RoD header

Translate

top10 2019 industrialThe Industrial scene, as always, is ambiguous. On one hand there is a lot of similar releases with material sounding the same created at home on the computer wrapping essentially empty material in a beautiful conceptual wrapper. And on the other hand, many Industrial projects, both old and respected and young promising, are trying to create something unique and inimitable that no one has done before. From time to time it turns out so well that they could easily break into the top of, let say, Synth scene with that same album. In the Industrial scene you can find brilliant albums even nowadays, when, it would seem, everything has already been created and re-invented, but in order to find them, you need to listen to a bunch of mediocre ordinary product.

Covered genres: Industrial, Noise, Power Electronics, Dark Ambient, Martial Industrial, Death Industrial, Harsh Noise Wall, Ritual Ambient, Drone Ambient, Black Ambient, Industrial Darkwave, Harsh Noise, Percussion Industrial, Experimental Industrial, Improve Industrial, Musique Concrète, Dungeon Synth, Industrial Free Jazz


10. Analfabetism - ‘Sjön Där Hon Dränkte Sina Djur’ (Death Industrial | Self-Released, Sweden)

Fredrik, known for his work in the EBM project SEVERE ILLUSION, created ANALFABETISM in the first half of the 10s and from the first releases showed that EBM is not his only interest in music. Actual for 2019 the Swedish musician already has four solo full-length works and split with another Swedish act. ‘Sjön Där Hon Dränkte Sina Djur’ is already the fifth creation of ANALFABETISM. Here, as in principle and in previous creations, the material is filled with grim Death Industrial with periodic aggressive splashes of Noise and Power Electronics. Strong atmospheric work. Fog. Forest. The camera slowly approaches from the thicket to the shore of the lake. Vultures are circling above the lake and haze is whitening above the surface. Something strange and terrible is happening here... https://www.facebook.com/ProApocalypseAmbient/




09. Post Scriptvm - ‘Variola Vera’ (Death Industrial, Power Electronics | Tesco Organisation, USA)

American duo with Russian roots POST SCRIPTVM is known and respected on the Industrial scene. Their releases are constantly being released on one of the leading labels on Industrial music Tesco Organization. Also, Jerome from PROPERGOL has been involved in mastering and mixing more than once. But on this release the mastering was done by another musician, which actually didn’t affect the quality and the sound. The project creates a very diverse soundscape consisting of Dark Ambient, Death Industrial and Power Electronics. The main part of the release is still done in the genres of Death Industrial with experimental Dark Ambient. “‘Variola Vera’ is the soundtrack to the somatic and the metaphysical epidemics steering the human enterprise towards its termination.” This is what the press release says. Concept album about our sick world. http://postscriptvm.com/




08. Braâme - ‘The Fourth Room of Extinction’ (Harsh Noise Wall, Ethereal | Self-Released, France)

BRAÂME is a young French project with almost no information about in internet. The debut release called ‘The Fourth Room of Extinction’ was released in 2019 as self-release. These are four fairly long compositions. When THIS MORTAL COIL and CREMATION LILY are mentioned together in influences, it causes interest even before listening the material. BRAÂME is a combination of the incompatible. When you need to hunt out the beautiful in a stream of noise and dirt. When you need to hear a voice that you want to go with and not to feel the vibrations, that you want to run away from. When through the apocalypse and chaos you hear love and beauty… Are we still talking about music? BRAÂME created what I have been looking for a long time, combining tough uncompromising noise with airy beautiful ethereal. Both genres are made in a classical sound. The musicians call their style ‘Ethereal Noise Wall’. It is very unusual, very fresh and very atmospheric. Judging by the information on the pages of the French this work is only the first part of a series of post-apocalyptic opuses of the project. Looking forward to the next part. https://www.facebook.com/braamemusic/




07. Detrimental Effect - ‘Your Truth’ (Power Electronics, Industrial | Tesco Organisation, Germany)

There is an overabundance in the world nowadays. And this information is not always true and reliable. Not everyone can personally verify the authenticity, therefore everyone chooses what to believe in on the basis of personal feelings and preferences. Everyone has their own truth. The German project DETRIMENTAL EFFECT was formed in the second half of 10s and in 2018 released its first full-length work. The second album ‘Your Truth’ has already been released on the famous label Tesco Organization. A concept album in the genre of heavy power electronics with a conceptual background. Declamation by an aggressive distorted voice, samples from news and speeches of various famous persons put this creation nearby the classic works of such power electronics monsters as RASTHOF DACHAU and SEKTION B. Everybody has his/her own truth. Can you say that your truth is your own? No artist in Facebook. Label Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/TescoGermany/




06. Isostatic - ‘Woodland Structure’ (Dark Ambient | Exosphere, UK)

Sean Costello, the man behind the project ISOSTATIC, is a British composer. There is no much information about him as about the project. While writing the material for the debut album ‘Woodland Structure’, Sean was inspired by natural sounds and forest landscapes. This is very noticeable in the sound. The music draws pictures in your head. At the moment you close the eyes the picture of foggy haze in the forest and trees swaying from the wind appears. This is Dark Ambient, which is rather closer to light ambient. Very soft relaxing sound when even during the unexpected sudden jumps happening don’t ruin your ambience and drowning in music where the airy simple sound becomes dense and saturated. In general, the whole album reminds me personally of QNTAL’s composition ‘Ôwî, Tristan’ only without vocals and folk elements. Usually I listen to that kind of music in the plain looking on the horizon about the canvas of cloud. But this is not the only place where you can enjoy this work. Good debut. https://isostatic.bandcamp.com/




05. Der Blaue Reiter - ‘United Yet Divided’ (Martial Industrial, Neo Classical, Dark Ambient | Dark Vinyl Records, Spain/Sweden)

The DER BLAUE REITER project was created by the Spaniard Sathorys in 2005. Prior to that, Sathorys played music in the projects NARSILION, ORDO FENEBRIS and others. Until 2014 this was a purely Spanish project, but Lady Nott left DER BLAUE REITER and was replaced by Cecilia from ARCANA. Till now the project has six full-length albums, the last of which is called ‘United Yet Divided’ and was released in 2019. The duo created a very interesting and diverse material, in which there are neoclassical opuses, martial Industrial rhythms, electronic Synth compositions and elements of a monumental Dark Ambient. All this is flavoured with a declamation of female and male voices and singing female and male vocals. All composition sound differently and a smooth or not quite switching inside the same track from beautiful Neo-Classics to gloomy and rather hard Dark Ambient makes the release unpredictable. Great job. Probably one of the most diverse in 2019. https://www.facebook.com/derblauereiterband/




04. Merzbow - ‘Hermerzaphrodites’ (Noise, Percussion Industrial | Old Europa Café, Japan)

Representing Masami Akita and his MERZBOW does not make sense, I guess. In short, MERZBOW is currently the most famous Noise artists in the world. 40-plus years of creativity, more than 400 releases, collaborations with other musicians in different genres... But still MERZBOW with other Japanese projects AUBE, MASONNA, KK NULL, C.C.C.C. and others he became famous thanks to his sound, which became iconic on the Noise scene, and gave rise to a bunch of noise projects in other countries. So, the album ‘Hermerzaphrodites’ is not really what you expect to hear from MERZBOW. The album consists of two CDs. The first one is made in the genre of experimental Industrial with elements of Avant-Garde classics, Musique Concrète and Percussion Industrial. This is one 40-minutes composition through which the theme of piano flirting passes, wrapped by Noise and other sound experiments including even Free Jazz elements. On the second CD Akita already turns on regular MERZBOW sound, however, more rhythmic and more changeable, partially even using structured genres of electronic music such as IDM and Rhythmic Noise, but this only occasionally reminds those genres. In general, the hand of a Noise master is recognizable here, but the material sounds fresh and unusual. Masami Akita surprises again. https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMerzbow/

No online pre-listening available. Only here: https://www.oldeuropacafe.com/catalog/category/hermerzaphrodites.html


03. MZ.412 - ‘Svartmyrkr’ (Death Industrial, Dark Ambient, Ritual Ambient | Cold Spring, Sweden)

The Swedish experimental composer HENRIK BJÖRK is currently one of the most famous, prolific and respected musicians on the Industrial scene. In the past few years his solo and collaborative work in such projects as NORDVARGR, FOLKSTORM, ANIMA NOSTRA, ᚾᛟᚢ ᛁᛁ // ᚦᛟᚦ ᚷᛁᚷ and others and separate collaborations have once again shown not only his composing abilities, but also the ability to express his vision, thoughts and element in the way that very few can. The MZ.412 project is one of Henrik’s first projects and is considered one of the pioneers of the so-called Black Industrial, which combines different genres of Industrial and experimental music ranging from Ritual Ambient and Death Industrial to Black Ambient, Martial Industrial and Dark Ambient. MZ.412 already has a lot of albums. The new work called ‘Svartmyrkr’ is one of the best in discography. This is the essence of everything that MZ.412 has done before. Powerful, various Dark Ambient sound, diluted with gloomy marching rhythms and the buzz of Death Industrial, Henrik’s monstrous vocals and periodic noise rises. That is how Industrial should sound. Perfect work. https://www.facebook.com/MZ412official/




02. Trewwa - ‘Gust of Wind’ (Martial Industrial, Neo Classics, Medieval Neofolk, Darkwave | Self-Released, Russia)

The first demo recordings of the Russian project TREWWA date back to the beginning of the 10s and even then, it was possible to detect variety and untrivial fresh sound. After the first demo and an EP the project released a full-length album in 2016 and disappeared from the radar. In 2019 TREWWA reappeared rather loudly. The new work is called ‘Gust of Wind’ and continues what sounded in the debut of the Russian. A rhythmic martial Industrial with medieval music, neoclassical opuses, periodic Dark Folk touches and aggressive vocals comparable to Dark Electro diluted with neoclassical female opera singing. In some ways this album is a connecting bridge between the Industrial and Post-Industrial scenes also covering part of the Gothic and Folk music. Someone can hear the already mentioned MZ.412, someone will find for themselves sounds of ROME, for someone the main component will remind ARDITI or DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS and someone will even compare TREWWA to the early HEIMATAERDE. And they will all be right. Unique work. Bravo! https://www.facebook.com/Trewwaband/




01. Stalingrad Valkyrie - ‘Martyrium Europae’ (Martial Industrial, Industrial Darkwave, Neo Classics, Electronic | Self-Released, Italy)

In the early 2000s in Italy the STALINGRAD project was created. Its participants were originally Angelo Bergamini and Ivano Bizzi known for their work at KIRLIAN CAMERA. Due to lack of time Bizzi left work in the project and Elena Alice Fossi later took his place. In 2002 the debut and until 2019 the only album of the project was out. In 2018 the project returned, but the word “Valkyrie” was added to the name STALINGRAD. In 2019 their second album came out after 17 years of silence. And if the debut work of Elena and Angelo was a kind of experiment with a partial return to what KIRLIAN CAMERA did at the beginning of their career before Elena joined, then the album ‘Martyrium Europae’ can be called thoughtful experimentalism.

This is a completely holistic work with using different genres of not only Industrial music, combining martial rhythms, enswathe Dark Ambient, neoclassical compositions, synthetic rhythmic compositions that resonate with the work of KIRLIAN CAMERA, and even elements of the old-school Dark Electro and Dark Synth atmosphere. New album is a very diverse work and the epic comeback of the project, whose 2002 album made a lot of noise. Elena performs the songs mainly in English, but there are two or more tracks in Italian and Latin and it sounds great. ‘Martyrium Europae’ by STALINGRAD VALKYRIE is powerful work of a powerful project that deserves to be number one not only in top-10 of Industrial scene. https://www.facebook.com/stalingradvalkyrie/



Other honourable mentions: THE LUST SYNDICATE, CONTACT LOW, DAY BEFORE US, MACHINEFABRIEK, THE DEVIL & THE UNIVERSE, KOUFAR, SERRATION, SUBHUMANNIHILATION, HIDE, SCATMOTHER & CHAOS CASCADE, SUNN O))), WET NURSE, ATRIUM CARCERI & CITIES LAST BROADCAST, DIAATOM, GOVERNMENT ALPHA


See also (all categories):

Comments powered by CComment