A big hit for a previously less well-known band can sometimes be a blessing, or a curse. Grendel are one of those bands that have had this happen, with the dancefloor monster of Soilbleed eclipsing all their previous output to the point that unless you knew of the band before it, it is difficult to […]
It is now 13 months since I last touched upon recorded output from this band – the demo CD I reviewed then did get a release of sorts a little further down the line, with one track jettisoned and then the remainder shuffled into a new order.
It’s simply amazing how a leaving a record label and effectively starting afresh can revitalise a band. Chimaira’s new album is a perfect example of this – their well-publicised departure from Roadrunner and subsequent signing to Nuclear Blast has certainly brought about something of a desire to push themselves back to the front of the […]
Somehow it feels like the stars are out of line, or something. A new NIN album, after just two years? Usually the wait is nearer five.
I’ll be honest, the title when this got announced had me a little worried. What on earth were they on about? When the CD was picked up, suddenly it all makes sense. We have a concept album.
I’ve been getting the distinct feeling of late that maybe the time had passed for bands like A23 and similar EBM/futurepop acts. This kind of music reached it’s peak (in terms of popularity, and maybe even in creativity) a few years back, even though the odd song still happily fills dancefloors. In it’s place has […]
The release of this track as a single has been a long time coming. Skullfuck has now been slaying industrial club dancefloors for the best part of 18 months, and still shows no sign of stopping. So, I won’t say too much about it, as I’m sure you will have heard it. Suffice to say, […]
Resurrecting a once-formidable reputation, particularly in metal circles, is a notoriously hard job. One bad album, or a contentious comment, can do the world of harm – just ask Metallica.
Opinion appears to have been sharply divided on this band ever since they first appeared on compilations well over a year ago. Many (including me) love the whole tongue-in-cheek aspect of the project, the fact that nothing strays outside the Zombie theme, and surprisingly, perhaps, that it does more than just straight EBM. Others can’t […]
Monday meant the second instalment of Resonance Live. For a gig that in hindsight perhaps was somewhat under-promoted, and at the tail-end of two hefty festival weekens (not to mention on a Monday night), the turnout was perhaps better than I was expecting. Still, a shame that a number of people left before CDatakill hit […]
Another new month, so time for a rundown of my favourite tracks of the past month. I’m on the lookout for new things right now, stuff I may not have heard. Doesn’t matter what it is, send me links!
So here we are into another month (May already, wtf?), and so it’s time for my now semi-monthly rundown of tracks that I love right now.
For some reason, the humble remix has popped up in both conversations and in my listening an awful lot recently. And, of course, it got me thinking the other day. What makes a good remix? Is it simply to provide yet more dancefloor fodder, or to make a song a hit, or to take a […]
Resonance last night wasn’t too bad. Numbers could again be better, but it was up on last month, and with the flyers now everywhere online and across Leeds, I’d think that next month should certainly be better. Don’t forget also the second instalment of Resonance Live on 07-May. Anyway, thanks to all that came down.
Last night was a trip to Manchester for Noizetek. And it certainly lived up to the name – my ears are still ringing now. Next time, I’ll actually remember my earplugs.
It was held in the slightly pokey – and rather claustrophobic – upstairs floor of Club Phoenix, and in the main the volume was probably set about three or four notches too high – in other words it was reasonably uncomfortable. There wasn't an awful lot other than the live acts and the odd snippets […]
I'm not sure what got me thinking about this, it must have been listening to something when I got home last night. But in a quiet hour I started on a list of albums that inspired me, got me interested in something new, triggered something…hopefully you know what I mean. So here it is. I'd […]
[Note: This is where my Tuesday Ten series started, almost exactly seven years ago. I’d done the occasional musical round-up prior to this, under the Tuesday Ten name, but this is where it became a regular series, and where the numbering of the posts started, too.
It is hard to deny the influence Andy La Plegua, the man behind Combichrist (and also Scandy, Panzer A.G. and before that Icon of Coil and more besides), has had in goth/industrial clubs over the past couple of years. In the few years since Combichrist emerged, dancefloors have rocked to his tunes almost every night, […]
Turnout was pitiful, but as discussed at the time we were the victims of a number of factors – not least the atrocious weather, as well as something of an event-pileup over the course of the week. Ho hum, you win some you lose some.
