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Album Reviews

Album Review: ReArrested by E-Craft

by on May.27, 2014, under Album Reviews

EC Release Date ReArrested!Two years ago while doing an interview with E-Craft lead man Guido,  I was sent a few tracks of their upcoming album. It had been five years since their previous full release “Unsocial Times” and hearing some new music from E-Craft back in 2012 was very exciting for me. Having been a longtime fan, I was excited about the thought of a new album. Weeks went by, then months, then years, and still no news of the album release.
Until early this year when they announced a release date for their new album. I was over joyed.

Then the other day while chatting with Guido, I was offered the privilege to hear the new album in it’s entirety. Though a lot of elements remained from the early samplers I heard two years earlier, the tracks on this album are fully mixed, polished and have more punch to knock your socks off.
I was blown away when listening to the album and my sock just barely managed to stay on.

On May 30 E-Craft will be debuting to the world their new album Re-Arrested. On this side of the pond, Vendetta Music will be distributing the album and in Europe the album will be distributed by Sony / Soul Food. The album is a double CD which will include 25 tracks (a few minutes short of two hours) of E-Craft love, 16 of which are new and the rest are remixes or different versions.

Stay tuned and watch E-Craft’s Facebook page or E-Craft’s web site for details at the end of the month.

Here is a teaser of the new album.

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Album Review: Four by The Exploding Boy

by on Oct.31, 2013, under Album Reviews

Sweeden has produced a lot of great musicians over the years, and The Exploding Boy is following that trend. Since the band’s inception in 2006, they’ve put out 3 album, numerous singles and performed nearly 100 live shows all round Europe. In that time their sound has had some time to simmer. What’s left is a diluted and potent mixture of a gothy-dark-pop-ish-post-punk aural experience. (continue reading…)

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Album Review: Hollow Worlds by Comaduster

by on Jul.23, 2013, under Album Reviews

Artist: Comaduster
Album: Hollow Worlds
Label: Tympanik Audio
Review by: Outsider (aka Adrian Onsen)

Canadian artist and sound designer Réal Cardinal released a new album in mid June 2013 under his Comaduster project moniker, on the label Tympanik Audio.

Contained in the 10 tracks are some mind blowingly good IDM glitch and dark tunes. (continue reading…)

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Album Review : Conopoly by Volt9000

by on Jun.19, 2013, under Album Reviews

Artist: Volt9000
Album: Conopoly
Label: Artoffact Records
Review by: Outsider (aka Adrian Onsen)

It seems Toronto, Canada keeps bringing out more and more industrial music artists these days. Cory and Andrew have been working on the Volt9000 project for quite some time now. They self-released their first album back in 2010 and have diligently been releasing a new album each year since, making “Conopoly” their 4th release. (continue reading…)

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Album Review : Dark Retreat by Blank

by on May.16, 2013, under Album Reviews

Artist: Blank
Album: Dark Retreat
Review by: Outsider (aka Adrian Onsen)

As their fourth release on Artoffact Records the Italian duo Blank release the album Dark Retreat. Davide (vocals) and Riccardo (keyboards) have released over an hour of music split into thirteen tracks that range in tempo and style from richly complex and layered ethereal soundscapes to beat driven EBM assaults.
Most tracks are melodic and yet retain a dark essence about them that makes for a memorable experience throughout the album.
While the majority of tracks employ Davide’s oral talents, the vocal exploration is rather limited in range on this album. This however is balanced by a couple of tracks featuring powerful female vocals (of Elena Alice Fossi from Kirlian Camera and Elenor Rayner from The Crystalline Effect) which serve to expand the tonal and vocal variety the album. Davides’s vocals are also clean, expressive and bold; a combination and makes for a consistent marker that threads through the entire album bringing it all together.
With each listen of the album I found myself drawn in more and more into the world of Blank as forged by their latest album Dark Retreat. This is a well thought out, well executed and great album from start to finish. Well worth picking up.

Buy Blank’s new album Dark Retreat at Storming The Base

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Cutoff:Sky

by on Jan.23, 2013, under Album Reviews

Artist: Cutoff:Sky
Album: From Hell
Review by: Outsider (aka Adrian Onsen)

Out of Moscow, Russia comes a relatively new techno industrial project called Cutoff:Sky that has recently put out their full length album called From Hell. And what an album!  This album is a concoction of techno beats industrial elements that is sure to aggressively massage your ear drums to a climax of pleasure.
The first track I had heard from Cutoff:sky was Alcohol (I am drunk) from a compilation called “Mister S’s Hidden Corners of Mind” back in the early months of 2012. That track immediately stood out as a perfect dance floor hit and it was passed on to my DJ friend Edwin Somnambulist (of ISN Radio) who instantly took to spinning it at the local clubs for good reason. ISN Radio has also listed Cutoff:Sky‘s Intruders EP as one of it’s 20 best albums of 2012.

The high energy and pounding beats are perfectly suited for getting your moves on, and the infecting melodies will keep you whistling long after the clubs close. The album explores a lot of musical elements through out  the 12 tracks but all have a dark velvety feel to them.

Currently the album is available from Bandcamp at a cost of  “name your price”. Grab it here and support this awesome artist.
And once you’ve bought the album, give them some love and like their Cutoff:Sky Facebook page.

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Album Review : Rag Doll Blues by Dead When I Found Her

by on Oct.11, 2012, under Album Reviews

Artist: Dead When I Found Her
Album: Rag Doll Blues
Review by: Outsider (aka Adrian Onsen)

Dark, emotional, atmospheric, layered, melodic, film-noir; just a few words that come to mind while listening the new DWIFH (Dead When I Found Her) second full length album, Rag Doll Blues.
The goal of the DWIFH project is to explore the late 80’s early 90’s electro industrial style of music which is seldom found these days. In that context I have to congratulate Michael for stepping up and nailing that style. Michael Holloway’s vocals are clean, powerful and haunting at times and the copious use of samples compliment wonderfully his voice and the story that each song unveils. The balance between vocal and instrumental ingredients is continuously adjusted for a most powerful impact. The elaborate use of samples, and distinct attention to layering is reminiscent of early FLA and Skinny Puppy albums. Some of the samples are down scary, not because they feature people screaming in horror. But because of the imagery they construct in the listener’s mind, which for me is much more powerful and lasting.

I think the reason I fell in love with this album is because of the throw back to the industrial music I loved when I started listening to industrial music in the early to mid 90’s. It has an analog feel to it (it’s not overly electronic sounding) from the drums to the synths. A refreshing sound in a time when a lot of releases in the industrial scene today tend to focus on the dance floor beats, distorted vocals and digital and electronic sounds.

For me this is a brilliant album. Dark, complex and melodic. One to climb into a comfortable chair with, turn the lights down and let the imagination drift into another world shaped by the aural experience.

Buy Dead When I Found Her’s new album Rag Doll Blues at Storming The Base, or on Amazon.com.

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Album Review : We Had a Carnival by Sleetgrout

by on Jul.25, 2012, under Album Reviews

Artist: Sleetgrout
Album: We Had a Carnival
Label: Shadowplay Records
Review by: Outsider (aka Adrian Onsen)

Releasing an album earlier in 2012 Sleetgrout totally caught me by surprise. Here is another industrial band out of Russia.
I had only heard the title track “Get rid of this life” on the Communion After Dark podcast, and it caught my attention. I wanted to hear more. (continue reading…)

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