring true with certain styles of music too. Just take BLACK SABBATH for instance, out of the poverty of working class Birmingham in the late 60’s and early 70’s, they arguably crafted heavy metal as we know it today; using their surroundings and social standing to fuel their bleak brand of heavier blues rock…well this can also be said of today’s band; THE BALANCE FACTOR. Formed in Gary, Indiana, just 25 miles outside of Chicago, The Balance Factor (Consisting of vocalist John Yaney, guitarists Heath Reid and Jason Zeilstra, bassist Aaron Brown and drummer Jonas Doran) have for years been surrounded by a booming steel industry, that over time faded away through job loss, political corruption and racial segregation, as America looked to import cheaper steel, killing industrial cities such as Gary.

Very much like Ozzy and co before them however, they’ve put all this to good use and started writing music which leads us to the here and now; following on from 2016’s debut album “Here I Am”, they return with a brand new EP by the name of “Ouroboros”…perfectly summing up their situation and up-bringing with a symbolic gesture of creation born from destruction…artistically poignant, or are they just chasing their own tails? Let’s find out…The EP opens up with the imaginatively titled “Introduction” and to be honest; while I’m not a fan of intro’s generally I do appreciate the no-nonsense approach here. The minute and a half of TV static, broken channel reception and police sirens portraying a state of unrest and uncertainty; a level of chaos, as it transitions into lead single “Killafornia”…and god how I wish Arnold Schwarzenneger was a part of this. It’s a word tailor made for a Terminator parody that hopefully AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE will pick up someday. The track itself is a brilliantly rugged blend of hard rock and early 2000’s nu-metal; it's coarse production quality with a more melodic chorus combining elements that would appeal to the likes of ORGY and at points MUSHROOMHEAD; a promising start.

Follow up track “Hypochondriac” jumps straight out of that same era quite frankly with its underlying techno elements and angst-ridden style of riff-heavy rock…a little repetitive for the most part and the vocals do seem off during the chorus, but the guitar solo delivers well it has to be said, an unexpected surprise in an otherwise grating track. “Arrows In My Heart”, the longest on offer here is itself too let down by some off-putting vocals…again harking back to Orgy, they’ve opted for an almost, mechanical /  filtered vocal recording but John’s no Jay Gordon I’ll say that much, he’s too off-key too often. The sudden switch then to album highlight “Die For Another Day” is very welcome, as it opens up with an almost trad-goth / post-punk guitar tone, with layers of piano giving it extra character, coupled with the chorus’ rhythmic hooks and a more pop-based vibe, it’s incredibly catchy while still retaining the raw rock elements, before closing track “Taken By Surprise” sounds like it could have easily been taken out of the “Queen Of The Damned” soundtrack, musically having similarities to “Redeemer” in places, rounding things up on a somewhat nostalgic note.

The band themselves cite influences such as NINE INCH NAILS, MARILYN MANSON and TOOL but listening to this EP we find them to be nowhere near as profound or creatively edgy, and instead we find them more closely resembling the lesser end of the Nu-metal gene pool…I mentioned Orgy but you’ve also got the likes of ADEMA and POWERMAN 5000 layered within these songs, bands that saturated a trend as opposed to setting one. Yes it’s nice to listen back fondly to that era, but to ironically paraphrase Trent Reznor, it’s just a copy of a copy of an already ridiculed genre. Silver linings, The Balance Factor are still better than the fucking X factor…[6]

Omne trium perfectum…no, before you ask I’ve not been to Hogwarts and that isn’t a spell for perfectly cooked three-egg omelettes…but it is in fact the Latin for ‘the rule of three’. As the saying goes, the best things come in three’s, at least that’s the common conception anyway, and what better way to explore this, than the trusty trilogy…let’s look at some examples. There’s the pioneering “Carnosaur”, that so heavily influenced “Jurassic Park” to the point that came out just FOUR WEEKS later, so inspired was Spielberg…there’s the “Star Wars” prequels with the phenomenal Jar Jar Binks…and then there’s “Jackass”, which has some of the strongest story telling ever put to the big screen. What’s that? I’m being facetious? Me?

The point I’m trying to make is that for everything that’s good in the world, it’ll have an opposite, and that sometimes three isn’t necessarily always the magic number (Even one in some cases), and to explore this further today we’ll be looking at NINE INCH NAILS and the new mini-album “Bad Witch”. Front man Trent Reznor initially started messing around with some ideas back in 2016 which later became the EP “Not The Actual Events”, which was a decent extended play that followed “Hesitation Marks” really quite well thematically as a stand-alone slab of bonus NIN…but he went on to reveal it was to be the first of  trilogy. This was soon followed up by 2017’s “Add Violence” which despite starting strong, soon found itself going further down the electro-prog rabbit hole, before we wound up in there here and now. All that’s left to find out now is, on a scale of one to ten (One being Sabrina and ten being Gruntilda) how bad IS the witch?

We open up positively, and more importantly promisingly, with “Shit Mirror” and we’re instantly met with the gritty, grainy, riff-heavy bitterness that we’ve come to love from Reznor; his tortured vocals iconic as ever, while the clap-along percussion provides an up-beat tempo, yet it also harbours an almost QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE type bluesy, stoner rock vibe, subtly layered within…until a brief pause, before the track ends irritatingly on a loop, ultimately spoiling all initial momentum. “Ahead Of Ourselves” opts for a more pulsing, droning, drum ‘n’ bass approach…before slowly ascending into an almost, aggrotech barrage…combining Reznor’s penchant for the industrial with more jungle elements, before the instrumental “Play The Goddamned Part” takes us on a journey of disorientating, progressive jazz-infused electronica…the psychedelic jam-session rich in distortion and the use of brass is on the verge of haunting as it relentlessly pierces your ears.

This continues with “God Break Down The Door” and while it retains certain drum ‘n’ bass elements it also contains certain qualities found in DAVID BOWIE’s “Blackstar”…albeit more up-tempo. The tone, the vibe, the almost trance-like nature of its delivery, backed up with those soft jazz influences, it almost finds itself bridging the two all the while remaining entirely separate concepts and entities. “I’m Not From This World” is another instrumental that works on the gradual build; appropriately sounding much like a score from a sci-fi movie, you could easily imagine being stalked along the decks of a space station to this before getting brutally skull-fucked by an alien…before closing track “Over And Out” brings us back down to Earth with its long, drawn-out, sweeping dreamscapes. So how bad is this witch? Upon first listen, it’s an uncomfortable and frustrating wall of noise and ideas mangled into a 30 minute record, and although repeat listens do draw out its nuances, this is more of an art-rock piece that needs your undivided attention, as oppose to an album with choice cuts. On that scale of 1 to 10, I wouldn’t go as far as Gruntilda, but I certainly wouldn’t need to think twice about dropping a house on this son of a witch and stealing her ruby slippers…[4]

German Goth-metal gods LORD OF THE LOST returned recently with their brand new studio album “Thornstar”, which came out August 3rd via Napalm Records. I had the opportunity to have a quick chat with long-time bassist Klaas Helmecke (AKA Class Grenayde) about the album, touring plans and German metal…here’s what he had to say;

Klaas, thank you so much for taking the time to have a quick chat, how are you?

“Hey Gav! Thank you for asking, me and the guys are having a great time; our new record recently hit the Official Album Charts at number 6!”

Congratulations that's awesome! Now, as one of the core members of LOTL alongside Chris, you’ve been here since back in 2007 where the band formed in Hamberg, Germany…for those newly discovering you, how did the band come to light?

“I was the first member with Chris starting the idea of the band in 2007; Chris came up with the idea to make his own music with a band formed out of friends. We always wanted to have a band together, so i was the first person to ask. We released our first record with Chris’ music in 2009… from that day on we’ve played as many shows as we can, touring our asses off and released quite a lot of records, videos and other stuff. And we never get rid of it. We love what we do!”

It’s easy to jump straight to RAMMSTEIN when people think of German metal, but Germany has always had a rich heritage in heavy music, who inspired you in those formative years and what’s the scene like in Hamburg?

“Rammstein was an inspiration for us, that’s for sure! But the inspiration didn’t only come from German music. And also not even only from Metal or Goth music. If we speak of Chris as the mastermind and main writer in the band, he got also a lot of inspiration from bands like ROXETTE, AEROSMITH and stuff like that. Talking about the German music scene, especially the Hamburg scene, we are not having so many upcoming artists these days. Rap is actually booming like all over the world and if i think of Hamburg bands i always come back to bands like HELLOWEEN, GAMA RAY and bands like that. We hope that  someday people naturally name us in the same way, speaking of Hamburg bands.” 

In the ten+ years you’ve been together you’ve been quite prolific it has to be said; aside from a number of EP’s, compilations and live DVD’s you’ve also just released your 6th studio album “Thornstar”, which we’ll touch on shortly…what keeps you motivated to produce and what fuels those creative juices so efficiently?

“Some people need to write to be alive. Chris is somebody like that; he’s got some sort of creative overflow, from which he can take as much creativity from as needed; that’s a blessing for all of us. And everybody else is giving their parts and knows how to complete the final product.”

Coming back to “Thornstar”, aside from being a great listen it seems to be a solid concept album with plenty of religious overtones, with tracks such as “On This Rock…”, “Black Halo” and “Naxxar”…what was the inspiration for the record?

“There is an old mythology about the Pangaeians, a culture that got almost forgotten in time. This record is based on the stories and legends around this culture. It was tough to find material about it. You really have to dig deep in libraries and this new thing called the internet.” 

Given LOTL’s blend of dark Gothic rock and classical, often orchestral tones, concepts around religion and folklore can offer so much room for creativity with resource in abundance; do you find it’s a natural fit? With the deluxe edition having an additional 7 tracks it seems you had plenty of material heading into the studio!

“We always added orchestral elements to our music, with Chris and Gared for example; having classical backgrounds in their musical education. And since especially Chris having such and endless output we got too many good songs in our hands! The additional 7 songs are as good as the rest. They just made it ‘ONLY’ on CD 2 because they are less related to the mythology; which the main album is all about.”

To mark the album’s release you’re heading out on an extensive European tour leading through winter, including 5 dates here in the UK in November which I’m personally looking forward to; what can your fans expect from the upcoming shows? Are you looking forward to blending the new tracks in alongside classics like “Sex On Legs”?

“Of course we will play new songs, but since we didn’t play so often in the UK yet, the people also deserve to enjoy our ‘classics’. We’ll play the best compilation of our songs we can to kick everybody’s asses!”

With the tour already booked deep into March of next year, your current long term focus is clearly on promotion, can fans outside of Europe look forward to catching you somewhere in 2019 too or are those plans still in development?

“We always plan to reach out in the world as far as we can. We’ve got good plans in our pockets to come around a lot, and we always appreciate promoters all over the world that say ‘Hi’ and invite us to come over and play. If we can travel and reach out to our fans worldwide, we are happy!”

Class, thank you for your time, and all the best with the up-coming tour.

I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now and, sometimes it’s nice to look back and see how you’ve progressed…it’s nice to remind yourself of some of the music you’ve covered; sometimes good…sometimes not so good…and sometimes I’ve questioned my own judgement, even my sanity. Back in 2014 for example I was tasked with reviewing a German duo by the name of JUNKSISTA…with influences ranging from LADY GAGA to NINE INCH NAILS I was naturally intrigued by the prospect of their then album “High Voltage Confessions” but merciful god were things about to get Nazi (Nasty…I made a Pun before you go all Alt-Right on my ass)…with songs about panties, whoopee cushions and I’m not even joking; twat punching…I was left mentally scarred. The group have recently gotten in touch with me once again and asked if I fancy round two…their new album “Promiscuous Tendencies” drops on February 9th…cue the Dad’s Army intro…let’s do this…

We open up with “Monday” and like the beginning of every week the prospect is a depressing one, especially knowing what preceded it last time round…musically it combines a dark pulsing techno with a trance inspired feel elevating the chorus and it’s got it’s hooks, it’s not a bad listen by any means musically but I can’t help but feel they dropped acid listening to THE BOOMTOWN RATS and thought “Yeah, fuck Mondays!”…never mind the Cleveland Elementary School shooting, Bob Geldof was referring to this song 40 years in advance! New single “Fuck For Love” is a considerably slower, more morose effort…an anti-ballad of sorts, it’s cold and synthetic and emphasises the juxtaposition of the title which works well given it’s more serious tone. Then we have “Ice Cream”…and given its suggestive lyricism and seductive approach I can’t imagine that this is a play on words promoting anything other than oral sex…do I ask Tonibell for a 69 or do I get a spit-roast from Ben & Jerry? I have too many options…

​One thing that I will say though…all jokes aside…this album is a remarkable improvement. “Control” for example utilises some infectious dance-pop qualities and has a good rhythm, while “Bitch This Is My Party” is rich in bubbly, light electronica which is undeniably enjoyable, but the real highlights come courtesy of “Monster” and “Freak At Heart”. The former, featuring LAYZEE, is a wonderfully catchy, disco inspired up-tempo piece with a strong DAFT PUNK influence, while the latter, a collaboration with EMKE is a brilliant slab of 80’s inspired synth-wave; it’s impossible to not appreciate this…and here I eat humble pie. When vocalist Diana emailed me I have to be totally honest, she called my bluff and I fell for it. I conditioned myself to expect the worst and mentally prepared myself for the impending cringe, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The musical quality has never been in question, it was the last albums saving grace, it was the song content that really got under my skin…but here they’ve toned down the ridiculousness but managed to retain their core character and it’s paid off really rather well…a solid electronic album; even though I’ve been put off ice cream for the foreseeable future. [7]

Every now and again the music world is introduced to a new genre…and by new genre I mean a group of artists that are loosely grouped around a certain demographic, usually for marketing…in this instance I’d like to remind you about a primarily British movement called “New Grave”. Not that I’m knocking it, let me be clear, but in in recent years, several artists have been labelled within this sense of grouping to form under this new umbrella term, artists such as ASHESTOANGELS, NEVER FOUND and even CREEPER in their early days…and in all fairness it got a bit of coverage, but it seemingly died away…or so we thought. Cue THE DEAD XIII…hailing from Manchester and consisting of vocalist Kurt Blackshard, bassist Paul Ryan, drummer Spike Owen, lead guitarist Ste Mahoney and guitarist / synth player Symon Strange, the horror metal mob plan to dig us all a fresh one on February 9th when they drop their brand new album “Dark Days”…grab your shovels…let’s check it out.

The album opens up with “Bloodlines” and we’re met with some cold, eerie synths and a foreboding sense of musical thanatophilia as it slowly builds towards an intense dose of aggrotech inspired metal…it’s energetic and up beat but retains a darkness, backed by Blackshard’s deep, raw vocals…this would easily please fans of say SADDOLLS and DEATHSTARS without sounding like a cheap knock-off, the quality here is top-drawer and it gets the album off to a strong start. We continue on with the album’s title track and though, while the synths are still there as a prominent feature, layered deeply within the songs structure, this is a slower, heavier offering with more emphasis on the chugging riffs, and in many ways this would satisfy anyone following MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, it’s got that crossover, metalcore vibe to it.

​The album has it’s fine points elsewhere too; “Angels” and “Play Hell” keep the momentum going with more of the same up-tempo industrial tinged electronic goth metal…I don’t say this lightly but artists in this genre bracket are a dying breed, especially ones of this quality, the market has shrunken considerably so it’s wonderful to see not only a band totally owning it, but to have come from the UK too, it’s so encouraging! The real star of this album however has to go to “Killers”…with all of the qualities already mentioned but taken up a notch, it’s got some wonderfully infectious melodies and a chorus bordering on anthemic, add to that the slick guitar solo, this tracks on point! A couple of tracks that missed the point however do slightly tarnish the album to a degree…”Last Stand” despite its frenetic black metal inspired intro ends up a little methodical. “Vigil” while undeniably a sweet little piano interlude, is sadly still just a sweet little piano interlude. A break from the vocals is welcome mind you, that’s another thing, it’s all systems go from Blackshard 100% of the time and some clean vocals wouldn’t go amiss...before we get click-baited by “Curtain Call”. First of all, putting another instrumental filler track in the album is one thing but placing it at track 11 on a 12 track album is just annoying…have an elongated intro to proper closing track “From Beyond” by all means but this is a waste of time…it’s literally just filler. Nit-picking aside it’s a strong album overall and does the genre ample justice…whether or not that genre is worth being labelled as new grave is up for debate but for now, consider 13 a lucky number. [8]

If you’re a regular reader of this blog then you’re probably well aware that I’m rather keen on my 80’s synth…often looking back fondly to a revolutionary era in music, the birth and evolution of electronic pop paved the way for so many new sub-genres and artists that would later become iconic and pioneering…I’ve often cited DEPECHE MODE as a key contributor and influence given their phenomenal success, with all sorts of artists covering them, ranging from LACUNA COIL to JOHNNY CASH…but if there’s one artist I’ve rather embarrassingly overlooked…it’s GARY NUMAN. Yes the London born musician/songwriter (real name Gary Webb) initially found fame way back in 1979 with his then band TUBEWAY ARMY and the hits “Are Friends Electric?” plus of course, “Cars”, but he continued to experiment with the genre he helped define by adopting a harder, more industrial style over time, incorporating a darker heaviness to his already, semi-bionic presence in the latter days of his lengthy career…though while often critically applauded, he remained in the shadows of the 80’s revival, not one for the limelight…but all that’s about to change with his brand new album “Savage (Songs From A Broken World)”…cue the renaissance…

We get underway with “Ghost Nation” and we’re met with his trademark deep, pulsing, rock based electronica…it’s percussive and ever so slightly abrasive in tone, somewhat disjointed and fits this albums theme wonderfully…set in the future in a man-made post-apocalypse…it’s the remnants of life as we know it, as told in his own chilling, uniquely robotic way, but the chorus, is so smooth! It really carries you off into the concept this…a really good start. “Bed Of Thorns” follows up and musically we have a culture clash here as East meets West…it’s a slow, brooding number with gothic undertones, yet the inclusion of certain middle-eastern instruments adds an extra dynamic to the track that only benefits the album thematically…it’s slower but oh so satisfying.

Lead single “My Name Is Ruin” kick starts a mid-album slab of synth-driven perfection that shows Numan here really is on form and at the top of his game…the video for the track was shot in the blistering Californian desert, with his 11-year old daughter Persia providing equally sweet and haunting backing vocals, layering some incredibly melodic pop-hooks and soft industrial rock, it’s simply hypnotic, before “The End Of Things”, utilising string sections and what sounds like an old children’s xylophone allows the track to appear swathed in innocence, but despite an incredibly catchy chorus, it reeks of bitter disappointment and despair…”And It All Began With You” has some sprinklings of piano which coupled with Numan’s hushed vocal tone, it’s so beautifully peaceful, a track about finding solace through the struggle, before “When The World Comes Apart” brings you back around with a more guitar driven approach, bitter and angry, questioning God, showing a complete and justified lack of faith, it’s a powerful track…then after a couple of far-from unpleasant offerings we finish up on “Broken”; for the most part instrumental, or as so it first seems, but it closes the album, and the concept wonderfully…Numan stating that he’s seen it all happen in front of his very eyes, skies of fire, oceans…all dry…the world as we know it is dead and the back drop is this incredibly sullen, almost cinematic style score…very emotional, and full of equal parts regret and guilt.

Gary Numan may not be a household name as such but you certainly have heard of him…and nearly 40 years into his career, for him to be making albums of this calibre is fantastic…his broken world may be fictional on record, but it’s based in truth…and as artistic as it is, we need to listen to the message here, the Mad Max lifestyle isn’t as cool as it looks…[9]

Over the course of time I’ve spent reviewing, I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with a number of PR companies and labels, covering a wide variety of artists and genres and in recent times, one of the labels I’ve highlighted has been FiXT. Based in Detroit, U.S, and founded by workaholic visionary Klayton, its home to artists like CELLDWELLER (Klayton himself) and BLUE STAHLI, and focuses primarily on electronic music; ranging from synth-pop and EDM to industrial and aggrotek…slowly but surely, the label has steadily been growing in success and as a result, its roster has been growing in numbers. Recently, Klayton dusted off (pun intended) CIRCLE OF DUST, a heavy industrial metal beast that was prominent in the 1990’s and introduced a lot of fans to a back catalogue of music showcasing his heavier history…but it’s not the only thing to resurface and, as it turns out, he isn’t the only musical member of his family! Let me introduce you to LVL…formerly known as LEVEL, it was formed by one Mr Dan Levler (Dan Albert, Klayton’s brother) and back in 1999 he released his sophomore album “Devil’s Advocate”…now, in 2017 it’s been remastered with 7 additional bonus tracks and will be available digitally for the first time ever on September 8th courtesy of FiXT…the question is, are FiXT going to level-up? Or have we found a glitch? Let’s find out…

The album opens up with “She: Backslide” and after some brief, semi-pleasurable, almost sadistic screams, we’re greeted with some fairly basic drum & bass style percussion accompanying generic crunching riffs…to a degree up-tempo but to another degree a little repetitive…there are basic breakdowns and key changes, brief pauses allowing for certain progressive qualities but vocally it’s a little rough, almost demo-like in places…and it ends really quite abruptly too which sounds a little off…a faltering start. “Best Way Out” follows up and here we’re given a far more metal-based offering…the riffs are meatier, there’s more weight behind them and there’s an anger within Dan’s vocals this time around…it’s very much of its era, bridging the gap between grunge rock and the early days of nu-metal…utilising the electronic elements to offer a slightly different sound for its time, fans of say, PITCHSHIFTER would appreciate this…this is better.

Further highlights include “Caught Slick”; a complete contrast in style comparatively…it’s incredibly light electronica, it’s gentle and almost aquatic…the synth carrying an almost bubbly tone and as a result we’re given a far calmer track, before the end sadly spoils things with its randomly included chugging guitar and another complete cut-off…the title track on the other hand kicks into life with a sense of assertiveness…we’re back with attitude; edgy, riff-laden guitar and raw, shouted vocals layered within a generally industrial tone gives this track a feeling of STATIC-X inspired metal however yet again, the ending feels cut short, it’s a reoccurring problem that hampers the record, while “She: This Time” closes the album, similar in style but not as heavy, leaning more towards the style of say, early ORGY. Sadly however, the majority of the record fails to excite…”Downplay” is rather lacklustre, it’s quite lifeless with a dull vocal tone, despite the brass inclusion peaking some interest while “Hero Zero” has a real, slow, foreboding, generally depressing feel and suffers similarly to the aforementioned…before 6 of the 7 bonus tracks ultimately waste your time purely as instrumentals…there’s virtually no need for them. There IS a Circle Of Dust remix of “Backslide” at the end but, it’s too little too late. While die-hard fans would appreciate this album getting a second lease of life, especially with the additional content, and yes, it did in its own way help develop the sounds and styles honed by the rosters main stays today, it’s a shame it just hasn’t aged well since its first release on CD nearly 20 years ago…if you like your electronica dreary with occasional metal dabbling’s, you might find something of value here but, personally, this isn’t even a glitch, it’s a corrupt file. [4]

NINE INCH NAILS. This is a name that when mentioned in music circles unanimously gets a nod of respect. Regardless of your background, be it rock, metal, industrial, punk, goth...Trent Reznor and co's band have maintained an almost cult like status amongst various fans of music of various age groups from all walks of life. The last time we saw an official release was 2008's "The Slip". Originally intended as an EP, it grew to become a full length album and was originally released for free via the bands official website. Other than that, numerous other projects aside, Nine Inch Nails have lain dormant, until now.
"Hesitation Marks" is the 8th straight-up studio album to be released by the band and also see's NIN on a major label for the first time since 2007's "Year Zero". The fact that we've waited so long for a new NIN record means we run the risk of over hype and over excitement. Too many bands these days are built up for a massive fall, but Trent Reznor is smarter than that. This is classic NIN, do NOT expect an easy ride.
"The Eater Of Dreams" opens up the new album. At less than a minute in length and being no more than a few subtle notes coupled with some light distortion, it's an eerie reintroduction to the band, before "Copy Of A" kicks in. A simple yet hypnotic beat, Reznor's vocals shifting between harmonious and almost whispered, it's a beautiful track, occasionally picking up tempo, the electronic pulse of the song rising in intensity but never truly taking off.
"Came Back Haunted", the first single to be taken off the album, is again, simple yet unmistakably NIN. A subtle energy, underlying tones of anger and frustration creeping from within Reznor. He wants you to know he means business but refuses to give too much away. There is always a certain enigma surrounding NIN but in a way that, the less you know, the better.
"Find My Way", "Disappointed" and "Satellite" are typically melancholic, subdued affairs, full emphasis on mood and atmosphere. A full, audio journey. Each path different for every listener; your subconscious allowed to roam freely through each song, finding your own conclusions.
"Everything" is a more guitar driven track, slotted in mid-album like a quick adrenaline rush, where as "Various Methods Of Escape" in places sounds reminiscent of Reznor's cover of "Dead Souls" which he did for THE CROW soundtrack.
I could go on, but it's best to let the music do the talking. Trent Reznor / NIN may not have changed their formula much / at all over the years they have been around, but they have this knack of forever sounding not only timeless, but relevant. Current fans will love this unconditionally, if you are yet to immerse yourself into the world of Nine Inch Nails, don't expect to skip through fields of buttercups and fall head over heels in love at first listen, it doesn't work that way. What is at first glance, a depressing, self-destructing example of one man's troubled mind, is in fact another beautifully crafted chapter in the bands already iconic career. Give this album a chance. You'll understand. [9]


"Hesitation Marks" is available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/hesitation-marks/id755885332