Stoneburner – The Structure Itself Is In Pain (Digital EP – Negative Gain Productions)
Genre/Influences: Industrial-trance, dark-electro.
Background/Info: Steven Archer (Ego Likeness) has released an impressive number of productions since his debut album “Songs In The Key Or Arrakis” (2014). While he this year will deliver the sixth full length of Stoneburner he also released several EP’s. “The Structure Itself Is In Pain” is meant as a teaser to announce the album.
Content: The title song is not exactly the most representative cut to introduce the sound of Stoneburner although it remains driven by furious, rhythm loops. The song also features harsh vocals. There are also 2 remixes from the title song while the EP also features 4 extra songs including 2 remixes. We here again get back to the harder work of Stoneburner, which moves from industrial-tribal to pure trance-industrial (“Dry Gun – Go Fight Remix”) and even an epic-cinematic like cut (cf. “Sunset On All The Lives You Could Have Lived”).
+ + + : Stoneburner remains one of the few bands active in the wider fields of industrial/electronic music to mix industrial, electronics and trance together. It makes the originality, and also the magic of the project, which is once more reflected in this EP. The title song is not exactly my favorite Stoneburner-cut and yet it remains a solid exposure of Archer’s genius. The “Go Fight Remix” of “Dry Gun” (original version will be featured at the new album) is an absolute masterpiece, but I also enjoyed the orchestral arrangements from “Sunset On All The Lives You Could Have Lived”.
– – – : I’ve never been disappointed by Stoneburner, but I’ve just to admit it’s not my favorite production thus far.
Conclusion: This EP reveals new- and exclusive songs plus a few remixes from original edits we still have to discover.
Best songs: “Dry Gun – Go Fight Remix”, “Osafa Chram – Single Edit”, “The Structure Itself Is In Pain”, “Sunset On All The Lives You Could Have Lived”.
Rate: (8).
Artist: www.stoneburnerband.com / www.facebook.com/stoneburnerofficial
Label: www.negativegain.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Negative–Gain/212061438836984
About Stoneburner
Ego Likeness member Steven Archer debuted Stoneburner in 2012 with “Songs In The Key Of Arrakis”, releasing a string of EPs and albums through Negative Gain Productions since, including “On The Folding Of Space” (2016) and “The Agony Box” (2017). “The Structure Itself Is In Pain” served as the teaser EP for “Technology Implies Belligerence”, Stoneburner’s sixth full-length album, released the following day. Archer later moved the project toward heavier, guitar-driven industrial material on “The Great Filter” (2023) and “Post.Industrial.Occult” (2025), discussed in a Side-Line interview that year.
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