Uniform - American Standard (2024)

After a few successful collaborative release (with The Body, Boris), Uniform returns with their fifth album, American Standard, and it's also something special. The first track is a more than 20 minutes long one, and probably their more ambient (after its screaming start) and experimental, with its repetitive patterns and synthscapes. Tracks 2 and 3 are aggressive industrial metal, more similar to what they've done before, closer to Godflesh or Author & Punisher territories, the first one, This is Not a Prayer, more on a post-punk/noise side, while the second one, Clemency, has some more heavy doom riffing. The closing track Permanent Embrace surprises with its nearly symphonic black metal parts, but if you give it a chance I think you'll agree it's a great song, and a good finish for another excellent album from Uniform. Highly recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Boris & Uniform - Bright New Disease (2023)

Bright New Disease is a collaborative album from Uniform (industrial metal) and Boris (from metal to drone/doom to psych rock and many things in between). It's more abrasive than Boris and more melodic than Uniform, no big surprise so far, but overall the pace is faster than what I expected. And it works fine. I really enjoy the album, and it turns out it's more than just an average mix of both bands. One of the good musical surprises of last year. Recommended!

The BC page.

 

Uniform - Shame (2020)

Shame, the third album from Uniform continues in the same industrial/noise metal vein of the previous one (The Long Walk), again with live drumming, but with Mike Sharp as full time member instead of Greg Fox as session drummer. Nothing very surprising, but since they maintain a very high level of quality, staying among the few very best in the industrial metal genre, this is totally fine. Really recommended!

The BC page.

 

Pharmakon - Devour (2019)

To be honest I wasn't fully convinced by Pharmakon (Margaret Chardiet) previous releases, I don't know if Devour, released last year by Sacred Bones (but she's probably their noisiest and most extreme artist), is better or if I just listen differently to her music, but anyway I find this one really good. Excellent power electronics, with a bit of rhythm and somewhat melodies deep in the background, making each of tracks a distinct and memorable one.

The Bandcamp page.

Uniform & The Body - Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back (2019)

Uniform. The Body. A second collaborative album even better than the first one. Still on Sacred Bones Records. Do I really need to say more? One of the essentials listens of the year for anyone into industrial music (or a really good one to get into industrial music). Heavily recommended.

The BC page.

The Body & Uniform - Mental Wounds Not Healing (2018)

The Body already took part in a few collaborative album, and Uniform is another band among the few best recent industrial metal band, so them doing a collaborative album, Mental Wounds Not Healing, released last year with Sacred Bones records, was no big surprise. The mix of the two bands really works well producing cohesive songs while the identity of both bands are kept. As could be expected this is an excellent industrial metal album. Actually it should have been in my list of best albums from 2018.

The BC page.

Uniform - Wake in Fright (2017)

With Wake in Fright, their second album, more abrasive than the first, Unifrom is probably the most aggressive band of Sacred Bones Records. Their industrial / noise-rock / power-electronics places them on the most extreme and raw end of the post-punk spectrum. They often are closer to NIN, Godflesh than to Joy Division. Their songs really carries a feel of anger, frustration and anguish. Their first releases were good but this one is even better. If you're into any kind of indus / noise music Wake in Fright is a must listen. Highly recommended.

The Bandcamp page.
 

Destruction unit - Negative feedback resistor (2015)

This one is rawer and wilder than most stuff released by Sacred bone records. This new album from Destruction unit, called Negative feedback resistor sounds a bit like Black flag drenched in feedback, played with a loose feel reminding The Stooges, and with some post-punk and psychedelia bringing a bit of melodies and eeriness. This is punk fighting with noise rock and following some dark acid trip to hell. Obviously this is really good, evoking the fell of freedom and danger rock'n'roll should always have.

The Bandcamp page.

Marching church - This world is not enough (2015)

Marching church is a project with Elias Bender Rønnenfelt from Iceage. It's rooted in post-punk (stripped out composition, basslines put forward and sharp guitars). The album called This world is not enough was released this year by the excellent Sacred bones records. As
Rønnenfelt , who composed and sings, said it sound "half-asleep" and it's a quite hypnotic and trippy listening experience. The vocals especially sound half-asleep and always on the edge. those vocals, with some piano parts, plus the post-punk based music, reminds a bit Nick Cave or maybe even Tom Waits. it's as much spoken as it is sung. there's also female vocals adding more melodies, some very good "jazzy" parts with the piano, drumming and also a bit of sax. It sounds a bit like some decadent cabaret post-punk in the end of the night. It doesn't sound like the hundreds post-punk bands trying their best to sound like Joy division. It's really interesting stuff, with a very loose and spontaneous feel.
And yes this world is not enough...

The Bandcamp page.

Slug guts-Playin' in time with the deadbeat (2012)

Mens in a swamp holding pigs heads? no it's not a black metal or sludge record, Slug guts is a band from Brisbane playing a kind of post-punk / no-wave. they released this year their third album called Playin' in time with the deadbeat on sacred bones records. if you like post-punk / no-wave or bands like Birthday party, Nick Cave and the bad seeds or Gun club this record could really be a good pick for you. It ooze with desperation and unease, the guitars are cold and sharp, the singing is on the edge, and the sax adds a nice dark, menacing and dirty groove.
On their Sacred bones page it is said : "Playin’ in time With The Deadbeat was written during a year which saw members of this seven piece endure trips to the mental hospital, jail, court trials, death, rehab, and bouts of violence following thousands of kilometers spent in a van." not surprising all that resulted with this record...I don't recommedn the process at the origin of it but I really recommend the record!

here's Slug guts facebook