MSHAA - Dystopia |self-released, 2015| 4/5 industrial metal, electro metal
1. Dystopia (intro), 2. No Way Back, 3. Nuclear Fallout, 4. Beyond
The Lambs, 5. The Earth Is Bleeding, 6. Suck My Gun, 7. Dealer, 8. We're
Used To The Rules Of The World We Made Up, 9. Walking In My Shoes, 10.
The Imperfect Gods, 11. Delusion, 12. Dehumanized Society
MSHAA was founded by Cien Soulwhore (vocals/synths/programming) in
Poland in 2011, who was afterwards joined by cEndyman on drums and Darth
on guitar. According to the musicians, the acronym can be translated to
Mary Should’ve Had An Abortion but 'msza' also means 'holy mass' in
Polish. MSHAA's sound can be described as a blend of dark electro,
industrial, cyber metal and horror, traditionally inspired by music of
Ministry, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Skinny Puppy, or early
Nine Inch Nails.
When it comes to the subjects covered on the album, the songs describe
degradation of the human kind, media manipulation, as well as enforced
theocracy.
At the very beginning, listeners - citizens of Earth - are greeted with a
message from aliens or ancient spiritual guides. The spoken words are
floating in a cloud of airy, noisy, modulated sounds and accompanying
SFX. Initially the first full track on the album - 'No Way Back' -
continues this motif from 'Dystopia (intro)', but then a high electro
synth comes in at full force and takes the lead. Since the song's
subject and mood sound uneasy, the synth is joined by drums, guitars and
vocals simultaneously, adding more heaviness and torment.
'Nuclear Fallout' seems like an evergreen theme amongst industrial music
fans because it conveys both fear and fascination with the possibility
of global annihilation and the curiosity of what would happen next. The
song makes for a neat reminder of 90's simplistic aggro-industrial as
it's based on a marching rhythm, guitar riffs and hateful vocals.
Another classic theme - organized religion with its close-mindedness and
superstitious fears - appears in the form of 'Beyond The Lambs'. It
begins with agitation, thanks to the fast tempo and modern vibe provided
by the mix of heavy guitars, jumpy drum beats and synths. Verses and
choruses sound much more distinctive and separate when compared to the
previous track.
'The Earth Is Bleeding' sounds hooky from the very beginning thanks to
its dynamic 'phat' beat and aggressive vibe - a solid reference to 90's
industrial music in the vein of Skinny Puppy. The song warns against a
foreign nation draining natural resources such as oil in other countries
under the cover of bringing peace and protection. The choruses are
memorable, and the general production is very sharp, both making this
track a true hit. The bouncy rhythm continues into 'Suck My Gun' as
well, which is an 'electro' reply to Marilyn Manson's music, with
equally explicit lyrics about a psychopathic murderer looking for
revenge due to a failed relationship. The atmosphere feels dense and
sluggish with the song's heavy instrumentation, though the choruses are
catchy. 'Dealer' has a lot of hit potential too and will be instantly
noticed by fans of industrial metal. This composition is one of the best
on the album because all arrangements are equally distributed
throughout the track, instead of being simply collected and repeated.
Plus, the guitar riffs use in the track infuse the body with a nice
vibration.
The multi-layered melodic lines and sounds along with declaimed lyrics
engage both ears nicely in 'We're Used To The Rules Of The World We Made
Up' which mirrors the naive yet twisted atmosphere known better from
Skinny Puppy's music. The subject matter here refers again to false
spirituality that provides no care to its supporters, but is focused on
own financial gain first and foremost.
If you're looking for an earworm, 'Walking In My Shoes' is a very strong
candidate. Not only does it have a memorable melody line together with
wicked vocals aligned to an average tempo, but also a clearly dystopian
atmosphere and grim lyrics. Next, 'The Imperfect Gods' speaks about gods
of technology whom the narrator blames for arrogant and spoiled humans,
triggering wars based on fearful survival instincts. A high-pitched,
disturbing synth starts it all off and continues throughout the track.
This motif is layered with down-tuned guitars, a damped beat and
distorted vocals, although the synth occasionally comes back to the
surface.
Obviously, love as a topic couldn't have been skipped on the album,
since that emotion is an inseparable part of the human life. 'Delusion'
speaks of a romantic disappointment, accompanying the album's joyless
atmosphere. It sounds more electronic than guitar-driven and the song
lyrics match the instrumentation very well - they leave space for both
parts to balance and then combine together.
Finally, gadget lovers should pay attention to 'Dehumanized Society',
which also provides more beats, industrial noises and vocals rather than
guitars, ending the release on a lullaby-like note. The vocal style
suggests that we can sleep safely now since there's nothing to worry
about - we have been reduced to files in a human database, notoriously
tracked and controlled by various electronic devices, deprived of
privacy, comfortable alternatives, and the liberty of opting-out.
Dystopia, just as the title suggests, is not an uplifting release
and it clearly wasn't meant to be one. The depth of drums usually
sounds alike in most songs, perhaps to reflect a lifeless society's
tedious rhythm. The endings of most songs could have been re-worked to
intrigue listeners a bit more, as they sound a bit too plain. Also, some
tracks include too many vocal parts and may feel over-saturated. Cien
Soulwhore uses a distorted, ugly, and vile voice on the entire album. It
sounds as if he turned into one of the human monsters-to-be to send a
warning to the modern civilization, pointing out the issues threatening
Earth and people. Explicit lyrics are not a rarity on this album.
However, despite of such wake-up calls, the lyrics do not offer any
solution, except for questioning authority or simply making a noose for
yourself. In fact, Poland seems to be a fertile ground for establishing
such a project - an artistic protest against organized religion with its
bigotry and clearly financial directives, the misuse of which has also
been supported by the current right-wing government.
Songs like 'The Earth Is Bleeding', 'Suck My Gun', and 'Dealer' show
the band's expressive potential the best. Buy this album if you wish to
get a taste of hopelessness, although a few songs on the tracklist may
give a solid boost to industrial and electro dance-floors too.
(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, February 13th, 2016. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)
Read also: Interview with MSHAA (2016) here
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Reviewed by
Fabryka Music Magazine
