Reviews (33)

Not as good as SG or TTC, but still enjoyable.
To begin with, the track listing they give you on Amazon is incorrect. When the CD was first released, "Dirty Dog" and "Roller Coaster" were switched around, and "Harpsichord," a non-existent track, was listed as #7. The final track listing ends up being 1) Witches, 2) Dirty Dog, 3) Roller Coaster, 4) Situation #58, 5) Soldiers, 6) Sleep, 7) Funnel, 8) Insect, 9) Rampid, 10) Situation #9, 11) Sheep, 12) Fractal, 13) Sick Mary, and 14) Episode G15.

Now that I've made that clear...

Personally, I like "Serpentine Gallery" and "The Three Calamities" more than BAJFF. Switchblade Symphony added trip-hop type beats and experimented with completely new sounds with this album. It is still good, and lyrically and vocally it isn't much different from SG. Actually, on tracks like "Fractal" and "Soldiers" Tina's voice soars high enough to make it seem as if the windows are going to break.

Musically, as I already said, SS experimented with new sounds on this album. Gone are the lush soundscapes and complex keyboarding from SG (which reappear on TTC) and instead, trip-hop beats are added with an actual drummer and it sounds as if a DJ is lurking behind the music. If you're looking for SG or TTC type soundscapes, the only tracks on this album that offer this are "Roller Coaster" and "Sheep." In addition, they have added heavier guitars, most notable on "Fractal," "Insect," and "Funnel," in which case it seems as if for a time, SS was experimenting with the possibility of writing metal music.

In my opinion, all of the tracks are about equal to one another in quality and originality. I don't really have any favorite songs on this release and usually simply listen to it from beginning to end, although "Soldiers" is good for a laugh if you play it in front of someone who has never heard of the band before.

Switchblade Symphony Find Their Calling
Switchblade Symphony's second album, Bread and Jam For Frances, soars through the night air like a roller coaster ride in a nightmarish carnival. This L.A. industrial-goth band has once again breathed life into a fading genre. Taking their stronger elements from Serpentine Gallery, Tina Root and Susan Wallace have created an adorably dark album full of candy coated synth-hooks and perfect vocal stylings. The first track "Witches" is probably the defining song for Switchblade Symphony. It has their rhythmic drum beats and electro-melodies placed behind Root's phenomenal voice. The lyrics on this album are pleasantly threatening, making them oddly hypnotic. "Roller Coaster" and "Sheep" have a similar sound to "Witches" due to the fact that they have a nursery rhyme sound to them, reminiscent of Serpentine Gallery's "Cocoon" and "Gutter Glitter". Despite the albums more playful sound, there's a few dark tunes embedded in the floor boards. Tina Root pulls out her operatic singing ability to add a desperate tone to "Soldiers" and Susan Wallace programs in a thunderous roar, accentuating Root's apocalyptic question "will the sun explode/ destroying everything?" in "Rampid". On its first listen, "Bread and Jam for Frances" seemed almost disappointing, but after its fifth or sixth listen it becomes clear that this is Switchblade Symphony's defining album and that it is nothing short of a triumph.

Broken dolls and broken records
Very creepy in its own way. I love this album. Some fans of Serpentine Gallery have said Bread and Jam For Frances is disappointing. I disagree, but that's of course subjective.

Splendid
This album has it all really. Hard to locate items this good without the heady critisism that often escorts experimental artists. Switchblade Symphony's often revered "Serpentine Gallery" showed us a very "goth" band and for fans of "Goth" imparticular find themselves fleeing to thier 'Christian Death and 'London After Midnight albums after hearing this one. You wont find a genre that this album obeys and when you decide music is simply either good or bad you'll most likely truley enjoy it.

Excellent dark melodies, eerie and childlike vocals, grooves remniscent of trip hop and rock psychedelia meet at a circus... a few small filler tracks... Yea this album does not sleep at all and is so very complimentary of what these girls can do. This album and thier follow "Three Calamities" are just about perfect albums. Very very rare indeed. These ladies of experimental mind have created some entirely outstanding music.

A perfect recording!
First let tell you that I am a 35 year old male. I have very eclectic musical tastes. 1200 CD collection and growing all the time. My favorite band of all time is hands down Jethro Tull and I'm a Parrothead (a Jimmy Buffett fan for those of ya that don't know). Switchblade Symphony's Bread and Jam for Frances is a perfect album. Every track is spot on the money. I am more impressed with this album than most albums that are released today. Every single track is an absolute gem. Very moody, well written and well produced. I have purchased Switchblade Symphony's other works and this is by far their best effort in my opinion. The other recordings are good but Bread and Jam for Frances is top of the heap! This is a listen to all the way through album at it's best. "Your dreams are filled with blood and gore. Now they're right outside your door. They're gonna get you!" ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Lifeless "Life"
God Lives Underwater's "Life in the So-Called Space Age" is a mixture of synthesized rock and techno. Unfortunately the result isn't half as much fun as it sounds like. Not even a quarter as much fun. "Space Age" ends up becoming rather lifeless and under-vocalized, the sort of thing that you won't really remember afterward.

After the "Intro" with its rumbling thunder, wind and percussion, we're launched into the staticky techno "Rearrange," the monotonous "Can't Come Down," thumping so-so "Behavior Modification," the surprisingly catchy "From Your Mouth," the uneven "Dress Rehearsal for Reproduction," and the outstanding "Vapors" which slowly builds itself up into a good rock song. "Medicated To The One I Love" would be an outstanding song if it were not over a half hour long.

One of the annoying aspects of this album is that the vocals and lyrics seem to be good -- but you can't hear them. The vocals are completely swamped under the music, making any effort to hear them frustrating. The music itself is just a little too pervasive, too flat and too plodding. It lacks the spark and life that good music has. It feels like an unfinished product, something still being mixed and experimented with.

"Life in the So-Called Space Age" may be an experiment, but it feels like one that was turned in before it was ready. There are a few good songs, but the end product is lifeless and lacking in musical complexity.

bad
these guys did a bad job on this cd. about 2 or 3 decent songs and the rest of it i cant even remember what they sound like. thats a bad thing because if you cant remember it.. then it means you didnt like it.. empty and the ep were very good in my view but they really let me down with this one. no live instruments it would seem. these guys made a 3rd album and i've heard a song off it and it sounds really good.. but some record issues prevented them from releasing it.. and seeing how that was 2001 i dont think they are ever coming back. so that means this cd means it was there last effort to the public.. which is a shame..

"Life in the So-Called Space Age"
No, I haven't actually heard this cd (the rating is meaningless), nor am I a fan of God Lives Underwater, however I'd like to take this opportunity to educate you GLU fans. Upon reading the title, "Life in the So-Called Space Age," I immediately registered the connection to Depeche Mode's 1986 release "Black Celebration" in which that quote is printed on the back of the booklet. I found out that GLU does a cover of "Fly on the Windscreen" which is a Depeche Mode song from "Black Celebration." So it's no coincidence! I'm curious why they chose to reference Depeche Mode. Are they fans? Is this CD supposed to be a response to "Black Celebration?" They couldn't think of anything original? Interesting research for you hardcore GLU fans...

a few creative and catchy songs (the rest is trash)
GLU has a really unique techno/rock sound that I like. Songs I recommend are tracks 2, 3, and 5. I remember track 3 "from your mouth" playing on the radio a few years back, but GLU's denser tracks are far better in my opinion. A pretty solid CD that I would buy again.

Bee-stings on your tongue...
Clearly, with one listen, you'll realize the superiority of this piece of music. True artistry and expression is evident in this intoxicating mix of electronic, thrash, emo and trip hop. ...

Goes well w/ a blunt, a couple hits or even a six pack of high life. Try cruising at night one fine summer evening when it has rained earlier in the day and the streets are illuminated by the water's reflection w/ the lights around you. And crank this CD in your stereo. Leave the high life at home, of course. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

perpetual art
In all fairness, I have to admit that one of the reasons I took right to this album is that I just saw Neubauten play these songs live last week. So I able to skip the sinking in period it sometimes takes to enjoy albums like this. The songs were amazing live, and the studio versions are every bit as good. As I listen I just cannot imagine why anyone wouldn't get immediately hooked.

One of the more fascinating things to me about these guys, is trying to figure out exactly how they make these sounds. So it was especially cool to see these songs played. I had no idea, that these dark sounds were compressed air shot down long tubes by hand. The springs, and metal objects were much easier to picture. What's impressive though, is how these objects are used so effectively to create a mood. This is really beautiful music.

I won't go into the individual tracks, as so many already have, more eloquently than I'm able. I would just say that this album picks up where Silence is Sexy left off. In places, it surpasses. This is just mellow, and beautiful, but remains challenging.

Lyrically, I have to admit, I don't speak German and don't have too much interest in reading the translations. It seems to me that quite often Blixa uses his words like an instrument, and that meaning may not be as important, as the rhythm and the sounds of the words themselves. But then again, it becomes difficult to define meaning, in this context. I feel the words stand on their own, for the way they fit in and complement their surroundings, and no translation is really necessary.

I think many people miss the brutal, punishing sounds that were so prevalent in Neubauten's earlier days. I personally am fascinated by the direction they have taken and anxiously await what they may create in the future. Above all, I hope people will give these later albums a chance, and enjoy them as much as I do.

Spinning Change is the Only EN Constant
My first impression is this album brings the listener down, paused and pondering. It harks back to Ende Neu, in that it demands repeated listening - quite unlike the excitement and adrenaline of hearing Silence is Sexy for the first time. The experience of hearing these new pieces (which are now quite literary) in a smoothed out, straight forward album sequence feels more broad in its reach than any of their previous achievements. Weird for EN's ability to focus. Lots of air compressors at this point.
I'm still convinced in the integrity of EN. They remain a great musical muscle. What's to come?

in perpetual motion
If you are wondering, "what are they up to now?" Well, Neubauten are back with an album that captures some of the beauty, breadth, breath, and space/room of earlier releases. On the track "youme & meyou," for example, one can hear a sparse bassline like the ones that made tracks like "zwoelf stadte" from the album Fuenf Auf Der Nach... so great. From the opening track there is a building suspense. This is not fast, synth-driven industrial dance. This is "industrial music" in the sense that it is avant-garde, and partially made with industrial implements, and yes they do at times echo the sounds of a factory. But E.N. has matured over few years, as they are always evolving, with a tip of the hat to John Cage and Stockhausen. Hence, some may find their recent albums less "industrial" (if that really matters to you)... although I have still found them to be brilliant. On "Pereptuum Mobile," however, there is the ambience and subtlety found in their recent works (e.g. Silence is Sexy) that is combined with (to some degree) the intensity of their earlier greats (e.g. Halber Mensch, Fuenf Auf der Nach Oben...). Blixa Bargeld still does that amazing thing with his voice so that I can only wonder, "how...?" Darkness, yes, but uplifting, and presented with a singular wit and humor. Blixa et al. obviously believe in what they are doing, no matter what the rest of the world is doing, and so will you when you listen to this record. Recommended *****

ich gehe nicht jetzt
i'm really not sure why so many people seem down on this album. i think it's their best and most accessible (which may be why some don't think very highly of it) so far. it's not my personal favorite, but it's their best. they've obviously spent the last 20+ years perfecting their music and this is the result (or is it?!). i won't bother tying to explain WHY it's the best because that would be a waste of words because you just can't explain things like that.
i agree with a reviewer below who said if you think they've lost it to old age or WHATEVER, you're crazy because i just saw them live about a week ago myself and they were gloriously noisey and did everything they used to do back in the 80's.

but going back to the album, it has a good mix of noisey and quiet songs.
ich gehe jetzt (i'm going now) is one of my favorites. it's built around the sound of air from an air compressor being blown into long plastic pipes. like blowing into a soda bottle. blixa's voice is most definetly at it's peak. it's warmer and softer then i've ever heard it before. he can be very subtle and convey what he's saying without the listener having to understad german.
the title track is probably the loudest one on the album, but it still manages to keep a peaceful tone to it. even when it involves dragging a bunch of olive oil cans down a hallway. i may be wrong (who knows, when it comes to neubauten lyrics...), but the lyrics seem to be about how monotonous traveling can be, but he does it out of love.
ein seltener vogel (a rare bird) is definetly the standout track in my opinion. it goes from a quiet beggining to a frenzied ending with all kinds of weird vocalizations and so forth. there's a lot of windchimey sounds inbetween. it's about noah's ark landing on mt. ararat. most of this album can't be described, so i won't bother

if you're already a neubauten fan and you dont have this album, you MUST buy it. but don't give them a hard time for not being the speed-fueled delinquents they were 20 years ago. they should be allowed to grow and progress with age and that's exactly what they're doing. if you can't appreciate the album for what it is, that's nothing to do with the band.
if you aren't already a neubauten fan, i think this would be good place to start. especially if you aren't terribly familiar with real (meaning NOT vnv nation) industrial music in the first place. it's not going to make your eardrums bleed, but it will prepare you for their older, more agressive material.

Mainstream acceptance
Blixa Bargeld and company have always seemed like one of those old bands. A few years ago when they were on Nothing Records, they seemed like they may have a big breakthrough. It seemed like a long way from their early noise and collaborations with Heiner Muller. But they wallowed in the background of a Nick Cave film. When F. M. Einheit left the band a few years ago they seemed doomed. So they are back with a new record that doesn't really have any pop tunes or new statements. It seems solely made for those goth enthusiasts who only come out of their alcove whenever Bauhaus or Sisters of Mercy decide to reform. What is great about Neubauten is that they always have great artwork. Hopefully on this American tour, they will fully explain themselves? ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not their best, but not bad either.
45 Grave boasted some real talent in ex-Germs drummer Don Boles, ex-Consumers guitar ace Paul Cutler, and the late Rob (Graves) Ritter on bass. Dinah Cancer (Mary Simms), while not a great singer or lyricist, did have a certain charisma about her. They were a great live band, too.

Sleep In Safety, 45 Grave's only full-length studio LP, is a bit of a letdown compared to their earlier material. As others here have noted, much better versions of "Evil" and "45 Grave" can be found on the excellent Hell Comes To Your House compilation while the long out-of-print Autopsy LP contains this band's best material overall.

I like "Insurance from God" and "Dream Hits" but have always hated "Party Time". I'm sorry, but there is nothing even remotely funny about the rape and murder of a five year old child. What a bunch of sick F#*ks!

45 Grave
In my opinion, this album isn't the best thing that 45 Grave has put out. There are better versions of these songs on a compilation called, "When Hell Comes To Your House." Also, I recommend buying the album "Autopsy" if you can find it. That album has some great songs. But, I do like this album except for one song which really annoys the hell out of me. However, if you enjoy 45 Grave I believe this is a definitive album for your collection. Dinah's voice is cataclysmic and she really knows how to scream.

My fav heavy-metal-psychedelic-post-what-the-F*
As a kid that grew up in the 80's in Seattle WA and it's associated punk rock scene and an owner of the complete 45 Grave catalog on vinyl from that time period, I can truly say that this band influenced my musical direction the most. They were one of the first indie bands that fused various types of 'dark' genres. This band was influenced by, and interested me, in Syd Barrett, Blue Cheer, the Cramps, the Germs, and the Mothers of Invention. This band has members both, prior and post, that have been members of Nirvana, the Germs, Penis Fly trap, Flesh for Lulu, the Dream Syndicate, and the late 80's metal band RIPPER. Their music is not easily pigeon holed and can best be described by me in the title of my revue. Before you leave here treat your self to an Amazon sample and trip to the reality of the Grave Digger. (Back in the day they were the short-lived equivalent of the Deadhead.) It should be noted that this is a later, marquis effort of the band. In a period when the band was in a more experimental stage, as well as having more capital for production. This release is re-mastered in a more late 90's fashion with a more solid lower bass end. By the way the greatest full length release of all time is 'Autopsy' which was a more punk rock album and each song sounded this way. Autopsy was infact released on CD back in '87 with the cat.# 72030-2 (-1 LP, -4 Cassette). Autopsy is most readily found as a cassette, and rarely found on disk. Bid for these titles online if you can. The disk release I have been searching for the last 6 or 7 years.

Ultimate 45 Grave album. Must have.
If you are intersted at all in 45 Grave, this is the CD to get. Includes their best work, including "Riboflavin", "Dream Hits", and "Party Time", just to name a few. A classic punk rock document.

"Sleep In Safety" is the ultimate LA artpunk masterpeice.
45 Grave's first and only true full length release, "Sleep In Safety" is a brilliant, satirical kaleidoscope of surreal, gothic landscapes. Every great rock record knows how to appreciate itself, and this is exhibit #1. If it seems otherworldly on the first listen, just wait, it's bound to grow even stranger. Heavily recommended. A thinking man's punk rock. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Proving that unbridled aggression isn't always needed to effectively get one's point across in industrial dance music, Norway's Apoptygma Berzerk take a melodic, almost synth-pop-like approach on their second full-length, 7. This domestic issue of an album originally released in Europe in 1996 proves a great introduction to the thoughtful music of Stephan Groth (a.k.a. Grothesk). "Love Never Dies" establishes the gothic tone of the disc, starting things off with grand-guignol organ music that gives way to driving synths and beats, followed by Grothesk's unprocessed vocals and a few sampled refrains from Carmina Burana. "Mourn," a delicate, stripped-down electro track dedicated to Kurt Cobain, shows off Groth's talent for melodic songwriting, a rarity in a genre often criticized for its lack of subtlety. Other highlights include the energetic Front 242-isms of "Non-Stop Violence" and the sharp techno inflections of "Deep Red" (complete with Laibach sample!). --Steve Landau ... Read more

Reviews (32)

Got your sites set on some great European electronic?
Got your sites set on some great European electronic? Then take aim on Apoptygma Berzerk's simply titled CD "7". The elegant blend of industrial and electronic brings immediate recognition to the sound of Depeche Mode and some of Nitzer Ebb's less industrial oriented material. Catchy but not synth-pop, heavy yet not Industrial, the choruses will have you singing along while the Euro-beats will keep you jumping. The male vocals are heavy yet appealing, and every other track seems to offer a different female back-up giving the album a variance throughout.

The album is anything but ordinary, as the first track 'Love Never Dies Part 1' quickly proves. Church organs open into quick electronic glory, with a gothic choir chorus that gives goose bumps as the volume climbs into the upper decibels. The depth of the band goes beyond the music with 'Mourn'. With a dedication credit to the late Kurt Cobain of Nirvana and Kurt's guitar sample in the track, the song will immediately get in your head. The knowledge of the dedication makes the song even more relevant and allows for reflection on what's really important in light of the tragedy of the late grunge star's short life.

By far my favorite of the album, 'Non-Stop Violence' is everything you can want in an electronic beat, with all the right build and crescendos, and a chorus that's to die for. Political influences are conveyed with samples relating to the Bosnia conflict. A minute before the end of the track leads you into a great piece that sounds familiar but just can't place, but see no way any other artist could have done any better than the electronic perfection served up here. Things get a bit surreal over the next few tracks, starting with '25 Cromwell St.', a slower track with whispered vocals on the verse reminiscent of the likes of AutoVoice.

The track flows directly into 'Rebel', a dreamlike piece with elements of Kraftwerk. The song brings up the band's Christian perspective, and makes you think twice about whom Jesus Christ was. The only vocals are spoken, in an echoing interview style over this really cool electronic beat. With the statement starting with "For me it's really important to see Christ not as this sort of like mythical, Santa Clause type creature...", the band brings up a point that makes you really consider what it means to wear those little "W.W.J.D." symbols going around the wrists of teens today. The surreal sci-fi aspect continues into the first minute or so of 'Deep Red' before diving head first into a heavy KMFDM style track.

We slow back down for the beautiful and ethereal, ballad-like 'Nearer' before thumping again with the rapid BPM 'Half Asleep' which will leave you thinking of the band Front 242. One of the tracks on the album definitely deserving to be mixed to infinity is the Cobain dedicated 'Mourn', and it's given great dance-floor treatment in 'Mourn (Reprise)'. Same great chorus with the energy turned up past the red line, and the female vocals make the track absolutely beautiful.

'Electricity' is just plain catchy, leading into the dreamlike acoustic guitar number 'Love Never Dies Part 2', with its female lead vocals carrying you away.

This brings me to the only draw back to the album, an issue I have regardless of the album it's on. I'm talking about the gap of silence. For five minutes after the acoustic three-minute piece, there is nothing but silence. I don't mind this if it's on the last track, or there's nothing of interest at the end of the track. But Apoptygma Berzerk makes great music, regardless of where it's at. So more often than not, my lack of patience gets the best of me and I miss out on the great material placed at the last six minutes of track 11.

The track-11 medley starts out with a two-minute catchy mix of the chorus of 'Non-Stop Violence', which lasts just long enough to leave you wanting more. Following for the remainder of the track is a piece I can only term as heavy electronic industrial, incorporating vocal samples and electronic versions of metal pipes and rhythmic distortion over catchy synth. There's even a brief 70's polka sample under a bit of German thrown in, because we always need a bit of polka in our lives. The untitled final Track 12 wraps things up with an almost pop-like number with a fantastic chorus. It's almost like a dessert after eating a satisfying electronic 5-course meal.

You're going to be hard pressed to find better electronic music coming from a European sector that tends to define the genre.

-Chad
-The Edge On-Line

Almost a classic
I'm pretty harsh when it comes to reviewing albums... the worst thing I can say about Apop is that when I first heard "Love Never Dies, Part I" (in a club in Albany, NY of all places) I figured it was just another remake of Carl Orff's "O Fortuna." Eventually I heard the entire album and it grew on me. A lot. "Mourn," a tribute to Kurt Cobain, is catchy as all get-out, and "Non-Stop Violence" (a Kosovo protest song) is phenomenal... if anything it sounds like what Front 242 has been trying to do their entire career and Apop did it in one song. The sound quality of this record is amazing Out of all the albums I've heard in the "electro" genre, this is among the best. Since Metropolis Records picked this album up it will be a lot easier for people to get a hold of it as well. My only regret is that at the moment when people think of electronic music, they'll immediately focus their attention on acts like Fatboy Slim and the Chemical Brothers while foreign artists such as this band, Haujobb, and others get ignored.

where is my stuff
I have never received this cd.It was supposed to arrived already month ago.Still waiting.

Marvelous - Top 10 in Electro History
Apop is clearly one of the leaders in the international electro scene and this is the disc that forever cemented that reputation. Having built his reputation with aggressive, melodic EBM on 'Soli Deo Gloria' and some early singles, Stephan Groth (Grothesk) further developed the sound with this release bringing in much more texture and atmosphere. The harshness is greatly reduced also putting the strong melodies and vocals on display.

There are 3 clear masterpieces on '7'. The 1st is the powerful "Love Never Dies Pt 1", a slow-building Goth stomp backed by a potent vocal chorus and samples from Orff's 'Carmina Burana'... the only unfortunate thing is that Orff's work was sampled by so many other sources, including Guiness beer commercials, after Apop did it so new listeners may not be as blown away as we were 10 years ago. The next is "Mourn" dedicated to tortured artist Curt Cobain and featuring a subtle Nirvana sample. The 3rd is "Non-Stop Violence" which is the most-EBM of any track on the disc. Other standouts include the dance tracks "Deep Reed" and "Half Asleep". Both are fast and razor-sharp floor fillers.

As for the criticism that the slower songs are misses, I refute that wholeheartedly. I actually think that songs like "Rebel", a tribute to non-other than Christ himself, "Nearer" and "25 Cromwell St" are some of the most interesting on '7' and grow on you with each listen. People need to realize that it takes bravery to strip down electronic music this much allowing the lyrics, storytelling and minimal melodies to stand on their own to such great extent. APB's wonderful use of tones and percussion make even the most stripped-down song a joy. It's easier to hide behind a big beat than expose yourself the way Stephan does on these songs. "Nearer" may be the best industrial love song since Project Pitchfork's "Souls". The slow songs are a critical part of what make this an very complete album.

Fans of electro/industrial/future-pop will likely agree that '7' is one of the great albums of all time. Synth pop listeners from all walks should pick this up to appreciate its beauty and power; trust me, this one has great appeal beyond just Goth/Industrial.

3.5 Stars. 3 Great Songs
I do not love this CD. I love 3 songs on it. "Deep Red", "Non-Stop Violence" and "Love Never Dies Part 1" are utterly brilliant pieces of art that ravage dancefloors around the world, and quite justly. However, apart from those songs, the rest is childlike filler with very little danceability.

Deep Red is probably the harshest track on the album, although only a four year-old Britney fan would call it harsh. It has an insanely infectious tempo and some pretty dark lyrics for an Apop song. It begins like distorted computers and ends with some beautiful piano, and Groth delivers perfect snarling vocals.

Non-Stop Violence is a brilliant song, again using a melody primarily based upon those blippy computer sounds that Groth loves so much. However, it does create genuine melody, and is structured in a highly anthemic manner to create one of the most catchy Futurepop songs ever written. The percussion on this song is very rock-like, and pulls it off perfectly.

Love Never Dies Part One was written by Groth as his alternate theme to Bram Stoker's Dracula. This song is a smashing hit! You cannot get gothier than the church organ at the beginning of this song (outside of Bauhaus and Joy Division anyway)and the dramatic, VNV-Nation-Esque sound is pummelled by exquisite synths throughout, creating truly cinematic music.

However, these songs are the only really good sounds on the album. The rest is slow synthpop that bores me to tears. Good synthpop is Iris, and Wolfshiem, with larger soundscapes than this. Apop is too minimalist to slow down!

Overall, I would probably recommend buying it on the grounds that it has three of the best EBM songs ever written. Other Apop songs that are brilliant are Starsign (on Welcome to Earth (regarded as the first ever Futurepop album)) and Until The End Of The World (On Harmonizer), but, like Covenant, Groth has a tendency to suffer from making a few brilliant songs and turing these into albums using bad filler. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Peter Murphy or Bryan Ferry?
'Holy Smoke' sounds like its cover looks with Murphy sounding a little more life weary, wise and yes older. The sound has matured and the number of upbeat tunes has decreased. The opener is my favorite on the album - that's usually a bad thing. "Keep Me from Harm" is one of the singer's most beautiful and truly romantic songs and displays a Bryan Ferry type quality in the high notes... I've never heard Peter go this high before without it being more of a shriek. "Kill the Hate" and "The Sweetest Drop" are easily accessible with the latter being the feature single - both have good beats and reasonably catchy refrains. That same description could be applied to "Hit Song" which was an import single. "Let Me Love You" is a Murphy style ballad but fails to achieve the lofty standards set by himself.

'Holy Smoke' is a good album and fans should have it, but it would be an ill-advised place for a newcomers to start out. Get 'Deep' and 'Love Hysteria' and work from there.

Holy Smoke Revisited
This is one that gets better with age. My first acquaintance with this record was in 1993 and I wrote it off. The songs were wandering and far more earthy than the previous efforts. Still, songs like "You're So Close" and "Drop the Sweetest Drop" are wonderful to listen to even now in 1999. And "Hit Song" may just be one of Murphy's best--haunting, yet beautiful. However, it is correct to say that this is not a good intro to Peter Murphy. Try "Deep" or "Love Hysteria" if you want his best work as a solo artist. This is one that even Murphy himself did not immediately like. Too much input from the Hundred Men (his band). Still, with time this does grow on you and is as listenable as prior releases. Oh and yes, to the previous reviewer, I too once thought there were vocal similarities to Mr. Neil Diamond. (Could they have been separated at birth?)

What album did some of you listen too, anyway?
While I cannot speak much about Bauhaus (what little I've heard is largely unappealing, except for "Ziggy"), I can and will defend this wonderful album!

I think it his BEST solo work up to that date. "You're So Close" is in the rareified air of songs like "Cuts You Up" and "Strange Kind of Love". It may be his perfect, or what I like to call a "career song", meaning that he may never (and hasn't yet) produce a better song, though "Sweetest Drop" and "Low Room" are close. "Sweetest Drop" may be the most sensual, truly "adult" song about the most intimate act possible between two married heterosexual people.

Folks, you need to roll with changes and lighten up a bit. Peter has never been about stagnation and should lauded for continuing to take chances with his music, whether you like it or not. (Cascade, frankly, put me off at first, but I'm going to give it another chance. I think owe Peter at least that much for all the wonderful, unique music he has given me. You all might want to try the same with Holy Smoke. It won't kill you). At least he has the guts (and talent) to pull it off. Or, would you have every performer/band be like Boston, and make the same album every time?! Please, give me creativity and courage any day!

For me, this album was and is the peak of his creative genius and would certainly be high on my list of Desert Island Discs, with "Love Hysteria" a close second.

HE BLEW IT!
POOR PETER.I GUESS THE BUZZ GENERATED BY HIS GREAT 'DEEP' CD MADE HIM KNUCKLE DOWN AND TRY A MAINSTREAM POP CD BEGGING FOR AIRPLAY.HE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT HIS ATTITUDE AND ANGER AT TIMES ARE PART OF HIS STRONG APPEAL.NO 'ROLL CALL' HERE OR LIGHT - SHADE TUNES THAT MADE BAUHAUS AND EARLIER STUFF GREAT.TOO MUCH BLAND LIGHT WITH ALL THE TYPICAL INSTRUMENTS ON A POP CD OF ITS TIME.IF THEY COULD AT LEAST PLAY THEIR INSTRUMENTS A BIT BETTER IT PRY COULD OF ADDED SOME INTEREST TO THIS BLAND POP SET.NOT ENOUGH ADVENTURE,UNCOMMERCIAL FORAYS AND UNIQUE STYLING THAT MADE BAUHAUS 'PER SAY' STAND OUT AND MAKE PEOPLE TAKE NOTICE AND LISTEN."WOW,THATS DIFFERENT.NOBODY DOES THAT.KINDA INTERESTING." HE'S A GREAT SINGER AND OFTEN GOOD LYRICIST BUT IT WOULDN'T HURT TO WORK WITH BETTER GUITARISTS,BASSISTS AND KEYBOARDISTS FOR IDEAS AND STRONGER SONGS.I TALKED TO HIS DRUMMER WHO PLAYED ON "HOLY SMOKE" AND "DEEP" AT A JOHN PAUL JONES GIG HE WAS PLAYING.HE SAID "PETER HATED SO MUCH WHEN THIS CD FLOPPED.IT GOT SO DARK I HAD TO BAIL." WELL,HATE TO SAY IT BUT IT DIDN'T DESERVE TO BULLET UP THE CHARTS.HIS DRUMMER IS A GREAT MUSICIAN THOUGH REINED IN ON 'HOLY SMOKE'.COURSE TO PLAY WITH SOMEONE FROM LED ZEP YOU'VE GOTTA BE GREAT.

'Lay me down to sleep...'
After the success of Deep, Peter Murphy had the daunting task of following up a hit. So what did he do? He took a year off! Like all post-hit albums Holy Smoke was percieved as a let-down. I don't agree with this at all. The Anton Corbijn photo of a rather tired looking Murphy on the cover I think indicates the more honest sound of this album. It was to be the last to feature the Hundred Men as Murphy's backup band. This album basically has a bad rep, but just listen to the beautiful singing on 'Let Me Love You' or 'Secret Garden'. The entire band gets involved in the songwriting on the final track 'Hit Song' which I think could have been just that had it been realeased as a single. The record label opted to release the far less commercial 'Sweetest Drop' instead. Don't listen to the naysayers about this album. Listen to the incredible songs for yourself. ... Read more

Album Description

"Enter the Dark Tower where creatures of the night lurk in shadows, and ghostly sounds echo through the halls.This gothic soundtrack contains chilling sound effects, haunting melodies, and pulse-pounding orchestrations to set the mood for your darkest nightmare. Venture forth...if you dare."

Although the multimedia concerts supporting their self-titled 1997 debut received much critical acclaim, it was this collaboration with gothic-fantasy artist Joseph Vargo ("Born of the Night")that garnered Midnight Syndicate an underground following throughout the United States and abroad. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Music for an underground haunted temple!
I like this album because of the dark side power Midnight Sindicate gives. I love the creepy whispers, church bells, and that phantom organ. The dark side music is so sweet and beautiful! that you can never stop listening to it. The music of Midnight Sindicate is the most wonderful thing that I've ever felt when I listen to it. All the tracks including Something Wicked, The Dungeon, Requiem, Born Of The Night, Dark Tower, Haunted Nursery, and Vampire's Kiss are the finest dark tunes suitable for this album. The voice narations are what makes this album for the dark side of the heart. This music of midnight Sindicate is the only way of taking you on a journey towards your future as it does me. This music is what wants to hold you in the arms of darkness. The reason why this music is suitable for an underground haunted temple is because of the dark side power that Midnight Sindicate offers. Oh come in to the arms of darkness. Let the darkness's voice softly whisper things you've never imagined. Buy this music and let it take you on a journey to the love that the dark side of the heart wants to give you. I love Midnight Sindicate, and so shal all music fans of the future. Buy this CD and enjoy it. It's the only way to the years of your life that you've been dreaming of.

Music for a haunted house!
This music is best played when you are up at night, decorating your haunted house, or settin up a stage play. I would listen to it and imagine that I was held in the arms of the vampire Lestat, or when I'm in love with the demon child Claudia. You'll have to forgive me. I must have been listening to too much Ann Rice Novels. This is the best Cd I've been listening to ever since the month of October. I also listen to it when I'm listening to an audio tape of an Ann Rice Novel. I like the dark music because! the dark side makes love with the light and extinguishes the light of ordinary life. Oh my beautiful darkness! come into my arms my people, and together we'll become one as one dark sider to another. This is the best Cd that can give you the love in the dark side. The dark side music of Midnight Syndicate never harms you. This Cd only gives you the love of the dark side. To future fans. I hope my review inspires you to buy this best music. So! Until we meet again! I'm thinking of you always. I love you, and I wish you were here in my arms.

A Great Horror Soundscape
I wanted a background CD for the Halloween season and ordered this after some research into the subject. It was certainly what I was looking for.

Midnight Syndicate specializes in musical gothic horror soundscapes heralding back in tone to the classic locales of Victorian England and Colonial American Hudson Valley. Think Stoker, Poe and Irving (if you're the type inclined to think the Headless Horseman wasn't Brom Bones), with a good dash of Lovecraft thrown in. This, their first horror disk, centers around an ominous tower overlooking a coastal cliff.

What will strike you at first is the perfect buildup. At first you get a sense that it's still daytime, but that pea-soup kind of daytime in which you're already getting a little uneasy even though it isn't evening yet. Then you get a perfect musical interpretation of night falling, and the time when all sensible people are locking themselves indoors. Church bells tolling in the distance seem to suggest that you're not as close to civilization as you should be at this point, and sure enough the next few tracks once the sun goes down suggests that you encounter spirits (or worse) in a graveyard and are chased into the tower by living gargoyles who have wakened and taken wing into the night. Of course, in this case shelter hardly makes matters better as you then deal with more spirits and undead, including a baby in a nursery who presumably met a horrible fate, a ghostly funeral procession and at least one vampire in the tower's lower levels as midnight approaches.

What really surprises me is that the CD is so imaginative that I've found myself on occasion listening to it outside of October. It can be alot of spooky fun to make your own mental picture of what you're supposed to be seeing. The average horror affecionado will probably only need one CD of this kind, but if you want more, Midnight Syndicate and it's offshoot Nox Arcana offer several other horror scenarios, including Realm of Shadows - a direct sequel to Born of the Night relating the musical story of Raven's Hollow, a coastal town which the Dark Tower overlooks. Apparently, it turns out that reaching the nearest outpost wouldn't have done Born of the Night's protagonist any good after all...

Beautiful Nightmares...
"Enter The Dark Tower where creatures of the night lurk in shadows, and ghostly sounds echo through the halls. This Gothic soundtrack contains chilling sound effects, haunting melodies and pulse-pounding orchestrations to set the mood for your darkest nightmare. Venture forth...if you dare..." - Booklet Literation.

By far, the darkest and most morbid opus yet by these malefik minstrels. Every song is an incantation, summoning up dire wraiths from the black void of the dark side of the mind. I found it somewhat amusing that these CD's are available at the commoner's outlets, as these conjurations will invoke something far more profound than the Halloween frivolities they would expect. I Am reminded of a display I once erected - I overheard someone say "...this is too much!" as they hurried down the hill to the street. And with that, I was pleased.

Again, this musick is a sonic key to The Gate of The Abyss, and will manifest the shadowmancy. Therefore, play it loud on The Night of The Ghoul, to give the herd a true fright as is the spirit of the season, and in thine secret chambres the year through.

Midnight Syndicate's first audio journey into horror.
As the precursor to "Realm of Shadows," "Born of the Night" acts as an excellent introduction to Midnight Syndicate's atmospheric horror compositions and gothic soundscapes. "Born of the Night" presents wonderfully rich orchestrations, further augmented by chilling sound-effects. The final result is a cerebral journey to a dark place populated by even darker things. Imaginative, inventive, and fun. It is this reviewer's humble opinion that "Realm of Shadows," the follow-up to this album, is superior. However, "Born of the Night" presents the precursory thematic elements that would underpin "Realm of Shadows" and, thus, deserves a place in every music lovers' collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A prediction: "Torpedoes" will soon feature prominently on goth-industrial play lists around the world. It's got a good beat and, boy, can you dance to it. The demise of KMFDM appears to have been good for former members Tim Skold and Sascha Konietzko, who with the addition of former Drill singer Lucia Cifarelli have acquired a new lease on musical life. MDFMK is less techno, more noise, fewer politics, more emotion, and sounds more like a collaborative effort, as opposed to an assemblage of pieces that fit together really well but never quite jell. It is, in short, really good stuff and incredibly addictive, especially the aforementioned "Torpedoes." Other notable tracks include "Rabble Rouser," which often shifts rhythmic gears; the thoughtful "Stare at the Sun"; and the aptly titled "Witch Hunt," which seems to refer to the unfortunate correlation between the release date of KMFDM's final album and the Columbine High School shootings. Turn on the strobe lights and bring on the noise. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Nice try, gentlemen. Let's have at it!
MDFMK, a worthy attempt of recreating the blend of drum'n'bass-style beats and thrashing guitars reminiscent of XTORT. Although much of this record is a little slower paced than most of the tracks off XTORT, it hits a lot harder and below the belt. Skold serves his purpose as a whiny metal-style singer and a simplistic but accomplished guitarist and programmer. Sascha, a czar in the industrial world, never fails to wow us with his dazzling array of corroded electronics and robotic Eurotrash vocals. Newcomer Lucia Cifarelli amazes us with her sexy pop-rock vocals.

This album felt complete at the first listen and is always worth listening to again. Like most records, it leaves a filthy aftertaste and leaves something to be desired, but don't let that discourage you from buying this record. its worth it if you're a KMFDM fan.

FUELING THE REVOLUTION AND SAVING POP CULTURE!
For the past five years or so, I've been a huge fan of both KMFDM and Drill. I'm all but in love with Lucia Cifarelli. So, when I heard KMFDM and Drill both broke up, I was CRUSHED, in a word. But there is a musical god, because she combined two of my favorite bands! The debut album is amazing. My favorite tracks are "Get Out Of My Head" and "Hydro Electric". The great thing about MDFMK is the diversity. Fans of metal, industrial, and even dance get into this album (my friends are proof!) and there are two singers-- male and female-- so you don't get sick of hearing the same person on every track. I would recommend this album to anyone who liked KMFDM and Drill. Also to fans of Nine Inch Nails, Leaether Strip, Cubanate, The Genitorturers, and Stabbing Westward.

Surprisingly good
From the ashes of KMFDM, here is MDFMK; consisting of former KMFDM members Sascha Konietzko and Tim Skold with Drill singer Lucia Cifarelli. Even though this album wasn't well received, MDFMK is packed full of catchy dance beats and rhythms, plus loads of excellent guitar work; much more so than many of KMFDM's material. Standout tracks include "Rabblerouser", "Get Out of My Head", "Torpedoes", "Be Like Me", and "Control"; all of which display MDFMK at their best. While the album falls just a tad short of being something truly special, in the end we are left with an album that was a blueprint for something that could have been (KMFDM eventually got back together not long after this album's release). All in all, MDFMK is something that is definitely worth listening to if your a fan of industrial/techno music, or even KMFDM (although that doesn't aply to everybody; many KMFDM fans did not embrace this album). If you like what you hear here, I strongly suggest picking up the Heavy Metal 2000 soundtrack which features an MDFMk tune called "Missing Time", which is probably the best song from this outfit.

If you love good music, you'll hate MDFMK
First off, I want to say that I blame Tim Skold for this terrible album. KMFDM use to be good, but then he got into the mix and started MDFMK with Sascha when the rest of the KMFDM regulars started to notice that Tim was stinking up the place.
Sure, its got its catchy pop moments and a few hooks, but none of them last for more than a few listens. This is one of the few CDs I own that I NEVER listen to.
Boo I say to you Tim Skold! Boo!

Top notch
This is a great CD to buy because it fills in the gap of 'Adios' and 'Attak'. The songs are great, and the rhythms are awesome. I especially love 'Rabble Rouser' with the angry yet cool sounding vocals, 'Torpedoes' with it's catchy rhtyhm which you can pretty much dance to, and 'Witch Hunt' which has a really catchy chorus. Hopefully MDFMK will make another album, though I am very excited about KMFDM's new album 'WWIII'. I don't care who releases an album first, they will both be great. Great going guys! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

The evolution in metal
über alles continues the space odyssey that began with Transmission from Uranus with it's sci-fi style. now enter über alles. We are now into a very wagnerian space-opera. The music is furious, intense, and very breathtaking. The integration of industrial and metal music brought us to the mainstream Ministry, then White Zombie and then Static-X. Following the tradition of high quality industrial-metal, Hanzel ünd Gretyl can now claim the place of the best industrial-metal band. With the military-style Third Reich from the sun, the ultra-catchy ich bin über alles, the groovy komm zu ens to the decadant fury of SS Deathstar supergalactic (listen it right now. I'm serious), this album is sure to please everyone who can accept that putting electronic into metal is a good thing. This is the evolution of metal, and bands shouldn't fear using technology to do their music. Hanzel ünd Gretyl does it incredibly.

Uber Alles
"Uber Alles" is my first Hanzel und Gretyl cd. I recently renewed my subscription to Outburn magazine and had a choice of several cds to pick for free. I chose the new Hanzel und Gretyl cd because I wanted to expose myself to more of their music. A good friend of mine had burned a couple of songs by the duo of Loop and Vas Kallas in the past and I dug what I heard. One would automatically think that having a female vocalist like Vas Kallas would mean her vocals would have an ethereal, angelic sound ala Sarah Brightman or Evanescence's Amy Lee. That isn't the case here. Vas Kallas has one of the most ferocious voices around in music, man or woman. She just rips through the music like a saltwater crocodile does with a water buffalo. Vas is simply intense. Normally I don't dig listening to a woman sing like Vas does (like the women in death metal bands Otep and Arch Enemy) but I absolutely loved Vas Kallas. The music was simply brutal and aggressive. A nice mix of industrial, techno, and metal. The first time I listened to the cd I wasn't sure what to make of it but as I listen to "Uber Alles" for a second time, I am totally loving every second of the album. Despite the fact that I don't know any German, I still enjoyed the songs that were sung in German (as well as the songs sung in English). A lot of metal bands today definitely could learn a lot from Hanzel und Gretyl on producing the most intense and aggressive music around. "Uber Alles" turned me into a huge Hanzel und Gretyl fan.

Industrial Metal at it's finest
I was given this album by a friend of mine shortly after it's release, i had never heard any of HUG previous work but i had heard good things about them. I listened to this album and was blown away. From the opening overture to the final note this album is spectacular. My favorite tracks are "Third Reich from the Sun" "Komm Zu Uns" and "SS Deathstar Supergalactik" but every song on this album is good and very intersting. If you like Nine Inch Nails then you should definatly give HUG a try.

UBER ALLES INDEED
Hanzel und Gretyl have put together a rougher sounding album than either of their first two, which had some lighter techno. Uber Alles is straight-up industrial rock, but harder than most. The real pleasure in this album is how hard it strikes you. Songs like "Komm zu uns" and "Let the Planets Burn" are total moshing songs, with strong vocal impact from Vas Kallas. Every song on this CD is good for a different reason: some for their rythym like "11:11", some for their catchy-ness like "Third Reich from the Sun". The downsides are that the lyrics can be repetitive and not very imaginative. The German is not perfect either. If you're looking for quality lyrics and music with deep meaning, this isn't for you. The theme to the whole album seems to be Sci-Fi Nazism. If you're looking to push the limits of your car audio system, this is mandatory.

Let the critics burn!
When I first saw the review in the Village Voice, I thought, "You've GOT to be kidding me!" The abyssmal music industry has put out some nasty stuff, but how they let this un-PC album through.... Then I read further and had to check it out. I've heard HUG a few times on WSOU back in the day but never did it for me. It was KMFDM, Rammstein and Metallica.

I must say, looping seig heil in a track takes balls even if its a parody. What caught my attention was the use of air raid sirens and warning buzzers through the album and the sound of a bolt action rifle being racked in 3rd reich from the sun. AWESOME mixing; her vocals and guitar work didn't trip over each other like so many other bands. There's a good balance between guitars and electronic, a good flow.

I assume 11:11 refers to "But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them."

Fukken UBER! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Top Notch. Amazing!
This is one of the best remix albums I've ever heard. Most remix albums take away from the bands orignal greatness. This album captures the original spark and adds alot more with it. This is an album wich wont come out of the cd player for a while. All the groups on this album did a wonderful job! ... Read more

Album Description

They have taken you deep into the crypts of a forbidden castle and to the edge of the sea among the ruins of a cursed village . . . Now the masters of gothic/horror soundscape invite you to take a musical journey into the macabre world of Haverghast Asylum.Your horse and carriage awaits you . . . ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Journey into to the Halls of Madness
Of the Midnight Syndicate discs I own, this is one of my favorites. There's a lot of musical variety and some really creepy soundscape moments. The setting for this masterpiece is a haunted turn-of-the-century asylum. As is with all the Midnight Syndicate discs, the atmosphere is created through a blending of orchestral, instrumental, movie-soundtrack type music and occasional sound effects.

Although predominantly very dark and tenebrous, there are some tracks that have more of a reflective, haunting feel to them. Tracks like the title track, "Unrest in the East Wing," "Halls of Insurrection," "Welcome," and my favorite, "Alternative Therapy" are the up-tempo, sometimes frantic, on-the-edge tracks that most would associate with an operating house of madness. However, pieces like "Haverghast Asylum," "Residents Past" (also a favorite), "Ebony Shroud," and "Cage of Solitude" are slower, sometimes sinister, more haunting pieces that hint at the supernatural element of the establishment and show a different angle of the residents.

As opposed to "Born of the Night," "Vampyre," and "Realm of Shadows" where the setting and consequently the sound effects are more ghostly and otherworldly, the sound elements on this disc are more present/real-worldly. For example, you will hear actual inmates yelling, or talking, at several point on the disc in addition to an occasional ghostly murmur, howl, etc. In the tradition of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Legend of Hell House," and the asylum in "Disturbing Behavior," these soundscape elements create some especially creepy moments (especially in headphones) - on tracks like "Sleep Tight," "Dead of Night," and the cool intro piece "Arrival."

If the occasional (and it is only occasional) "human-element" to your horror discs doesn't bother you, this disc is perfect to set the mood for any dark and stormy night. A disc chock full of memorable melodies and some of my favorite Midnight Syndicate tracks to date. Excellent for Call of Cthulu roleplaying game sessions. Second only to "Born of the Night" in being the best Midnight Syndicate disc to blast out of your house during Halloween night. Close your eyes and enjoy the journey.

The Asylum Awaits...
"A lone scream pierces the night...dark shadows envelop unwilling guests of a wretched stronghold that harbors an unspeakable terror...Welcome to Haverghast Asylum."

If you are searching for music to compliment your Satanic rituals & ceremonies, this is a marvellous addition to your sinister collection. Also magnificently useful for your Halloween festivities. It will send Trick or Treaters screaming in terror!

XXI Hellish tunes that will send chills up the spines of any ghoul. These are eerie instrumental soundscapes of nightmares & dreams which shall bestow a sense of Power & bliss in the Satanist. Compliment your own haunted abode with these tracks year 'round to set that ambiance for a myriad of diabolical purposes.

Titles include "Phantom Sentinels" {reminds Me of 'Dementors' from the Harry Potter series}, "Procession of The Damned", "Dark Discovery", "Morbid Fascination", & "Ebony Shroud".

Welcome, one and all, to Haverghast Asylum!
I have collected 4 albums by Midnight Syndicate. In my opinion, this 2001 recording is the best of the four, for it musically expands from where the duo's last album left off. With a slightly higher production value, composers Edward Douglas and Gavin Goszka have created a much more expressive and spastic score for the horror genre. While 2000's "Realm of Shadows" conjures an imaginative adventure endured by one hero, "Gates of Delirium" is seen through the eyes of many characters at once. Dominated by agitated violins, a grim piano, and a few cellos, this album is a one-way trip through a Victorian hell. The intended fright film is set within the claustrophobic walls of London's Haverghast Asylum, where the mentally ill are subjected to cruel and inhumane treatments. Babbling and ranting lunatics are bound in straitjackets, imprisoned against their will, and injected regular doses of poison.
This CD has quite a few sonic highlights. "Haverghast Asylum" will waltz listeners into the dank darkness of the institution, preventing anyone from ever seeing the sun. "Halls of Insurrection," with its groaning bass strings, is a twisted dance that spirals in and out of a crazed mind. In "Cage of Solitude," the harsh moonlight stares down upon a catatonic patient, who stands on his knees and gazes at the freezing floor. The sweeping "Residents Past" focuses on the doctors and surgeons who anxiously scribble in their medical journals; in an Age of Science, these educated individuals are awarded the privelege to examine and diagnose the potentially psychotic. During "Phantom Sentinels," a severe piano marches and twirls simultaneously. As for the track's scenerio, it appears as if several inmates are planning an escape, arming themselves with tools and weapons. "Gates of Delirium's" militaristic drums and feverish organ take listeners through a dingy sewer pipe; a narrow passageway a person has to crawl through with great care. In "Procession of the Damned," the drums hammer the nails on a coffin, while a spider harpsicord spins a symphonic web of charnel house fear. "Dark Discovery" injects a rush of adrenaline as the unseen characters try to flee from the laboratory, losing a sense of direction in a terrifying maze of twisting hallways. The notes of "Morbid Fascination" cartwheel off the walls and ceiling with astounding ease. The whisking, almost metallic violin strings of "Alternative Therapy" slice through the scalpel of an unlucky victim; he or she has become the tragic victim of unorthodox brain surgery. "Unrest in the East Wing" is a violent altercation between a raving madman and several staff members; as the doctors try to subdue the lunatic, he bites and claws with the cunning of a wild animal.
I happily recommend this album for anyone craving the bizarre, the mysterious, and the macabre. Purchase this one as well as 2001's "Realm of Shadows."

Very Appropriate
I am the chief psychiatrist at a local mental health institution (asylum). I have found that playing this music, especially at night, over the piped in loudspeakers has outstanding theraputical effects on the patients. While some of them are normally hyper-violent when not medicated, I have found that this music seems to fit their psyche and place them in a world they find very comforting, and "normal" in a sense.

The only thing that frightens me is that over the last few months I have met more and more patients who insist that they have heard the music before - in the days previous to arriving at the institute. While I am certain this is impossible - simply a reflection of their mental instability, the fact that the night watchman (actually in charge of playing the music through the night), has recently had a breakdown and sadly been admitted to the ward himself. A disturbing thought.

The previous not withstanding, this is an excellent album. I do hope you enjoy it.

See you soon!

Great Sounds, Two Thumbs Up
I run one of the top haunts in the country and when it comes to looking for music to play for the guests while they wait, there is no better soundtrack than Gates of Delirium. Not only does it give a chilling feeling, along with cool sounds, it allows my actors to blend to the music. ... Read more

Reviews (117)

Awsome CD that never lets up
let me start by saying this: This Cd kicks some serious ass and is my favourite fear factory cd. It is, in my opinion one of the best metal cd's ever written. It is in the middle of their carrer, therefore combining their best: the extreme heaviness of soul of a new machine and the melodic parts of digimortal. The band sounds really tight and they stay close throughout the entire cd. This cd has bonus tracks, and theyre worth all your money. A few of the best songs are damanufacture, self bias resistor, zero signal, h-k, and pisschrist. the double bass drums on self bias resistor sounds like a helicoptor, and it has really catchy chorus. If you buy this cd, make sure you get the digipack, with the remixes and the cover of agnostic fronts your mistake. Its an awsome cd altogether, and I think every metalhead should own it

An Absolutely PHENOMENAL album!!
Fear Factory's "Demanufacture" is without question, the greatest Fear Factoy album recorded. No filler tracks here. Just spine-crushing riffs by Dino, INCREDIBLE drumming by Raymond, AWESOME bass playing by Christian and great singing and screaming by Burton C. Bell on EVERY track. You can't go wrong on this album - it's too damn great!

Tracks are:

1. Demanufacture: MASSIVELY heavy song. Set's the mood for the rest of the album. Dino riffs are AWESOME! Burton C. Bell proves he can sing as well as scream on this song.

2. Self Bias Resistor: This song should be a drummer's anthem. Raymond's work is Unbelievable! This is many people's favorite track on the album and rightfully so! Awesome riffs, but Burton C. Bell vocals stand out in this song. This Song has one of the, if not THE greatest chorus in Metal music history. A plain GREAT song.

3. Zero Signal: GREAT SONG! One of the best on the album. This should have been a single!!!! Dino's work on this song is GREAT with bone-breaking riffs. Raymond also is great on this song. Great use of Synthesizers as well.

4. Replica: The album's most popular song. Fear Factory even did a video for this song. It's an great song. Awesome intro and great lyrics. Again, a great song.

5. New Breed: A interesting mix of Techno and Metal. This is probably my least favorite track on the album, but it still is pretty cool. Great use of Synthesizers to get that Techo sound. It's kinda weird at first listen, but you'll start to like it as you listen to it more.

6. Dog Day Sunrise: A cover from the band Head Of David. GREAT SONG! Very cool riffs (although there are only 2 in the whole song. They definelty blew the original version away.

7. Body Hammer: AWESOME riffs! A great song with good lyrics and Raymond again kickin' massive @$$ on the drums.

8. Flashpoint. One of the most Brutal, Fast, and INSANELY heavy songs EVER. And all packed in under 3 minutes. AWESOME bass intro and Massive vocals by Burton. Too bad they don't play this live often.

9. H-K (Hunter-Killer): My favortie song on the Ablum! INCREDIBLE SONG! HEAVY guitars and GREAT lyrics and singing by Burton. They need to play this live more often. Just a plain great song.

10. Pisschrist: Wow. That's all I can say about this song. I never knew how opposed to religious hypocrisy Burton is. An GREAT song and Dino has some of his best work on this song. But be warned, if you are deeply relgious, you will most likely be offened by this song. However, it still rules!

11. A Therapy For Pain: A Nice, slow way to finish the album. Clocking just under 10 minutes, this song seems VERY long. When Burton stops singing, we hear the Synthesizers yet again for 4-5 minutes. A very moving song.

Well, like I said, This is the BEST Fear Factory album. All Fear Factory beginners should start here. All fans of Techo Metal will love this as well as just-metal lovers. One of the greatest metal albums EVER. Definetly check it out.

Un Incredibil album!!!!!
Monstru album pt. acesta formatzie.FEAR FACTORY arata ca este una dintre cele mai bune formatzii de metal din toate timpurile shi acest album este capodopera a intregii lor carieri.
FEAR FACTORY RULLZ! DAU ACESTUI ALBUM 1000 DE STELE!!!

War against the machines
The ultimate combination of man and machine music, but lyrically focusing on the war against that very machine. Some samples and ideas here are taken from Terminator 2 (just listen to Zero Signal and H-K (Hunter-Killer) which is a type of robot in the movie). Favorite song: Body Hammer.

Fear Factory's best CD
This is one of my all time favourite cds, even though it took me a few years to appreciate how great it really is. It is great all the way through, but certain songs stick out for me like pisschrist and demanufacture. I think pisschrist is the best on the album, with the brilliant and catchy main riff, awsome industrial samples, and a great combination of heavy vocals at the start and melodic vocals at the end. Increadibly catchy, this is my favourite FF song by far. H/K is probably one of the heaviest songs on the album, along with Flashpoint or New Breed. Demanufacture is a great way to start off the album, starting kind of low then building it up in a matter of seconds to full out distortion with a powerful attack, classic FF style. Self Bias Resistor has an awsome groove overall and a very catchy chorus. Zero Signal has more keyboards and melodic singing in it than normal FF, but still ends up doing an awsome job at it. Body Hammer and Replica are average tracks, which is still saying a lot considering this entire album is awsome. The digipack also has a cover of Agnostic Front's Your Mistake and Resistancia!, along with remixes of New Breed and Replica. My favourite of the bonus tracks is Resistancia! because it is really heavy and catchy. Another cover that appears on this CD is Head of David's Dog Day Sunrise, which also doesn't seem like typical FF but still fits in with the album. A Therapy for Pain ends the normal (not digipack) album the way FF will for the rest of their CDs - melodic yet powerful and very catchy.

This is fear factory's best album by far in my opinion, and is worth your money. ... Read more

Reviews (130)

Great Buy for First Time Fans
This was the first Fear Factory album I bought. I first found out about the band after reading about Geezer (fromerly G/Z/R, for whom Burton previously sang). I listened to a few of the samples, but wasn't convinced. I then got some mp3's and immediately bought the album. It's awesome! The whole CD is a story, which is kinda cool, and the extra tracks bring the total play time to almost 70 minutes, making it worth the few extra bucks the Limited Edition costs. I come from a slightly different crowd (Metallica [new and old], Black Sabbath, etc..) and this is my first foray into the, I guess, edgier stuff. I was a bit annoyed by the vocals the first time through, but they grow on you, as do all the songs! My favorite is Resurrection, although the rest still Kick ASS!! I'm planning to soon buy Demanfucature too. My advice: BUY IT, this should be in every metal fans's collection.

I actually like this!
Let me start off by saying this, I'm not a metal head, the closest thing to metal I own is Tool and some industrial bands like KMFDM or Ministry. But Fear Factory is a metal band, maybe not 24-7 but good enough. I seen the videos to "Resurrection" and "Cars". I thought "Resurrection" was interesting the way they mixed the string section in (it sounds even better with the headphones) and I love "Cars", especially with Gary Numan in it. When I got it the only songs I liked were the aforementioned and "Timelessness". Yeah, I know, the softest songs. When I listened to it throughout I realized these guys have a Ministry influence but sound more like 'Machine Metal', less effects, more metal. Reading the story board along with the album (unoriginal idea but written very nicely) helped out, kinda like an audio comic book. The other exta songs are only so-so. In the end I realized I liked it a lot, heavy, but fun.

Pure Genius. It's that simple.
Fear Factory, no strangers to the metal scene, unleashed "Obsolete" early in 1999 to hungry fans and the unsuspecting public. I had never about Fear Factory until the '99 Ozzfest in Boston. After hearing them play, I promptly bought their new (at the time) album.

The perfectly-assembled album "Obsolete" is an epic saga that takes place in the not-so-distant future, in a time where machines now control all aspects of human life. We are introduced to the Edgecrusher, a man being held in prison against his will by the government and its machines. The Edgecrusher is mankinds last hope, a domestic terrorist fighting for man's freedom. He escapes his captors, and the story begins. What follows is Edgecrusher and humanities' futile efforts to fight back against the machines, and take back our lives and existence from our mechanical overlords. From initial signs of hope, to the overwhelming presence of surveillance everywhere he goes, and eventually, to the Edgecrushers final ephiphany concerning the future of mankind, the vocals and music carrying this saga are flawless.

Enthralling, haunting, inspiring, rocking, and heartbreaking, "Obsolete" deserves a spot on the top list of greatest metal albums of all time.

seek therapy
If this is your idea of a good time...seek therapy..I've heard better sounding jack hammers

MAN IS OBSOLETE
However, fear factory is not. Obsolete is, simply put, a great album. What many people don't realize, however, is that's it's not all about the music with Obsolete, it's about the music in relation to the story in the booklet. The album's lyrics follow the story in the booklet, and if one or two songs simply blast and have no melody and just blast, it's because of the story (If you have this album, think track 8). I own the digipak version of this album. It comes with 5 bonus tracks as well as the original ten, and I would say they are worth your extra money. I can't really say whether this is Fear Factory's best or not, considering the only other FF album I own is Digimortal, but it is definitely worth your time. Here is my track by track review.

1) Shock (8/10) A somewhat good opener. Not as good as "What Will Become?" on Digimortal, but still good. Insanely heavy, and the only melody comes in the form of Burton holding notes.
Meaning- About putting a "shock to the system".

2) Edgecrusher (10/10) Kind of rappish, but that's OK 'cuz rap-metal isn't bad for the most part. Nice bassline during the chorus. An FF classic.
Meaning- "Edgecrusher" is the (good) terrorist from the story in the booklet.

3) Smasher/Devourer (10/10) One of those FF songs that mixes melody and screaming rather well. The low singing (I am the way) during the chorus is reminiscient of what I've heard from Soul of a New Machine (Major-laber debut) and Concrete (Independent first release). Nice singing after the chorus.
Meaning- The "Smasher/Devourer" is, in effect, a futuristic police robot in the story. It tracks criminals down.

4) Securitron (Police State 2000) (9/10) At the start of this song, it sounds like a police raid, and someone says "There is a Fear Factory in this division". Other than that, this song isn't really that memorable. Chorus has singing, but really doesn't convey any sort of tune to the listener. Creepy melody during the bridge. I like when he says "no place to hide".
Meaning- Securitron is the security organization of future. They cameras placed all over the place, apparently.

5) Descent (15/10) This is total change from the first 4 tracks, and that may be because it is discussing things human rather than machine related things. I LOVE the guitar riff and drumbeat. This is one their "all singing" tracks. Oh, I bought the CD because of this song also. My favorite track on the album.
Meaning- Edgecrusher is comtemplating whether his life is worth it. Is he just descending further into oblivion?

6) Hi-Tech Hate (8/10) A lot like Securtron. There is nothing really special about this song except the cool special FX. A good headbanging track. I like when Burton screams "Cowards to all!".
Meaning- This song's words are supposed the speech of a rebellious man to group of anti-society activists. They speak of man's war against the machines they created.

7) Freedom or Fire (10/10) My favorite of the heavier tracks. The intro is so awesome, I love the guitar! Dino is one my favorite guitarists of all time. Screams most the way through, but when he starts singing it sounds so evil (in the coold kind of way). My 3rd favorite.
Meaning- Relates to the man speaking in Hi-Tech Hate. A bunch of Securitron officers discover the activists and start causing chaos and destoying things. The man speaking lights himself on fire rather than being captured by the Securitron, hence the name "Freedom or Fire".

8) Obsolete (7/10) Kind of just here to get the lyrics across and go with the story. Everyone says it so terrible, but I like the guitar riffs.
Meaning- A robotic Secutitron officer picks up the megaphone the now flaming man was using. The words of this song are what the officer yells through the megaphone. It contrasts the words of Hi-Tech Hate. The booklet says something like "The intrument that was the once the voice of reason has now been transformed into a melted, mutated version of disorder."

9) Ressurection (10/10) Hugely different from the track before it, once again because it speaks of Edgecrusher and his whereabouts. Has a lot of singing and almost seems positive rather than scary and mechanical like the rest of the album. AMAZING, Love the strings. They could have made this the last track on the album. My 2nd favorite. If you havent yet, you must hear this before you judge Fear Factory.

Meaning- The meaning isn't as clear here as in the other songs. I think it refers to the resurrection of the memories that have been forgotten since the world became so technology oriented. During this part of the story, Edgecrusher finds a statue of a long dead man, and thinks he remembers it from somewhere. I'm pretty sure the statue is supposed to of Jesus Christ.

10) Timelessness (10/10) In this track, the meaning and the music seem to coincide with each other. Just Burton singing over some beautifully done strings. Seems to be mourning the loss of everything that was lost during the course of the album. The story in the booklet may seem a little far fetched to you at this point, but if you read it you will be able to tell that if things keep going the way they are, it could easily be this way by 2067 (when the story is set).

BONUS TRACKS- These don't follow the story.

11) Cars (8/10) A Gary Numan cover featuring Gary Numan. This was a big single. Like the orginal with added guitars and Burton singing. The second or third best bonus track.

12) 0-0 (Where evil dwells) (9/10) EVIL. Another cover. Pure death metal. Kind of creepy (as death metal should be). About a serial killer in Northport, Long Island.

13) Soulwound (11/10) This is so awesome! By far the best bonus track. Worth your extra money alone. Originally recorded for their now re-released first album "Concrete". Havent heard the Concrete version, just this one. Death metal, like 0-0. I love it when he sings "Soulwound, soulwound, deep cuts cut deeper".
I like this better than some of the normal tracks.

14) Messiah (9/10) Some really cool intrumentals with Burton screaming "Messiah!" over the top. I don't remember if it has any other lyrics or not.

15) Concreto (9/10) Sounds like a comic super-villain. More death metal stuff. Blasting bass drums and low singing. I used to hate this. I like it now.

GO BUY THIS ALBUM (The digi-pak version) ... Read more

Album Description

Import pressing of the new wave/punk icons' 1981 compilation. Out of print domestically! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Documents An Evololution Of A Great Band
Firstly I would like to make a couple of point accross to other reviewers.'Carnival' from the album 'A Kiss In The Dreamhouse' are not included in this album, but rather in the next singles installment. 'Israel' is NOT from Juju but rather a standalone single. Sorry for being pedantic but the right information to potential buyers is important I think.

Secondly to Sereneghost note how this is a SINGLES collection as opposed to your personal favorite collection. While I agree that these songs don't always represent the heart of these albums, singles rarely do but rather represent the more assesible side of a band.

Tracks 1-5 represent Siouxsie's abrasive punks days, being rather more simplistic and straightforward than later efforts. That being said 'Hong Kong Garden' is incredibly catchy (although don't the lyrics come accross as being blatantly racist?)while 'Mirage' and 'Love In A Void' are purely punky and abrasive. 'Staircase' and 'Playground Twist' express a minimalist gothic style and nightmarish in their mood and lyrical content.

The remainder of the album see The Banshees evolve rapidly, displaying sharper songwriting, a more layered and complex sound, and introducing synthesizers. 'Happy House' and 'Christine' are not only infectious singles but display more subtle and mature lyrics. 'Spellbound' and 'Arabian Knights' are typical of Juju's complex rhythms and psychadelic landscapes, the latter song has a breathtaking chorus that I can't get out of my head. 'Israel' my favorite song from this album, has an evocative majesty of its own that shows how far the band had evolved into a complex unit from their punk days.

A good introduction into Siouxsie and The Banshee's early days and an interesting documentation of their quick evolvement. Twice Upon A Time is even better.

A fine collection of early singles from an influential band
A (perhaps too) concise overview of the Banshees' first four years of recorded work, back when the band were helping shape what would become known as post-punk (and when they were still being taken seriously by critics)...

Some would argue (me, for one) that their creative high point would begin just after this period ended, but this is certainly their most influential music, and it's hard to argue with the song selection: "Hong Kong Garden" and "Love In a Void" are two of THE great UK pop-punk singles; "Happy House" and "Christine" are early new-wave classics, and "Spellbound" and "Israel" are seminal goth-rock touchtones...

Three of the ten songs here are unavailable on any SATB studio albums, making this collection essential for die-hards as well as first timers, though those looking for the band's best-known US alt-rock hits (Kiss Them For Me, Cities In Dust, Peek-a-Boo) would be better off with their second singles collection (Twice Upon a Time), but as an historical document of how the Banshees found their sound, you can't do better than this.

Siouxsie and The Banshees Rock!
Siouxsie and The Banshees are an awesome punk band and lead singer Siouxsie Sioux has this super amazing voice! I have Once Upon a Time: The Singles on cassette tape and I think it's an awesome album with a lot of great songs including Hong Kong Garden and I highly recommend this album to fans of punk, New Wave, alternative. Siouxsie and the Banshees are very different and original and so unlike any of that stuff you would hear on those radio stations that play music from Pop singers like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera!

A great place to start!
I was only slightly familar with their music, mostly familar with their image. But I adore punk, so I gave this CD a try. It is a great place to start, and something I would defintely suggest to others.

Sweet Sioux.
And the futile quest for my irretrievable youth marches on! Lately, I have been buying up some of the favorite music of my youth. Though I loved Siouxsie & The Banshees when they appeared on the scene, I actually never heard a big selection of their music. So, Siouxsie's "The Singles" seemed a good place to start. The thing which surprised me the most upon hearing these songs, most of which are around twenty years old, is how fresh and timeless they sound. Since I am not a "Siouxsie" expert, I cannot tell you the pros & cons of this collection, and what should or should not have been included. I can only say that I have had this c.d. a week now, and, I can't stop listening to it! Her ethereal sound is addictive. For me, there are very few bands who, along with having such a distinct sound, also make music which weaves such a spell. And also, for me, Siouxsie was as definitive a Punk sound as The Sex Pistols. I love all the songs on this collection. I was most familiar with "Christine" and "Spellbound". Upon hearing "Israel" for the first time, I have come to the conclusion that this is one of the most beautiful songs ever. Also, I especially like "Arabian Nights", and "Hong Kong Garden." And, "Love In A Void" reeks of Punk, as much as any Ramones tune. Again, as I am not a Siouxsie expert, I can only say that I thoroughly enjoyed and continue to enjoy this collection. It is a good place to start, and only makes me want to hear more of the efforts of the lovely Miss Sioux and her wailing spirits. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A MUST BUY
Being a puppy fan for almost 15 years now, you would think I've heard or could imagine all that cEvin and Dwayne could muster up but this blew me away. This is the beautiful child of all that is good in psycho techno industrial music. There is only one Puppy album that I value as much as this. And both of these are in my top 10 of all time cd's.

It's All in the Eyes
'Pain' is the most complex, mind-blowing, ingenious electronic (or any genre for that matter) music I have heard to date. I love musicians that push their genre and the structure and boundaries of music in general to the limits, and Download drops my jaw every time I listen to this album. They not only push it to the limits, they blow right past them to redefine, twist, and sculpt the idea of music altogether. Will definately be one of my all time favs. Highly recommended.

An excellent CD!
A truly amazing album such as this deserves more recognition then it has gotten, I have and do reccomend this CD to anyone who enjoys a taste for the wierd, odd, even slightly insane, but not for the faint of heart or those without an open mind to different music, as this is about as different as it can get.
The album starts off like a rocket with Suni C, amazing the listener with odd and wonderous sounds which are plentifully disperssed throughout the entire CD, alot of the sounds are rough on the ears, very loud and unexpected, always suprising the novice and even after several listens.
This is one of those albums that you can find something different in everytime you listen, every time I listen to this CD I always say "I never noticed that before."
Its probably because there are so many sounds happening at one time that it may overhwelm the listener and once the listener is acclimated then the sounds begin to sink in.
In conclusion, The Eyes of Stanley Pain is a revolutionary album years ahead of it's time, it is a CD that deserves to be heard, just remember, if you're thinking about buying this CD that it is definatley worth it.

cEvin loves the Gristtle Box.
This is what the new Skinny Puppy should have been.

If you do not have this in your collection, then shoot yourself, this is possibly the BEST of industrial to date! When Genesis was helping with The Process, he brought along a hand built Gristtle Box from his Throbbing Gristtle days, and cEvin fell in love with it and began Download with Genesis and his beloved Gristtle Box, this is one of those early projects and as potent as Doubting Thomas, but in it's own unique way!

very very good indeed
1. If you are a Skinny Puppy fan, or are a listener to any form of abstract, avante garde or what have you, industrial, etc. get this CD.

2. If you like being confused and extremely disoriented by the sounds coming from your speaker, get this CD.

3. If you have heart problems, mental disorder, or have any from of schizophrenia, DO NOT get this CD. (or go ahead and buy it).

4. If you like taking hallucinogens and having a little fun, get this cd.

Seriously, Cevin, Dwayne and the crew are far, far beyond anyone else in the genre. Years from now people will be digging up this stuff and going "How'd they come up with this?" because it's so ahead of the times. The album is already like 6 years old. If you don't have this, get it, along with 'Furnace' as well, but me personally enjoy 'Eyes' more than any other Download release. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A curiously accessible album from Bryan Erickson, a.k.a. Velvet Acid Christ. Much more listenable than his past efforts (which were burdened with noisy sound effects and sludgy production), Fun with Knives seems to make a play to the dance floor with a cleaner sound that rests squarely on bouncy keyboard lines and sequenced grooves. Even Erickson's vocals, though still distorted and lyrically violent, have been softened a bit. Unfortunately, song titles like "Fun with Drugs," "The Dark Inside Me," and "Psycho" (with its creepy, Illusion of Safety-like samples) won't win him many friends in a post-Columbine High School shooting world, but such are the themes gothic-industrial music traffics in. In the end, Fun with Knives is a solid 74 minutes of industrial dance music that should please fans but won't do much to advance the genre. --Steve Landau ... Read more

Reviews (29)

AWSOME CD
I just got this CD yesterday but I already fell in love with it. It is deffinitly the best industrial album I own(I don't own that many). To best describe It am going to review each song seperatly.

Decypher - A great song with an awsome dance beat. It has some melodic synthlines in the middle which make it better.

The Dark Inside Me - This song is instrumental which is strange being that it's the second song. It still kicks though. It has some awsome trancy beats.

There Is No God - This track is slower but still awsome. It has a cool intro with a medieval feel to it.

Icon - Another terrific dance song. Great synths and vocals.

Fun With Drugs - Another good dance song. Not much more to say about it.

Speedball O.D. - This song is really a ministry-esqe metal song. Great drumbeat and guitars.

Pyscho - Good evil feel to it with lots of long sample interludes.

Slut - I haven't really listened to this tarck yet. All I know it that there are female vocals.

Apflux - Great evil song. The synths are more evil sounding than the other tracks.

Fun With Knives - Another evil sounding song. Pretty dancey too.

Caught - This is another dancey song with great synths.

As you can see this album is definitlly worth the money. I also own Twisted Thought Generater and this is a lot better(Not that TTG is bad though).

A good industrial album that's definetly worth a listen
I'm not really a deticated fan of VAC, but from what I've heard so far, Fun With Knives is probably their best album. The beats range from slow-paced and trance-like to fast and violent throughout, and the many samples mixed in with the songs provide extra visualization to the dark theme of the album. Fans of bands like :wumpscut:, Nine Inch Nails, and even Funker Vogt will find at least something about Fun With Knives to appreciate. The only real drawback is that the last couple of tracks seem less inspired than the rest.

Okay and obvious
More than many other industrial albums, or whatever genre or sub-sub genre you want to throw this in, Fun With Knives seems almost too obvious, providing exactly what you would expect from the cover art and track titles.

Providing exactly what you advertise is not wrong, in fact, it's admirable in some way. But the problem is there's nothing really spectacular here, and I'm left wondering why this should be seen as any better than a good portion of Skinny Puppy or some of FLA's better work.

The biggest gripe is the sampling, of course. Sampling can be great, but working an entire piece around a big chunk of the drug speech from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is beyond obvious. C'mon. Good sampling can leave you with a quote in your head that means nothing alone but has bee given weight in the song. You don't want to know the samples already, especially on an overly cliched drug song.

The dark, industrial sound is all there. Select certain synths over a 4/4 beat, and it's industrial, select different synths, and it's another sub-genre...etc. There's a good energy, there's mischief and some demented thoughts, it's basically a pretty good album, but not very distinguished in the end--it won't hold up.

Recommended if you like VAC, or music of a similar vein. But you may find yourself thinking you had the same ideas before you played the album...

Seeing People Ground Up in the Gears of This Anarchy
Velvet Acid Christ is like taking an introspective ride on the wild side of the chemical rainbow, only there isn't the wonderland you've always wanted to experience on the other side. Instead of an encapsulated merry-go-round delving into the happy holes within the synthetic rainbow, it a dark and foreboding place where the world is not your friend. Dark clouds rise from the corpses of old thoughts, denouncements roll in and threaten the security of thoughts, and the reality you want to know ends up being nothing but a brittle facsimile pretending to be a dream. And it makes you question, hurt, seethe, and want to ultimnately dismember the world one limb at a time. Yes, its themes like these that have flowed through those experimental skies, endowing Bryan Erickson with more than the ability to vox lyrics, to produce dancebeats on the bleak side of the temponic rainbow, and to sample sounds to help it cohesively come together. Its allowed him to help people feel an ocean of beats writhe through their body while endowing them with subjects on which to think, to feel, and to want to hurt things for.

I've found myself partial to quite a few of VAC's albums, Bryan going through some experimentation on life while I, myself, went through the same "seek syndromes," and I've found myself marveling at some of the productions B. Erickson has made. He seems to understand how to utilize electronics to build both a temple to beat and to theme, allowing one to feel the song. He's also scoured many cinematic/ musical sources to find just the right fit when it comes to the crescendo of sound clips, and then there's the voxing he seems to stick with that makes it all-the-more bleak. When you listen to some of the songs he's built, his voice distorted in an oblivion of questioning and hating, he seems to manifest emotions in those dark lullabies that produce an essence of both hurt and pain. And that, atop all the other constructions, is possibly what I like the most about this under-appreciated artistic mind.

Fun With Knives is something of a rollercoaster ride that wears teeth with feelings, taking you through a myopia of sensations on your way to understanding even more on Erikson's introspective journey. I honestly like the cold truth he gives in it and, oftentimes, the brutality in the journeys as he takes them. There are songs like "Icon" that seem to lash out under an electronically-based yet beautiful beat, producing themes that hate because the mind behind it feels like he, himself, has been hated. Then there are other gears turning this pulsating machine like "Fun With Drugs," with a "skin dripping" action getting into the drug utopia, and then there's the always interesting religion - hating sounds of the slower sonnets like "There is no God." The part I really enjoy the most, though; the darker, more wondrous, sounds I personally like, are also here and here with a vengeance. Yes, there are speed settings for the hatred inside this that go into maximum, like in "Speedball OD" and in the bile that runs out of it and doesn't bother to conceal itself. "I clean up your body parts with a vacuum cleaner" is perhaps the most tamed part of the song that gets me going, making me want top break a few things, and there's luckily more to hold my hand. "Apflux," or the "knife that will slice and dice your mind," mixes with songs like "Psycho," and then there's the title-track, "Fun with Knives." O yeah, it's a boat that takes a journey I personally liked taking.

For anyone not wanting something objectionable, go buy some Enya and sit quietly in the corner because you're in the wrong place. This has violent places in it that are potholed and with pain, hate, and the barrage of other emotions that we all suffer from. It doesn't pretend not to be consumed by them, either, allowing the audience to sit and listen as they spill out of a mouth in which they were allowed to fester. Yeah, this is a trainwreck happening, it playing out in "realtime," and its an interesting experience to ingest because you can honestly relate to all of it - provided you don't kid yourself. And that's all we ever really want, isn't it, to stare at trainwrecks as we pass them by in order to make us feel alive?

Fun with Cheese
I believe Velvet Acid Christ has to be one of the worst sampling bands I have ever heard in my life (I doubt I will ever get over the "Engage" song, with all those start trek samples) and they don't let down here, as always you will find the most common movie samples from the biggest movies you can think of.

I will admit the music has grown some, it is better than any of the previous cds. As a DJ I do play "Fun with Drugs" and every now and then if its early enough I play "Decypher".

As a music fan I would recommend skipping this CD, as a DJ I would say buy the CD if you have some extra spending money as "Fun with Drugs" does good on the dance floor and does get requested from time to time. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Cure is bombarding us with disposable product: There's Show,the soundtrack from the film of its Detroit stop on the '92 Wish tour; SideShow, an EP of five live tunes not included on Show, and Paris, adifferent live set recorded in Europe. Considering that much of its reputationrests on Tim Pope's visionary videos, Show (the movie) is a dreadfulbore, concentrating exclusively on the band performing, much like Pink Floyd'sLive At Pompeii. The soundtrack is just as tedious, skimping on thecatchy hits ("Friday I'm in Love" is here, but not "The LoveCats") and dwelling on droning mood pieces such as "From the Edge ofthe Deep Green Sea." Show is for the devoted only, while the otherdiscs are for those devotees who actually go out in public dressed like Fat Bob.--Jim DeRogatis ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Show is redundant, but Paris is a MUST.
If you are interested in "Show" in some capacity, get the video and not the CD. It's much more enjoyable in video format, plus you don't have to get the "Sideshow" EP to get all the tracks that are on the video.

Now, having said that, let's look at the genius that is "Paris". The live versions of "The Figurehead", "One Hundred Years", "At Night", and "In Your House" COMPLETELY ECLIPSE the album versions. This CD is worth it for those tracks alone. I was originally just a fan of later Cure work and this CD made me get into the whole body of material when I realized how beautiful the old songs were. The rest of the songs, notably "Apart", "A Letter To Elise", and "Charlotte Sometimes" are represented beautifully as well. BUY IT.

I'm not a fan of live CDs...
But I love this one. Yes, yes, I may be a bit of a "rabid cure fan" (look at my nickname for heaven's sake), but I am the first to criticize the band and I really dislike live albums. Show was boring, so was Concert. But Paris is amazing!

"The Figurehead" is my absolute favorite Cure song and it is well represented here. It seems to be far more deep and dark than the original version, if you can actually imagine that. "One Hundred Years", "At Night" and "In Your House" are not standard Cure concert fare (at least in the U.S.) and their sound stands the test of time and change within the band. The keyboards (and subsequent singing along of the Parisian Cure fans to the keyboards) in "Play for Today" makes you feel as though you are actually there with them. And of course "Charlotte Sometimes" is a masterpiece no matter if it's live or orignal - and sacred to Robert, as he has never "remixed" that song.

The rest of the album is rather boring and I'm not that fond of it, but the songs above more than make up for the slow parts. Great album all around.

Very Good
I love live CDs, as they tend to add a different dimension to bands I enjoy. Paris is very, very good. "The Figurehead" is one of my top 3 Cure songs ever, and the guys do a great justice to the song here. "Apart", "Catch", "Letter to Elise", and "Play for Today" are all great. Far superior to show, in my opinion. The real surprise for me, though, was "Close to Me", because this version is far better than the album version. It's things like this that reaffirm why I'm a Cure fan to begin with. And how 'bout that little Jimi Hendrix cover at the end of 100 years? Sweet!

actually my most listened to cure CD
this is soft, lovely, and beautiful from start to finish. as soon as you start listening to it you will be tranced. some of the songs on here are even better than the original album versions. one example is Catch.
good for people just getting into the cure, and for people in love already...

The better "Cure" show.
"Paris" is kind of the companion piece to their other live disc "Show", but to me, this is far superior. "Show" has alot more of the hits, and pop "Cure" songs, but this has the darker, and more obscure "Cure" that I think the hardcore fans really love. It starts off with a few tracks from the "Pornography" and "Seventeen Seconds" albums, then throws in a few from "Wish", plus others. There's a few upbeat songs like "Catch", "Dressing Up", and "Close To Me", but for the most part it's fairly gloomy. Given the overall mood of the album, I could easily see some other choice cuts on here. Specifically "A Strange Day", "Sinking", and the excellent "All Cats Are Grey". Big fans of "Disintegration" should love this, and vice-versa. They're just two of many amazing "Cure" records that you should have "In Your House". ... Read more

Album Description

· Classic Bronze album from 1982, expanded with 8 bonus tracks (including the single – Lovely Money) · Sleevenotes by Kieron Tyler features an exclusive interview with Rat Scabies · Release fully supported by the band · The inferior version will be put on order hold and deleted once the transition is complete ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Great Surprise
Being from Cleveland, I try to listen to a lot of Ohio-based bands. Mushroomhead is one of my favorites. Chimaira are great as well. But with Lollipop Lust Kill, I was blown away.

I downloaded some of their songs from mp3.com, and was hooked immediately. These guys are great. It took me a while to actually buy the CD, but when I did, I was kicking myself for not getting it sooner. It's one of those few albums that I put in and never skip a song.

I'd name some of the songs I especially liked, but you can just scroll up and look at the track listing. With the exception of the intro and the outro, all the songs are worth listening to. "Like A Disease" could have easily been a hit radio single if the band had been marketed more. I'm almost glad they weren't thrown all over the radio, but it would be good to see them get the huge fanbase that they are due.

The singer, Evvy Pedder, has a great voice. His has a gravelly growl and a smooth singing voice for when he wants to take it down a notch, which he does to a great effect on many songs. Their cover of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" is superb.

This album could have been a 5-song EP and still have been worth the $... or so it's selling for. The presence of six other great songs makes this a steal and one CD you won't take out of your player for a long time.

A Great, Heavy Band!
Being the curious person I am, I'm always looking for new bands that I can listen to. Amazon.com is a great way to find those bands, read reviews about them and sample their music. While looking for some bands one day, I came across Lollipop Lust Kill. It had gotten good reviews and seemed like a band I would like. I bought their CD used from this site (hey, it saves money), and my first thoughts were, and still are, good. This 6-member band is simply an amazing hard rock / metal band that should definetly get more attention, though you know that attention can't be given by MTV. But anyway...

Lollipop Lust Kill has a strong horror influence thoughout most of their album, though they don't overdo the theme to annoyance like Powerman 5000 did the space thing on "Tonight The Stars Revolt!!". Their lead singer, Evvy Pedder has a great voice for a band like this. He screams well, but his voice truly shines when he sings. His voice actually makes you feel like your watching a horror movie or something, it's so cold and lifeless yet so bold and powerful. Yeah, that sounded corny, but he truly has a haunting voice. At first his voice reminded me of Edsel Dope of Dope's (I love his voice, too), but not anymore. The guitar riffs are above that of average Nu-Metal (which I also like). The drums are nothing special, they just get the job done. The bass is very powerful and can be heard loudly in many tracks, while the keyboards add another element of suspense to this little musical ride.

The lyrics on this album are superb and at times very eerie. The verse of "Knee Deep in the Dead" is great tp recite around friends to get strange looks, but try not to offend anyone.

The best tracks are "Black All Over", "Father", "Knee Deep in the Dead", "Everything I" and their superior cover of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus".

I highly recommend this album to anyone who likes bands such as Static-X, Spineshank, Slipknot, Mushroomhead, Disturbed, Dope, or just Nu-Metal of hard rock in general.

Nicely Done
When I heard this band, I must admit, I was seriously entheused from the get-go. When you first pop in the CD, you're greeted with an eerie intro, setting the mood for the thrashing track "Black All Over," but it doesn't stop there. The rocking keeps going, only slowing for frontman Evvy Pedder to croon smooth Jim Morrison-esque verses in tracks like "Perfect Woman." Of course, it picks back up again with an excellent rendition of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus." We'll just have to wait and see if Marilyn Manson can cover it as well as LLK on his upcoming album. All in all, this CD is a great buy for those into the underground metal scene, as I am. Keep an eye on these guys for sure!

Less angst than Tool with the anger of Pantera
Excellent addition to your metal collection, this new band is a treat for the tired ear. Singer Evvy Pedder shows off his vocal diversity with Pantera like growls and screams, softening up to the smoothness of Maynard James Keenan (Tool) and sometimes a vaguely Bowie-esque undertone; and completed with a slight Goth undertone that does not distract from the rock base.

Seemingly indeed influenced by bands such as Tool and sounding a little like Dope, LLK does manage to create their own unique sound nevertheless, quite able to rough it up with the best of the more established bands.

My favorite song on the album would have to be "Black All Over", a catchy tune of thrumming guitars and head-banging beats that you can't help but rock along with. It is also one of the rougher tunes on the CD. "Knee Deep In The Dead" lyrics are said to be inspired by the video game "Doom", and "Bury You" inspired by Stephen King's "The Shining". I gave the lyrics some extra attention and have no doubts that the core of these songs are indeed from where they are said to be. Both are very well written, but my favorite of the two would have to be "Bury You" simply because I find it a catchier tune. D. Human, LLK's bass player, when commenting on Bury You, said "Domestic Violence at its best".

I have never heard Depeche Mode's version of "Personal Jesus", but LLK's version is a appealing toe-tapper with the growling vocals and mildly metal-infused-rockabilly tune. "Like A Disease" is another of my favs, with very haunting lyrics and an overall atmosphere of depression and retribution, softer than other songs and really showcasing Evvy's vocal talents. "Everything I" is the slowest song (not to be confused with a slow-song) on the CD, and another good showcase for Pedder's amazing vocal ranges.

Father, a song of an abusive parent, Sad Excuse For A Grip, Can't Get Away; indeed, there is not a song on this CD that I don't like, but feel that this review would be too lengthy were I to comment on every single track. Listen to some samples, and if you like the samples you won't be disappointed in the CD itself. There are no surprises, or disappointments, in this collection from a talented new metal group. Enjoy!

good, Really good!
First time i listened to this band i had no idea what to expect, but from what i read hear; they sounded pretty good. I just bought the cd because they had a funny sounding name, I keep going back to this cd after not listening to it for a while; it just has that addictive sound to it. weeeeeeeeee. ... Read more