Nitzer Ebb - Industrial Complex Tour Edition(2009)

Initially formed in Chelmsford, Essex by school friends Douglas McCarthy [lead vocals, guitar], Vaughn 'Bon' Harris [vocals, percussion, guitar] and David Gooday [percussion] in the mid 1980’s, Nitzer Ebb were influenced by the harder sounds of the early electro pop scene, but also distilled elements from several other genres until they had created their own identifiable sound characterised by powerful rhythms, minimal sequencer bass and hooklines and fierce, chanted vocals.


Promises is a brilliant way to start this album, I love the funky bass line and guitar flickers. The vocals are really catchy yet simple and effective its got plenty of energy to it with a different yet strangely (not too) similar feel to it. 
Having set the pace for the rest of the album the rest of it keeps up with the catchy funkyness. Once you say has a different more industrial feel to it with more guitars added to it but still packs the same punch. I love the 'left right left left right left' bits in it and I can imagine it being used it a film like Jarhead in one of the training scenes or a similar film. Also its one of my favourites on this album.
Never known takes us to a darker place and would work quite well in a horror or thriller film(the chorus at least)  for example night watch or day watch. Down on your knees has a similar feel to it and yet has that funky twang to it still. it'll definitely get stuck in your head. 
They've also got a mellow side to them with Going Away which also has beautiful lyrics to it in a strange sort of way which i think lends its hand to the flowing energy despite it being a mellow song. A similar thing can be said for My door is always open. I am undone is another mellow track n on this album set off with the keys which makes it a delightfully seductive song. 


Payroll is noisey and I love it. It sounds like Rage Against The Machine had babies with Rob Zombie... in a good way how ever it works really well and is also my other favourite track on this album. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is similar just not as noisey but its still brilliantly catchy and energetic.


3.5*
Over all its not a bad album in fact its well worth listening to. The sound works really well for them and its nice to see British bands joining into the scene and doing it well.


Track list:

1. Promises
2. Once You Say
3. Never Known
4. Going Away
5. Hit You Back
6. Payroll
7. Down On Your Knees
8. My Door Is Open
9. I Am Undone
10. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
11. Traveling.
12. 
    

Komor Kommando - Oil, Steel and Rhythm(2010)

Sebastian Kommor is Komor Kommando. He's worked with many of the ebm/industrial/electro giants like Andy Laplegua, Jennifer Parkin (ayria), and Zombie Girl by being either band member or producer etc. etc. Sebastian Komor was born in Zabrze, Poland in 1976 and moved to Norway in 1981, where he would remain for over twenty years. He first acquired a keyboard in his late teens and released his first music demo in 1992. Now KK has released the full length album Oil, Steel and Rhythm.


Rhythm Machine starts off slow to ease you into the album. its got a dark feel to it and sets the mood for the rest of the album effectively increasingly more so with the use of different samples later reflected. It also links us nicely onto The Factory Incident. the samples in this track are used very cleverly and it helps pick up the pace of this release. with the use of literal industrial sounds and the various samples used it doesn't get repetitive like it could have done.


Shrapnel is a brilliant track, very danceable with a good hard strong beat to it and progressively adds new layers, samples and synths to it. Another prime example of this is Boomtscheeka, all i can say for this track is these 3 little words: PLAY! IT! LOUD! With me dancing in my seat and being able to dance for hard to it while stood up this is probably one of my favourite track on this album. One of my definite favourites however is Das Oontz, positively another 'play it loud' number. Full of energy, hard strong beat, amazing layering, jsut plain awesome track.
There's also tracks which have Seb's vocals on which is delightful to hear. For example Triggerfinger, which also happened to be the first track I had heard from this release, take a listen yourself (click the song title above). Having said that my the other of my favourites off this album also featuring Seb singing is Does not Fuck Around. Very catchy, danceable with a dark electro feel to it, love it.


Seb proves himself to be versatile when it comes to these next few tracks. Natural born filler is an amazing piano piece which you could most definitely imagine in the film. Dark, moody and yet stunning in a strange creepy kind of way but it works very very well. Further proven in Hasta luego which is a very fun track with a western twist but still worth a dance even if for a laugh. 


5*
This album is definitely worth getting. Very fun, very enjoyable and Seb is undoubtedly on top form.  


Track list: 

1. Rhythm Machine
2. The Factory Incident
3. Shrapnel
4. Atrapado
5. Predator ft Sascha (KMFDM)
6. Triggerfinger
7. Boomtscheeka
8. Natural Born Filler
9. Hasta Luego
10. Slaves Of Machines
11. Does Not Fuck Around
12. State Of Destruction
13. Mambo #808
14. Blues'n'Tubes

stahlmann(2010)

Stahlmann I discovered funnily enough through an advert for this album and me being me and liking to discover new bands whether good or bad thought id check them out out of curiosity. 
Founded in 2008, entered 2009 with the debut EP 'heartbeat' in the top 20 of theGerman Alternative Charts, where it sat for an impressive four weeks. Their début album, the Göttinger exactly tie where they left off with 'Heartbeat': No Mercyhard industrial with metal and gothic influences, melodic singing, which describes thedark paths of life and a steel guitar wall.


One thing that struck me about Stahlmann is that there quite similar to Rammstein. Perhaps minus the bizzare and sometimes disturbing lyrics though or at least not as much anyway...And if Rammstein had a bit more synths. Most of the tracks on this album are quite short and the album is only 9 tracks long as well. However most of the songs are catchy and its not a bad album.my favourite track on it is Kokain. Not far behind is Teufel with is varying dynamics.


Its an album you have to hear for yourself really. Its not the best album out there but its not bad its worth a listen. It is very Rammstein esque which is kind of off putting but as Rammstein have proven this kind of sound works.for me though the similarity is too much but im glad I listened to it.


3*


Track list:

1. Willkommen
2. Stahlmann
3. Hass Mich...Lieb Dich
4. Teufel
5. Marschieren
6. Auf Ewig
7. Kaltes Herz
8. Stahlwittchen 
9. Kokain

Covenant - Skyshaper(2006)

Based in Sweden covenant are a future pop/ebm/synth pop and formed in the mid 80's and signed to 21st Circuitry Records. Due to release a new album soon I thought id take one of their older album releases and revel in the marvel of them as they are still going strong playing many festivals and still touring and Eskil Simonsson is quite often seen donning a suit live reminding people of their importance and prestige in the scene.

Ritual noise is a brilliant way to start off this album.with its awesome synths, it also has brilliant build up at the start to get you going. Its been writing cleverly. I would most definitely dance to it at a club. It sets the tone for the rest of the album and boy does it get better. Pulse is one of my favourite songs on this release. Its very catchy, I cant help but dance to it when it comes on no matter where I am. Its fun and the lyrics are easy to pick up and sing along to and the synths add to it. A very note worth track.

Happy man is a very different track to the previous 2 with its bright, retro synths which give it a light kind of feel but the contradicting feel of the lyrics make it work very very well. Painting an image of a man that's trying to convince himself that everything will be OK and that he is a 'happy man' and it leaves a bitter sweet after taste in your mouth. Awesome song though. 

The next track Brave New World gives you a sense of optimism with its bright very melodic and beautiful synths. A very stunning track which gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. I love this song. just take a listen for yourself and you'll see what I mean.

The Men kicks in with the beat straight away and is my other favourite track on this album. very very catchy, very danceable, and again very easy to sing along to. Another track that gives me goose bumps every time and also paints a huge smile across my face. cant praise this song enough!

Sweet and salty is a bit of an odd track. it uses different synths and effects, which is good, but its a strange track. Its also definitely a stand alone track on the album but something puts me off it and I don't know what. How ever having said that it does set the mood for the darker Greater Then The Sun. The vocal effects are really effective  and the different synths add to the ominous, eerie feel to it, also bringing us back to what were used to hearing from Covenant. 

20hz makes you take notice and grabs your attention straight away. I love the bass line in this song and its very catchy. Definitely a danceable track and reminiscent of Depeche mode but with their own twist(same could possibly be said for pulse thinking about it). The same attention grabbing also goes for Spindrift. The beat kicks in straight away and the vocals are amazing. Development throughout is fantastic with an almost spiritual/tribal feel to it. That combined with the keys at the end make you think of a tribal funeral ritual where they believe in reincarnation or an eleborate afterlife. Its a very good song though.

They finish the album with the very stunning and lyrically beautiful The World Is Growing Loud. Its mellow and an awe inspiring chill out track. 

This is a stunning album and a definitive must have for any ebm/synth pop/future pop fan. Itll have you dancing, singing and falling in love with it. Its very beautiful, diverse and lyrically amazing. 

Full 5*!!

Track list:

1. Ritual Noise
2. Pulse
3. Happy Man
4. Brave New World
5. The Men
6. Sweet And Salty
7. Greater Then The Sun
8. 20hz
9. Spindrift
10. The world is growing loud

Ivardensphere - Scatterface(2009)

I thought I'd check out this one on recommendation by a friend and seeing as I already had one track on my Ipod and didn't think it was too bad I thought 'Why not! What's the worst that could happen!'

IVardensphere’s goals are simple: the creation of music that will make you move. Judging by fans’ rabid reactions, it’s working in spades. With a fierce blend of dance floor punch, thick analogue sound and tribal influence, their music takes you over. Based in Edmonton, Canada, a hotbed of industrial activity, Scott Fox splits his time between teaching music engineering, writing for IVardensphere and DJing the notorious club nights SICK and Das OOntz. Soon after the completion of the first album, “Scatterface,” Scott enlisted the talents of Chris Lacroix to help bring the project to the next level: live performance.

Sentient wave form (the song I originally have on my Ipod) is danceable and has an array of synths sounds being introduced throughout the song. However unfortunately it does get repetitive... something that is seen throughout the album. Focusing on the good points how ever they do use different synths and each track has a different feel to it. for example Worm-tongue has a creepy dark kind of feel to it and would be all right for background kind of music, Virus is probably reminiscent of possibly every zombie film you've every seen but with a twist. Its a virus hence the name.

Unfortunately how ever after 4 tracks I got so bored I couldn't listen to any more. its good if you like sort of the more basic ebm or ebm more towards the trance/dance side but for me however i like things a bit more like a punch to the face of hard beats and lots of oontz oontz! Its worth a listen or maybe borrowing off a friend but I wouldnt buy it(and im glad I didnt).

2*

Track list:

1. Sentient Wave Form
2. Calibrating The God Machine
3. Worm-tongue
4. Virus
5. Bonedance
6. Nuke The Site Form Orbit
7. Tesseract
8. Jigsaw
9. Diatribe
10. Box Of Monsters
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