Malice Machine – Digital Scars |self-released, 2017| 5/5 industrial rock, industrial metal
1. Welcome to the Machine, 2. My Virus, 3. We Breed Insects, 4. Venom
Me, 5. Digital Christ, 6. Defect, 7. Only the Void, 8. Slave Nation, 9.
Infest, 10. End of Everything, 11. My Virus (Alternate Version), 12.
Stripped, 13. N.W.O
Industrial rock
and metal music (called 'old-school' these days) fell out of the
mainstream after Y2K. Due to this, die hard fans of these genres have
had a difficulty finding many releases which could satisfy their picky
tastes. Luckily however, the NYC duo behind Malice Machine (Ammo -
drums, drum programing, artwork; Sepsis - guitar, vocals, bass,
programming, songwriting, production, mastering) got inspired by both
the 1990s guitar-driven industrial sounds and modern electro/darkwave
vibes. A great quality blend of these appears on their
Digital Scars album released in 2017.
'Welcome to the Machine' is the first of three cover songs here,
originally released by Pink Floyd. As the album intro, it perfectly
suits the purpose since it's the shortest yet the most seductive track.
Its slowly pulsating tempo allows listeners to calm down, before they
enter the heart of the Machine. Factory-like beats and emotional guitars
bring a variety of emotions such as love, longing and sadness – all
expressed towards the device.
Most industrial musicians frequently pick up topics for their songs
related to contamination, radiation, global epidemics, and a zombie-like
apocalypse - probably inspired by the slew of 1980 & 90's horror
s/f movies with these themes. Two versions of 'My Virus' appear on the
album, but they don't differ much. The song is characterized by catchy
choruses and melodious arrangements with the addition of edgy guitar
riffs. It also sounds like Ammo & Sepsis were inspired here by
KMFDM and Sasha Konietzko's voice. To put it bluntly, 'My Virus' is the first potential breakaway hit on the tracklist.
'We Breed Insects' is a truly mighty industrial metal piece, moving
listeners deeply. The slow tempo amps up the heaviness of the sound
here. The song's atmosphere brings to mind the image of a hidden
predator tracking its prey from a hideout, then jumping out to hunt it
down. The vocals are distorted, even screamed at times, and they often
open up space for instrumental parts to shine. Amazing guitar riffs in
the second part of the track are followed by and contrasted with an
intriguing synth arrangement which gives the sensation of relief or
success (in reference to the predator suggested above).
'Venom Me' is the second hit song on
Digital Scars and will surely please industrial metal fans, specifically those in love with bands such as
Ministry,
Bile, or
N17
amongst others. The song's mood feels very aggressive, and the rhythm
is fast. The arrangements sit tightly within the composition, while the
sound of guitars is angry, with riffs entwined with more accented bass
lines. Finally, Sepsis' vocals are almost growled, matching the
instruments really well.
There's something sexual going on at the beginning of 'Digital Christ',
as you may judge by female moans ending in a climax. The vibrant,
goa-trance-like drum beats programmed by Ammo dictate the rhythm and
support Sepsis' vile vocals. The underlined beats, danceable dynamics,
easily memorable lyrics, cold synths, and edgy guitar riffs make the
track another instant hit.
The dark and droning intro for 'Defect' is followed by predatory guitar
riffs which additionally spin up the already tense dynamics. Invasive
drums are entangled with harsh, slightly distorted vocals. A single,
high pitched guitar line over rhythm guitars found at the end of the
track creates an attractive contrast. Careful listeners may associate
this song's specific vibe with early works of Marilyn Manson and
Nine Inch Nails.
'Only The Void' is another industrial metal track with strong electro
& goa-trance influences that utilizes both heavier guitar riffs and
synths. The song's chorus is memorable, but the vocals fade away a bit
behind the synth & drums. 'Slave Nation' is a potential hit as well,
and certainly a must-have if you like spinning around inside a spiral
of sounds. The track is full of looped heavy guitar riffs, darkwave
synths, and industrial noises, all wrapped up into melodic arrangements
and a danceable rhythm.
'Infest' in its entirety can help purging personal demons very well. As
many NIN fans may recognize, the opening drum part is a straight-forward
tribute to the band that brought industrial rock into the mainstream in
the 90s. The song deals an aggressive, aroused vibe from the very
beginning, which is then supported with a lovely wall of sounds in the
third part of the composition, and followed by a neat tempo slow-down.
The arrangements are spiced up with guitar riffs that the majority of
industrial metal fans should admire at once.
On a different note, 'End of Everything' may be a real teaser/pleaser
for lovers of electro-industrial and darkwave. Bouncy beats encourage
listeners to dance without hesitation, but if you dislike dancing, this
track is great for an intense fitness workout too. Skillfully written
arrangements are equally distributed within the entire composition,
leaving enough space for both lyrics and instrumental parts.
The original synth-driven song 'Stripped' was written by Depeche Mode.
Once it became a global hit, many other bands challenged themselves to
make cover versions. Malice Machine turned the track into an angry
industrial rock piece through metal riffs, strongly accented drums, and
twisted vocals, but obviously keeping the original song's notable
attributes.
The album ends with the last cover song - Ministry's 'N.W.O.'. Malice
Machine's version doesn't alter the track too much, probably to keep its
famous, genuine vibe alive. Honestly, we should be thankful for such
very few sound manipulations here - every industrial music fan who sees
the 'N.W.O.' title will actually hear in their head a replaying memory
of the iconic looped chorus: 'a new world order'. It would probably be
risky to 'desecrate' it ;)
Some people worship gods, but these two musicians faithfully praise the
Machine. Thirteen compositions which make for a 1 hour long album are
filled with a variety of angry, dehumanized, industrialized, and
'math-mechanical' arrangements. Therefore,
Digital Scars may help
younger listeners discover primary industrial rock/metal
characteristics, but also easily identify with some emotions brought by
the classic sounds present on this release. Older fans, tired of
spinning the same industrial albums over and over again, may find a few
new sonic gems here. In any case, make sure you buy this release, since
it is definitely worth the price of admission. Only with your help can
the duo break through the corroded walls of a forgotten and largely
unsupported scene and continue expressing their passion for 'the
Machine' by releasing another set of songs sometime soon.
(Reviewer: Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Industrial Rock &
Metal Encyclopedia, February 21st, 2017. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper'
Dziewoński)
Source:
http://industrialrock.net/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=590
Facebook |
YouTube
Buy on:
Bandcamp |
CDBaby |
Spotify |
Amazon |
iTunes |
Google Play
Reviewed by
Fabryka Industrial Rock & Metal Encyclopedia
