anyone remember that?

Andre Faria: I BELIEVE YOU'VE SEEN WORSE!

ANTICHRIST: I´ll see Diary of Dreams live on 9th April. But I suspect is going to be a very boring concert...

Their last albuns were awful...

This is a really strong album from German electro-industrial act The Retrosic. While the :wumpscut: influences are still somewhat apparent, the band has definitely come into their own with this release. The only problem is that they forget what type of band they are a few times here.

The majority of music offered here is dark electro-industrial with menacing electronic programming, heavy beats, moody melodies, creepy sampling and angry growling thick German accented male vocals. All of the songs that sound like this are great. It's too bad that they don't make up the entire album.

There are four songs here that are out of place - "Elysium", "Passion (1st Sign)", "Sphere" and "Tears In The Rain". "Elysium" is a Middle Eastern chant song that sounds like something Delerium would create. "Passion (1st Sign)" is dark and somber with female chanting. "Sphere" is a light and upbeat EBM instrumental. And "Tears In The Rain" is a short spoken word track. These four tracks really mess up the album. They ruin the flow and make me want to listen to the album less.

I think bands should stick to a certain style throughout their recordings. If they have a desire to do drastically different sounding music, they should do it on a side project.

PS.THIS REVIEW DOESN'T REPORT MY FEELING ABOUT THIS MASTERPIECE...I THINK THIS RECORD IS ONE OF THE BEST RELEASES OF 2004 IN THE DARK ELECTRO-INDUSTRIAL GENRE,MUCH BETTER THAN WUMPSCUT RECENT ALBUMS!
ANTICRHIST

Adrian Hates returns with his best Diary Of Dreams album yet. I didn't really like the previous Diary Of Dreams recording Freak Perfume, but this Nigredo album is great.

While the Diary Of Dreams sound isn't really different here, it's definitely polished and refined taking all of the best elements from the past and putting them on one recording.

The music is created with electronic programming, nicely paced beats, dark dramatic melodies and some guitar. Adrian Hates sings deep and clear with a lot of power and passion. He's an emotional singer that unleashes his lyrics with true feeling.

There's a lot of variety on this album. There's a good mix of energetic songs, mid-tempo songs and dark ballads. Everything is masterfully created and structured with creative elements.

lets get back on topic.

ANTICHRIST: Try softening your approach a bit. Might I suggest a new keyboard?
A lot of what you say makes sense but is lost in presentation, which some people might find a bit over powering. As for your name ~~ I have read worse!

JamesHird: WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT?YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON!
IF IT WAS YOU,YOU WOULDN'T BE SAYING THAT...

Continuing the phenomenal rise of electro superstars Rotersand ( now signed to the German Dependent label ) brand new single "Exterminate Annihilate Destroy" continues the band's exploration of sophisticated lyrical themes and intelligent electro arrangements. Rotersand illustrate that music and current events can coincide without the results being too coarse or heavy-handed. With new single "Exterminate Annihilate Destroy" they provide an intriguing preview of new album "Welcome To Goodbye", due for release in June 2005.

ANTICHRIST: I agree with the Mods.
Keep up the good work !!!!

ANTICHRIST: I would also suggest a new keyboard.. due to the fact that you won't be able to explain to everyone that you are not meaning to YELL all the time..

and believe it or not.. your messages do come accross as being over bearing..

ANTICHRIST: Not for nothing, but I think your name offends a lot of folks.

I JUST WANT TO SAY I HAVE BEEN BANNED FROM SEVERAL DISCUSSION BOARDS,I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS IS HAPPENING...I THINK I AM BEING DISCRIMINATED BY SEVERAL MODERATORS AND BY FENCER HIMSELF,I DON'T KNOW WHO TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS,I KNOW THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS BOARD BUT I JUST WANT TO INFORM YOU PEOPLE ABOUT THIS PROCEDURE...ONE DAY IT MIGHT HAPPEN TO YOU!
THANKS...

nobleheart: Thanx :)

Andre Faria: sounds good

Out on April 4 is the Front Line Assembly rarities set "The Best of Cryogenic Studio". This 2CD includes electronic tracks by industrial legends Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber (aka Front Line Assembly) in their many incarnations. Included are archived recordings by FLA, Delerium, Synaesthesia, Noise Unit and more. Tracklist CD1: 1. Equilibrium 2. Tranmutation 3. Amorphous 4. Turmoil 5. Desert 6. Amnesia 7. Ambience 8. Paradise 9. The Drain 10. Alle Gegen Alles 11. Penance. Tracklist CD2: 1. Contact 2. Nova Man 3. Phenomena 4. Electronic Dream 5. Thread Dead 6. Erotic Anthology 7. The Flood 8. Floatation.

http://www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/webpages/goldfrappx01x04x03


follow the link at the bottom to:
http://mcms-delivery.virtuebroadcasting.com/deliverMedia.asp?id=9D747E88-7398-4931-AD0E-ADFE92C189BB

The brand new eagerly expected third regular album from synth / electro-pop super-stars Colony 5 ! Including several of their soon-to-be dancefloor hits, ''Fixed'' delivers the solid C5 infectious sound of uptempo dancefloor beats, ultra-melodic catchy refrains and warm synth lines. Augmented by a polished and even more professional sound ''Fixed'' is sure to deliver one of the synthpop highlights of 2005 - includes the hit single ''Plastic World'', plus two accompanying videos.

Spetsnaz are one of the bands that’s been on almost everybody’s lips for the last six months. All people knew of them was that they played old school EBM in the veins of Nitzer Ebb and DAF. When I first got it I played it a couple of times and the first thing that caught me was that vocalist Pontus Ståhlberg is a cloned Douglas McCarthy and the drummer Stefan Nilsson is the ditto of Bon Harris. In other words – it sounds almost identical to what Nitzer Ebb did on “That Total Age” back in 1987, and I am saying this in a very positive way! The members of Spetsnaz have been involved in other bands before and I know that they can make real music and not only the usual stomping machine-body that is represented on “Grand Design” and I believe that “Grand Design” is their tribute to the 80’s EBM-wave.
The first song, “Grand Design”, starts with a really hard and typical bass line and I really like what I hear. The thing is that I love it even more when Pontus opens his mouth and as I wrote earlier he sounds like Douglas McCarthy. What I really like about that kind of vocals is that it’s almost free from effects, and you hear no over distorted parts that can make your ear bleed at times because everybody uses them. Another song that I fell for is “Femme Fatale”. It’s got the typical, but speedy bass line and great lyrics about betrayal from the female ones. The worst song on the album, in that matter that it’s a straight copy of “Let Beauty Loose”, is “Outskirts of Eden”. I’m not saying that it’s a bad song, because it’s a killer live! But on the other hand I didn’t see any problems with them sounding like Nitzer Ebb earlier so maybe I should let it go.
If you’re new to EBM and would like to hear how EBM was made 15 years ago you should definitely get this album and I also think that you should support these guys. Another thing worth mentioning are Spetsnaz’s lyrics! It’s not the typical “[edited] electronic future, cyber, cold steel” etc, they range from love to hate, in a serious matter. “Foul Play” is a song that really got on my mind with the chorus “How can you smile at people you just cant stand”. The album is filled with these punch lines that normally never get out in daylight from bands like these.
This album shows that it’s still possible to make music with just drums, bass lines, some regular keyboard samples and a good vocalist.

ANTICHRIST: Bought this one too, but I was a little bit disappointed with it... They could have done better...

This might be a debut, but the members of Rotersand, Rasc, Gun and Krischan, all have a past in different projects. Rasc is a member of The Fair Sex, a band Gun have worked with, and they have both worked with 1am and Warm. Krischan has worked as a producer for different techno and electro constellations. With that given it should come as no surprise that this is a well produced and well sounding album. What surprises me however is how well the album blends together, not in a bad way, on the contrary, this is a varied album, not a collection of songs. From the first track to the last it has a certain flow, whereas the songs blend into the next one. And I have to admit, the first thing that struck me was how well produced it is, I guess you could say I couldn’t see the trees because of the forest the first time around.
However, now that I have been listening to the album a lot there are certain trees that stick out, for instance “The Fire” with its driving monotone bass line, as well as the cool anthem “Social Distortion”, where Sina of Psychobitch does a guest performance, which has been getting a lot of airtime at my place. There are a few more upbeat tracks worth mentioning here, but I’ll skip on to the slower “One Level Down”, which is a ballad complete with acoustic guitars and strings, it might sound a bit according to the manual, but I think it is a really nice track.
Finally, if you’re looking for an electronic dance album with good vocals, catchy choruses I truly, madly, deeply recommend you to get this one. And if you get intimidated by that description, thinking “this is another one of those boring futurepop albums” think again, it is not. It is so much more than that, but still there are some points at which it is just that.

ANTICHRIST: These are great albuns. Have heard some samplers from both and ordered right away... Great stuff...

Shadows In the Dark have been lurking for quite a while, ever since the "Snuff Machinery" EP (or even the compilation Septic II) there's been a buzz, a lot of anticipation and eagerness to hear exactly what this Pride and Fall/Suicide Commando/Dioxyde-like outfit could do. "Stronghold" can do a lot of thing. Such as provide lots of listening pleasure, fill the dance floor and provide some basis for contemplation. Something that was quite nice to find was that all songs with vocals are commented upon in the booklet, some more explanatorily than others but it's nice to come across a booklet with at least some thought put into it.
Back to how it sounds. There's some Suicide Commando, some VNV Nation, at least in the instrumentals, and I hint some Dioxyde. Though they might not have listened to that during the writing process... I for one like [:SITD:] better than the latter works of previously mentioned artists as "Stronghold" show cases a much wider range of emotions and approaches to modern ebm and the concept of dance music than I think Suicide Commando for example has done in the past years. There's a complexity of subjects, intertwined, separate and diverse that's often lacking elsewhere.
It's a bit of a shame to pick favourites 'cause that implies leaving some out. I think the songs released as EPs are perhaps not the most noteworthy although, quite some time after hearing it for the first time, "Snuff Machinery" still throws sparks around it. "Lebensborn" is another fantastic song, as is the melodic "Rose-Coloured Skies" and the instrumental "2nd Death" that's built around a few samples and a rough distorted beat. [:SITD:] just might one of last year's most promising new-comers to the electro-industrial scene.

German Trisol departees Sero.Overdose emerged from Alfa Matrix, with the teaser release "No Time For [Club] Silence". Now it's time for more silence, and silence can be a good thing. But when sporting synthpop at the level of Melotron ("Never"), Wolfsheim ("Hoffnung") and Apoptygma Berzerk ("Rain") why should one keep silent? A valid argument might be that there are a lot of modern influences here, but they do add their own touch to it all and in full, this album could not have been made by any of the above mentioned artists and offers something they don't.
The most appealing aspect of "No time for silence" is its soft-spoken, filled to the brink with emotion uncomplicated approach towards expression. This could have ended up a very shallow or pretentious album but a strong vocal performance and a very solid composition makes this an album that is enjoyable almost throughout. And for once, and this seems to become more and more rare, we're talking about a full album, 14 songs that lasts for more than an hour, quality and quantity. There are some lesser songs that actually bother me and make me think twice about this album that at its peaks is way up there. It could have been nice to see another instrumental track besides "Harmony", or some more songs in the vein of "Spirits", songs seem to separate themselves from the rest of the album a bit more. Summing up; this album, like most of the songs, grows. And by the looks of it, so will Sero.Overdose.

gekrompen hoofd: Thanks. Another great site... :)

gekrompen hoofd: Hum... Don´t think so... European zone only, but I´m not sure.

Andre Faria:
Kraftwerk

(apparently the first one didnt work too well)

Nirvana: Saw them live last year. They are in a very good shape...

The German electronic pioneers Kraftwerk are to release a live 2DVD of their recent 2004 world tour. But the new release is not limited to just a live 2DVD. Entitled "Minimum Maximum", the package will furthermore include a double live CD, a double multichannel SACD (Hybrid) and a 4 vinyl LP set in a special designed box. Each product offers the complete set of live performances, available in an english and a german version.

In the meantime the band has confirmed several live performances: June 30th will see them live at work at the Rock Werchter Festival in Belgium, July 3rd live at Eurockéennes de Belfort in France and on July 4th the band plays the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

From Dave McKean’s recognizable and always intriguing cover artwork, one would get the impression that the sound of Interlace is probably combines gothic dirge rhythms with apocalyptic atmospheres, something akin to the industrial soundscapes of Skinny Puppy. While this would not be an inaccurate observation, the music of Interlace offers so much more; indeed there are the stark ambient backdrops on the band’s latest, Imago, but they are interspersed with heavy beats and electro bass lines not unlike those heard in EBM. Tracks like the album opener “Master,” “Conformity,” and “Elohim” pulsate with energetic rhythms that are bound to get listeners stomping their feet and throbbing electronics that just might be signals to the cosmos of the mind. These songs have the capacity to get stuck in your head, yet they are very far from any pop sensibility. The arrangements are also noteworthy in their lack of the standard linear verse-chorus progressions that are stagnating so much electronic music today. And then there are the interlude tracks like “Eclosion” and “Diapause,” chock full of fields of industrial noise, bringing to mind images not dissimilar to cover artist McKean’s surrealist visuals.

On top of that are the acerbic vocals of Oscar Wilkensen; his voice has a quality similar to that of many terror-EBM vocalists, but with bouts of melodic quality that set him apart. He can be screeching and incendiary on songs like “Sleep on Stones” and “Conformity,” but then you hear the introductory vocals to “Crystalline Hush” and even the verse refrains in “Master” and realize that he has a wide range of singing ability. His voice perfectly complements the music, bringing forth a perfect contrast between beauty and ugliness, pleasure and pain, restraint and aggression. The overall production of Imago is nothing short of impressive, with every nuance of the music being given its just attention, without sacrificing the quality of the vocals; there is never a moment too loud or too cluttered, never leaving the listener overwhelmed, but also giving just enough for satisfaction and still leave you wanting more.

It would be easy to liken Interlace’s sound to that of Front Line Assembly, and not simply because of the presence of Dave McKean; like FLA, Interlace have an effective mix of production and songwriting ability. However, Interlace are anything but a cover band, regurgitating the sounds of old for the sake of mass appeal. On the contrary, they retain a great deal of their own personality to create music that is familiar yet original. Released on Artoffact Records alongside Psyche, Massiv in Mensch, and Blank, the band stands out among their peers as a creative force to be reckoned with. If you are tired of the banality of much of today’s electronic music, Interlace are here to offer you a piece of audio candy that will leave you longing for that sweet yet slightly bitter taste in your mouth. Fans of Front Line Assembly, Android Lust, and Dream into Dust will find much to behold in the music of Interlace, a band who stays true to their website name: Design For a New Breed. This is the new industrial for a new generation. Be warned!

Track list:
01. Master
02. Sleep on Stones
03. Conformity
04. Elohim
05. Eclosion
06. Crystalline Hush
07. Track Two
08. Veneer
09. Diapause
10. Pandora
11. In the Walls
12. Quintillion
13. Candle Burns Blue
14. Molt

For more information on this artist, go to: http://www.designforanewbreed.com

For all fans of pure, hard electro dance / industrial : X-FUSION are back ! The third album from this one man industrial army dives into the depths of black atmospheres and dark moods : with "Demons Of Hate" the spectacular follow up to pure dance / industrial bechmarks " Dial D for Demons" and "Beyond the Pale", X-Fusion harnesses the sound of the approaching apocalypse, widening the evolution of the well known X-Fusion sound with innovative ideas and sound solutions...Frightening, dark, catchy, melodic and aggressive are a few adjectives that fit this classic release ! Likely to become one of THE highlights in dark electro this year "Demons Of Hate" is a MUST HAVE for all fans of Hocico, The Retrosic, Suicide Comando and similar acts - an album full of potential club-hits and hard dancefloor detonations ! Recommended !

A real phenomenon in the electro / future pop scene, NamNamBulu have developed into one of the most successful bands of the genre. Following the release of their totally infectious latest single "Alone", they strike back again with "Blinded!" a collection of remastered, long deleted, exclusive and unreleased tracks from the bands early career. Not content to simply re-release these tracks as a copy of the long out of print "Blind" EP, NamNamBulu deliver an extended maxi, mini album of 13 tracks - 7 of which are completely exclusive, previously unreleased songs or remixes !

Underwater Pilots are another brand new signing on FUNKER VOGT's Repo Records label (after the recent Birthday Massacre - currently THE most hyped and celebrated new act in the German music press) and present their debut album "Tranquil Places". Best described as catchy electro / future pop with strong influences from Depeche Mode's "Violator" period, "Tranquil Places" contains a number of potential club-hits, such as the amazing "Icecream" or the track "Loud And Clear" (from the "Advanced Electronics Vol. 3" compilation). A great debut for all fans of quality electro.

bwildman: DUH!!!! Told you I was a little foggy on my years spent in Chicago in the 70's. Thanks for sorting me out. I'm sure it was because I was so young???

baddessi: they had lots of concerts there in the summer.Soldiar Field is the home of Da Bears!!! LOL Komensky Park is where the white sox play

Electro - workaholic Andy LaPlegua has not been idle towards the end of the year and is now able to unleash his next musical massacre in the form of the eagerly anticipated new Combichrist album, "Everybody Hates You". Not content with delivering his incendiary musical outpourings on one single disc, this trip into the nether regions of dark electro spills over onto a BONUS 9 track second disc - diving headfirst into the depths of the dark side of human nature. On CD1 we find a musical martyrdom of thudding beats, head-splitting sequences and distorted, aggressive vocals delivered in the best EBM tradition. Complete with provocative and stirring samples this is an album that is not for the faint of heart or easily disturbed : featuring dark excursions into the human psyche from the computerised drone of "I Am A Whore" with another track delivering the names of prominent serial killers to the background of an industrial machine-gun-beat staccato. Musically, combines the hard-dance side of techno with the sweaty aggression of EBM and the twisted aural torture of industrial to his very own Combichrist-style. While the first part of this musical opus seems destined for the dance floor, as the thunderstorm of rhythm, sweat und mechanical inferno does not break for the entire duration of CD 1, on CD2, "Everybody Hates You" shows a seemingly different face. Decidedly ambient, Combichrist lure the listener into the false belief that they are now in for a chill out after being through hell and high water. The more one tends to follow this lead, the more one gradually notices that this is also just another facet of the same face. By then it's already too late - as you are indoctrinated into the subversive electronic darkness of CombiChrist. Like needle atonalities and elements of sonic torture assimilating the brain, the electro-horror of "Everybody Hates You" concentrates the musical madness into an all encompassing and murderous sound-wall that cannot be escaped...Truly Hardcore.

Tuesday: Isn't it great when you hear something like that on the radio? It's like a treasure : ) The stations here just play the same old songs over and over again, when there's so much good stuff they could choose from.
Found 'Demons and Wizards' at Best Buy for $7.99...couldn't believe it!! They have some great old ones at the one near me, grabbed Spirit's '12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus' too : )

bwildman: That's about the same time I saw Floyd.76? 77? 78?
Those late 70's are a bit foggy for me! LOL
I also saw the Sox play there quite a bit. I was more a Sox fan than the Cubs...whoops!
Those late 70's were the days of the Super Concerts. BIG concerts with so many names on the list at the show. Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd and George Thorogood & the Destroyers and two other well known groups all on the same bill. Any of of those bands by themselves would have been awesone, but there was always at least 4 big ones together for these all days fests. It was great- don't think they do concerts like that anymore.

Tuesday; I love Uriah Heep! Listening to 'Demons and Wizards' right now

baddessi: I saw Emerson Lake and Palmer at Soldiers Field in '77

kitti: I've been lucky to see so many good ones. But the most memorable one was when I was in Chicago as a teen and Pink Floyd came to town. I'll never forget lying on the ground in Soldier's Field and watching that huge inflatable pig float aross the crowd. Don't know why that one leaves the biggest impression, maybe because I was so young, but what an experience Pink Floyd was! It was one of my first concerts!
A close second was watching ZZTop in the Astrodome come peeling out in their trademark ZZ car, tearing up the dirt and doing donuts, peeling up to the stage, and then the car skidding to a stop...and in true ZZ form, walked ever so coolly up to the stage, picked up their fluffy guitars and went to town!!!!! They didn't let up for almost 3 hours!!!

kitti: Wow,you're lucky to have been able to go! thanks for sharing with us.

I went to Judas Priest gig last night. Judas is one of my all time favourites and what a great show it was! They opened with "The Hellion" and "Electric Eye" followed by over two hours of hits. It must be a good sign if a band can play that long set and still some very famous and popular songs are missing :)

And Rob! What can i say about him.. Its hard to even imagine Judas Priest without him. I'm glad they survived all the years when he wasn't in the band. He really took the audience and acted like the metal god he is. The biggest letdown was that he didn't enter the stage in his Harley. Well, he corrected that on the encore "Hell Bent for Leather" :)

Between all the hits they also did a few numbers from their new album "Angel of Retribution". I haven't bought the record yet, but they sounded so good that i think i'll have to get it ASAP.

Wonderfull show, i really had a great time! What's everyones latest or favourite consert experience?