Reviews (8)

Jourgensen's Golden Touch
In the late 80's and early'90's almost everything Al Jourgensen touched turned to gold. Jourgensen's main project, Ministry, invented a new wave of industrial metal that caught like wild fire throughout the underground music scene. Everybody tried to imitate Ministry from Greg Ginn of Black Flag with a side project called Rig to Max Cavelera of Sepultura with a side project called Nailbomb. Some bands like Helmet, Prong, and Fear Factory made Ministry's metal/industrial blend a full-time job.
Jourgensen produced "Rabies" by Skinny Puppy, which is what makes this their best album. "Fascist Jock Itch" and "Tin Omen" is the only metal guitar driven tracks that make buying the album worth buying alone. The tracks are just as brilliant as their names. These are classic Jourgensen "A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste" era songs. Plenty of movie samples, a hard beat, and pulsating, energetic guitars make the songs instant classics.
The rest of the "Rabies" is good hard industrial even without guitars. The beats aren't as dance focused as most other Skinny Puppy and the goth element isn't as strong. The vocals are rough and powerful and the synthesizers aren't as cheesy as on their other albums with the samples give it the dark feel that is Skinny Puppy's trademark.
Had Skinny Puppy used Jourgensen on their following albums there is no telling what kind of evil, chaotic music would've evolved? One can only imagine.

Someone got some Ministry in my Skinny Puppy.
A very good (and underrated) Skinny Puppy album in its own right, RABIES is, admittedly, more of a brainchild built by the band and producer Al Jourgensen of Ministry. To Skinny Puppy's synth-laden disturbing collages, Al brings his snarling guitar and jackhammer drums ("Fascist Jock Itch") and provides us with an alternate version of what Skinny Puppy could be. True, the presence of things so mundane as power chords and unaccented rhythms makes this album stick out like a sore thumb in Skinny Puppy's catalog, but this is a good example of what happens when people experiment a little. Highlight tracks include "Worlock," "Hexononx" and "Tin Omen." Highly recommended for fans of more streamlined industrial metal looking for an introduction to Skinny Puppy.

bite me one more time, infect me with this disc
this cd is great, all songs are great, and i love the rhythm to it all. its just so perfect. the live song is a bit too long for its own good, spahn drige i think it is, its just nothing special, but all other tracks kill. i love the synth work,and guitair work that mr, Al jourgansen (ministry) adds to it. get this if you are new or fairly new to pups. its got the classic song "worlock" which was my first cherry popper 1 fav song. haha. and the heavy "tin omen" about the event that took place in "68, ohio, kent state" ask your parents what it was. anyway, chill on, and dig this disk, its great..peace

Wrong turn
It's cool that Skinny Puppy experiment with their sound, but imho it unfortunately doesn't come together on this album of angry vocals set to hard clubby 4/4 dance beats. Worlock is good, but the recording doesn't have the intricacy of their earlier releases. Al Jourgensen's presence in the studio lends little to the band's sound besides cheesy programmed thrash beats and death metal guitar, leaving the album sounding like a generic clash of Slayer and New Order.

This is where Skinny Puppy experimented and overall it didn't really work our for the better. VivisectVi, Remission and Bites are Skinny Puppy's best albums.

el cd menos bueno de Skinny Puppy, en mi opinión:
Si habéis escuchado otros cds de este grupo, en mi opinión el mejor, y el más importante grupo de música electrónica junto con Front 242 desde Kraftwerk, sabréis cuál es su estilo: electrónica muy oscura, ain apenas concesiones al baile, letras casi incomprensibles y estructuras muy experimentales: sin estribillos, con versos muy largos, voz muy teatral, normalmente distorsionada...
Este disco no es una excepción: sin embargo, intentaron acercarse a Ministry y no les salió tan bien como, por ejemplo en su cd anterior (VIVISEctVI) o el posterior (TOO DARK PARK).
Los samples característicos no son tan interesantes como en otros discos, la guitarra, elemento en absoluto ajeno a Skinny Puppy, está peor introducida, en mi opinión, que en Too Dark Park, por ejemplo, y algunas canciones son anodinas y casi para rellenar (Rain, Choralone...)
Sin embargo, conriene una de las mejores canciones de este grupo, 'Worlock', al mismo nivel que otras joyas como 'Testure', 'Killing Game' o 'Tormentor'.
Hay otros temas también buenos, 'Rodent', 'Hexononx' o 'Tin Omen', pero en general el disco carece de los espeluznantes pasajes oscuros de otros discos, y están menos inspirados.
En todo caso, es un buen disco, y si os gusta la banda, compradlo, merece la pena. Sólo que si estáis buscando un disco para empezar a conocer al grupo, yo recomendaría 'Too Dark Park' y 'ViVIsectVI', y después pasar al magnífico pero difícil 'Last Rights' y al atípico pero buenísimo 'The Process'. ... Read more

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

Fully sanctioned by the band with all of the original master tapes, My Life Remixed teams all the TKK classics, "Sex On Wheels", "Days of Swine & Roses", "Kooler Than Jesus" and others with some of dance music’s hottest up-and-coming producers, including Astro&Glyde (Bedrock), D:Fuse (Perfecto), Bryan Zentz (Intec), Grayarea (Hope), Freakus, Tommie Sunshine (Felix Da Housecat), and more! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

it's about time someone remixed a TKK song...
...(i'm kidding, of course)

Bullet points!

1: Production value sucks. Cheap sounding effects, vocals and sampling on a lot of tracks.

2. Crummy programing. Very basic run of the mill, nothing you haven't heard before.

3. Very little thought put into the mixes.

EXCEPT FOR:
"Leathersex" - very good mix. Borderline electroclash.

"Dementia 66" - BRILLIANT mix! Very different, nice interpretation.
I am really impressed with this one!!!
In fact I only wrote this review to praise Grayarea on thier mix!

These two tracks are what this project SHOULD have been about!
____

Leaves a lot to be desired...
Being a long time fan of MLWTTKK, I immediately pre-ordered this tribute/remix collection. Upon hearing the first few moments of this CD, it was blatantly clear that whoever remixed these Kult classics had little regard for the originals' lustre. The mixes are light, airy.... pure fluff. Don't expect any chest-thumping industrial beats that TKK has delivered to its fans for many a year. The mixes butchered the originals to the point that it's not even novel, just cotton candy filler. How TKK allowed this malformed release is beyond me. The only purpose I see that this "tribute" could serve is to introduce TKK to a young lightweight, whose ears are not used to original industrial epics. Either that, or only for the hardcore TKK fan who just wants to have every release. The dust on my copy is already accumulating, and probably will for some time. If you're looking to dip your toes into My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, don't buy this CD. Stick with the new greatest hits release, or better yet, start with any release prior to "Hit & Run Holiday". ... Read more

Reviews (8)

pretty good
This album seems to really lack the same kind of feeling as other KMFDM albums. Naive/Hell to Go was not one of their high points. Despite this, there plenty of good songs worth buying the album for like like naive and achtung.

A botched album
This CD has some of the greatest KMFDM songs ever, but it also has some of the worst. Greatest songs: Naive, Die Now/Live Later (Borg Again mix), Piggybank, Achtung, Friede, and Disgust. Then there's the worst: Go To Hell, Virus-Pestilence, Godlike-Doglike, and Leibesleid. Find the original Naive if you can, this one is lame.

One of KMFDM's best
This is a pretty great album. it has its weak spots, but it also has some of KMFDM's best songs ever. Some of the songs are funky in a KMFDMish sort of way, such as Naive, Friede, and Piggybank... sometimes they almost make me want to get up and dance! Which is odd for KMFDM. Then some of the songs are just bone-crushin' ultra heavy beat, such as Leibesleid (the best track on the album, IMHO) and Virus. As mentioned, there are a few stinkers... Disgust is a big wad of distortion, and Achtung is just bad bad bad. Pretend it isn't there. But by all means, buy the album!

"KMFDM......Doing It Again"
To be really honest on this one, this isn't the orignal Naive album. The first "Naive" album had the same exact cover, but it was orange and just said "Naive" on it. The first "Naive" was released in 1990 but KMFDM had some problems with their old record company that had the rights to the orignal songs that they were going to remix, then after that they pulled "Naive" off the selves in the U.S and disscountinue making it. Now it is a collecters item (worth about a cool $50). But KMFDM did find a way to release the album on WaxTrax in the U.S, so in 1994 they went ahead titled it and released "Naive(Hell To Go)". To me, this is the best KMFDM yet. All the remixes are from most of their albums from the late 1980's. This is a true Industrial classic for 1994. Best tracks off this album are "Welcome", "Naive" and "Godlike(Doglike)". Get this one, while it's still hot.

Just get "Retro"
For the dedicated KMFDM fan, this CD is a must -- if nothing else, "Piggybank" is worth it. However, if you're just looking for some industrial music and you're not a hardcore fan, just pick up "Retro". The best songs from this album can be found there. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 1998

Meat Beat Manifesto represent everything that is right about electronic music. Perhaps it's their signature acoustic drum patterns that maintain their songs' timelessness. Perhaps it is leader Jack Dangers's ability to infuse each album with a variety of influences. With Actual Sounds and Voices, Dangers builds his songs around two jazz greats improvising in a recorded session. But the jazz influence never overpowers Meat Beat's bombastic vibe--it only enhances it. Considering their track record, it seems nearly impossible that Meat Beat Manifesto could top themselves. But records are made to be broken. CDs, however, and particularly this one, are meant to be played--over and over and over again. --Beth Bessmer ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Looking back on this album
I've had this album since 98, and even though I always enjoyed it, I never really liked it compared to the rest of MBM's work. It just seemed too random and chaotic at the time. After not listening to it for a year, I finally played it tonight. Now I'm amazed by all the stuff I took for granted. The first half of the album I always enjoyed, and still do. "Prime Audio Soup" is the most familiar track, and probably the most immediately accessable. Very hectic percussion, which is a constant in this album, and short blasts of sound. "Book of Shadows" is a good, relaxed dubby track. "Let's Have Fun" builds on an atmosphere of menacing atmospherics and bombastic drumming that still gives me chills. It's probably the standout track on the album. I've heard many people say the album falls apart after "Acid Again", and I agreed then. Now, I'd say it's where the album actually gets stronger. "Where Are You?/Enuff" pounds along as the background snarls and growls, a small melody coming up for air and going back down again, then the track just switches gears into pure unbridled lunacy. I think of carnival music from hell. It's great stuff. "Hail To The Bopp" brings down the hectic atmosphere momentarily with a spacy jazz jam. The calm is disrupted by the smothering bleeps and beats of "3 Floors Above You". No electronic artist can match the schizophrenic delusions this song draws out. Truly excellent stuff. "Funny Feeling" feels rather goofy in the beginning, but the acid jazz/dub breakdown at the end of the track saves it from being too kitsch. "The Thumb" is a good jazz jam, turning darker and frothier as it goes. "Wavy Line" is just a short electro number, and feels wasted but is ultimately unoffensive. "Wildlife" is odd. I think of the introduction to the show Peewee Herman had on saturday morning i watched when i was little. It's definitely a style change, but it's pulled off well, and i couldn't think of a better way to end the album.
Anyways, to cut it short, there's a LOT to this album. It's packed full of sounds, and is probably daunting to most people. But that works to the album's advantage. I've grown to like it more over time. It still sounds fresher than what's being released today, which is incredibly sad. A lot of people don't understand the impact Jack and crew have had. This album proves that they've been the best in their field all along.

I Got the Meat Beat Fever
If you are a fan of meat beat manifesto you'll probably like this album, It isn't a radical change at all. However, if you've never heard them...I can't speak for you. I can think of a lot of people who would downright hate it. If you skip over "Revolution 9" when listening to the white album, it's not for you. This is for people who like noise and sound. I like a good song with a sweet melody also, but sometimes its fun to just make an awful racket. It really reminds me of a Jackson Pollack painting in song form. I think Andy Warhol would love this.

Actually Good Don't Listen to the Naysayers
Contrary to what others have said this album is not boring and there are better tracks then "Prime Audio Soup". But it is slow and brooding like a good book it takes awhile to get into. It's not perfect by any means, the disc loses a bit of steam after track 7 "Acid Again". The vocals are very strange at times, too, but this fits in well with the futuristic atmospheres that are prevalent. Highlights of the album are "Let's Have Fun" and "Oblivion/Humans". Worth checking out if you like industrial music leaning heavily on the electronic side of the fence. Also recommend Circle of Dust "Disengage". Thanks for listening....

The second track is the only good song on the whole album
The secound track is the only good song on the whole album,the other songs are slow,weird,and boring.

The Secound track is the only good song on the album
The second track is the only good song on the album,the rest of the songs slow,wired,and boring. ... 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 (26)

What an album!
For those of you who miss Rhys Fulber FrontLine Assembly then this album is for you. It sounds like a very slow and melodic Hard Wired with a pinch of Fulbers Conjure One. This Album is very refreshing for the long time FLA fans because it returns to more of the original FLA recipe while adding a new flavor to the music at the same time. This album was also a big surprise after hearing the Maniacal single. There is much more than expected on Civilization.
When I first heard this album in its entirety the thing that was most apparent to me is just how far this band has come. They are at their climax with this album technically. Tactical will probably always be my favorite album but this album shows just how awesome Leeb and Fulber are teamed up together and how far they have come with their music. I have never heard music that is so perfectly put together and organized like Civilization is. The album itself is slow and kind of dreary, it's really not very dancey but that doesn't mean that it's not good. It keeps you hungry for the next song and ultimately has a striking and unique sound. This album without a doubt gets 5 stars and two thumbs up. Christen Olde from Fear Factory appears on Civilization (the track) and plays guitar. That's cool because Rhys is always doing stuff on Fear Factory albums, its nice to see the team work go both ways.
My only complaint with this album is that there are a large amount of mistakes that the Graphic Designer made on the track list. I'm sure there are many FLA fans that will never notice, but for the true FLA heads like myself we caught those mistakes pretty quick. (But those mistakes have nothing to do with the music.) My favorite track is "vanished" followed by what I thought was "Transmitter", but after looking closely I found out that its "Fragmented".
All and all this album is great, and I'm hoping that its not Fulbers last contribution to FrontLine (or Bills for that matter). If you don't have this album and you're an FLA fan your missing out, as this really is a fantastic recording and a great return for Rhys Fulber.

Complex and unlike any electronica youll hear this year
3 types of people buy (or are interested in) FLA albums.

You have the die hards who own EVERY (and they have a lot - mindphaser.com for discography) album and know the rotating band member line up like Leeb and Fulber were their cousins. These people will love everything Front Line Assembly does and usually welcome the rapid (every album) change FLA goes through time and time again.

You have the FLA listener who has moved on to the softer synthpop stylings of VNV Nation, Covenant, Assemblage 23, Evils Toy, Informatik, new Haujobb, new Xmarks the Pedwalk etc etc etc. Most of these people will be split 50/50 on liking this release. Those open to the vast complexity of Civilization will honor it with praise. Those who "only" like the typical 4/4 dance beats of more predictable bands wont "get" this album. Civilization was created for the home listener. NOT clubs or raves.

Then you have people like myself. Growing up with a healthy dose of early FLA to feed my thurst for "industrial" music, FLA fit the bill nicely many years ago. The trend towards wimpy synthpop flurished in the late 90's and more and more industrial became......well...less and less "industrial." Softer more Information Society / Depeche Mode style bands began to rule the internet - and the dance floors. Real industrial from labels like malignantrecords... became the haven for mechanical manics like myself. So what does this have to do with Civilization?

It takes one heck of an electronica album to get 4 stars from someone who rarely listens to FLA anymore (last FLA album owned was Hardwired). Is Civilization harsh, brutal industrial? NOPE. Is it soft dancy synthpop. NOPE. Civilization is a densely layered electronica album laced with mood and high tech atmosphere. The audio quality and programing is second to none on this album. Play this over a decent pair of Klipsch speakers paired with a nice Yammaha, Denon, or HarmonKardon reciever and your house will pulse with rythms and melodies like never before.

Ignore the generic lyrics and a few lame tracks (we all have computers, so make your own CD mixs of your favorites) - hence the 4 stars. Front Line Assembly's new album Civilization is remarkable - so many layers, so many sounds. Buy it, give it a chance.

Industrial Music done right
FLA are one of the few industrial groups that actually combine melody into their songs instead of getting caught up in ambient "noise". This is the good stuff, hard and powerful, my type of music. A few filler tracks, in my opinion, kept it from being 5 stars, but overall is definately worth buying.
This is one of my favorite CDs out now, along with Mr.Deviant's "Techno Obsession" which is a mix of power rock and hard dance, it's very melodic and just killer.

Total Spifftitude!
Wow, It took some time for this one to grow on me (just 2 days). Its funny I can sleep to this stuff. If you liked Epitaph, then you will absolutly enjoy this album! I followed the roots of Fulber and Leeb from the ends of Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, and the like. I've listened to Millennium, sad to say, it was a total let down. Then I aquired some albums before that, also kinda not my speed. As soon as I heard Epitaph, I changed. I now own (not downloaded) 15 albums from FLA, and 3 Delerium albums. Leeb and Fulber KNOW what they are doing!

extraplanetary
adventurous, tempting and satisfying sounds culled from some other planet. Aside from C-Tec and Front 242, the higher echelons of Mount Olympia in the electronic pantheon are occupied by the likes of these guys and, of course, their Delerium side projects.

Powerful stuff, indeed. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

bitten...
listening to songs like "Deadlines", "THe Choke", "Last Call", "Assimilate" and "Centre Bullet" take me back, and forth in time. i am reminded of the clever and creative use of voice (in Ogre and/or sampled form), the remolding of almost every other aspect of conventional music, and the fact that this album was truly years ahead of it's time. I can undeniably say that this is one of the most unique listening experiences i have ever had.

I'd heard Philip Glass and Steve Reich, and the Bill Laswells and John Zorn's, Throbbing Gristles and Residents as well, although perhaps a touch too young to understand. But these Skinny Puppy fellas did something to me that the others didn't when they created this record - They scared the crap outta me and at the same time filled me with a tremendous sense of curiosity and wonder. it was unlike anything i had ever experienced before. I can't help remembering the images of 3 goth/punks all in their cool attire, including Cevin's Def Jam t-shirts, worn with pride (he pounded out some seriously groovy beats - Hank Shocklee owes him some props on that for promoting his label even b4 Scott Ian did). These images still to this day stay in my mind as they opened me to the world outside top40/glam metal.

I am truly biased towards this record because it's such a milestone in my life. But i do have to say, 19 years later that it still has an undeniable freshness and power. Much of the music is so undeniably the foundation and bulding blocks to many future genres. All i can say is that i will keep listening to this record as long as i have eardrums. The only regret I have is that I never had the chance to see them live - Altho Ain't It Ded Yet? was pretty darn cool as well as some live clips I've seen. Well, Nuff said Enjoy the record and keep on B-rappin'....

Sheer Perfect
Made in the mid 80's. When I first showed my fiance a few years ago the song "Assimilate" and asked her "So, guess what year this song was made..." she said, "I'd guess 1993" I was not supprised at all. Flocks of rivetheads and industrialites have tried thier best to have similar sound to Skinny Puppy yet so many failures to capitolize on it lay in their wake.

"Bites" is an ambiant journey as much as a dance album. Pioneering ambiant scapes were with names like Richard James and his famed "Aphex Twin" and ofcourse the ever amazing kEVin cEY of the wonderful Skinny Puppy, Download, Pleateu and even a self titled album or two he managed to do well with. Bites is a reminder that all music can weave together and be blissfull amongst eachother. If you ever notice it seems most of the greatest bands ever were never easily defined untill they almost created a whole scene. Industrial was never known to have a affiliate sound untill Skinny Puppy made the scene.

This album is all thrill and satisfaction nd that is guarenteed. Listen to "Assimilate and "The choke" for 2 perfect dance songs and all the rest of this album for dreamscapes, interludes and emotions avast.

A classic of it's time
What more can I say about this album. It's not quite as agressive as their later material but it is quite effective. Although softer it doesn't make it anymore stranger. This sounds as surreal as possible with Centre Bullet being the most filmic of songs - perhaps even angelic ( if such a word could be used ). It's true that there are more instrumentals on this album than on any other but that can also give it its charm.

At least give it a try - you never know what you might think

Definitive Puppy
To be honest, this is my favourite SP album to date. The songs are some of the most left-field work i have ever heard, but at the same time, very accessible. The album kicks off with one of the best songs of their career, ASSIMILATE. A dancy, mechanical anthem with a great lyrical structure and epic chorus. Much of the album is made up of instrumental tracks (which are fantastic) but the driving force is songs like THE CHOKE, DEADLINES, LAST CALL, SOCIAL DECEPTION, etc. Overall, BITES has a cleaner sound than many of their later works, relying more on their strange alien melodies and unique percussive rhythms. If you are interested in one of the defining albums of early industrial, give this a listen. I doubt you will be disappointed.

It might be old, but it's still great.
This album might be an old album, but it's still great. Skinny Puppy seems to 'wow' us over and over. More industrial noises and more rythm. If you have heard the Ministry album "The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste" you'll love this album by Skinny Puppy. Hard and soft industrial noises and songs can be heard on the album. I recommend these songs:

Icebreaker Assemalate The Choke and others. ... Read more

Album Description

A gorgeous mixture of thundering beats, lush electronicmelodies, enhanced by an intense vocal delivery, this isneo-goth! Features the hottest artists in this burgeoningnew genre such as Orgy, VNV Nation, Zeromancer, ApoptygmaBerzerk, Razed In Black and many more! Disc 3 is a non-stop mix by Razed In Black's very own DJ Rib! Disc 1 & 2 contain 27 tracks. Standard double jewel case in a slipbox.Cleopatra. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not goth, but still good
Goth? No...Good? Absolutly! This is for any cybertechno/kind of industrial fan. It also is a preview to awesome bands such as Hocico and The Birthday Massacre. My one problem is the "goth" in "neo-goth"
more like cyber....yea

Goth? I think not...
Be not fooled by the hype...these are industrial-dance groups, for the most part, marketed as "Neo-Goth" to further dilute and corrupt what used to be something sacred and beautiful.

Hahaha Stupid....
"Neo-Goth" is definantly not the right title for this compilation when there is only 5 actual GOTH bands on this release, most are EBM or Industrial bands. I am giving this 2 stars only because the actual Goth bands on this release are good (and even some of the Industrial tracks, even though they shouldn't be on such a misleading compilation). This is a very sad representation for all of the impressionable baby bats out there who pick up this "beginners" title, no wonder our scene is dying more so every day....

Don't skip out on this great compilation.
This is the compilations to beat all other compilations. It's well worth the money. All of the songs are top notch by some of the best artists of the genre. Even if you have a lot of these songs already, you must get this for all the great remixes (Cruxshadows remixed by Apoptygma Berzerk is DIVINE).
This isnt something you can live without.
The first two discs are some great songs, and the thrid disc is an amazing non stop mix by DJ RiB. (who does great live DJ events too).
Don't pass this up!

An incredible collection of the new wave in goth music
I was perusing the used cd bins today when I came across this three cd compilation. The second I saw the list of songs on the compilation, I knew I had to buy it. The first two cds are just thrown together while the third disc is a non-stop mix cd by DJ RiB (as in Razed in Black). I am a huge fan of bands like VNV Nation, Apoptygma Berzerk, and Wolfsheim. A lot of the songs are remixes too. Another reason for buying this box set was that I always wanted to hear what Claire Voyant, L'Ame Immortelle sounded like. Needless to say they rocked my socks off. I absolutely loved "The Truth Behind" (L'Ame Immortelle) and "Majesty" (Claire Voyant). I definitely want to look into acquiring cds by each band very soon. I also had to hear the Apoptygma Berzerk remix of Switchblade Symphony's "Sweet". Normally I am used to listening to Switchblade Symphony at a much slower, more trip hoppy pace but Apoptygma Berzerk really cranks out the energy in this song and gives it an added boost of energy. Fear Cult does a really interesting take on Blur's classic "Boys & Girls". I certainly wasn't disappointed in the Icon of Coil remix of VNV Nation's "Genesis". Icon of Coil did an amazing job at remixing one of my favorite VNV Nation songs. I certainly wasn't disappointed with Funker Vogt's "Cold War". I just love that band to pieces. Other favorite songs include Pax's "Catch My Fire", The Birthday Massacre's "Video Kid", and Spahn Ranch's "Remnants". "The remix cd was amazing as well. The perfect cd to listen to on a Saturday night before hitting the nightclubs. I loved "This Is Neo-Goth". This 3-cd compilation showcases the best of today's hottest goth/industrial/EMB acts around. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

A solid performance from Pitchshifter
If your're a Prodigy fan, this album is a must-have. The band displays some of their best songwriting and techno skills in their latest release. The songs have more lyrics than most electronica, so the music preserves a punk-metal edge. The tracks get somewhat repetitive, but few of my other CDs spend as much time in the Walkman as this one. Note: this album comprises most of the Twisted Metal 3 video game soundtrack.

Music for the 21st Century
I got this album about a month ago. I am just addicted to this album because it has such a fresh hardcore sound to it. I personally think it is the best album released in 1998. The lyrics are kind of interesting with their political view on some issues like society. The layout of the album is real cool and their website is a great one. The sound of their music could be considered industrial, but I find them more advanced than your traditional industrial band. They are more like drum and bass combined with some power punk to have this raw sound. Since England loves hyping up their bands, I think Pitchshifter would be a great one to do. I just hope they receive more success over in North America, because they have the deadliest beats and are the band that best defines adreneline for the next century!

3.5 stars
I'd never heard any full length albums from Pitch Shifter prior to my purchase of this, their newest release, but from what I have heard in the past I thought I knew better than to expect something like this. Pitchshifter have gone techno in a big way, which will irritate many old fans to no end, but it's a development that, considered in regard to the success with which they've achieved their objective, I certainly welcome. Now, when I say Pitch Shifter have gone techno, I don't mean that in the same sense that some say Testament went death metal on "Demonic", nor is my remark comparable to the efforts of some overzealous Metallica bashers on the 'net who would have you believe they're now some kind of alternative band (yeah, I really hear the Blur influence there). If any of the songs on "www.pitchshifter.com" were stripped of vocals, they could easily wind up on somebody's mix CD and no one would know they didn't really belong there. The vocals are pretty much the band's last ties to their metal roots. They haven't totally given up on guitars, but they're used in a manner more akin to KMFDM than, say, Entombed. I'm a big fan of techno myself, and since I didn't have much invested in Pitch Shifter's allegiance to metal in the first place, I can honestly say I've enjoyed this album immensely- time and again- in the last month. Nevertheless, there is something to be said in the loss of avant garde experimentalism present on the early albums, so with the gain in accessibility must come a certain loss of respectability. But, if you're not intent on putting the band on a pedestal, do yourself a favor and check this album out. Beats the Spawn soundtrack, that's for damn sure...

awesome cd
im a huge fan of digital hardcore, you know, atari teenage riot, ec8or, f noise and their ilk, and ive owned this cd since way before i started listening to that stuff. i realized after listening to this again not long ago that pitchshifter, at their core, are a digital hardcore band (at least on THIS particular album, earlier records (before infotainment) are much more metal driven, and later albums are a little nu-metalish). viewed as a dhc album, this record is really really good and very diverse, and accessible to anyone unlike most dhc bands. its too bad pitchshifter were never involved in that scene because they could have gained quite a few new fans.

How much better can it get
Pitchshifter at its finest. They take the industrial sounds of their early cd's. and combine them with more electronics. Some standout tracks include Microwaved and Genius. This album is beter than their later efforts. If you have never heard pitchshifter start here. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber add aggressive guitars to their considerable armory of instruments to create an album of striking power and subtlety. They give full reign to their heavy metal influences on songs such as "Vigilante" and "Division of Mind," with angry guitar riffs and live-sounding programmed drums. However, the band's characteristically dark synthesizer atmospherics are still present, on tracks such as "This Faith" and the haunting "Sex Offender." Lyrics focus mostly on societal ills and technological doomsday. The songwriting is strong, with solid choruses in the title track as well as the brilliantly apocalyptic "Surface Patterns. "Victim of a Criminal" is a bold merging of Front Line Assembly's sinister power with the vocals of rapper David Hansen of the band P.O.W.E.R. --Mark McCleerey ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Good metal... bad FLA.
Don't get me wrong, the album has a good sound, but it seems like Bill & Rhys went overboard with the guitars here just a *little* bit, doesn't it? As a diligent metal fan, I think it's a great metal cd, but FLA doesn't sound like that. Listen to Caustic Grip or T-N-I and you'll understand the real sound of Front Line Assembly. The guitars in Millennium (especially on Vigilante and Division of Mind) take over the whole song and overpower everything else to the point of ridiculous. The bells and whistles and the ambient noise is almost completely annihilated by samples of Pantera and Sepultura riffs. There are some good songs here (Liquid Separation and Plasma Springs) but altogether this is definitely not Front Line's best effort. I mainly bought it for all the cool samples from Falling Down.

FLA-never predictable
I've been a fan of FLA for quite sometime now, and I'm never dissapointed. Perhaps it's because I never get bored with their music. FLA is probably the most diverse of anyone else I've listened to. I never know what to expect from them. This band can do almost any type of music they decide, and on this album they've proven that they can do heavy metal as well. Quite nicely I might add. This album seems to be surrounded by controversy. I hear things like "It doesn't flow from beginning to end" or "too much metal, FLA should stick to electronic industrial" but you know what, I believe that's what makes Front Line so great is that they always experiment. They always try new things. They stay diverse and unpredictable. They've done everything from "Plasticity" to softer Delerium. They've created music for almost every possible mood. Using guitars to create a heavy metal approach was not a bad idea at all. Infact I think they do heavy metal here better than most heavy metal bands. To tell you the truth I don't even care for most metal, but I like this album very much. Pantera, Metallica, they suck. Give FLA a try. This album is worthy of 4 and a half stars at least. In my opinion 2nd best after Tactical Neural Implant. This albums only weak point is track six, "Victim of a Criminal" and I only say that because I don't care for rap. But as I said before, FLA has done almost every type of music. All they have left to do now is country, but let us prey to the powers above that they don't sink to that.

Genius
That about covers it...Genius. Like David Bowie, Frontline Assembly is always changing and improving. The guitars, although admittedly took me by surprise at first, definitely work on this album. In comparison to the first album I heard from them, Caustic Grip, Millenium is equally as gripping and original.

rocks quite considerably.
This CD comes from what was in my oppinion by far the best FLA era - early 90s with Rhys Fulber, and I really seriously can't understand why the fans object to it - I think it's brilliant. Just exactly the right sci-fi post apocalyptic goth horror James Cameron movie style high speed car crash music that I'd been looking for since I first put The Downward Spiral into my CD player and realised this stuff existed- it just seems to get the aesthetic exactly right for my taste. It's not "serious" music (though talking about any music being "serious" is a mark of pathological pretentiousness and a deep, aching need to just get laid), but it's got a vibe which I've not been able to find anywhere else, even in this genre, and I think it's criminal that this hasn't spawned more imitators. Leeb's excessive "sampling" can grate sometimes, I admit, but I think it works well here. It's almost like a mix tape - a collection of cool riffs from here and there, stitched together by some synthesizers, a swarm of movie samples and some guy singing about cyborgs - what more could you possibly ask for? Highlights are Liquid Separation, with an incomparably sick synth bassline which makes you want to drive your car at 90 miles per hour into a brick wall for no apparent reason, the futuristic sci-fi perfection of Search and Destroy, the hip-hop crossover track Victim of a Criminal (which I definitely think they should've done more of) and the last one, Sex Offender, which watches the last of the ashes settle on the twisted remains of the album in a wonderfully dark, smouldering, evil kind of way. Definitely one of the best purchases of my johnny the homicidal maniac reading, trenchcoat wearing deluded subscriber to a pre-fabricated identity phase.

Their best, not joking
This is my all-time favorite of Frontline assembly. Many fans would say that they prefer Implode or Caustic grip. I have all their cd, and this is definitely my favorite of all. The lyrics are great and catchy, the vocals are well done, and the instrumentation flawless as usual. Many songs have a very deep sound, even with angry guitars. Most of the songs are quite mejestic.

Here's some comments on every tracks

Vigilante - Not the best, but very good. The transition between song 1 and 2 is amazing. 4/5

Millennium - Great kick in. Nice beat, very catchy. 5/5

Liquid Separation - very good, maybe too much vocoder for some however 4/5

Search and Destroy - Definitely one of my favorites, this song is very melodic, and the guitar helps it a lot. The "ballad" of the cd. 5/5

Surface Patterns - Looks more like older FLA. The guitar sample gets repetitive. Not disapointing, but one of the weakpoints of the cd. 2/5

Victim of a Criminal - The second and last weakpoint of the cd. The song has a good base, but I really don't like hip-hop lyrics. 2/5

Division of a Criminal - Insanely good song, very fast and catchy 5/5

This Faith - Old-FLA style like surface patterns, but a bit better 3/5

Plasma Springs - My favorite. Good as you'll rarely see in a song. One of the greatest mix of metal and industrial I never heard. 5/5

Sex Offender - Incredibly good outro to the cd. Those are quite rare usually, so this one is a real gem. 4/5

If this disk would only contains Search and Destroy and Plasma Springs, it would be still be a great cd. Very recommended! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Although they weren't as essential to the development of modern industrial music as, say, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, or Front 242, Germany's KMFDM have pretty much been around since the inception of the genre. In their infant days they may have been clanging on metal pipes like country mates Einstürzende Neubauten and using animal intestines as stage props, but through the years they've mastered the art of guitar-augmented industrial dance music, experimented with thrash metal, and become one of the few modern industrial acts to still create original, cathartic music with electronics. For the uninitiated, Retro is a nice introduction, mixing the razor-edged riffing of KMFDM's latter-day discs Xtort, Nihil, and Angst with the earlier drum-machine barrages of UAIOE and What Do You Know, Deutschland? --Jon Wiederhorn ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Retro (Best Of)
Well first off, I thought this album could of had more songs on It. This album showcase's a quick flashback from 1997 all the way back too 1986. I mean, this Is a great best of, from one of the coolest Industrial band around (ohhh and Skinny Puppy too). If you are a big Industrial fan, you maybe wished that this album was 3 disc set (they could have thrown in more collectibles), not no 1 disc. If you are just getting Into KMFDM, get this one to start It off.

KMFDM "promotional" album
Everybody's complaining about why didn't they make a 3-disc set, or how come they didn't include Megalomaniac, well the reason is that Retro was never intended to be a greatest hits album. It was originally released in 1996 (before the Symbols album, and thus Megalomaniac) as a promotional album for "DJ's and journalists," so the official website says. So, technically it's not a greatest hits.

If they had intended to make a greatest hits record they should've at least scratched a few songs songs on here, such as More & Faster, Rip The System, and What Do You Know Deutschland?. Personally I think it's a great record for people who are just starting to listen to KMFDM, or who aren't really hard-core fans. However, if you've got their other CD's, then there really isn't a point to own Retro. I use to own it, but I sold it because I didn't want to have the same songs on more than 1 disc... it just seemed like a waste of my money that way. Just get Angst, Naive, Nihil, Xtort, Sybmols, Agogo, Adios, and whatever else singles too. Then you'll have the ultimate KMFDM collection.

Good Introduction to KMFDM
For any serious KMFDM fan, Retro is a woefully inadequate compilation, but it is a good introduction to the band's music up to the Xtort album.

However, If you're new to KMFDM and thinking about getting this, don't bother: You'll end up buying all their other albums anyway!

The biggest and the baddest.
Though this isn't "KMFDM's" 14 best songs, it is a good sampling of most of their albums. And while they're in the industrial genre, they're less like "NIN/Ministry", and more like "Skinny Puppy/Front 242", and sometimes even "Lords Of Acid". Alot of these tracks are really more techno-industrial. I wouldn't call any of these hits, but this does include "Power", "Light", "Money", and the popular "Juke Joint Jezebel". Everything else is just as good. This collection might not do much for the fanatic, but it's perfect for the newcomer, or casual fan.

THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER BOUGHT A CD BY KMFDM
THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME EVER BUYING A CD BY KMFDM, AND I MUST SAY, I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT THEY HAD TO OFFER. I BECAME INTERESTED IN THEM AFTER HEARING ''JUKE JOINT JEZEBEL'' ON THE MORTAL KOMBAT SOUNDTRACK. THIS GREATEST HITS CD IS STRAIGHT UP FUNKY. ''MONEY'' IS NOTHING SHORT OF A PHONOMENAL SONG. THE TRACK THAT ROCKS THE MOST IS ''DON'T BLOW YOUR TOP''. ONLY THING THAT I FEEL IS MISSING FROM THIS AWESOME CD IS ''MEGALOMANIAC'' WHICH WAS ON THE MORTAL KOMBAT ANNIHILATION SOUNDTRACK. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IF YOU'RE A METALHEAD LIKE ME OR IF YOU LIKE SOMETHING THAT'LL MAKE YOU DANCE, THEN I HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS CD. ONE THING IS DEFINITELY CERTAIN; I'LL BE BUYING A WHOLE LOT MORE KMFDM CDS IN THE FUTURE! ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Leeb it alone
Front Line Assembly has been barely listenable since Rhys Fulber left to pursue his producing career. This album is yet another example of why.

If you liked FLAvour of the Week and the FLA releases that followed, then this is more of the same. Leeb's music lacks any real vision, and often is quite boring. I certainly hope rumors are true that this is the last FLA album, because Leeb has already managed to kick the corpse around for too long.

I admit, some of the soundscapes are nice, but I've often heard better. Check out the last two releases from Xorcist for some nice soundscapes, or any Download or In Strict Confidence release for some electronic wizardry.

If you're new to Front Line Assembly, chek out their albums from the early and mid-nineties -- "Caustic Grip" through "Hard-Wired" and everything in between are all pretty darn good.

A very cool album!
Epitaph was my first ever intro to Frontline Assembly and was well worth the extra money I forked out for it (I live in Adelaide, Australia). Some of the tracks get a little close to doof-doof, but overall FLA's frenetic and chaotic industrial vibes make this one awesome CD. The atmospheric machinescapes in this album are excellent, the intros for the songs alone are almost worth the money.

I highly recommend this CD to any industrial fans out there. Good stuff, and a kudos to FLA for such a great album.

Better Than Implode
I know that many FLA fans consider Implode to be one of FLA's best, but I found it too inconsistent and lyrically one of the worst Leeb has offered. That said, Epitaph does little to improve this fact, with horrible lyrics about "worn out shoes." Never thought I'd hear an industrial-music icon singing about inadequate footwear. Musically, however, it flows much better without running out of ideas... a rarity in the world of industrial/electronic music.

I have begun to take a much more light-hearted approach to FLA's catalog, and this helps matters greatly in terms of their themes/lyrics. If anything, Epitaph proves Leeb and Co. are deft creators of catchy, and heavy, anthems that are well-produced and layered with various electronica styles. It's very entertaining music to listen to, and even better as a backdrop to Matrix-laden daydreams.

Epitaph harks back to FLAvour and TNI in that it does away with any overt guitars and focuses on electronic soundscapes. Stand-out tracks for me are "Backlash" and "Everything Must Perish." "Backlash" has some of the most unholy drums I've ever heard on an FLA album, but they only add to the song instead of overwhelming it. It's all very energetic, and FLA does a great job creating a memorable track out of what could have been a percusive nightmare. "Everything Must Perish" might be my favorite because it astutely blends the Delerium/FLA sound.... better than "Falling" or "Unknown Dreams" from Implode. For me, Epitaph is what Implode should have been.

Enter the FLA universe with Epitaph
Epitaph was the disc that got me into FLA and other industrial music. I heard about them through the band Fear Factory. When I first heard this cd back in 01' while riding home on the subway, I was blown away about how futuristic sounding Epitaph was. I've also never heard sound quality this good in any other type of music I've ever heard. I love it when I go out on a limb and buy a album that becomes an instant favorite. I must say that I enjoy the mid 90's FLA albums more than Epitaph because they sound more exciting. Epitaph was a great intro for me into the FLA universe and into industrial music.

Front Line Assembly does it again!
This guy is the KING of making atmospheric music. Listening to one of his albums is like being sent into another world full of futuristic images. He creates such lush and organic sounds, I find it impossible to dislike any of his material. "Epitaph" picks up where "Implode" left off. I always picture some futuristic scene whenever Im listening to this album. "Implode" set the stage, gritty sound with heavy guitars. I liked to picture a rusty, industrial city brooding with spooky atmosphere. The whole album is good. "Epitaph" is like a space trip into the unknown. Everytime I listen to it I picture a planet full of mechanical, industrial city scapes. Beeping and booping with electronic techno genious. "Dead Planet" is by far the best track Front Line Assembly has EVER created. I think I've said enough, "Epitaph" is his best album yet. Buy it today! ... Read more

Amazon.com

You have to hand it to Rudy Ratzinger, a.k.a. :Wumpscut:--oblivious to trends in late-'90s electronic dance music, he continues to carry a torch for good old-fashioned gothic-industrial. He does it so well, it's hard to fault him--indeed, the black-clad faithful look to him as something of a god. Eevil Young Flesh, his fourth full-length, will not disappoint those fans, no matter how formulaic a release it is. The rhythms are solid, propulsive, and infectious; the synth work is appropriately sinister; Ratzinger's vocals (alternately German and English) growl and shout at just the right intensity; and the film samples (sci-fi and porn, natch) are expertly placed. Ratzinger's obsession with death pervades the album (the insert even contains photos of past serial killers), but there are moments of great beauty, particularly on the violin-accented instrumental track "Outside," the military-grooved "Wasted Dreams," and "Tell Me Now," Ratzinger's German-language duet with the ethereal-voiced Lilli Stankowski. --Steve Landau ... Read more

Reviews (22)

It's not as bad as so many say
Maybe it's just because this was my first Wumpscut album, but I really don't think that it is as bad as many make it out to be. Quite the contrary, actually, I enjoyed it immensely.

No, it's not dark and Evil, but some of the music is truly amazing. Outside in particular stands out to me for its beauty. Escape is an awesome, high-energy song. Eternal is another favourite with is full, thumping sound. Longing is a favourite, especially after a few listens. I used to enjoy Wasted Dreams, but I got sick of it quite quickly. I found Witches' Dance to be quite a weak point on the album - incredibly repetitive.

Overall it is this album that turned me on to Wumpscut. I can't say that Wumpscut is amazingly diverse or anything, but the depth and quality of the sound delivered makes them one of my favourites.

BEST CD EVER
So, youre considering buying a :W: CD and you don't know which one to buy, or you are a first time buyer and you are questioning if this is the album for you. Well, don't look any further. This is my first Wumpscut album, never the less, NOT MY LAST. He is a musical genius! Every track on this CD has its own great tune, sound, feeling. This is by far, the best CD out there on the market. Industrial fans: a must have. KMFDM fans: a must have. Music fans: a must have. If you like German music, this is for you for sure. Outside is so incredible, along with WULF which is more heavy. Wasted Dreams is so excellent and so are the rest. Overall: Disturbing but the best ever. BUY IT.

Strong Industrial But a Bit Formulaic
Taken on its own 'Eevil Young Flesh' is a very solid album of hard industrial dance. There are probably 4 great dancefloor songs and 1 excellent instrumental. However the issue reallly isn't the song quality, it's just that at this point in Rudy's career this has become a bit of a formula and it feels a little trite for long-time fans. (Note: I actually wrote the review of this album for 'Outburn Magazine' years ago and said basically the same thing).

The album opens with the fast-paced, frantic "Wulf" - German for "Wolf". It's interesting to notice that this is the only track with a German title and it is sung in English, while all of the other tracks are listed in English while sung in German - quirky. The amazing synth hook in this song cuts through the mix like few others I have ever heard.

The next track is "Deadmaker", a turbocharged, psychotic thrill-ride not fit for the faint of heart. If you really love this song you can get the "Totmacher" remixes which feature this song remixes by a slew of major electro acts. "DM" is followed directly by the next dance slammer "I Want You". This one features the clearest beat on the disc and razor sharp electro lines. The only drawback is that the porno samples at the beginning are lame, immature and don't fit the songs theme of fully possessing another person... it's just kind of a snore of a way to open such a good song.

Later on the disc you'll find "Wasted Dreams", a bitter tale of a person looking to reclaim past losses. Further on is the hauntingly beautiful "Outside", likely the best instrumental :W: has done since "Thorns".

In sum, this is a great release that new fans will likely love. It's an easy entry point. Still it is not one of his best 3 albums and at the time it felt like he needed more of a step forward with his sound and this was firmly treading on familiar ground. However, that is high quality ground.

A good compilation
This cd is really good, actually better than I expected. I like all of the tracks, but 'Outside' is an exceptionally beautiful piece, and 'escape'. 'Deadmaker' was not as good as I thought it would be, I thought it would be a very exciting, different song, but instead it is repetitive, but NOT as repetitive as 'witches' dance'. I like that song to an extent, but you don't want to listen to the whole thing... It gets old fast. 'I want you', despite the porno audio clip, is a brilliant song. I love it, maybe the clip is just proving the 'maturity' in Rudy's genius.

Deep in the Woods, Screams Die Away
:wumpscut: does many things for many people, depending on how much they pay attention to the tracks and how strongly they feel on certain morbid matters. On the outside the beats sometimes move an audience and do it rather well, with a very accessible beat founding some works and a very enticing build manufacturing others, and that suits some listeners. Others delve in a little deeper, hear the Germanic words flowing to the beat and the voxing coming through, and that perhaps disturbs them. The way the voxing sounds and the deep wells of bitterness they seem to be derived from sometimes have that way with people, making them think that its perhaps morbid. But for those others that dive into the lyrical content and find out that it is actually more disturbed than simply the voxing and the sounds because the content truly is dark, there's a plethora of thoughts to choose from. And, personally, I think I've chosen to buy quite few albums because its just too good to pass up.

Boeses Junges Flisch (Evil Young Flesh) perhaps isn't the most easily accessible work in the :wumpscut' catalog for everyone because (1) most of the vocals are in German and (2) because its an deliciously depraved byproduct. For some reason the language barrier bothers some people, them not enjoying stuff they can't sing along to stateside, and they won't purchase it. They have to be able to sing along in their native tongue, not really getting into the songs and not really noticing the translations housed directly inside the case. And that's understandable, albeit limiting. Others have a problem because some of these songs are rather explicit, one spoke by a female and talking about certain acts she'd like to engage in, or because they're about some rather violent themes. Stalking, killing, the random acts of violence that fuel the world; those are what :wumpscut: revolves around. And if one doesn't mind that and likes their EBM on the mostly-aggressive side, then Evil Young Flesh is a prime choice.

While I wouldn't go as far as to say I'd choose a favorite in the :wumpscut: collection, I would go as far as to say that this ends up in my discman more than most of the others. The reason for that is primarily because it has a little taste of everything, be it beats that build or songs with growling vocals, and it flows with more consistency than a lot of the other works do. The beginning track, 'Wulf' has a good built, some nice voxing on it, a switch between German and English vocals, and leads nicely into 'Deadmaker.' At first glance, 'Deadmaker' seems like a calm sea of sounds, with a melodic introduction done with guitar, but that takes off quickly and leads into the building ocean of beats and technotroic static pretty fast. It sounds somewhat calm even when it builds, too, until you truly delve into the lyrical translations and see that 'no thought afterwards when I broke your bones' and 'I'm a slave to the killing' aren't exactly lullaby material. 'I want you' is actually something of a change for :wumpscut:, with a lot of the vocals done by a lady as she graphically goes into what turns her on while leading into Rudy's portion. I've always thought this was a commendable effort, too, because its so unacceptable to do and so catchy at the same time. It shocks a lot of people at first, finding that somewhat appalling, but its only sexuality when it comes down to it. 'Escape' is a song I heard a few times on other albums and that I really liked as well, with its translations showing a chase erupting from 'deep in the woods' as someone, 'all alone,' tries to flee. The voxing on this song and the German itself has a much greater effect when the words play out, too, making it sound ' cold. Yeah, that's some good stuff. 'Witches Dance' is a superb instrumental, it almost a dance theme set in dark times, and 'Outside' follows it up as a slower piece also set in electronic instrumental skies. 'Eternal' is a pretty good song, too, leading into 'Forgive Me,' which is a colder sound and a much more corrosive theme that is enjoyably dark. 'Tell Me Now' is a bit different when combined with the albums progressing idea inside the music, with the female vocals (this time in German) combining with R. Ratzinger's and speaking more on love and the wants instead of the horrors that are often the byproducts of this in :wumpscut: songs. And, to end, is the musical piece 'Longing,' bringing the album to close with a nice beat and some interesting clips to boot.

While I wouldn't recommend this to everyone nor would I say that this would be a good starting point to introduce :wumpscut:, I would say that this is a piece anyone that liked what they do should pick up because it has a lot of good stuff. The beats are energetic and dark, and the progressing theme of the songs is also of the violent variety, and the things I like from :wumpscut: flow within those veins. As I said before, its something that works well as an entire piece and has replayability. It's always helps me gear toward killing time (or is that times?). ... 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

Album Description

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

Reviews (5)

He's no Junior
CD's good but he's no Junior ..........

Buy this one!!!
This CD set is amazing! Jonathan Peters creates a dark, sexy vibe and keeps taking it higher and higher over the course of two CDs. Can't recommend this one enough. "The Hurting" from Mac Quayle featuring Donna DeLory is by far the best cut but they are all hot. The companion DVD showing the Sound Factory crowd experiencing this music is kinda fun too. Hurry up and grab this one and get ready to FEEL IT!!!

From Sound Factory to Your Living Room
If you are a fan of JP, or have ever been to the Sound Factory, you'll love this CD. This compilation is the best yet at bringing the dark, hard beats of SF into your living room. As usual, JP's mixing is absolutely flawless to the point of not knowing where certain tracks end and others pick up. I like CD 2 better, because it moves a little deeper into that Sound Factory feeling with dark, dirty tribal beats that will keep you moving. If you are looking for "Dance Party 2002", you've come to the wrong place. "Wanjeru the African" is a superb lead into "Dark Beat." "Space Ride," "From Dusk to Dawn" and "Thunder" will groove you and if you don't get up and move to Peter's mix of "No One's Gonna Change You," check your pulse. The Factory and JP - nothing like it anywhere. Play it loud. Play it late. Enjoy.

JP Does it Again!
No one can deny the thrill and excitement of Factory and JP brings the party home on this set. Eclipsing his two prior releases, "Revelation" is everything that Factory is about. Dark, melodic, hard, progressive, sexy. CD #2 kicks it into a darker mood, but the music moves you start to finish.
If it weren't for JP's CDs I don't know what I would do. His music captivates and invigorates, and spinning about my living room, this set takes me to the soul of Factory.
If you don't have the two other sets, pick those up too! My only regret is that JP doesn't release more music. He is a musical god and an influential sound in the progressive scene; we've barely seen the beginning of what this man is capable of.

Is he God, Myth or Legend?
Although seeing this man live cannot compare to tracks he puts out on CD's, this CD was great in its own way. Mostly, I enjoy hearing and watching the guy spin live cause its a totally new ballgame, he really RIPS up the house. On his CD's he does a softer touch of Peters, one in which I have grown tolerable of. Meaning I love the afterhour beats and buy his CD's just to give "THE MAN" the respect he deserves. If he were to rip it up on the CD's then I think there would be a long waiting list. Nothing is more thrilling and exciting than going to the "Factoria" @ 10 o'clock in the morning and staying there to hear Peters kill the speakers all freakin day till like 9 o'clock on Sunday night(well there has only been a few ossacians for me that late but I would love to do it again someday). Being in the LOUDEST nightclub in NYC (after they moved to West 46th before 27th) can take alot out of you especially in the morning hours when he turns up the volume and starts his crazy voyage through the passage of sound. Deep, Rough, Hard, Progressive, Percussion, Mind-blowing, Beutiful, Melodic and everything else you imagine a great CD to have. For all you factory headzz, you know the dilly, JP is by far the MAN and the greatest DJ in the world. Everyone always hypes about PVD, Sasha, and Oakenfold, well a little bit of advise: STOP PLAYIN' YOURSELF! JP is the man and there is no DJ that comes close to his caliber. Although, C. Lawrence and Digweed are great! There is nothing like hearing the MAN live at the FactorIA (the Temple of Doom). I encourage everyone to get every JP album they can, well theres only three---S&M Live---Live with Jonathan Peters--and SF Anniversary....5 stars aren't enough to express what this man is actually capable of doing.... ... Read more

Reviews (2)

AMAZING!
HAVE YOU GOT A SICK TWIST IN YOUR MIND? DO YOU LAUGH WHEN OTHERS CRY? IF SO THEN THIS IS THE CD FOR YOU! HARDCORE MASTER, LENNY DEE, HAS PICKED THE FINEST FROM HIS MANY LABELS AND MIXED THEM UP IN HIS USUAL PERFECT STYLE TO TAKE YOU ON A JOURNEY INTO THE WORLD OF DARKNESS FROM WHERE YOU MAY NEVER RETURN!

If you like hard core techno, this is the cd for you
It is hard to find a compelation cd with the hardest, loudest, hard core techno, until now. If you like hard thumping bass, this is the cd for you. The best thing is that not only do you get one whole cd full of differnt artists, but then you get an another cd with two outstanding dj mixes of hard core. This is a must have for the hard core fans. If you like this, check out Delta 9, Disco Inferno. ... Read more

Album Description

Sister Machine Gun's seventh full-length album is a tour-de-force of electronic rock that recalls the industrial sound of the late eighties and early nineties. Heavy beats, distorted guitars and pounding synth lines drag your favorite sounds, kicking and screaming into the future! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Pretty good
i'll make this short.. Sister machine gun attempts to recreate that 90's industrial feel and for the most part they succeed. although there is a couple tracks that bore me.. for the most part this is as good as it gets aside from those original songs back in the day. highly reccomended if you're an industrial fan.

Music that's food for your ears!
Sister Machine Gun has been one of those bands that never disappoint, whether you see them live, or pick up their cd.

This newest CD from the Chicago band has all the elements of their roots, and aims to please the listener, and I am more than pleased with the results.

I have watched this group expand their horizons to grab new fans and also to grab your attention the second the first song off this cd starts, "To Hell With You" all the way through to the last one, "The Antagonizer". It's all non-stop. I find it difficult to listen to this without getting my body into the groove, can you?

From singer and musician, Chris Randall's sensual voice , to Miguel Turanzas, wow, now THIS is SMG. This cd will definitely make you want more.

You're always welcomed at http://www.sistermachinegun.com. Don't be shy, stop by sometime.

Buy this album
Do yourself a favor and pick up this CD. Sister Machine Gun goes back to it's roots on Influence and the results are a CD that sounds like Wax Trax era industrial updated for the new millennium.

Old School Meets New
It's SMG's most danceable release since Transient 5.2 - it has everything I ever loved about electro-industrial, irradiated with enough creativity to keep it from ever getting stale. Chris Randall and Miguel Turanzas have done the seemingly impossible - they combined everything the band has ever been into one package. It has taken my CD player hostage, and I couldn't be happier.

Memories...Reborn
I grew up during the height of the Wax Trax! heyday, taking solace in all those classic discs throughout my high school years. To say that I was thrilled with the new SMG, which harkens back to those days is a true understatement.

I don't know what I could say that hasn't already been said much more eloquently by other reviewers other than this: this is very easily one of the best records of the year, and is right up there with "Metropolis" as one of SMG's best releases ever. I waas compelled from beginning to end, and this is one disc that is going to be in every CD player I own (home, car, discman) for many, many years to come.

If you're sitting on the fence about this one, do yourself a favor and buy it. Chris and Miguel have turned out a fantastic disc that recalls the past and steps into the future at the same time. My hat goes off to both of them, and again, buy the record! You will not regret it one iota. ... 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