Novakill – Iconoclast (Album – RepoRecords)
Genre/Influences: EBM.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Australian EBM duo Novakill is active for more than twenty years now. they’re not exactly releasing albums on a regular basis, “Iconoclast” being their fifth opus to date –the third one released on RepoRecords.
Content: Novakill wanted to progress in sound and all I can say is that this album mainly features an evolution in the global production process. It remains pure EBM –reminding me of an imaginary hybrid of Die Krupps, Front 242 (for some of the bass lines) and Dance Or Die (for the way of singing), but the composition is much more sophisticated than in the past and the sound mix is perfectly balanced. The album features a total of 18 songs featuring a few instrumental intermezzos.
+ + + : Novakill has definitely reached a high degree of maturity, which is reflected in great songwriting and powerful songs. The songs are elaborated and achieved with Industrial sound treatments like metallic percussion. It resulted in multiple brilliant songs, “Light”, “Underground”, “Anger” and “Fear” probably being the best cuts I’ve heard from this band. Even if I made a comparison with Die Krupps, Front 242 and Dance Or Die, this album has its very own sound. The instrumental pieces don’t really inject a bonus, but it’s an interesting experiment as they reveal a Cinematographic approach, which might open extra possibilities and new paths to discover for the band.
– – – : I think some vocal parts can be a little bit more passionate and powerful, but there’s no reason to complaining here.
Conclusion: Novakill definitely is not the most successful name in the EBM scene and yet this album deserves a special mention in the most accomplished productions in its genre from 2020.
Best songs: “Underground”, “Light”, “Anger”, “Fear”, “Road”, “Way”.
Rate: (8½).
Artist: www.novakill.com / www.facebook.com/novakillindustrial
Label: www.reporecords.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Repo-Records/119590774857404
About Novakill
NOVAkILL began in 1996 when Warren Bones, performing solo as Deathly Quiet!, started organizing acts to bring more electronic music to Sydney. There he met Craig L. Saunders aka Sik, who at the time was creating dark electro music with his brother. Together, Bones and Sik started Sydney’s first all industrial club night, Virus, before taking the name NOVAkILL. Between 1997 and 1998 the duo released three tracks on local and overseas compilations, then began work on their debut album, “Hard Tech For A Hard World”, completed in 2003 and released on Metropolis Records. “Kill Everyone” followed in 2005, also on Metropolis. By 2009 the band had signed to RepoRecords for “I Hate God”, followed by “(D)anger” in 2016 and “Iconoclast” in 2020.
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