melodic DIRT album review

melodic DIRT - melodic DIRT |self-released, 2015| 4/5 experimental

1. Another Day In The Life, 2. I'd Like To Fly, 3. Sounding For Me, 4. Out Of This World, 5. Away From My, 6. Falling, 7. From The Ground

Here's the debut solo album of multi-instrumentalist Joe. His compositions are inspired by various music styles ranging from rock, grunge, metal and jazz, including bands like Deftones, Korn, Soundgarden, Nirvana, but also great instrumentalists such as Jimi Hendrix, Jackie Mclean, Theloniuos Monk, John Coltrane or Miles Davis. Some of you may catch a few melodic and vocal lines comparable to The Young Gods' tunes as well. This interesting mix results in music that by no means makes for easy-listening, but remains original and intriguing, despite the multitude of influences.

The material has undoubtedly been written for vocals and moods, actually one specific mood I'll elaborate below on. The instrumental parts played on drums, guitar and bass were added in the background, fitting between compositional parts very well. The lyrics are uttered in a spoken, languid manner rather than sung. If you however, imagined Joe as an opera singer and his tracks as classical, emotional compositions, you'd also picture him singing aloud rather than seemingly reciting poetry. Joe's rough voice is unmistakable and therefore, it is a large part of his potential. Just after a few tracks it will imprint itself into your mind, dominating the compositions along with dirty guitar vibrations.

There are a lot of unclean tunes here, interspersed with melodies. The atmosphere brought by down-tuned bass and guitars is ponderous, lethargic. There's very little life, almost no energy, dynamics, or power on this album, but these songs were not written for such purpose at all. If you listen closely to the vocals, they do push their own melody into heavy compositions. This happens already in the two opening tracks - "Another Day In The Life" and "I'd Like To Fly".

Most of the tracks on melodic DIRT last a bit over 3 minutes, which normally could be perceived as short. Here though, since the same arrangements repeat often and the overall mood is heavy, these songs sound as if they were prolonged. The guitar is sometimes employed to introduce a lighter, vibrating and memorable motif between all the other instruments, as it is in "Sounding For Me".

When you get to "Out Of This World", you may have an impression that Joe was loosely improvising here, but there are a few specific, repetitive lines within the composition. The vocals are raspy and almost resonating. While listening to "Away From My", you'll notice a neurotic bass line which dominates the vocals at first. Joe doesn't use the typical intro-verse-chorus-bridge-verse-chorus-outro structure. He uses a lot of verses with occasional bridges. This track is a good example of his creativity in that respect.

When it comes to "Falling", this is indeed a free fall yet based on wisely planned arrangements. An initially annoying, high-pitched synth brings a looped melody thanks to which your ear will mainly focus on the melody instead of the grungy tunes introduced by the guitar-and-vocals combo. This follows the technique already used in "Sounding For Me", but expressed through a guitar there.

The last track on the list, "From The Ground", sounds the heaviest and most apathetic at the same time. One could say that it describes the process of slitting veins and observing the dripping blood and escaping life, but make sure your reading of this track is not so dramatic. The drumbeats are arrhythmic, while the guitar only marks stops and makes another line of rhythm. There are many asynchronous, atonal sounds and little harmonious arrangements. Trust me, though - everything done on purpose.

To sum up, not everyone expects music to be cheerful, swift or pleasant for the ear. Despite of its quite chaotic, slow and extended song structures, the individual formula of traditional industrial or drone metal music presented by bands such as Einstürzende Neubauten, SPK, Godflesh, Earth or Sun O))) has turned out to be inspirational for many listeners and performers. It is all about understanding the sound. If you're looking for a tune which a commercial radio station may not play, then melodic DIRT album is what you need. And here's exactly what Joe is winning you over with - not virtuosity but originality, because not many of you will be able to admit that they'd heard identical tunes before.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, February 15th, 2015. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)

Source: http://industrialrock.net/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=551

Free official download: Official website

SoundCloud


Reviewed by Fabryka Music Magazine

Crash-Scan - Repeat Until False

Crash-Scan - Repeat Until False |self-released, 2014| 5/5 metal experimental industrial

1. Choke, 2. Pure, 3. Ohm, 4. Desolation, 5. Senescence, 6. Chrome Lies, 7. Chronic Atrophy, 8. Plans For Winter, 9. Tentacle Vortex, 10. An Eye For A Tooth, 11. Subduction, 12. Out Of Reach, 13. Under The Dirt

Crash-Scan is a heavy yet innovative band from New Zealand that formed in 2008. Repeat Until False album was released 5 years after the band's debut album Catalyst and is written, performed and recorded by Ron Nobbs (vocals, programming), Bryan Tabuteau (programming, synths), Vivian Stewart (guitar, bass) along with Brad Gallen (additional percussion).

The music presented on the latest release is inspired by a variety of industrial and metal bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Fear Factory, Meshuggah, and Gojira. Crash-Scan however, have taken the industrial metal genre to the next level. There are no melodies, rather pure torment expressed through machines and guitars. They took the core of what heavy steel industry is all about and transferred it into music - repetitions, noise, weight and all the impact you can imagine. The music on the album is about 'processing', 'making', 'transforming' and other associated activities. The atmosphere in all songs is comparable to that on Godflesh albums, though the sound is more modern.

Let's look into the following 13 songs, with average track length varying between 3 to 6 minutes. The tracklist begins with "Choke", which will give you a taste of things to come. It sounds like a slower and distorted sound of the late 90s Ministry and Fear Factory, but flavored with Crash-Scan's own ingredients. It gets even noisier with experimental add-ons but the repetitions and heavy guitar riffs (cut with lighter motifs in a few spots) make the track as memorable as a mantra.

"Pure" involves a bigger share of electronics, reminiscent of Frontline Assembly, but mixed with guitars and beats. The contrast between verses and choruses is accented better than in the previous song, but still almost lacks any melody. Distorted whispers add a sense of thrill.

"Ohm" begins with a set of structured rhythms that are then followed by chunky guitar riffs. A variety of additional effects creates an experimental feel, with the vocal style similar to that of digitized black metal compositions. Heavy guitars create an interesting wall of sound near the end. Since they are digitally processed, there's a strong sense of higher mathematics flowing throughout this track.

"Desolation" involves tuned down guitars and a very contrasty world music motif, as if it was derived from Turkish or Middle Eastern music. The sound may be irritating at first, but at the same time it sticks to your ears and underlines the verses. It is as if a painter splashed a natural color image with neon paint with equidistant spots. Angry, digitally processed vocals, looped effects (used so often by Fear Factory) and the overall sequence of sounds make it a memorable composition. In fact, it could gain even more attention with a matching music video.

Now it’s time for the best track on this album. At first, there’s a creepy, piano-based intro enriched with a digital, gloomy follow-up. Then, it's transformed into amazing arrangements accompanied by a heavy load of guitars and distorted, hellish vocals that you'll love. The composition is complex, but this speaks for the band’s song-writing skills - and Crash-Scan are definitely proving theirs here. Less deformed guitars appear a bit later, and the overall feel of "Senescence" is that of shifting dynamics.

The songs seems to be carefully put in order on the tracklist, and so those heavier are intersected with slower but equally dark moods. This applies for instance to "Chrome Lies". It sounds like it could have been developed better, however. The drums sound a tad too simple and repetitive, with the vocals falling into the background and almost gothic melodies coming out in some parts as well. Fortunately, the end of the track brings an intriguing heavy guitar arrangement.

"Chronic Atrophy" brings atonal, broken rhythms and has quite an experimental feel, still being supported by healthy metal riffs and factory-like industrial tunes. The beat and the drums are perfectly set up for this composition, which is alive & kicking (or even stinging) inside of its dark meaning. You'll probably sense a bit of Ministry's Filth Pig and The Darkside of the Spoon albums in this song.

Likewise, the next track "Plans For Winter" sounds like a mix of "Chronic Atrophy" and "Senescence" in terms of the composition complexity as well as general heaviness. The load of low tuned guitars and altered vocals are what Godflesh fans will enjoy here. If you like sounds accompanied by matching visuals, you may imagine a mining drill or any heavy gear making its way slowly through rather inaccessible terrain.

"Tentacle Vortex" sounds like a heavy take on impressionism mixed with a complicated device manual - open to interpretation despite initial definition. Arrangements here are based on very heavy, tuned down guitars, noises, repetitions and distorted screams. They appear only in the background, so that they are not overwhelming. Besides, "Tentacle Vortex" is a very cool title; not only does it suit this track but also a book, movie or painting.

Then there's "An Eye For A Tooth", another slow'n'heavy composition in case you thought it couldn't get any heavier. The song is not as 'easy' to remember as "Desolation" however, even though a similar high-pitched sound appears in a few spots. Again, classical industrial attributes are treated with a modern approach and, of course, guitars.

You'll relax when "Subduction" appears in your speakers. It's a purely instrumental composition and a short one at that - a dark interlude, one of those you may associate with science fiction movies like Aliens or Event Horizon. It fits here thanks to the silently droning, reverberated sounds which create an atmosphere of both mystery and anxiety.
To trouble your balanced mind, "Subduction" is followed by another heavy song entitled "Out Of Reach", bringing a heap of distorted sounds, feedback and dissonances. There are random low tuned chunky guitars, sampled monologues and angry deformed vocals; things which can be found in Ministry music but ground a bit better.

The 13th song, "Under The Dirt" is the most traumatizing, even brainwashing experience. Not literary, but your brain may feel overwhelmed when reaching just the middle of the track, regardless if you try to fish out separated instrument tracks or understand the entire composition. It presents a combination of everything heard so far on the album but kept even dirtier, noisier, tuned lower, chaotic yet technical at the same time. I'm not talking about diving into a symbolic 'hell', but something way more disturbing.

Repeat Until False sounds haunting and grabs your attention as much as a trip down into an endless spiral, thanks to repetitions and guitar riffs, but also omnipresent atonal rhythms. The beat is not too intense or overused, otherwise the songs would sound too danceable and marching and thus, shallow. The tracks on the album express depth, darkness and gravity, instead. You may find them occasionally chaotic because of the extended use of noise & distortions but the range of chaos is narrowed down by mathematically precise arrangements.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the album is available as a simple digital download as well as a highly customized, sophisticated and limited version on a 4GB USB drive.
Crash-Scan are planning a few more live shows around New Zealand and the release of a new EP with 4 new songs and remixes from Repeat Until False. I urge you to support this band, since they still care for what others have abandoned - creative ideas.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Magazine, May 23rd, 2014. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)

This review on Fabryka Magazine: http://industrialrock.net/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=535

---

SoundCloud | ReverbNation | Facebook | Last.FM

Buy on: Crash-Scan store | Bandcamp | iTunes | Amazon

See also: 'Choke' music video | 'Game Over' music video (from Catalyst album)


Reviewed by Fabryka Music Magazine

Message To The Machine - interview (2013)

Message To The Machine - interview (2013)

NINa: Your music is labelled as industrial for the most part. Have you ever analyzed why industrial musicians as well as fans are fascinated with heavy industry - machines, factories, repetitions, cycles, loneliness, the cold and the noise? What emotions can be expressed through making industrial or experimental noises?

James Orez: It's funny, when I started making music I had no direction, in terms of genre, for what the overall sound would be. I was very unfamiliar with Industrial music, apart from Nine Inch Nails, and I had only heard of Skinny Puppy. My music taste lies more in the metal genre, you could say. I mean, I am a huge fan of Tool and Deftones. So, after I made a few songs, which were dreadful, a bunch of people were calling it Industrial music. So, I did some research and really delved into the Industrial genre.

Full interview: http://industrialrock.net/php-files_en/articles.php?article_id=492

Interview conducted by Fabryka Music Magazine

Uglyhead - The Garden (special edition)

Uglyhead - The Garden (special edition)
Automation Records, 2012
Rating: 4/4
Genres: experimental, noise rock, goth, ambient, dark ambient

01. The Path [05:54]
02. Through The Gates [08:47]
03. Between The Leaves [07:09]
04. Empty City [04:40]
05. Lichen [06:49]
06. Nerium
07. Drosera [10:51]
08. Kudzu [06:27]
09. Burgeon [08:09]
10. Blight [11:28]

Bonus Disc:
01. Amalgam [06:58]
02. Wilting [05:03]
03. The Merge [02:59]
04. Engorgement [06:07]
05. Pulchritudinous [03:19]
06. Surfeit [07:42]

Having over 10 years of musical experience, Uglyhead released their newest album The Garden in very special way. The album comes in a customized locking wooden case laden with an aesthetic mix of dry leaves and a cat skull. The Garden is undoubtedly a conceptual album. The song titles, illustrative plant macro pictures as well as environmental samples mix into the tracks perfectly and speak for this conceptual idea. However, we're not talking about a typical backyard, but rather an abandoned secret garden where dew, fog and wild plants intertwine with mysterious harmony. The garden is also a battleground for wild animals where the strongest or the smartest survive, leaving the bones of their victims deep in the bushes.

The journey begins with a track called "The Path" which leads the listener into the garden. A droning, ambient
intro with a bird whistling gives the first mystic impression. The volume rises until it peaks into a regular rhythm. "The Path" emulates iconic gothic melancholy feelings similar to those by Fields of The Nephilim in the 1990's.

Next, we're approaching the garden gate. It's not clear if we're sneaking through a hidden back entrance or slipping through the front one. "Through The Gates" begins with fuzzy drone sounds, an effect used to visualize something either shining or pulsating, like a classic science-fiction force field blocking entry into a meaningful place. The synth melodies, gothic bass lines as well as drums build a structure that is spiced up with Jake's voice. These initially easy-listening arrangements take a turn into a noisy rock experience that becomes surrounded by far more brooding moods thanks to the guitars and irregular drum beats. The tempo slows down at a certain point and falls into a heaviness that is reminiscent of stylings and textures similar to the music of Godflesh.

Suddenly, it appears as though we've been knocked down, laying in a dizzy frame of mind on wet grass. As we crawl, "Between The Leaves" becomes an even more clamorous undergoing. Industrial samples joined by low tuned bass tracks repeat until distorted vocals come in. At first, this song leaves the listener with a rather murky feeling that turns into melancholy until a dense atmosphere attenuates the mood at a certain point.

Abandon all hope though, we're now entering "Empty City". Instrumentations of distorted harmonies open this composition along with the sound of creek water flowing somewhere in the background. Brooding drums accompanied by synths create yet another gothic vibe enriched with short, although not pushy industrial samples. The mood changes in the middle of the track. All of the noise descends into a clean mix and only a simple structure based on a monotone bass line combined with electronica lead into a silent ending.

"Lichen" is a plant you may see almost everywhere around the world, however it is one of the ugliest species. They are usually hidden in dark, moist places as they are quite common in cemeteries as well as ruins. The song avails subtle progressive moods thanks to a Hammond-esque synth track, but it still stays in a low end tuning that is as noisy as the rest of music we've heard to this point. The track is occasionally broken with environmental sounds such as the chirping of the birds or the buzzing of bees. The moods vary throughout the song, though the ending sounds aggressive due to screaming and distorted vocals.
"Nerium" is expressed by a yawping fusion of vocals, drums, guitars and bass, but no static rhythm is implemented. The song  leaves no time for reflection. On the other hand, "Drosera" (which is a continuation of "Nerium") brings with it compositional aspects usually associated with more electronic and experimental tunes. The ending of the song sounds very psychedelic, so it may make your head spin.

We're still in the world of plants. "Kudzu" is native to China and Japan and belongs to a list of 50 fundamental herbs. The song starts suspiciously simple, but turns into a very complex composition with a variety of arrangements and moods. You can hear synths and bass as well as a violin which gives the song an organic feel.

Listening to the beginning of "Burgeon" feels like watching a film of buds opening in slow motion. This in fact may be the perfect way to visualize the song. Later, more gothic and darkwave vibes are expressed utilizing bass, vocals, synth and effects. When "Blight" begins, you can almost hear the sound of bacteria eating leaf tissue while it turns the entire plant from a sparkling beauty into a brown worthless nothing. This is possibly a song about death since ending and sorrow are usually linked to these modal counterpoints. A slow rhythm, pleasant guitar riffs and melancholic moods may make your heart feel broken as if you miss this album even though the music is still playing. This is the longest track on The Garden (over 11 minutes), so you can enjoy it as much as possible. 8-bit music effects provide a proper finish to "Blight", which kind of digitizes the idyllic picture painted before the listener.

This disc set comes with an instrumental bonus album that contains 6 ambient and experimental, although non-distracting tracks. Transcendental moods will surround you as soon as you play the first track "Amalgam" and finish with "Surfeit" which represents dark ambient style of music the best. I personally enjoyed this one the most for its pulsating and thrilling outer-space feel. All of these songs seem to speak about an element of process (of destruction, creation, lasting and meaningful change) or they may refer to alchemy (nigredo, albedo, rubedo meaning blackness, whiteness and redness). Both of these interpretations are very much linked to philosophy and the enlightened understanding of the nature of things on a metaphysical level. These tracks can easy illustrate a lot of independent one-reel movies. However, they may fit black & white or sepia-toned productions a lot better.

The Garden was released in two versions. 1 CD version is available in most on-line stores, but a customized limited edition CD with all kinds of not very casual goodies can be purchased only through Uglyhead's official store. It's a medium sized wooden chest (like a treasure chest, dug out from an underground secret location) with a small lock and a branded, burnt band stamp on the top. A set of 2 CDs are locked in a metal case and buried in a pile of dried leaves of fern, moss and flowers, but you will also find real animal bones (cat's skull, jaw). The set is packed into custom shipping boxes. Now, we're talking about real art.

Uglyhead was founded by Jake Alejo (vocals, synths, guitar) who is currently residing in San Francisco. There were many other musicians who participated in the band during live shows, tours and recording. The Garden is supported by Jenson Charnell (guitar), Patrick Christopher Huerta (drums), Nick Katich (bass, guitar), Jeremiah Smith (noise, sampling) and Taylor Izak (violin).

Uglyhead's bright future lies in visualizing top level ambitious art-related movies, theater or outdoor performances (think of The Burning Man event) and conceptual multimedia works (i.e. specific ambient backgrounds for media related to museums, movie and video game websites). Alejo is highly skilled in seeing artistry in pictures, illustrating them and philosophizing about them with the use of sounds. If your imagination is creative enough to see such pictures and your ears prefer gloomy, yet experimental moods over an easy-listening mash-up to understand the darkness better, you'll be extremely pleased when you buy The Garden.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Magazine, September 4th, 2012)
This review on Fabryka Magazine http://goo.gl/QB9P6

Official | YouTube | Facebook | SoundCloud | ReverbNation | Myspace

Buy on: This Special Edition CD is available only at Uglyhead Store
CDBaby | BandCamp | iTunes | Amazon | The Flenser

Reviewed by Fabryka Music Magazine