Genre/Influences: EBM, industrial, crossover.
Format: Digital.
Background/Info: Driven by ‘Graf’, ‘Nocturne’ and ‘Vicar’, DHI (Death And Horror Inc) saw the light of day in the late 80s and released their work during the 90s. Most of their work got released by Fringe Product, but their last album from 1994 (cf. “Pressures Collide”) got also released here in Belgium on the legendary KK Records. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this work, the album has been remastered plus expanded by the “Bitter Alloys”-EP released in 1993 on Fringe Product. The album this way gets a total amount of twenty songs!
Content: I confess DHI is a band I don’t exactly remember. So this album was an opportunity to rediscover their work, which is alternating Canadian (that’s where they come from) EBM sometimes reminding me of FLA and industrial or pure crossover. The tracklist is different than the original “Pressures Collide”, but the most interesting aspect is the new mastering of the instrumental songs have been exposed to. I’ve been surprised to realize most of the songs still sound up to date. The guitar riffs are empowering the electronic layers while the vocals accentuate the power and energy emerging from these songs. Some passages remind me of Frontline Assembly during the 90s. The new edits of “Rage”, “Ninety-Nine Realities” and “Red Carnival” will bring you back to the dynamism of DHI. The work also features a few instrumental songs and alternative edits.
+ + + : It’s interesting to see how an album can even remain very efficient 25 years after its original release. The new mastering has for sure empowered the original work, which will appeal to crossover fans. This format mixing electronics together with guitar was quite common and successful during the 90s. But it still makes sense today! I (re)discovered some cool songs, “Ninety-Nine Realities” getting somewhere lost in my brains, but now reactivated by this celebration album. I also have to say this album was produced in a very professional way.
– – – : A few instrumental songs (cf. “Exanthem”, “Undercurrent”, “Black Hour”) haven’t been remastered, which I can understand as they rather appear to be poorly inspired album fillers.
Conclusion: This is an album for the fans of DHI and KK Records, but first of all a real good opportunity to rediscover a somewhat forgotten formation from the Canadian EBM/industrial scene.
Best songs: “Rage – Amplified Vox Mix V2”, “Catastrophe (Mix V2)”, “Ninety-Nine Realities (A Tougher Mix V2)”, “Pain and courage (Mix V2)”, “Red Carnival (Mix V2)”.
Rate: (7).
Artist: www.deathandhorrorinc.com / www.facebook.com/DHI–death–and–horror–inc-560328507342651
