Album Details

Japanese Release featuring an Exclusive Bonus Track. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Good hard rockin CD
If you like Ramstein or Nitzerebb you will surely like this one. Hard rockin industrial stuff with some electronic sounds that combine to make some great tunes. While many groups throw in a slow easy song or two this group keeps hammering at you. And they sing in English too. Great hardcore music that won't disapoint anyone.

THE BEST!!!
Ok. This album is one of the best in my collection. It stands out. Not only are the vocals awsome but so are the lyrics and guitars. These people started Industrial and dont have too much credit for it (seeing that i can find no tabs or lyrics for this album). they deserve alot more.

Gripping Metal-Industrial
Industrial has of late (Die Krupps included) drifted far into the realm of metal--there's nothing wrong with that! This cd proves it. Rings of Steel is a collection of remixed songs--Language of Reality being the best. Pay no attention to the criticism about the lyrics...they are better than average (Language of Reality also has very clever, thoughfut lyrics). This disc is reccomended if you like KMFDM, NIN-Broken, Ministry, etc.

Excellent music, pitiful vocals and lyrics.
I would have liked to give this CD a better rating, but the embarrassingly bad singing and lyrics really destroyed alot of the album's potential. I wish that german industrial bands would sing most of their songs in german, because it is such a powerful and heavy language which complements the genre perfectly. On the other hand, the music on this CD is unquestionably some of the best industrial I've ever heard. In fact, I liked the music on this album so much that I copied all the CD tracks to my computer and remixed them to get rid of the intolerable vocals.

Great songs w/ great remixes
I must admit, this is the first Die Krupps album I've ever owned, but it has gotten me itching for more. It took a few listenings (and printed-out lyrics) before I could fully appreciate the intensity and creativeness put into this music. It has metal, dance beats, and meaningful lyrics all wrapped up in one package. My favorites include "Metal Machine Music", the remixes of "Crossfire", and "Fatherland". I would recomend this CD to anyone curious about Die Krupps because it sure has me hooked! ... Read more

Album Description

A 16-song Kollection of all your Kult favorites; THE BE(a)ST OF TKK Kovers their Kareer from the earliest days to the end of the century!Features Sex On Wheelz and 'Cuz It's Hot. 16 trackks of foulmouthed depravity and cheap thrills! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The best English rock & roll has always been made by art students; this sometimes-pretentious, always-engaging foursome is no exception. Throbbing Gristle's unprecedented alignment of collage, propaganda, and noise even spawned an entire genre. This 1978 full-length (originally the third release on the group's Industrial label) was their uncharacteristically accessible electro-pop album. It's survived rather well--of note are the pleasantly monotonous, noisy synth-pop of "What a Day," the wholly improvised two-tracks of "Discipline," and the playful, ambient "Exotica," a tribute to Martin Denny that prefigures hipster cocktail culture by two decades.The group wasn't only boundary-pushing, they had a sense of humor (easily glimpsed in the cover art) that's sorely lacking in the industrial music created since Throbbing Gristle's demise in the late '70s. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (9)

massive ,music. "industrial"?
Every song Throbbing Gristle did, on their live cd's (they released every one of their live performances) & on their albums, was so monumental. This cd is a must for anyone -- anyone -- interested in the nascence of this great music. I might be tempted, though, to recommend DOA by Throbbing Gristle before this. I personally like to listen to that more.

dark acid drips
Although the world at large won't like this album, it will please fans of late 70's experimental rock music (lots of weird noizes, synths, and old school analog effects devices set to stiff drum machine beats). The instrumental songs are dark, twisted, and somewhat ambient sounding. The angst vocal songs remind me of what the Residents would sound like if they lost their sense of humor, and started shooting heroin during an acid trip. Aliens will love this album.

We need some discipline here!
This is decidedly the best TG album, and definitely the most listenable. It lacks the sheer insanity of most of the rest of TG's catalog, to be blunt, but maybe this is a good thing, as THrobbing Gristle is responsible for the very best and very worst music i have ever heard. needless to say, i own eight of their albums anyway.

If you're adventurous enough to try to listen to Throbbing Gristle in the first place, this is a good start.
If you're not, you probably listen to NIN and :w:, and should be hit with a brick for not knowing what good music is.

Throbbing Gristle
I came across this quite by accident, looking for early industrial scene samples. This is very hard work to listen to, although I suppose it may grow on me. The "discipline" tracks are quite amusing to listen to, especially trying to notice the differences. However, if this is typical of the early scene, I think it could only have got better.

Appreciate it for what it is...
If you're a die-hard Chris and Cosey fan (are there any left out there??), then you may have heard about their rather dubious beginnings in TG. If you think that you are in for Chris and Cosey by considering this TG release (the allegedly most "accessible of all" TG releases), think again.

No, there is no "October Love Song" or "Exotika" (the C&C version that is!) on this one. Nowhere to be found are the waif-like butterfly-fragile vocals, or the tender, lilting keyboards. Instead, this rather tough and dry early industrial music. Much like Nico singing, with a heavily drunken Kraftwerk or Devo laying down the tunes. The "tunes" are often very-loosely contstructed (to say the least), and often resemble a John Zorn piece.

So, perhaps you have a general idea of what to expect now, or perhaps my review has been horrible and leaves you absolutely clueless. I hope that the latter is not the case. In short, just don't expect somber, sleepy-time-sweet-ala-mr.-sandman type music.

Also, if you ever come across a recording by TGT, I would recommend you stay away. It's some almagamation of TG and C&C, meets early Psychic T.V. (and, of course, Genesis P. Orridge). Very mid 80's style housy-ness, with almost no vocals. Not very decent, and, actually, shameful for an outfit of this caliber. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This is a six-song live documentation of Ministry's 1989-90 North American tour. It is arguably the band at its peak: the material is drawn exclusively from their two best albums (The Land of Rape and Honey, The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste).The lineup is a virtual "all-stars" of hard electro, including Nivek Ogre of Skinny Puppy, Martin Atkins of Pigface, and singer Chris Connelly. This is not mere rehash, as all the songs boast heavier guitar sounds than their studio counterparts. "Burning Inside" and "Stigmata" are distinctly different, both featuring longer arrangements and additional sound effects. There is also a rotation of singers, with Connelly taking the lead on "So What" and Ogre roaring in front on "Thieves." --Mark McCleerey ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Ministry at their peak
Before "Psalm 69" took Ministry to never before imagined heights, they released this 6 song live album which features material from "Land of Rape & Honey" and "Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste"; and it showcases the band at their peak and at their best. The audio quality is amazing (better than they're recently released "Sphinctour") and presents Al Jourgenson and co. the way they are meant to be heard: with thundering rhythm, grinding guitar carnage, and an insane audience of Ministry fans. "Burning Inside" is amazingly re-envisioned live, and "So What" sends chills down the spine. All in all, "In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up" is an absolute must have for any and every Ministry fan. This is how to do industrial/metal music.

Industrial Perfection
Towards the late eighties Ministry was quietly perfecting the industrial sound. Land of Rape and Honey and Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste are still two of my favorite hard rock albums. This live CD has only six songs, but the VHS tape has a few more songs on it. It also includes a cameo near the end by Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedies fame. Too bad this album did not have more material on it.

And I was there...
I saw Ministry with KMFDM in Atlanta, Georgia at the Masquerade during the "Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste" tour from which this was recorded. ( Although this was not the date recorded.) Before heroin ruined the band. A great concert this was. Truly amazing, genre - defying stuff, it spits in the face of all that came before it, and all that would follow. Heavy metal , but not in a dumb hair-metal kinda way. Industrial/dance, but not in a techno-gay-bar kinda way. It's the porridge that Goldilocks chose. Ministry here are at their peak, as far as live performance goes. And it SOUNDS good, unlike some live albums you come across. Utter perfection.

A MISSING 7TH TRACK!!!!
Just a tip for you fans that weren't around or paying attention in 1990. A live version of "Breathe" is availabale on the Sire compilation "Just Say Da" that was released at about the same time as "In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up." It was recorded on this tour and is exclusive to that compilation...Sire thought it would help sales of that compilation and vice versa. It goes perfectly with these 6 tracks on your iPod.

Ministry at its best
No live album is as visceral or ferociously important as this album. Listening to this album will take you back to a place in your life where everything ..., where everyone ..., where the only person you could rely on was yourself. Listen to it with high-quality headphones late at night with the lights off and your eyes closed. For 45 minutes or so you will experience the apex of live industrial music. It's a brilliant album, let alone a live experience. (I break out in a sweat whenever I listen to "So What.") Look, in general, as a band, Nine Inch Nails is musically better than Ministry (in my opinion), but this live album is honestly heads above NIN's fragility live disc. Seriously. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Genius
I consider myself an electronic/ambient fan, and coming to III from this angle, I found it to be simply mindboggling. I've (repeatedly) read that this release has disappointed previous Download fans for its lack of industrial flavor. Well, I for one am so glad that cEvin Key and the rest of the Download crew decided to go forth into softer, more sophisticated territory that apparently doesn't appear in earlier works.
At the risk of oversimplifying what isn't mean to be, I'll say that the tracks can be grouped into two kinds: (1) lush and exquisitely beautiful atmospheric pieces, although with enough depth and progression to feel like the product of a symphony, and (2) beat-driven, though incredibly complex and well-crafted, with layers of brittle and achingly beautiful melodies over them. Often tracks combine both of the above and never fall into a bring repetition that has become the hallmark of electronic music. The album is both harsh and exquisitely beautiful at the same time. It really is an experience.
This is an album where each song is so well-done; each appears to the listener as if the group envisioned it to be the album's masterpiece. The result is an album which can be listened to in pieces, or played straight form beginning to end without boredom or track-jumping. I can't recommend this album enough. You know, I've listened to alot of "good" music, and the common theme through all of it is this: an attention to detail and the clear thoughtfulness, creativity and passion that comes through the music from the composer. This is one of those albums where you know the creators put in their all.

Can't pick one as my favorite, because they're all so great!
first of all, i love download... cevin key can do no wrong in my opinion so this review is very biased... BUT, this album blows my mind everytime i listen to it... i find something new constantly, and i cannot even begin to understand how he puts all of it together and so perfectly, though i do know quite a bit about music... the times and time changes that key consistently uses are so bizarre they seem impossible, yet somehow the music winds into an overwhelming chaotic state of electronic bliss...and i will never understand why people constantly try to compare download or any other key project to skinny puppy... when are they going to understand, this is not intended to be skinny puppy... this is download... so if you want to listen to skinny puppy, pull out your old albums (which i also love).. but, if you want to hear something more current that's going to blow you away with its intricate twists and layers, you want download, especially III...

Another mind-bending offering from Download.
Download does it again with another brilliant album, if you are new to Download this is a good album to start with..
Throughout the album there are a large amount of samples and odd sounds, all songs sound different yet flow together with the next one, as the album progresses it goes from abrasive beat-driven songs to more soothing sounds, sometimes incorporating a cello, but then, out of thin air a huge barage of sounds comes out and suprises you..
Most of the songs on this album are of the soundscape variety and have no vocals, there are a large amount (or at least there apears to be a large amount) of samples ranging from horses (Toooly Hooof) to what sounds like exotic birds.. (Cunning.)
III is an album that can question the very fabric of reality and not say a single word, it's sheer brilliance lives within it's beauty, the 30 second clips above cannot possibly give the album justice, in order to fully understand it you must hear the whole album in it's entirety..
If you are thinking about buying this album I would strongly suggest doing so, it is just an excellent album..

5 out of 5 stars easily!

excellent electronica
This is excellent "hard" electronica. The first few tracks are ok but from track 6 on, its pure bliss...

You'll want more, so why not head right now to subconsciousstudios.com and order: III Steps Forward - this is another, somewhat softer electronica masterpiece - guaranteed to send shivers up and down your spine. But be patient, it's a limited release - trust me, it's worth the 4 or more weeks wait.

Also worthy of consideration is Downoad's Inception album - only available at subconsciousstudios.com

Thank you cEvin Key, Phil Western and the subc crew - you are all wonderfully creative artists.

ps: look out for the new Skinny Puppy album, probably out in April, 2004... can't wait...

wake me up when it's over
I'm really suprised to see all the positive feedback that this cd received. After getting furnace and microscopic, I was expecting more of the abrasive, nerve-grating sound that this crew is known for. Instead, we get a bunch of hypnotic, mellow tracks with no real beauty to be found anywhere. I'm a fan of mellow electronic music, but this just doesn't make the cut IMHO. Everytime I put it on, it kind of just faded into background music for me. Something that the Download of 1995-96 would never be able to do. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

This just blows my pants off! 0.0
A friend almost commanded me to download a few Zeromancer songs to check them out. In 2 days they went from a band I had never heard of to a band that stole my #1 spot. They may not be the most talented band alive, but by no means does that mean you shouldn't buy this. Eurotrash is their best album, but I have enjoyed every single track I have ever heard by these guys. If you like Industrial Rock, Synth Pop, or Dance Rock -BUY THIS. Any Manson, Orgy, Zombie, or NIN fans should have this.

Excellent
I stumbled upon Zeromancer by complete accident, so I decided why not give it a try so I ordered it, not expecting a whole lot. This band stunned me. The opening track "Dr. Online" was a great way to open this cd. Most of the cd is extrememly good, I love the techno-rock sound they produce. It's nothing like I have ever heard before, I know Orgy has a similar sound but it doesn't flow like these guys do. I would definetley reccomend buying this release, you won't be dissapointed.

standout in an underdeveloped genre
I have to say that Zeromancer, despite their relatively low profile, Zeromancer's music is instantly catch and engaging. I would compare them to Rammstein with maybe double the synthwork - Eurotrash is a perfect synthesis of hard rock and techno, and there's very little out there comparable to it. Heartily recommended.

Two songs worth having
I have mixed feelings about this release, I don't like most of the CD however there are two songs that I just LOVE! They do a great cover of "Send Me An Angel" and "Dr Online", the CD is worth buying for those two songs alone, just don't expect a lot from the rest of the CD.

I recently got the newest Zeromancer release and it seems to fall into the same trap, a couple great songs and a bunch of ok songs.

As a music fan and a Industrial DJ I would recommend this CD for the two mentioned songs alone.

BUY THIS CD!
I had heard mention of this band on random LiveJournal.com comments but then heard the CD when I was at a friends and all I have to say is I fell in love at first sound! This band is phenominal in my tastes and the sound they have is unforgetable for me. It helps that they did a cover of one of my all-time favorite songs "Send Me An Angel" which was in my heart from the day one of hearing it. All I can say is BUY THIS CD NOW... and I honestly can't say it enough! ... Read more

Album Description

2003 reissue of 2000 album features 7 tracks. A combination of progressive jazz, reggae rhythms, & spacey synths.Digipak. Snapper. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ahh!!
The typical Ozrics experience with some great jazz, atmospheric reggae-rock and so forth.Personally, I love the end track.Not quite as hard as other releases, but they still bring the noise in the keyboard department to make up for it. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Good Stuff
This is everything I like in a good techno group: very detailed, complex music with lyrics and vocals that range from "good" to "awesome". "Situations Like These" in particular is a new angle for Icon of Coil, featuring some beautiful female vocals. If that track was an experiment, I hope they do some more of it in the future. This group is pretty well in line in the likes of Covenant, Apoptygma Berzerk, Wolfheim and VNV Nation, so if you like any of those it's worth checking out.

On other IOC releases, I feel like they're consistantly good, never bad but never awesome, however this CD introduces us to some "awesome" intermixed with the "good". I liked that this CD has obviously put more effort into good lyrics and vocals and it paid off.

I will say one negative thing, though: the people who claim Floorkiller is an awesome dance song, uh, did you guys even listen to the whole thing? It is indeed a floor killer, best suited for the last song of the day when you're trying to get people to leave. It starts out as a super-awesome dance beat but about midway through it pretty much shuts down and turns into the most annoying no-beat noise you've ever heard, like 30 seconds of a white-noise/tone that pretty much says "go home" if it says anything...

Great CD
Let me start by saying I was amazed to find I loved every last song on this CD! I have been slowly growing my musical taste into more ebm (whatever you wanna call it) type stuff and Icon of Coil really helped push me further into this realm of music. As a DJ there are a ton of good songs on this disc for your dance floor.

Good dance floor tracks include:
Floorkiller (best dance floor song)
Shallow Nation
Activate
Regretwn
Everlasting
Former Self
Fiction

I would highly recommend buying this CD as both a music fan and a DJ. I would also recommend if you can find it, buy the CD Single for "Shallow Nation", it has a better version of both "Shallow Nation" and "Floorkiller" on it than this CD.

Another great album of EBM/futurepop
I was perusing the used cd bins last weekend at my favorite record store when I found a copy of "Serenity is the Devil". I was surprised that someone would be willing to part with this cd, much less anything from Metropolis Records. I guess "what is one person's junk is another person's treasure", and "Serenity Is the Devil" is no exception to that rule. I got into Icon of Coil when I picked up their new album "The Soul Is in the Software", being a big fan of bands on Metropolis Records (KMFDM, VNV Nation, Project Pitchfork, Bella Morte, Diary of Dreams, Apoptygma Berzerk). I had no idea what I had in store for me today .... I didn't realize I would strike gold and find two albums by two Metropolis acts (Die Form and Icon of Gold). Anyways, being a big fan of Icon of Coil, I immediately bought the album (as well as Die Form's "Confessions"). I love Icon's brand of EBM/futurepop. It took me a few listens for their new album to grow on me but with "Serenity Is the Devil", I loved it immediately. "Serenity Is the Devil" didn't start off with fairly aggressive tracks like "The Soul Is in the Software" did. It was a smooth transition from a more mellower song such as "Situations Like These" to "Faction", a much more aggressive song. For me, the one song on this album that really stuck out for me like a sore thumb is "Everlasting", Icon's equivalent to VNV Nation's "Beloved" and Apoptygma Berzerk's "Until the End of the World". The melodies are just divine, and the lyrics are absolutely perfect in that same emotional sense that I get when I listen to "Beloved" and "Until the End of the World". There isn't one song on this album that I did not like or that required a few more listens to grow on me. I may like "Serenity Is the Devil" slightly more than their new album, the band can do no wrong with me. Just another awesome Metropolis band.

Mind Blowing, Heart Pumping Music at its BEST......
This is one of the best new albums I have bought. It blew my mind the very first time I heard it. Its like combining progressive trance and EBM with dark vocals and you get ICON OF COIL. Every single song is a SMASHING HIT. Songs like "Activate","Regretwn", "Everlasting", "Former Self", , "Fiction", "You Just Died", and "Floorkiller" will rock ... " Situations Like These" will leave you breathless from its beauty and my very favorate song that pumps adrenaline rush through my soul is "Shallow Nation" that is the ultimate song to get on the dance floor and just go.

Pounding beats and black moods
Icon of Coil are from Norway, and I found out about them through idly listening to an anonymous techno CD of various artists. The track "Shallow Nation" was easily the best track on that CD - a little reminiscent of Nitzer Ebb, but by no means so percussive as to be near the point of being atonal.

"Serenity is the Devil" is a very good CD indeed, and most tracks are well worth listening to (although a couple seem to be out of place). The most compelling aspect is the divergence in speeds, often starting slowly and building up to a crescendo of faster and faster beats. However, the lush bass treatments and the dark, portentuous vocals should also not be forgotten, and when combined it adds up to one of the best industrial CDs you will hear in a very long time.

Icon of Coil also are avid producers, and have remixed tracks for many other groups. That is no surprise - for this is a very well-done CD all around, and if they release remixes from it I would be very interested to hear those as well. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Escaping the madness of life
Takes you away from the maddening crowd. Give it a listen!

A Wasteland of Buried Treasure
Synaesthesia is yet another side-project by the guys who brought us Delerium and Frontline Assembly: Fulber/Peterson/and, of course, Bill Leeb. When I found this album used I was actually very shocked for Ephemeral is apparently a difficult CD to find. So, like any Delerium fan, I snatched it up and bought it. When I first listened to it, however, I thought to myself: 'What a wasteland of buried treasure'. This is a lot like early Delerium with its dark layers of ambience and touches of light industrial, but it also leans towards a subtle tribal version of Intermix (aka, Future Primitives). The songs are very long (ranging from 8 to 10 minutes) but you'll hardly take notice as the time passes you by for the songs are filled with mesmerizing bliss... in a chilling sort of way. I would honestly recommend that you buy this simply because of "Intelligence Dream" and "Naked Sun", which has more of an uptempo progressive drumbeat that reminds me a lot of something you'd hear on Semantic Spaces, which actually came out before this.

If you can somehow get your hands on a copy of Synaesthesia's Ephemeral than I recommend that you do... It's definitely worth the search.

Their Best...
I have to Ephemeral is definitely the best of the Synaesthesia side project, though honestly I think the whole side project was great. I have to rate Ephemeral as pretty much equal to the Intermix - Future Primitives album as the best work by Leeb, Fulber, and Peterson in their industrial mode. If you're looking for something a little "darker" than these, try their Delerium releases Morpheus, and Spheres. If you can find them that is. Of course, you can try the whole catalog of Fulber & Leeb work in Front Line Assembly, Delerium, Intermix, Synaesthesia, Equinox, Pro-Tech, and I think a few others I'm missing. They should qualify as the most prolific artists of the last 20 years.

Find and Buy
Ephemeral is definately worth the time and patience it will take to find it. The best of a great side project.

The best.
This album is beutifull. I won't say to much because its out of label, but I was lucky enough to chance on a copy of it at Borders...and it is simply my all time favorite Synth album - possibly one of my fav New Age/Techno/Goth albums! ... Read more

Reviews (45)

gothic trip-hop??! Blah!
Switchblade Symphony is definitely one of the most talked-about goth bands on today's American scene. They owe their fame to the great Siouxsie-influenced debute Serpentine Gallery. Unfortunately its follow up, Bread and Jam for Frances was a rather big dissapointment, it wasn't half as dark and "gothy" as the great first CD. Picking up this album I was hoping that Bread and Jam was a mere experiment and the Switchblade didn't lose their dark, angry edge. I was wrong. The trip hop elemets are still there, so are the goofy, buble-head vocals introduced on the 2nd album. Three Calamities is strongly on the cheesy side, plain boring and commercial, comparable to Ruby or Portishead...I guess it's a sign that from now on we shouldn't expect anything dark and depressing from Tina and Suzan. (another indication is their recent live shows, gawd!) It won't be soon till the goth DJs put to rest the tracks from Serpentine Gallery. And the 13 year old girls have a couple of their newer CDs to play while they die their hair black... If you crave for strong angry and depressing synth-goth/gothic rock buy Serpentine Gallery, skip this one. If you are a fan of easy-listening "electronica" this album is for you.

just plain good music
Alright, I have read all of the reviews of this albulm and it seems to be all about whether or not it's "real" goth music. If you ever read interviews with tina and susan, they have mentioned moving away from the gothic scene for quite sometime. Also, people forget that much of Serpentine Gallery (nearly all of the more frantic "gothic" tracks) was recorded in back 1991. Bread and Jams for Francis was their first album of all new material since signing with cleopatra, and it barely holds ties to gothic stylings. So forget whether or not it's Goth, and just listen to it. This is a beautiful, dark, and dreamy album. It flows well, starting with what seems like a breakup in Invisible and getting darker and darker until it decends into crazed sampled voices and madness in Monsters. Then Therapy comes along as a bright spot, a mantra for those dark moments in life when you need to "start to wake up, scream all you want, see what you've done". It starts off the second half of the album, which is considerably less codependent sounding. Production is better than ever. Part of the joy of this album (and bread and jams) is all of the little background noises that go on. Tina's vocals are not so operatic, which is a little disappointing, but they goes well with this music. One of my favorite albums for the winter.

Trippy
First of all, I'm not some die-hard Switchblade Symphony fan. I had no idea who they were before I heard this album, and... I still don't really know anything else about them.

We were at my friend Johnny-boy's house, and he randomly threw this album in. It was kinda strange, not bad, but I wasn't paying much attention. Then "Copycat" kicked in, and I was blown away. I was like "WHOA, whoa, who are these people?!" I immediately asked to borrow it. It's an awesome album. Stuff like "Naked Birthday" and "Invitation" are really cool, deep, moody songs... not like thoroughly depressed, just somewhat introverted, if that makes any sense. And, of course, "Copycat" kicks royal (bleep), from the beats to the lyrics.

I'd never heard anything like this before, and I still haven't. This album is quite unique, and worth a listen.

More mainstream
This is a beautiful album, but its sound is a lot more mainstream than Switchblade Symphony's previous two albums. I expect that for that reason it will appeal to a wider audience, but I do miss the darkness of Serpentine Gallery and the creepiness of Bread and Jam for Frances.

As a note to new fans, Switchblade Symphony was an awesome band from San Francisco. They broke up in late 1999 and that was a sad time for their many fans. They were great live.

good listening, unmoved by lyrics
I am reviewing this cd because i bought it, i neither love or hate it. I'm a guy that gets down on industrial like skinny puppy, das ich, pink dots, tear garden, lacrimosa.

So i bought this cd when i knew little about industrial, i was just fishing for stuff that sounded cool. Had no expectaction of what i would hear. I find it very pleasant to listen to. Its very good music to ignore, the entire album has a mellow groove that is unique as far as i know. Cookie-cutter drum&bass techno clips are used out of context and interesting ways, intermingled with god knows what else for a great atmosphere. BUT my y chromosomes hurt when i listen to it.

Brings me to the cons. I feel a big gender barrier in the lyrics. A whole lot of 'my boyfriend sucks' songs. I dated a 'riot grrl', i've heard hundreds of these. If i listen to the lyrics i dont empathize, i feel like i'm the one thats responsible. Crap, i'm sorry, i should have paid attention, man, sorry ma'am, yeah, you're right, yeah i gotta wake up, yeah i done you wrong. A listen to the lyrics gives me the guilt of a relationship without all that cumbersome fun and happiness. And they're not even well written.

But this is all coming from a self-confessed stompy mcrivethead. This is crossover appeal from .. um.. girl stuff. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Groovy's voice! The sleazy, cheesy sexual content! super
i have owned this album for about 3 years and it just recently got stolen from me. i was heart broken. never has an album come out and equalled it in dancability. propably tkks 4th best album, but i don't have REINCARNATION OF LUNA. the main stand out on this album is GROOVY'S and the BOMB GANG GIRLZ' flawless vocals. it is not industrial, but hey it is the funnest album i have ever owned ! standout tracks are MYSTERY BABYLON, INTERNATIONAL SIN SET, CONTINENTAL TOUCH,LEATHERSEX,and SEXPLOSION!

sin-sational
Sexplosion. That pretty much says it. This seemed like a turning point for the TKK to me. Not as dark/evil as the previous releases, yet not as techno-glam as the later ones. But its all those things with a bit of kink and sleaze and a cherry on top. In summary, its sex-filled dancetracks even Satan could love.

70's porn music
On my first listen, this CD made me think of growing a beer belly with a lot of curly black hair growing out of it. I wanted to have several gold chains hung around my neck while doing the nasty to a few 20 year olds who look like 40 year olds. In other words, it made me want to be in a 70's porn.

On the next listen it sounded even better. This is my first MLWTTKK CD, and it was not what I expected.

If you're looking for dark/goth...maybe one of their other CDs is better for that. For what it is...I do like this CD.

be my dream, baby
I enjoy this CD very much. It is a collection of DanceHall music, and lyrics which poke fun at puritanical ...... attitudes. It is captivating and entertaining to me because the lyrics are so sardonic, nearly jaded, yet more than anything else, cheeky. The music is also jocular. I especially like the campy, samples of the James Bond theme. SEX ON WHEELZ is the deserved hit, and everything seems to come together but all the songs are great. LEATHERSEX is an effective use of a diva over dance beats, and the bonus track of this song replaces the diva with a swell duet. If you are interested in one of the most controversial albums from (MY LIFE WITH) THRILL KILL KULT, or if you enjoy fun, infectious dance grooves, this CD will interest you.

give yourself to the dark side
Dark and very danceable, this disc is a must-own if you like TKK. Witty, curvy, gritty, and dripping with sin, it's the perfect strip-tease or sleazy cocktail party soundtrack. TKK keep evolving; this is still their best. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

awesome remixes
These are some seriously cool remixes! They have almost a dancy beat to them, but it isn't lame, it's awesome! The remixes of scapegoat and scumgrief were particulary good. I can't believe this doesn't sell more or have more reviews, it's awesome. And I bought it at a local store for like $10, it was worth every penny. I love it! If you like Soul of a New Machine,are a fear factory fan, or just enjoy industrial groove dancy music, go for it!

Good turn for Fear Factory
This remix ep almost is to the edge of something you would take to a dance party. They definatly can use the word regrooved especially on martyr and self immolation. Although the remixes of Self Immolation are my favorite they very much sound like each other i think us consumers needed a little more of a diffrent approach to that song remix than what was offered. I give much thanks and acknowledgment to this EP cause it gave Fear factory the open set for the Metal/Industrial sound you hear from them to this day.

no remix rehab needed after this beauty! ;)
probaly one of the best remix albums out there.. the design of the "machine" is as accomplished as the bulls and there "three-peat"./ very raw + unexpected in its own way- it truly brings out the sounds that you forget on "soul of a new machine".. its simply awesome!

Fear Factory At Their Finest Hour
I have never loved Fear Factory, especially their horrid later day releases ('Digimortal'), but I seriously love this album. When I first heard their first album I thought that they sounded like a death metal Ministry, not necessarily a bad thing, and gave their first album - "Soul of a New Machine" - quite a few spins in my C.D. player, but nothing prepared me for the remix album that followed. 'Fear is the Mindkiller' is what I associate with Fear Factory, pummeling riffs, the growling death vocals (you heard me, death vocals), the killer sampling, and the throbbing guitars. I for one always like remix albums (KMFDM and Nine Inch Nails have put out some great ones as well) but this just blows it all away. The simple brutality of "Scapegoat (Pigf-ck Mix)", the great sampling on "Scumgrief (Deep Dub Trauma Mix)", the excellent sound of "Self Immolation" (one of my favorites from 'Soul of a New Machine'), everything about this E.P. (which is basically a single for "Self Immolation" - kind of like Meshuggah's brilliant "True Human Design") is spectacular. If you enjoy industrial metal or death metal this is a must have.

FF fan when I was in Boston MA
Jan 30th 2003: I'm one of the lucky FF fans who saw them live at the Axis on Landsdowne in the late 90s. Sadly, not many FF fans were there. I got to meet Dino who was drinking at the bar afterwards, perfectly accessible to fans. Burton was sick and primadonna-ish and was "resting" in the bus. I met the other band members and they were really passionate about adding different touches to metal.

Someday, the metal masses will accept a kind of metal that incorporates death, melody, technology, and deep danceclub beats as demonstrated in Fear is the Mind Killer. Just as 311 was ahead of its time, So too FF is/was. Unfortunately, FF won't hang around long enough like 311 to reap their inevitable rewards (only now is 311 gaining ALOT of fame even though they have several albums out already).

I believe if FF was allowed to produce their metal the way they TRULY wished without critic or record label pressures, they would produce more music like this EP: Fear is the Mindkiller... Then TRULY, FF would have an identity unto intself.

About the EP: "Fear is the Mindkiller" really complements your experience of their first album "Soul of a New Machine." My favorite track is #4: The steam whistles blowing its mournful exhaust, the angst-filled drilling noises, and ominous clanking of pipes all against the backdrop of a danceclub-like beat truly expands one's horizons for metal. The rhythmic beats flow in step with Burton's lyrics, while the melodic chorus constantly ups the ante on emotion in this track.

The other tracks are also EXCELLENT, but are more geared towards a harder death sound. Track #4 is the most danceclub-like and represents the true future of FF that never will be. Thanks for the memories FF. Sorry to see you guys go. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Fear Factory has always been interested in technology, so it comes as no surprise that the group has decided to re-mix its 1995 disc Demanufacture. What is surprising is how seamlessly the band's riffs and rhythms blend with the pulsing beats and interstellar sounds of 1997's electronic music. Unlike many remix albums which simply augment songs with a smattering of computer effects, on Remanufacture, Fear Factory severely restructures and re-interprets its recordings to the point where the source material is sometimes unrecognizable. If Demanufacture was industrialized metal, Remanufacture is metallic techno that relies on ambient, drum & bass, and trip-hop beats as the foundation for the band's dynamic aural facelift. Welcome to the next millennium.--Jon Wiederhorn ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Expansion and growth
FF have always been on the cutting edge, be it with their riffs, drumming style, or lyrics and vocal stylings. This is yet another trip to the edge for them, going into the world of techno. And this is good techno. Not at all like the boring American style "house" music, but the real and hardcore European variety. This is truly one of the heaviest records I've ever heard. The best track, in my opinion, is "Cloning Technology", the remix of "Replica". It's a great remix,and it is a small picture of the album itself. The album covers all spectrums of emotions. Definitely a must buy for techno and FF fans. It is different, but it is also excellent.

Second "Cloned" Album: Industrial-Metal Meets Techno
For a band that pooh-poohs technology somewhat (read the bit in the booklet), Fear Factory has turned out a fabulous second "cloned"/remix album, taking their earlier CD, "Demanufacture," and having various artists (like Junkie XL and Rhys Fulber) remix several of their songs. The turnout is quite good. While Fear Factory is basically an industrial-metal band, throw some hip-hop/electronica/techno beats in, and they still have their edge, which is probably a big relief to Fear Factory fans who may be a little apprehensive about crossing the line into electronica. Not to worry. "Remanufacture" is a full-throttle energy boost, though a couple of the last tracks on here can be considered very mild and ambient-like. Take "Bound For Forgiveness," for instance--an eerie track that sounds perfect at night--or "Refinery," a well-named track with great background noises. Close your eyes and you can almost imagine being in a refinery, the sound quality's that good. Besides these two, most of the remaining tracks are loud and fast, the kind of music I love listening to while I exercise.

A few tracks worth mentioning are "Remanufacture" (the same-named track as the album, which has a twin version on track 13; neither is really radio-friendly, even though the second one is referred to as the edited version), "Genetic Blueprint" (a favorite), "Bionic Chronic" (a 33-second "answering machine" track), "T-1000" (ideal for the bass-hungry crowd, though it gives me a headache after awhile; it's a bit monotonous), and "21st Century Jesus" (another favorite; this one can almost be lumped in with the aforementioned slower tracks, but it picks up tempo after awhile; great guitars).

Overall, "Remanufacture" is a first-rate combination of metal and techno. It's a good example of how remix albums should sound--using electronica to enhance tracks, not to take away a band's aggression or warp tracks into unrecognizably softer songs. "Remanufacture" is definitely worth a listen if you're a Fear Factory fan.

Interesting idea...
Although this is an interesting idea, it doesn't quite work. I'll admit first off I'm not a fan of remixes for the most part, so maybe I'm biased. For some reason, Fear Factory sought to have every song (with the exception of Dog Day Sunrise, since it's a cover) from the jewel-case version of Demanufacture remixed. Sometimes it works out good, such as Genetic Blueprint (New Breed), Remanufacture (Demanufacture) and Cloning Technology (Replica). But these tracks are really the only things worth listening to on this album, unless you're a remix freak. I don't recomend this album except for the most diehard of Fear Factory completists, like myself.

Birth Of The New Breed.
When clever electronics meet industrial-metal.....Remanufacture is the result.
This CD is the nearest thing to headbanging synths as its going to get.
Using Demanufacture as the template, Rhys Fulber, and Junkie XL pull apart, and paste back together with electronics, atmospheres, and anything else that makes a noise, this incredible soundtrack.
Opening with the title track, Remanufacture, the CD slams from one track to another. The Keyboards, samples, and sequence lines, are more than just an add ons..... they very much are apart of each track, creating a new track altogether. As in the powerful "Burn", its original "Flashpoint", is almost unrecognisable here.
Highlights include "Genetic Blue Print", "21st Century Jesus", and "Burn"
This is more than a remix CD, it is a callaboration effort.

Beyond any Exectations
I absolutely *loved* the original of this album (demanufacture) and this (...) thing blew me away! Each and every track is rabidly cool! On par with White Zombie's Super Sexy Swinging Sounds, Remanufacture is one of those albums I expect to have to burn a backup copy of for when I wear the damn thing out from listening to it too much! ... Read more

Album Description

70+ minute CD collects the early Ministry 12" singles and adds four previously unreleased tracks from the same period! ... Read more

Reviews (20)

entrancing
I think it's hilarious how a mostly substandard con artist like Trent Reznor can have his own record label, and even more hilarious that most of the artists he's signed (aside from Marilyn "Follow Me Lemmings" Manson) get little to no attention, especially when bands like 12 Rounds, Prick, and especially Meat Beat Manifesto are putting out far more exciting music. "Subliminal Sandwich" is an entrancing classic, an album that hypnotizes the listener from start to finish. Most artists (ahem, NIN) spend years putting out albums, trying to achieve what MBM accomplishes gracefully on these two discs. Invest in "Actual Sounds and Voices" after you're done listening to this.

If you buy one "electronic" album here it is...
The Opus Magnum, the Everestial summit, that is MBM's Subliminal Sandwhich. This (double)CD is worth buying at ANY price. It is the synaesthetic mind-body-soul experience that music can and should be, listen, after listen, after listen... Layers, depth, lyrics, groove, production, mental bliss-its all there. This is the one MBM CD you have to have. BUY IT AND YOU WILL NEVER REGRET/FORGET IT.

...and now for something completly different.
The first time I heard this album, it was at a local library. Someone was playing it over the public C.D. player, and I went over to find out what it was. The listener checked it out and never returned it, so I went out and bought it. Later, after I bought it, it was stolen from me, so I bought another copy. Needless to say, this is one of my favorite albums. This was also the first Meat Beat Manifesto album I heard. When I listened to some his older stuff, I was suprised at how different it sounds compoared to "Subliminal Sandwich". I think this album provides a nice change in the electronic, dare I say techno, genre. Something nice and different, but you can still dance to it.

Nobody asked him about his hair...
Meat Beat Manifesto are doubtlessly one of the best techno/industrial groups ever, and this album only helps prove that point. It could probably be classified it as ambient music, as the trademark sledgehammer breakbeats that typify an MBM release have all but vanished, and residual trip-hop-esque drum patterns are all that remain. This is a far more subdued piece of work than "Satyricon", but I wouldn't say that it's necessarily more laid back - Jack Dangers has created some harsh industrial noisescapes that constantly keep the listener on edge. Layers of sound coalesce together, and utterly wierd samples drift in and out of the mix. "Give me love so that I can kill..."? Creepy. Definitely MBM's darkest album, even more so than "Actual Sounds + Voices". Brilliant stuff, and an essential purchase for anyone with even a passing interest in the genre. Get it instead of the latest Chemical Brothers release.

By the way, two versions of this album exist, one without the second CD. Buy the double CD edition (which, unless I'm very much mistaken, is the version that Amazon.com carries) - the tracks on the second CD may take a while to warm up to, but it's worth the effort. Trust me.

Not Recommended for the Weak of Heart
This is by far the creepiest album I have ever listened to. I have a very diverse taste of music, and am used to and welcome surprises, so when a friend who knew I liked NIN recommended this album to me, I was all thumbs! However, to my deepest dismay, I find it hard to believe that anyone who has ever left the dark, inner dwellings of their home could enjoy this 2-disc set. Complete and utter chaos was what came to mind while listening to Subliminal Sandwich, not art by any means. I prefer to stick with the more tasteful techno tunes of Chemical Bros, Fatboy Slim, Crystal Method, Prodigy and NIN, and spare myself the bitter taste of heartburn. ... Read more

Album Description

1992 release on TVT featuring various interpretations of songs that appear in their proper form on the 'Broken' EP. Six tracks, including 'Wish' (Remixed by J.G. Thirlwell), 'Happiness Is Slavery' (Remixed by T. Reznor and Chris Vrenna with P.K.) and 'Fist Fuck' (Remixed by J.G. Thirlwell). Digipak. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Angst At It's Rawest Form
As much anger and rage "Broken" held, "Fixed", the remix album of "Broken", still seems angrier, if that's possible. "Fixed" is a lot more abrasive, brutal, and upholds that certain audio sonic boom that "Broken" had, just with more punch. I'm not sure if I'd call this EP a remix album, "Further Down The Spiral" is a remix album, this is a deconstruction album. Put it this way, if "Broken" was a killer, "Fixed" is a one-man army cyborg killing machine. Yep, that insane. "Gave Up (Remix)" is a faster version of the origial, odd breakbeats, weird noises (that sums up "Fixed", actually), but great nonetheless. "Wish (Remix)" is a very long remix, about nine minutes or so, yet, it manages to keep your attention throughout the whole song. "Happiness In Slavery (Remix)" doesn't sound like the original very much, the beat is pretty much consistent while the song goes through great synths and creepy screams. "Throw This Away" is my least favorite song here, odd slow (for this album, anyway), but still good. "Fist F--k" is, in my opinion, the best one here; one word for it: insane. "Screaming Slave" is, well, let's just say it lives up to it's name. All in all, if you loved "Broken", this is an absolute must. If you love Industrial, chances are you'll like this. And if you're interested in NIN remixes, this might be the best place to start (that's debatable though, as NIN has the best remixes bar none). It's harshness matches Ministry.

It's exactly what industrial is all about...
I've heard people bitch and I've heard people praise "Fixed" the 1992 follow-up to NIN's EP "Broken". Here's the straight poo on what it's all about. "Fixed" is the closest to pure industrial music Trent has gotten to. It's not experimental, main-stream, or even understandable. It is an album about sound and emotion. "Broken", when compared to other NIN albums, sticks out like a sore thumb due to its abrasive guitar, drums, and a noticeable absence of industrialized components which NIN is associated with. I happen to love Broken, it might very well be my favorite NIN album, but I must say "Fixed" is a musical masterpiece, not a flop. In all sense, the titles of the two albums should have been flip-flopped, for "Broken" sounds much more like a "Fixed" version of the songs. Maybe that's what Trent had in mind when he named them. Always playing with our heads is he. However, this album is NOT for everyone. In order to appreciate this album you must also appreciate an abstract manipulated noise. This is the emotion Broken just couldn't get across. It is a fine blend of mayhem meets harmony. I recommend "Fixed" to anyone who enjoys being taken into the music, not just listening.

very clever
i just got this album today. fixed? more like shattered into little pieces. a must have if you own broken. be warned, the last track 'screaming slave' sounds like an acid trip gone horribly bad.

Amazing
If you liked "Broken" then you will love this CD as your own child. It has amzing remixes of the amazing songs that were on the broken cd. I never knew and never will know how Nine Inch Nails can write this kind of music, but it is purely AMAZING. If you are going to get this CD which I highly suggest then you should get the imported version :-)

superior to "Broken"
Okay, here's a review from an enlightened NIN fan who doesn't shamelessly toss Reznor's proverbial salad every time he sits down to write a review here. "Fixed" is an excellent remix album (better than its source--the overrated, Ministry-metally "Broken") that floats along on currents of anger and ugliness with admirable results (remixers J.G. Thirlwell, Coil, and Butch Vig help add credibility to the material). Any prospective NIN fans should start out with this album and work their way up. ... Read more

Album Details

The Originator of the Buddha Bar Series Says, "When I was Doing Research for "Nirvana Lounge 2", I was More Than Pleasantly Surprised by the Creativity and Quality of the Scene in Scandanavia. Among My Favorites was Out of Phase, a Danish Outfit Created by Peter Mossman and Composed by Different Musicians from Other Countries-making a Modern and Extremely Vibrant Sound. It Seems to Be a Fusion Between the Four Poles: North-east-west-south. A N.e.w. Sound Experience! with this Musical Experience Comes the Blending of Cold Machines, the Warmth of Ancient Instruments and the Strangeness of Voices that Seem to Come from Far Away. For all You "Flying People", These Musical Swirls Will Carry You Away, Like They Carried Me Away, When all You Want to Do is Lose Yourself...herbally Yours, Claude Challe. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Awesome
I bought this CD a week ago and have been listening to it non-stop since. Nobody combines electronic music with didgeridoos, sitars, and ethereal vocals like these guys. Each song builds to it's particular frequency- and so does the album. Each track gets progessively more beat-driven and the effect is awesome. With the exception of a couple chill-out tracks, by the end of the CD you'll feel like a tribal warrior dancing on the eve of your greatest conquest. Ok that might be a little over the top. I'm not a "flying person" like the producer says but I got pretty close flying down the freeway at around 100mph listening to this CD. ... Seriouly- if you like Thievery Corporation, Kruder and Dorfmeister, Govinda, etc.- you'll dig this. Give it a listen. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Accomplishments And The Rites of Three
After finding myself ensnared by the mastery of Failure and the depths of the sorrow it conveyed, I wasn't quite certain that a new Assemblage 23 album could measure up to the high standard its former namesake set. When I purchased it, however, I opted to keep an open mind and let those high hopes reside with me because Contempt had been great before Failure had eclipsed it. Anyhow, after receiving my disc and greedily lapped up song after tasty song, I saw my concern was all for naught because, it was still a successful outing that could hold its own with many of the works available.

Many people can be cited as saying that this isn't another Failure, insinuating that that was a mark against its triumph when, in fact, I would stray against that opinion. In fact, I would say that Tom Shear's newest attempt is argumentably in league with his last two releases, with songs reflecting the duality of emotion and the multifunctional aspects of that organ called a heart, drifting through sorrowful plateaus and seething forests of words that seem to encompass the human condition. Beginning with "Opened," an almost prophetic response about the rights of perception and being victimized by sight, and winding into "Drive," an emotional proclamation that douses reasoning into the sorrowful plights that sometimes find us chasing demons away behind the wheel, it is apparent that we once again find ourselves on that emotive freight train that Shear so masterfully constructs. Furthering this is the lyrical craftsmanship lent to songs like Cocoon and Lullaby, two of his more memorably polished vocal outings, and in the proclamation that he is leaving behind a legacy with his works in the song Document.

While I would recommend any of Assemblage 23's works to the listening masses and would hope that the memorization that quality craftsmanship induces would be allowed to lurk into your mind, I also understand that there are oceans of opinions out here holding up all sorts of ill-advised banners. So, if you still doubt whether you would like it, see what is available to listen to here or see what Metropolis has for your previewing pleasure. It will not disappoint.

Not as successful as Failure!
Call me morbid, but I do not like normal techno on the account that it is too happy. Tom Shear's Assemblage 23 project is not usually called happy, primarily because its best album was about suicide. Failure, the previous album, mixed moderately hard beats with much foreboding and quite dramatic synth work, creating a feel of "Depeche Mode minus the Prozac". However, even though Defiance manages to show musical mastery of the electronic medium, it manages to be so damn happy that it is hard to tell that it is Tom Shears work.

Industrial Dance Music (aka EBM) is basically a mixture of Industrial and Synthpop. Defiance is heavily based upon the synthpop from its synthesizers, and neglects (for the most part), the beats and hardness of its Industrial side. As a result, it feels quite similar to recent Apoptygma Berzerk, and not an angsty depression-fest like the previous album.

Even though it isnt sufficiently Industrial for my taste, I will concede that the synthwork is as good as Failure, and just as beautiful. However, the happier feel of Defiance seems to negate much of the foreboding mood generated by Failure. However, it is certainly not all bad, in fact there are some utterly brilliant tracks, these being Document, and Drive, each of these managing to be as good as Failure's tracks, and almost as dark in mood.

Overall, if you found Failure too angsty then this album will work for you, but on a musical level, it isnt as powerful nor moody. 3 1/2 stars

uplifting?
is it just me or is this quite a step towards positive, as compared to the depressive contempt and failure? i actually like this cd the best out of all 3 albums. he voice seems to have finally lifted and doesnt sound so much like a robot anymore!

EBM = Dance music for the simple minded
I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend anybody, but to say that the best Artists that EBM has to offer are 2-Dimentional would be giving them too much credit. I thought I saw a wee bit of hope in Assemblage 23's Failure, but then he came out with this garbage. Failure would be a better suited title for this album...
If anyone is interested in listening to Intelligent Dance music filled with Depth and Emotion, I highly suggest looking into PsyTrance (often referred to as the next evolutionary step from EBM/Industrial)... The debut album from Eskimo would be a good start.

awsome
this was one hell of a good cd!! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Another excellent album from an excellent band
Chirs Randall and crew do it again with another solid album, possible more diverse in influence than even the previous release, "Burn".

The album begins with a dark, foreboding segue by Chris' wife Lisa, reminiscent of Nicole Blackman's work with the Golden Palominos. The mood being set, the album kicks off with the electronic dissonance of "Desparation". From here Randall's mission to incorporate what he likes, regardless of genre into his music, becomes beautifully obvious. "Temptation" has sort of a rock-lounge-swing feel to it, "Torque" rocks hard and takes no prisoners, and "White Lightning" incorporates Chris' electronic leanings with rockabilly (yes, that's rockabilly) in a song which is made even more powerful buy the noise guitar antics of David Bowie's guitar player, Reeves Gabrels (whose signature playing also appears on several other tracks).

Perhaps the highlight of this album for me is the track "Admit"... when I heard this one for the first time, I was pleasantly, dumbfoundedly awestruck. The song is a masterpiece... a combination of beautiful melody, heartfelt vocals, a string section, and just the right touch of noise from the afore-mentioned Mr. Gabrels. This song is the perfect representation of what Chris can do, and does well throughout the entire album.

My only complaint is that this album leaves me anxious with anticipation as to what the bands next move shall be... but whatever it is... believe me, it will be done with diversity in a way that has never been done before.

A very good album by a very talented man...
When I first heard this album was very surprised with how good it really is. It opens on a strange note with Chris's wife Lisa doing a spoken word which is pretty good for a spoken word. As the album continues along, I picked up several musicial influences that helped make this ablum what it is. If you like true, well thought-out industrial influenced a large amount of music, you will like this ablum alot. If you have no idea what I'm talking about but it sounds cool, you'll like this album. If you like industrial period, well, you guessed it, you'll like this ablum. The sound is very clean and doesn't sound like someone banging away on pots. It sounds very, very good and it is a very, very good album

S.M.G's "lost album"
This is really one of s.m.g's best "lost" peices of work, as awesome and well made as this album is, it really didn't see that much exposure like the other albums....why? I have no clue, some say it's because wax trax! didn't lift a finger to promote it. (i beleive it!)A real gem. first off you've got a darkly atmospheric intro featuring c.randall's wifee speaking with her voice lightly distorted over hyper-ventilated blips & bleeps talking about how the corporate world is trying to brain-wash you. Then from there we have an ecclectic album resuming many of the good old fashioned wax trax traditions, mixed up with new suave (but demented) tones. Think like "Burn" just sped up some, and much more polished. This is sister machine gun's last album from wax trax! after this c.randall started up his own positron! records. Best songs: "desperation" " what do you want from me" "think" and "torque". also "admit" will really suprise you, seems kind of odd at first but you understand the passion/fury behind the lyrics, then it grows on you.

Diverse!
Without having a great frame of reference for Sister Machine Gun, I picked up Metropolis shortly after it came out on the recommendation of a friend, who's musical tastes are very much in tune with my own. I was extremely pleased to find this CD was right up my alley. Electro-rock has never sounded better! With it's industrial edge, this CD definitely turns it up a notch. 'This Metal Sky' really sets the tone and mood for the CD, with it's spoken word cynicism. It reminds me of KMFDM's 'Dogma' with spoken word by Nicole Blackman. 'Desparation' is a noisy, fast paced song that I give 5 stars! 'Temptation' makes me think of Ministry's Al Jourgenson in a crushed red velvet suit doing his imitation of a lounge singer. Except this song has a much more serious tone than Al would probably give it lounge singer style. 'White Lightning' is industra-billy (if there is such a category) for this country tinged number. 'Living Without You' has a jazzy feel. 'Torque' throws it into high gear with attitude. 'Think' is the same idea. 'Bitter End' is a slower, bassy number that really kicks. 'Cut Down' has a drum n' bass influence that Goldie would be proud of. But I have to agree with several other reviewers that the true high point of this CD is 'Admit'. It is an emotional, melodic, practically perfect piece.

I love this CD. There is some noisy guitar, electro beats, strong independent bass rhythms, just the right electronics, strings in some places. I eagerly anticipate the next album, hoping this diversity shines through on it as well.

Explosive release is a new road for Sister Machine Gun!
Unlike many I wasn't a big fan of BURN the previous outing by CHRIS RANDALL and his band. Though it was good, I felt that it was too electronic. The end result was cold and distanced with little of the life present on SINS OF THE FLESH and TORTURE TECHNIQUE shinning through.

But on METROPOLIS that is all different. Though still heavy with electronics the addition of some horns and most impressively, slide guitar makes this sound as alive as a first date.

The impressive opening spoken word track THIS METAL SKY (spoken by Randall's wife) sets the tone for the rest of the piece. Though far from a concept album the work does have a theme of humanity overcoming the "industrialization" of the culture. You know emotion over machine, love conquers all, that sort of thing.

Though easily available, WAX TRAX! Didn't really support this album enough and left the gang to flounder out on the road on their own. Subsequently they left WAX TRAX! for greener pastures. I caught them opening for TYPE-O-NEGATIVE and found the stripped down live sound to be even more exciting. I sincerely hope a live album is under consideration. This was easily one of the best releases in 97, which was a great year for this type of music anyway. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The One That Started the :Wumpscut: Buzz
MFAST was the 1st full official release and featured Rudy's breakthrough smash "Soylent Green", a musical adaptation of the twisted sci-fi classic film. You can find earlier :W: material re-released as 'The Mesner Tracks' but this was the 1st true album. MFAST is not as layered or dense as later releases, but its straightforward, linear approach to EBM is both dark and powerful. His rage was almost at full strength here. On to the songs themselves...

"Soylent Green" is the main reason that MFAST is an essential piece of electro industrial. It was one of the biggest underground dance hits of the 90's with its undeniable, stark hook and pounding beat. The vocals are as angst-filled as any. "Concrete Rage" is a typical early :W: song with straight-ahead synth bars and distorted angry vocals/lyrics. "She's Dead" is a sample-filled, atmospheric piece. There are other good ones too and maybe a few weaker ones.

The remixes on Disc 2 are a throw-in but aren't the highlight here. The original MFAST is why you need this debut by a major industrial artist.

Innovative and industrial!
One of the best bands to come out of Germany,Wumpscut plays dark-industrial!Cool isn't it?

classic dark aggro ebm
i owned the original mfast for a while but lately i purchased this double disc because my original is wickedly scratched. anyway, this is basically the original mfast with a different track order and a remix cd. the remix cd is pretty useless, i don't like one of the remixes on here even if they were remixed by artist i usually like, (i.e. aghast view, haujobb, dive etc.) back to the original mfast. this is a classic of harsh, dark ebm. it kicks in with soylent green, which was the first wumpscut song i ever listened to and it still remains one of my favorites. with it's dark atmospheric organ like synth lines and heavy beats it is a excellent song, dark, danceable and aggressive. the german samples from the movie soilent green also add to the atmosphere. other standout tracks are fear in motion, a more danceable but equally dark song, with mildly distorted female vocals, the furious concrete rage and the more quiet but disturbing she's dead. short, this is a classic of modern ebm, i fully recommend this to anyone who claims to like the industrial genre

dark , beautiful look at life
As I would call it, a Wumpscut sampler cd. It has all the different styles that rudy uses in his work. A dark industrial ride chock full of evil goodness. If you are new to Wumpscut this is a great starting point. Also check out bloodchild. ... Read more