The Body & Dis Fig - Orchards of A Futile Heaven (2024)

Yes, Orchards of A Futile Heaven is another collaborative album from The Body, this time with DJ and vocalist from Berlin Dis Fig (Felicia Chen). As expected, it's good, and it's especially recommended to people that like The Body music but are put off by their monotonous shrieking vocals. Here Dis Fig is doing most of the vocal, and she's did a great job, a lot more melodic and diverse, but also visceral and intense, fitting well the abrasive, dark and industrial sound produced by the trio. Among the most successful collaborative albums with The Body.

The BC page

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8 Hour Animal - Kill Your Boss (2023)

On Kill Your Boss, second album from one-man project 8 Hour Animal, again released by Sentient Ruin Laboratories, the music gets more industrial metal and EBM, and less power electronics. In any case, it confirms that 8 Hour Animal is a nice addition to the harsher side of the industrial scene.

The BC page.

 

Sightless Pit - Lockstep Bloodwar (2023)

Lockstep Bloodwar is the second album from Sightless Pit, a band with Lee Buford (The Body) and Dylan Walker (Full of Hell), but this time without Kristin Hayter (Lingua Ignota). The vocals are now done by many guest vocalists. The whole thing is rooted in industrial / noise / illbient, but there's a lot of diversity, and it goes from more ambient to very aggressive through trip-hop to trap to power electronics and vocals going from singing to rapping to growls. Often surprising and interesting. But I'd say would have been more memorable as an album with more cohesiveness. You often feel like you're listening to a mixtape, more than to an album. But why not. I'll keep following what they'll do next.

The BC page.

Intensive Care - Antibodies (2022) + That We Be Made Worthy (2022)

Couldn't decide which one of these new Intensive Care releases review, so I'm doing both... Antibodies is release by the excellent Iron Lungs Records, and I think That We Be Made Worthy is self-released. Intensive Care is a Canadian duo with Andrew Nolan, ex Column of Heaven and Endless Blockade. What they do can be described as an industrial mix of noise rock and power electronics, and if you're into these kinds of sound I guarantee you'll dig it. Also recommended are the recents Andrew Nolan solo / split releases (he's been very active this year and I sure won't complain about it). 

Iron Lungs  BC page for Antobodies

Intensive Care / Andrew Nolan BC page for That We Be Made Worthy

BadYearXXXX - Peak 2020 (2020)

Peak 2020 is the first release of BadYearXXXX, and it's an awesome mix of power electronics and noise rock. Only thing that's not great is that it's just four short tracks. I'm waiting for an album guys! Keep going!

The BC page.

Favourite industrial music in 2021

Here's a list of what I liked the more in industrial music in 2020 (both electronic industrial and industrial metal). Click to go to the review. And feel free to say what you feel is missing in a comment.

 

Electro/industrial

 

8 Hour animal - Resigner

 

Andrew Nolan - Black Creek

 

Bergegas Mati - This is Going to Hurt

 

Droit Divin - Les Nouveaux Moralistes

 

G36 vs JKFlesh - Disintegration Dubs

 

Nun Gun - Mondo Decay

 

Pessimist - All Hope Lost

 

RNXRX - Impreciso

 

Scorn - The Only Place

 

The Bug - Fire

Torn Relics - Burning Injustice

 

 

Industrial metal

Drumcorps - Better Days

 

Ministry - Moral Hygiene

 

Youth Code & King Yosef - A Skeleton Key in the Doors of Depression

 

8 Hour Animal - Resigner (2021)

Sentient Ruin is a label best known for its extreme metal releases, but they also deal good industrial music, like this first album from the one-man project 8 Hour Animal, called Resigner. A very strong piece of power electronics/rhythmic noise, punishing, but not in the "test your patience way", thanks to its diversity of beats. Among the best recent industrial music.

The BC page.

 

Metadevice - Studies For A Vortex (2021)

Studies For A Vortex is the first Metadevice album, a new project of Andre Coelho (Sektor 304, Beyond Enclosure). Excellent industrial music blending power electronics, death industrial and dark ambient. Should please anyone into industrial music. Released by the mighty Malignant Records. Recommended stuff.

The BC page.

 

Droit Divin - Les Nouveaux Moralistes (2021)

This tape called Les Nouveaux Moralistes is from the French duo Droit Divin, from Bordeaux. They craft some excellent power electronics that is sometimes bordering on ritualistic dark ambient (it's not the most noisy kind of power electronics, it's more about building an atmosphere than about the sheer impact of harsh noise). The vocals are in French, and good. So far my favourite power electronics album of the year. I also recommend their previous album Prohibition.

The BC page.

 

Merzbow / Prurient - Black Crows Cyborg (2021)

Black Crows Cyborg is a collaborative album between two famous noise artists, Merzbow and Prurient. And, even if I'd say we could have expected a more memorable result, this is anyway a  strong album. I especially enjoy the first track, more quiet and ambient than is usual from both artists, with its noise over subtle synth soundscape (my guess is Merzbow is doing the noise and Prurient the synth part). The second track isin  a more traditional harsh noise vein, with also a touch of power electronics. If you're not familiar with noise music this album would be a good introduction to it, if you are, then I guess you already are listening to Black Crows Cyborg by now...

The BC page.

 

Bergegas Mati - Conjunction (2020)

Harsh noise's never easy listening, yes, but it's often monotonous, with very few variations, like a lasting uneasiness, often a bit boring, but it can also be like a chaotic succession of violent bursts, explosive and nightmarish like in Conjunction, released last year by Bergegas Mati (from Indonesia). The screams of Junko Hiroshige (Hijokaidan) on two tracks are adding even more madness. As harsh noise should be, this album is really a test for the listener. Can you take it?

The BC page.

 

Murderous Vision - Caustic Coagulation (2020)

Murderous Vision is the work of Stephen Petrus and Caustic Coagulation is one of the albums he released in 2020. It covers a wide range of industrial music, from creepy dark ambient to more abrasive power electronics, and that diversity is definitely not at the expense of quality, which is maintained at a high level throughout the album. Good dark and industrial music.  

The Bandcamp page.

 

Dark Machine Nation - Hail of Iron (2020)

Therion Major, the man doing Dark Machine Nation describe his music as "intense vocal Power Noise/Industrial Hardcore" and as you can guess there's elements of industrial techno and power electronics, but also industrial metal (some parts reminds Ministry, when it was good). And it is indeed intense. Hail of Iron is a one-hour mix with recent and older tracks. It's one of my favourite industrial/electronic release this year. Powerful stuff.

The BC page.

 

AZOK - SAPNP (EP 2016)

Don't know much about this one, seems AZOK is a Japanese band (or from the US?) and this EP? SAPNP was released in 2016 (or was it 2019?). You won't find a lot more underground... and maybe you won't find it at all! Whatever it is, it's excellent ! A kind of crust/low-fi black metal and power electronics/noise hybrid, very raw and very satisfying to my ears... An album from them would be great.

Highly recommended.

DeathEpoch - Abysmal Invocation (2020)

DeathEpoch is a new Polish duo whose first album Abysmal Invocation is a combination of war metal and dark ambient / power electronics / industrial tech. A combination that seems "natural", but that is actually quite rare. In Abysmal Invocation it works well, but maybe it would have gained if the two elements were more blended in the songs instead of a mere succession of nearly normal war metal songs (with a slight industrial feel in the guitars) and electronic/noise intros and interludes. So it's an interesting and good first try, but I'd say they should go further next time. That been said, it's a promising debut and I recommend you give it a try if you're into these kinds of sonic extremism.

The BC page.

 

Naked - Killed by Roses (2020)

Killed by Roses is the fourth release from the duo from London NAKED, an interesting and intense mix of power electronics, industrial tech and a touch of hip-hop. Noise, beats, and screams. Good stuff.

The BC page.

CHRISTWVRKS - Teeth Fall From The Open Eye (2020)

 CHRISTWVRKS is the solo musical project of Jamie Christ (who's also a talented tattoo artist) and its album (released as a cassette) Teeth Fall From The Open Eye is one hour of power electronics mixed with black metal. Even though it has some excellent melodies in some songs, as you can guess this is not exactly feel-good music... but, unlike many albums in the style he uses to express, it is not a boring exercise in standardized monotony and on the contrary it manages to surprise and keep the attention through its intense negativity. A challenging and very rewarding listen. Highly recommended!

The Bandcamp 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.

My 7 favourites industrial/electronic music albums in 2019

Here are my seven favourites industrial/electronic albums for 2019.

Follow the link to read the review (and there you'll find a Bandcamp link).
I give it in alphabetical order.

Hide - Hell is Here

Hold Me down - Hold Me Down

Lingua Ignota - Caligula

Ossia - Devil's Dance

Ten Thousand Miles of Arteries - Survival Bloom

Uniform & The Body - Everything That Dies Someday Comes Back

Zonal - Wrecked