Andy LaPlegua released a new Combichrist album this summer, an event many fans always look forward to. I might be making a somewhat unusual comparison here, but the evolution of Combichrist strongly reminds me of the path taken by Dawn Of Ashes. I’m not necessarily comparing the two in terms of genre—although perhaps I am—but both started out with an Electro-inspired sound, gradually moved towards a more pronounced Metal production, and eventually arrived at a synthesis of both influences.

Combichrist already made this clear on their previous album, “CMBCRST”, which was a masterpiece, but on this new record, the fusion is even more explicit. It’s a perfect blend of EBM, Dark-Electro with an Industrial edge, and Metal. Some tracks lean more towards the Electronic side, while others are dominated by guitars. Throughout its 13 tracks, the album delivers top-tier production. The Electronic elements are built around icy, abrasive textures and leads, while the Metal components add an extra punch. And then, of course, there’s Andy’s voice, which once again sounds powerful and possessed. Amid all this intensity, softer passages occasionally emerge, evoking something akin to Industrial-Pop. The album exudes a sense of complete creative freedom, as if nothing is forced and anything is possible. This gives the record a distinctly personal and inventive character.

The album contains several gems and certainly won’t disappoint Combichrist fans. Once again, a brilliant record—made in Norway. (Rating:9).

Listen to “Born Destroyer”:

About Combichrist

Combichrist is an aggrotech and industrial metal project formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua. LaPlegua had already worked with Icon of Coil, Panzer AG, Scandy and Scandinavian Cock. The studio project is centered on LaPlegua, with a changing live lineup. Current listed members are Andy LaPlegua, Eric13, Elliott Berlin and Jamie Cronander.

The project’s first material developed from the track “Thanx to my Buddies”, originally written under the name D.r.i.v.E. The name later changed to Hudlager and then Combichrist before the debut album “The Joy of Gunz” appeared on Out Of Line in 2003. It was followed by “Kiss The Blade”, also in 2003, “Blut Royale” and “Sex, Drogen Und Industrial” in 2004, and “Get Your Body Beat” in 2006.

The next studio albums included “Everybody Hates You” in 2005, “What the Fuck Is Wrong with You People?” in 2007, “Today We Are All Demons” in 2009, “Making Monsters” in 2010, “No Redemption” in 2013, “We Love You” in 2014, “This Is Where Death Begins” in 2016, “One Fire” in 2019 and “Cmbcrst” in 2024. Note that “No Redemption” was released as the official “DmC: Devil May Cry” soundtrack.

Combichrist’s follow-up to “Cmbcrst”, “The Venom In The Mouth Of God,” was released on July 24, 2026 via Out Of Line Music as digipak CD, Yolk Splatter Vinyl 2LP and Picture Vinyl 2LP, and is reviewed here.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Combichrist, the American aggrotech and industrial metal project built around Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua, released its fifth studio album “Making Monsters” on 27 August 2010 through Out of Line. The album turns 16 this year. LaPlegua wrote, recorded and produced all twelve tracks himself, with Tom Meyer mastering.

The album arrived nineteen months after “Today We Are All Demons” and reached number 7 on the German Newcomer Chart. Metropolis Records handled the North American edition, which followed on 28 September 2010.

Sources differ on the exact European date. Wikipedia’s Combichrist band entry gives a digital release of 31 August 2010 and a CD release of 28 September 2010, while the dedicated album entry and the Discogs listing for the German Out of Line pressing both state 27 August 2010.

‘Making Monsters’ tracklist, formats and credits

The CD ran twelve tracks: “Declamation”, “Follow the Trail of Blood”, “Never Surrender”, “Throat Full of Glass”, “Fuckmachine”, “Forgotten”, “Just Like Me”, “Slave to Machine”, “Through These Eyes of Pain”, “Monster:Murder:Kill”, “They” and “Reclamation”. Total running time was 56:48. Brandan Schieppati of Bleeding Through guested on “Follow the Trail of Blood”, the only outside vocal on the record.

Out of Line issued the album on standard CD, on double vinyl, as a digital download, and as a limited digipak-in-slipcase edition pairing the CD with a DVD. That DVD collected five live recordings: “Electrohead”, “Get Out of My Head” and “Without Emotions” taped in Russia, plus “Scarred” and “I Want Your Blood” taped in Germany. Totprod Media LLC handled artwork and layout, Gili Shani shot the photography for Liquid Photo, and Universal Music International Division distributed the European pressing.

Two singles came off the album. “Never Surrender” arrived on 6 August 2010, three weeks ahead of the record. “Throat Full of Glass” followed on 4 March 2011.

Where ‘Making Monsters’ took Combichrist on tour

Combichrist opened a North American run in late 2010 with Aesthetic Perfection and iVardensphere in support. In December that year the band played Madison Square Garden as an opener for Rammstein, and both acts confirmed shortly afterwards that Combichrist would join Rammstein’s 2011 North American tour. LaPlegua scheduled a second headline leg, “Monsters on Tour Part II”, around those dates, again with Aesthetic Perfection and iVardensphere, and with Angelspit and God Module added on selected shows.

Two tracks from the album later turned up in Capcom’s “DmC: Devil May Cry”. “Never Surrender” ran in a gameplay demo and “Throat Full of Glass” plays over the opening sequence. LaPlegua’s wider involvement produced a full soundtrack album, “No Redemption”, released on 25 January 2013.

The Combichrist touring lineup at the time centred on Joe Letz on drums, Z. Marr on keyboards, Trevor Friedrich on percussion and Abbey Nex on bass and guitars, with Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit playing guitar on the 2009 and 2010 runs.

About Combichrist

Andy LaPlegua started Combichrist in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003, several years after founding Icon of Coil in Norway. He had already used the monikers D.r.i.v.E and Hudlager for the same material before settling on Combichrist, a name lifted from a character in a fanzine he ran in the 1990s. The project has always been LaPlegua alone in the studio, with a rotating cast of live musicians on stage. He also founded Panzer AG, Scandinavian Cock and Scandy.

The debut album “The Joy of Gunz” came out on Out of Line on 1 September 2003, followed at Halloween by the “Kiss the Blade” EP in a run of 667 copies. The 2004 EP “Sex, Drogen und Industrial” held the top of the DAC chart for several weeks. “Everybody Hates You” arrived on 8 March 2005 and served as the project’s US debut on Metropolis Records, carrying the club tracks “This Shit Will Fuck You Up” and “This Is My Rifle”. The 2006 EP “Get Your Body Beat” put Combichrist on Billboard’s Top 10 Dance Singles chart for the first time, and a North American tour with KMFDM followed.

“What the Fuck Is Wrong with You People?” was released on 6 March 2007. Z. Marr joined on keyboards in January 2008 to work on “Today We Are All Demons”, which came out on 20 January 2009 and led to a North American tour with Black Light Burns and a European run with Rammstein. “Making Monsters” followed in 2010, “No Redemption” in 2013, “We Love You” on 25 March 2014, “This Is Where Death Begins” on 3 June 2016, and “One Fire” on 7 June 2019, covered here in All new Combichrist album ‘One Fire’ comes in 3 formats: 3CD boxset, 2CD and a 2LP (incl. picture disc) vinyl – more details here. Out of Line reissued the first three albums on coloured double vinyl in 2019, reported in Combichrist gets vinyl back catalogue treatment: 3 double coloured vinyl reissues.

The double album “CMBCRST” appeared on 17 May 2024 and was covered in Combichrist returns with all new double-album ‘CMBCRST’, also on zoetrope vinyl. LaPlegua’s earlier project returned to print in 2025, reported in Icon of Coil’s ‘Serenity is the Devil’ reissued as 25th-anniversary transparent-orange 2LP out now. The current lineup is LaPlegua on vocals, Eric13 and Jamie Cronander on guitars and Elliott Berlin on keyboards.

Sixteen years after “Making Monsters”, Combichrist released its eleventh studio album “The Venom in the Mouth of God” on 24 July 2026, announced in Combichrist announce new album ‘The Venom In The Mouth Of God’ via Out Of Line Music.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Combichrist released their eleventh studio album, The Venom In The Mouth Of God, on July 24, 2026 via Out Of Line Music. The 13-track record is available on digipak CD, multicolor “Yolk Splatter” 2LP, picture-disc 2LP and digital formats, alongside album merchandise.

The album opens with “ODR” and “Born Deströyer,” dense, mechanized industrial-metal tracks, before shifting into more introspective territory on “Each Scar A Vision” and “The Way We Want To Be Seen.” It includes the previously released singles “Desolation,” “RISE,” “Feraline” and “Only Here For A Good Time,” alongside new material. Track 12, “Demons Wanna Be Summoned,” features King 810 vocalist David Gunn, a collaboration between Combichrist‘s electronics and the Michigan nu-metal outfit.

Tracklist: 1. ODR 2. Desolation 3. The Future Is A Memory 4. Born Deströyer 5. Feraline 6. RISE 7. Venom 8. S.T.F.U. 9. Each Scar A Vision 10. Only Here For A Good Time 11. The Way We Want To Be Seen 12. Demons Wanna Be Summoned (feat. King 810) 13. Second Ending (We Have Been Here Before)

Combichrist will support the release with festival dates this summer, including Alcatraz Open Air in Kortrijk on August 7 and M’era Luna in Hildesheim on August 8, followed by “The Venom In The Mouth Of God Tour” across North America and the “Electro Combichristmas Tour 2026” in Europe later this year. Tour dates and ticket information are available on the band’s official tour page.

Combichrist’s road to ‘The Venom In The Mouth Of God’

Side-Line first reported the album on May 4, 2026, when it was announced for a July 24 release via Out Of Line Music. Three singles preceded it: “Demons Wanna Be Summoned” on April 23, 2026, “Feraline” on November 21, 2025, and “RISE” on August 28, 2025. Combichrist also headlined Dark Force Fest 2026 in Parsippany, New Jersey, on May 1, 2026, alongside Front Line Assembly and London After Midnight.

About Combichrist

Combichrist was founded in 2003 by Norwegian musician Andy LaPlegua, initially as a side project alongside his work in Panzer AG. The band built its sound around a fusion of EBM, aggrotech and industrial metal, developing into a live act known for high-energy stage shows. Its catalogue includes the albums “Making Monsters” (2010), “One Fire” (2019) and “CMBCRST” (2024), a double album also issued on zoetrope vinyl. Combichrist’s music has appeared in video game soundtracks, including “Devil May Cry 5,” and the band has performed at arena and festival stages worldwide, including Dark Force Fest, Alcatraz Open Air and M’era Luna. With “The Venom In The Mouth Of God,” Combichrist add a thirteen-track studio album to that catalogue, its most expansive to date, and follow it with festival dates and two headline tours through the rest of 2026.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Combichrist have released “Only Here For A Good Time“, a new industrial metal single, via Out Of Line Music. The track is taken from the forthcoming album “The Venom In The Mouth Of God“, due July 24, 2026.

The single follows “Demons Wanna Be Summoned“, the April 2026 collaboration with King 810 frontman David Gunn. Other previously released singles that will appear on the new album include “Desolation”, “RISE”, and “Feraline”, which arrived on June 5, August 28, and November 25, 2025.

The video for “Only Here For A Good Time” was produced by G13 Production House.

“The Venom In The Mouth Of God” will be available as digipak CD, Yolk Splatter Vinyl 2LP, and Picture Vinyl 2LP.

Combichrist headlined Dark Force Fest 2026 on Friday, May 1, 2026 in Parsippany, New Jersey. The band is also listed for Alcatraz Open Air in Kortrijk on Friday, August 7, and M’era Luna in Hildesheim on Saturday, August 8.

About Combichrist

Combichrist is an aggrotech and industrial metal project formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua. LaPlegua had already worked with Icon of Coil, Panzer AG, Scandy and Scandinavian Cock. The studio project is centered on LaPlegua, with a changing live lineup. Current listed members are Andy LaPlegua, Eric13, Elliott Berlin and Jamie Cronander.

The project’s first material developed from the track “Thanx to my Buddies”, originally written under the name D.r.i.v.E. The name later changed to Hudlager and then Combichrist before the debut album “The Joy of Gunz” appeared on Out Of Line in 2003. It was followed by “Kiss The Blade”, also in 2003, “Blut Royale” and “Sex, Drogen Und Industrial” in 2004, and “Get Your Body Beat” in 2006.

The next studio albums included “Everybody Hates You” in 2005, “What the Fuck Is Wrong with You People?” in 2007, “Today We Are All Demons” in 2009, “Making Monsters” in 2010, “No Redemption” in 2013, “We Love You” in 2014, “This Is Where Death Begins” in 2016, “One Fire” in 2019 and “CMBCRST” in 2024. Note that “No Redemption” was released as the official “DmC: Devil May Cry” soundtrack.

In 2016, “This Is Where Death Begins” was announced in CD, deluxe 2CD digipak and colored gatefold double vinyl editions. The album was produced by Oumi Kapila of Filter and Andy LaPlegua, with guest vocals from Chris Motionless of Motionless In White and Ariel Levitan of MXMS, and mastering by Vlado Meller. A separate limited 3CD+DVD edition added the Summer Breeze Festival 2015 live recording on CD and DVD.

In 2019, “One Fire” was announced in 3CD boxset, 2CD and 2LP picture vinyl formats. The album included Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory on “Guns At Last Dawn”. Our “One Fire” review said that “Combichrist remains a very unique experience, mixing different genres and songs all together on one album.” We rated the album 8.

The single “Compliance” arrived in 2021 and “Modern Demon” in 2022. In 2024, Combichrist released the double album “CMBCRST”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Combichrist will release the new industrial metal album “The Venom In The Mouth Of God” on July 24, 2026 via Out Of Line Music. The 13-track album includes the previously released tracks “Desolation”, “RISE” and “Feraline”. Note that the track “Demons Wanna Be Summoned” features King 810 frontman David Gunn.

“The Venom In The Mouth Of God” will be available as digipak CD, Yolk Splatter Vinyl 2LP and Picture Vinyl 2LP. The album can be pre-ordered right here.

Below are the videos for “Desolation”, “RISE”, “Feraline” and “Demons Wanna Be Summoned“.

About Combichrist

Combichrist is an aggrotech and industrial metal project formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua. LaPlegua had already worked with Icon of Coil, Panzer AG, Scandy and Scandinavian Cock. The studio project is centered on LaPlegua, with a changing live lineup. Current listed members are Andy LaPlegua, Eric13, Elliott Berlin and Jamie Cronander.

The project’s first material developed from the track “Thanx to my Buddies”, originally written under the name D.r.i.v.E. The name later changed to Hudlager and then Combichrist before the debut album “The Joy of Gunz” appeared on Out Of Line in 2003. It was followed by “Kiss The Blade”, also in 2003, “Blut Royale” and “Sex, Drogen Und Industrial” in 2004, and “Get Your Body Beat” in 2006.

The next studio albums included “Everybody Hates You” in 2005, “What the Fuck Is Wrong with You People?” in 2007, “Today We Are All Demons” in 2009, “Making Monsters” in 2010, “No Redemption” in 2013, “We Love You” in 2014, “This Is Where Death Begins” in 2016, “One Fire” in 2019 and “CMBCRST” in 2024. Note that “No Redemption” was released as the official “DmC: Devil May Cry” soundtrack.

In 2016, “This Is Where Death Begins” was announced in CD, deluxe 2CD digipak and colored gatefold double vinyl editions. The album was produced by Oumi Kapila of Filter and Andy LaPlegua, with guest vocals from Chris Motionless of Motionless In White and Ariel Levitan of MXMS, and mastering by Vlado Meller. A separate limited 3CD+DVD edition added the Summer Breeze Festival 2015 live recording on CD and DVD.

In 2019, “One Fire” was announced in 3CD boxset, 2CD and 2LP picture vinyl formats. The album included Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory on “Guns At Last Dawn”. Our “One Fire” review said that “Combichrist remains a very unique experience, mixing different genres and songs all together on one album.” We rated the album 8.

Later releases included vinyl back catalogue reissues, the single “Compliance” in 2021 and “Modern Demon” in 2022. In 2024, Combichrist released the double album “CMBCRST”.

Combichrist’s 2026 schedule includes Dark Force Fest in Parsippany, Reborn Festival in Zwickau, Alcatraz Open Air in Kortrijk, M’era Luna in Hildesheim and Vagos Metal Fest in Portugal.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Esme Bones) To celebrate hitting the 100.000 streams milestone London-based alt.goth and electro-metal act Ray Noir will release his mixtape “Scorpio” in a deluxe edition this Thursday.

The deluxe edition holds the bonus track “All Alone” featuring Mariann Rosa from Surferosa and a brand new remix of “Double Trouble” by alt.rockers TOVA. Additionally, it includes remixes by Gothminister, Corlyx, Tension Control, and others, along with the track “You, Me & The Devil” featuring Tom Saint.

Ray Noir will be playing some shows in August with Combichrist at Underworld and a headline show in Oslo, Norway.

• 7th of August – London, UK – Underworld, supporting Industrial Core legends Combichrist
• 31st of August – Oslo, Norway – Revolver, co-headlining with Piston Damp

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Five years after the last album, “Cmbcrst” stands for a fierce and brutal experience. This is pure Industrial/Electro-Metal with a perfect balance between guitar sounds and menacing electronic sequences carried by menacing bass lines. Some songs are truly furious as if possessed by an imaginary sonic devil. The devil is represented by the hellish vocals of front man Andy LaPlegua. The first disc sounds incredible, while the additional album takes a very Cinematic approach and therefore sounds completely different. (Rate:9)

Listen to “Only Death Is Immortal”:

Read the news on ‘Cmbcrst’.

About Combichrist

Combichrist is an aggrotech and industrial metal project formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua. LaPlegua had already worked with Icon of Coil, Panzer AG, Scandy and Scandinavian Cock. The studio project is centered on LaPlegua, with a changing live lineup. Current listed members are Andy LaPlegua, Eric13, Elliott Berlin and Jamie Cronander.

The project’s first material developed from the track “Thanx to my Buddies”, originally written under the name D.r.i.v.E. The name later changed to Hudlager and then Combichrist before the debut album “The Joy of Gunz” appeared on Out Of Line in 2003. It was followed by “Kiss The Blade”, also in 2003, “Blut Royale” and “Sex, Drogen Und Industrial” in 2004, and “Get Your Body Beat” in 2006.

The next studio albums included “Everybody Hates You” in 2005, “What the Fuck Is Wrong with You People?” in 2007, “Today We Are All Demons” in 2009, “Making Monsters” in 2010, “No Redemption” in 2013, “We Love You” in 2014, “This Is Where Death Begins” in 2016, “One Fire” in 2019 and “Cmbcrst” in 2024. Note that “No Redemption” was released as the official “DmC: Devil May Cry” soundtrack.

“Cmbcrst”, reviewed here, is Combichrist’s first studio album in five years.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Glis, the electronic music project founded by Shaun Frandsen in 2001, made an unexpected triumphant comeback with the release of the “Gateway To Oblivion” album, a manifestation of the artist’s DNA, blending the raw energy of industrial music with the infectious melodies of future pop. The new album was produced by Sebastian Komor and also features guest vocals by his good old friend AYRIA, and is a strong candidate to be the best future pop album of the year… We did not resist call Seattle for a chat with Shaun…

The album is out now as download and streaming, including from Bandcamp, and on CD, available via the Alfa Matrix webstore.

SL: “Gateway To Oblivion” marks your unexpected return after many years. What motivated you to revive GLIS, and what themes or messages did you want to convey with this new album?

S. It’s partly the 20-25 year anniversary syndrome. I was feeling like I should do something to commemorate the passing of time. The main spark was last summer during a family vacation in Mexico. I was drinking margaritas and talking to my brother-in-law (who’s also a musician in the folk rock scene) about how music is the language of the cosmos and how important it is to create new things. When I returned home I finished “Sunrise v3.0” and then started working on brand new music.

SL:  The album blends industrial music with future pop, showcasing your versatility as a producer, vocalist, songwriter, and instrumentalist. Can you describe your creative process in developing such a diverse and spontaneous sound?

S. I feel like GLIS has always been a blend of different electronic sub-genres. Some albums more than others, but on this one I wanted to kind of showcase the overall aesthetic of the sound throughout the years. I feel you can get a reflection of each of the previous albums on this new album.

SL: Tracks like “Into the Flames” nod to influences such as NIN and DEPECHE MODE. How did these influences shape the mood and direction of “Gateway To Oblivion”?

S. Those are two bands that have been huge influences on me throughout the years (and both still making great music to this day). “Into the Flames” is a kind of intro track that I imagined would also be the intro to the live gig as well. Yes, we want to play live again too! I think you can definitely hear both NIN and DM influences in this track. A bit of “Songs of Faith and Devotion” and “The Fragile”…

SL: Songs like “Ascension” and “Mexico” evoke a straight-up early 2000s synth pop vibe. How do you balance nostalgic elements with contemporary sounds to create something fresh and relevant?

S. Well, I don’t tend hide my influences. “Ascension” is a straight up ode to ICON OF COIL. I met them in 2001 while supporting them in Seattle during their tour with VNV NATION. That’s when I first met Sebastian who helped produce this album and Andy who I worked with a lot in COMBICHRIST. Mexico” is simply supposed to invoke the party vacation vibe in Puerto Vallarta (Mexico). That’s where I decided I was going to bring back GLIS again. Sebastian Komor had a heavy hand in the production of that track. My original demo was more DEPECHE MODE sounding. He made it a lot groovier.

SL: “Cut Away the Demons” and “Damaged” dive into oppressive industrial noise and powerful EBM. What inspired these tracks, and how do they fit into the overall narrative of the album?

G. “Cut Away the Demons” is supposed to be a track that could have been on the “Nemesis” album. Its lyrics and cadence are inspired by Jean-Luc De Meyer’s vocal contribution to that album. It’s about someone who’s overcome by the darkness of addiction and their resolve to conquer it. “Damaged” is a kind of protest track and a musical nod to late 90’s electro-industrial bands such as :WUMPSCUT: and LEATHER STRIP. Two bands I listened to a lot back in the late 90s.

SL: The album features a unique guest appearance by Jennifer Parkin of AYRIA on “Dream Chaser.” How did this collaboration come about, and what was it like working together again?

G. Jenn and I have always kept in touch throughout the years after I produced her first album. We had an amazing time touring together. We even brought her along when I was in COMBICHRIST. We’ve always tried to catch up when she came to town with AYRIA. Last time she was here (in Seattle) in October I told her I was making new music and she said she would love to collaborate again. It was like old times. A full circle moment as she contributed guest vocals on one of my first releases in 2003, which turned into the first AYRIA album soon after.

SL: Like you mentioned it, Sebastian Komor played a pivotal role in shaping the album’s sound. How did his involvement influence the final production, and what elements did he bring to the table?

S. Sebastian went above and beyond what I thought was going to happen when I gave him my original versions of the tracks. He created sounds that we’re begging to evolve from the music. He added a lot of beat elements as well as melodic harmonies. I can’t tell you how happy I am with his work on this album. He took a lot of my tracks and completely boosted their sound quality. He’s a great producer.

SL: “Gateway To Oblivion” tackles themes around the ascension of mankind and the challenges posed by technology. Can you elaborate on these themes and how they reflect both personal and societal struggles?

S. I mean we can all see it happening before us each day. This merging of technologies with everyday life. We’ve basically become part machine by always having smartphones with us everywhere we go. And with the recent emergence of A.I. we’re facing all new challenges and problems as musicians. We’re at the point where we can choose to embrace it all or find some reason to hold back. Will we soon have to validate the fact that we’re human? We seem to be at another turning point in our existence and that’s the overall theme of “Gateway to Oblivion.” It’s a theme commonly addressed on the Industrial music genre, but more than ever it seems these days. We’re moving close to big changes. Are they all for the greater good? We’ll take a dive in and see.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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Out on May 17 is the all new Combichrist album “CMBCRST”. The CD edition comes in double-digipak and in addition to the 14 main tracks, it features a full length bonus-CD with 9 exclusive songs. And for the first time ever, Out of Line produces a zoetrope vinyl as well.

A zoetrope vinyl combines the vintage appeal of a traditional record with the optical illusion of a zoetrope, an early animation device. When this special record spins on a turntable, it creates moving images that are visible through specific viewing methods, such as a strobe light or camera shutter. This effect is achieved by printing a series of sequential images along the record’s surface, which, when spun, appear to animate due to the persistence of vision phenomenon. Zoetrope vinyls not only offer a unique listening experience but also add a visual dimension to the music, making them collectible items for enthusiasts of vinyl records and optical illusions alike.

This special vinyl edition contains all 14 main tracks of the new Combichrist new album.

Check out the videoclip for “Planet Doom”. Read the review of ‘Cmbcrst’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

The Oklahoma City-based ‘pagan synth’ duo Esoterik have unveiled their latest single, “Trickster”. This track precedes the release of their forthcoming EP, “Archetypes”, scheduled for later this year. The upcoming EP, “Archetypes”, delves into universal symbols and stories that resonate across cultures, emphasizing the importance of storytelling in human history.

The “Trickster” single explores the themes of chaos and its role in both creation and destruction, posing questions about its necessity and the nature of change it incites. “Trickster” is now available across various digital platforms, including Bandcamp and Spotify. A music video for “Trickster” is out as well.

Here’s the video for “Trickster”.

Esoterik has also embarked on a US tour titled “Only Death is Immortal”, featuring performances alongside Combichrist, Dead Animal Assembly Plant, and special guests across multiple cities.

Formed in 2013, Esoterik blends ’80s synthpop with rock, creating a sound that has been affectionately dubbed “Pagan-Synth” by their fans. The band, consisting of Allison Eckfeldt and Brady Bledsoe, are currently preparing the foloow-up to their last album, “Alchemy”, which fused mystical themes with electronic rhythms.

Esoterik Tour

• March 16 Los Angeles, CA @ Whiskey A Go Go
• March 17 San Francisco, CA @ Neck Of The Woods
• March 18 Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
• March 19 Portland, OR @ Star Theater
• March 20 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
• March 22 Idaho falls, ID @ The Gem
• March 23 Salt lake city, UT @ Leatherheads
• March 24 Denver, CO @ Kulture music hall
• March 26 St Louis, MO @ Red Flag
• March 27 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
• March 29 Madison, WI @ Annex
• March 30 Chicago, IL @ Distro Music Hall
• March 31 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
• April 2 Detroit, MI @ Magic Bag
• April 3 Albany, NY @ Empire Underground
• April 4 Montreal, QB @ Foufounes Electriques
• April 5 Providence, RI @ Fete Hall
• April 6 Mechanicsburg , PA @ LoveDrafts
• April 7 Philadelphia, PA @ Warehouse on Watts
• April 8 New York, NY @ Brooklyn Made
• April 9 Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground
• April 10 Columbus, OH @ King of Clubs
• April 11 Piedmont, SC @ Tribbles
• April 12 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade – Hell
• April 13 Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
• April 14 Orlando, FL @ Conduit
• April 15 Miami, FL @ Gramps
• April 18 Houston, TX @ Scout bar
• April 19 Austin, TX @ Come and Take it Live
• April 21 Dallas, TX @ Haltom Theater
• April 23 El Paso, TX @ Rockhouse
• April 24 Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge
• April 25 Albuquerque, NM @ Inside/out

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Monospore is a Danish duo set up in 2009 by Jannik Vittrup and Søren Brandstrup. They last year released their second full length album “Into Darkness”. The opus features ten EBM songs driven by aggressive bass lines and carried by cold tunes. The vocals are harsh but not too much. “Into Darkness” is an accomplished production which I can only but recommend to EBM-lovers.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You guys seem to be involved with music since quite a long time and have been busy with multiple projects and music styles. Tell us a bit more about your background, the different projects and how did you finally come to set up Monospore?

Søren: Jannik and I started in 1986-87. We made music inspired by Depeche Mode and Camouflage and a bit of Front 242/Nitzer Ebb on an Amiga computer and we added two EMAX’s to the setup. However, we never actually got anything released. During the many following years, we made several different music styles with various singers, in styles like Ace Of Base, Paul Elstak etc.

I have only made some small project alone and with a few other people, but nothing was ever released.

Jannik: Besides the projects I did with Søren I also did some solo projects called, Executor, Bioreactor & Johhny Mnemonic amongst others. I also collaborated with other musicians most know is probably my collaborations with Thomas Elers on Cellblock X, Cbx Project and Latex Empire.

After a very long break we went to see a lot of live acts like Combichrist, Nitzer Ebb in the late 2000’s, and decided to follow our hearts in our new project just doing the music that gives us energy and that we love. We have always been huge fans of EBM (Nitzer Ebb, Front 242 etc.) We started to experiment with a lot of track, sounds and vocal styles before we found our style. First real Monospore track was “Blue Haze” which ended up as a bonus track on our debut album “Control The Game, Regain Control” from 2012.

Q: Monospore has been set up in 2009, but you’ve been mainly busy releasing singles and the album “Into Darkness” during 2023. How comes and how do you perceive the evolution from the band from the first albums till “Into Darkness”?

Monospore: We had a long break after our debut album “Control The Game… Regain Control!!!”. We both have families, and in that period we both build houses. At the same time, we both had professional careers as our day jobs. Søren finished his Master-degree in Building Physics in 2016, and Jannik finished his academy degree in Business IT a little earlier. We did do a lot of demos in the time in between the albums and one track (cf. “Fall For Me”) in 2018 for the Danish Electro v.2 compilation though.

There has been a huge leap in the production from our first album “Control The Game… Regain Control!!!” to the second album “Into Darkness”. First of all, we build a new studio in between the 2 albums and second, we also decided the overall sound to be more ‘old-school’ and less distorted than on our first album.

In our opinion the tracks on the new album have a much better and dynamic sound, but we appreciate both albums and are super proud of them. In the process for album 2, we did several new tracks that didn’t fit on the new album. These take Monospore in another direction and will be included on our next album.

Q: What more can you tell us about “Into Darkness” and what do you try to reflect by its title?

Monospore: We are very much into very hard music and find our inspiration in that as well as we wanted to evolve our sound. Nothing inspired us for the album as such except some of the bands we listen to ourselves. We love the soundscapes of Gary Numan’s productions as well as Alan Wilder’s and the album also has a much more dynamic sound than our first one. The title was mainly inspired by the cover photo location as well as it is the title of the last track on the album.

Q: What makes the chemistry between both of you and who’s taking care for the different aspects of the composing- and production process?

Jannik: I see it as a very shared process, we do a lot of demos separately and then work on them together. Often, we do some details on the tracks separately and then send it to each other to listen to. We always finish it together in the studio and do the mixing and mastering together as well.

Q: What about Monospore as a live band? How do you transpose the songs from the studio to the stage?   

Søren: We always strive to make our live set as hard as possible and bring some special versions for the audience though it is important for us to keep the sounds and vibe from the original track. It is always very motivating to feel the response from the audience and see the venue boiling of aggressivity and moving bodies. We are very grateful for the very positive responses we have got from our performances so far. Now we are working on getting booked outside of Denmark which is a bit hard when you are not yet an established name.

Q: All works have been released by Delta-Ego which I think is your very own label, right? How do you manage all the aspects aside of composing music like promotion, distribution, management etc…?

Monospore: You are right, Delta-Ego is our own label that we formed in 2012. To be honest our focus is writing the songs and creating the music and eventually playing it live.

The promotion and distribution are a necessity but often take away the focus from what we love, which is producing and playing the music and it can be hard doing promotion when having a full-time job and family.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

(Photo by Simon Marter) London-based goth artist Ray Noir is gearing up to launch his latest single “Pity Party” on September 29th. This track is taken from Noir’s upcoming mixtape “Scorpio” and will soon be accompanied by a club remix from Gothminister, set to release on October 13th.

The production and mixing of “Pity Party” were handled by KANGA, while the songwriting credits go to Ray Noir and Madeleine Wood. Additional keyboard contributions come from Bjørn Heden of Combichrist, and the track features guitar work by Christer Krogh and mastering by Joe Farr.

Originating from Oslo, Ray Noir’s musical odyssey is deeply connected to the Norwegian Black Metal scene. His sound also holds a fusion of diverse influences, ranging from The Prodigy and Boy Harsher to Nine Inch Nails.

Speaking about the forthcoming club remix, Gothminister said, “Ray and I have had our share of memorable parties. So, when he asked me to remix ‘Pity Party,’ I couldn’t resist. This remix is a tribute to our good times in Norway and across Europe, and it’s my gift to Ray and club DJs everywhere. Enjoy!”

Below is the video for the single which will be out on all platforms on September 13.

Ray Noir is also excited to announce his debut UK tour, commencing this October. He will be the opening act for Vampires Everywhere from the US and RXPTRS from the UK. The tour dates are as follows:

• October 18, 2023: Manchester, Factory
• October 19, 2023: Edinburgh, Bannermans
• October 22, 2023: London, O2 Islington Academy
• October 23, 2023: Milton Keynes, Craufurd Arms

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Out now is the debut album by Twin Rattler titled “Defiance”. Twin Rattler merges the harsh electronic music of the 2010s with contemporary dark clubbing, techno, and underground glitch elements. Fans of early Combichrist or early Faderhead material should like this very much.

The album holds of 10 tracks, including previously released singles. The limited CD version comes in a 6-panel digipak with lyrics. As an added bonus, it includes a special extra track.

The album is out via SkyQode and available on Bandcamp and all other platforms.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

The American (Denver-Colorado) female fronted industrial metal act The True Union, aka Azul Far, released the “Love Me Now” mini-album/EP in December last year. The new EP, released on the Belgian label Alfa Matrix , sees front woman Azul Far joined by producer Sebastian Komor and German metal producer Siggi Bemm and Travis Bacon who produced “Love Me Now”.

On the EP we also find a guest appearance of Jamie Cronander’s (Combichrist live guitarist) who appears on the track “Karma”. The EP also features a unique collaboration between The True Union (as guest vocalist) and her producer Sebastian Komor under the Komor Kommando moniker for the track “One By One”, which equally appeared on the Komor Kommando EP “One By One”. The EP also furthermore holds reworks by Alfa Matrix label mates Alien Vampires, Aesthetische and Acylum.

Time to sit around the table with Azul Far…

SL: Your “Love me now (not)” is surprising in, many ways I find! First of all by that intense diversity of sound displayed across these 9 tracks?

AF: I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the EP! I like to create the music organically. The songs on this EP have been created across the last few years while I was going through different life cycles and experiences. I think those life experiences reflected in the music and made the EP sound more dynamic. But although the songs might seem to be different genre or somewhat different from one another, they all have an order amongst the chaos. The music is just me. I let the music speak for itself. I don’t have categories. I just do what I do because I enjoy doing it and sharing it with the world.

SL: But also surprising for the multiple collaborations featured!? Tell us more about these?

AF: I have met a lot of great people in the last few years. It came down to networking and making new friendships during our shows and through the internet, especially from 2018-2020. People that heard the demos or saw us live really believed in the band. I am forever thankful for their support. For example, Attila (Mayhem) recommended me to producer/musician Travis Bacon. He polished the sound of the band, producing several tracks that ended at the ears of a few record labels. Shortly after, I got signed with Alfa Matrix. Once signed, I started talking with Sebastian Komor who’s also signed with the label. I have always enjoyed his work and really like the music he’s done (Komor Kommando, Zombie Girl, Icon of Coil +). He also produced a few tracks and we even did the “One By One” collab which has been one of the favorites for sure. I also had the opportunity to work with legendary Siggi Bemm. I had him on my radar ever since the release of “Animatronic” from The Kovenant. I recall being a very young teenager back then and thought to myself “one day I’m going to work with him!”. Years later…it happened. Crazy how life works! Siggi produced and recorded the drums for “Blinded”.These are the only live drums recorded in the EP. But I am happy to announce that i’ll have another special guest record the drums for an upcoming release. A very special guest and a friend for years. This guy’s name is Jan Axel Blomberg (AKA Hellhammer). Have you heard about this guy? 😉 hehe.

I also had the pleasure to have Jamie Cronander record the guitars for a few tracks. I met Jamie when we joined a regional tour with Psyclon Nine. Jamie’s band, Striplicker touring along as well. I had a blast watching his band perform live every night and we became really good friends. He was always very supportive and when the time came, he recorded some sick guitars for me. He’s a coveted motherf*cker who is now playing with Combichrist. I am very fortunate to have him as a special guest.

SL: You also shot a stunning video clip for “love me now”? I have the impression you are a multi-talented artist? How important is it for you to do all this on your own?

AF: Doing everything myself has been out of necessity and not by choice. I have adapted to my environment and have learned a lot of magic tricks along the way. Is it ideal? No, but sometimes it is. Working on everything by yourself gives you full control but it can also slow down the creative process. It can be very fulfilling but it can also be aggravating and you can end up feeling like you’ve “hit a wall”. The quote “If you want something done, do it yourself” comes to mind. But as time goes by I have tried to have more people involved in the music process and listen to their input. In particular for the video, I had my best friend invest a lot of her time and energy into this project. This took months of work, practice and lots of trial and error. If it wasn’t because of her, I would have not been able to make this happen. Doing things alone can be fun, but as you grow, I think it’s best to ask for as much input as possible from people that you trust.

SL: Can we expect The True Union on stage soon with these new songs?

AF: Live shows are on my radar but nothing set in stone yet. I think there will be a right time and place to do this. At the moment, I am focusing on new music and my personal life. Believe it or not playing live shows are mostly terrifying for me. They can also be fun sometimes and of course you get the exposure and ability to network.

But you have to consider there is a lot of planning and financial investment involved. I’m sure l’ll know if/when the time is right. For now it’s free time in the studio…

SL: What else can we still expect from you this year?

AF: A full album! I will get into details about the upcoming release with the label soon. We don’t have a set date yet but I’m sure we’ll let you know when this happens. We are also working on the last few details to release a couple of collaboration tracks I did for other artists. Be sure to check us out periodically because you never know ;).

Here’s the excellent video clip for “Love Me Now”.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Metal, Electro.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Belgian label Alfa Matrix from time to time likes to think out of the box, signing heavier, Industrial- and Metal-driven artists to their roster. The True Union is an American project driven by female artist Azul Far. After having released works under The Union moniker this EP has been released under The True Union. Seb Komor (Komor Kommando) took care of the production.

Content: The True Union in a way stands for the mix between heavy guitar power and electronic treatments. One of the songs even features guitar playing by Combichrist live member Jamie Cronander. Multiple influences are running through the work. From Epic arrangements to D’n’B elements the songs are also featuring enraged, and possessed, vocals by Azul. It’s not a coincidence Seb Komor asked her to sing on the title song of his newest EP “One By One” -which by the way has been featured here as well. You’ll also discover remixes by Alien Vampires, Aesthetische and Acylum while there’s also an alternative edit of “Blinded” featured as well.

+ + + : The True Union definitely sounds as one of the most furious and ‘wild’ artists signed to Alfa Matrix. It’s a shock because of this artist’s uncompromised and totally enraged way of singing. The sound is not only powerful but also a bit anarchistic. The True Union is a bulldozer on speed provoking a sonic avalanche. I however have to say my favorite song is the Komor Kommando-track “One By One” while I also prefer the Dark-Electro accentuated remix of the title song by Acylum.

– – – : I don’t have anything against harsh and powerful music but The True Union is hard to label and hard to seize.

Conclusion: Merciless and without any possible compromises, The True Union exposes you to a true sonic outburst.

Best songs: “One By One”, “Love Me Now – Acylum Remix”, “Blinded”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.thetrueunion.com / www.facebook.com/thetrueunion

Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix Read the news on ‘Love Me Now’.

Listen to “Love Me Now (Not)”:

About The True Union

The True Union is an American, female-fronted industrial metal project driven by Azul Far, released under the True Union moniker after earlier work as The Union. The EP “Love Me Now (Not)” was produced by Sebastian Komor of Komor Kommando alongside German metal producer Siggi Bemm and Travis Bacon, and features a guest guitar appearance by Combichrist live member Jamie Cronander on “Karma” plus reworks by Alfa Matrix label mates Alien Vampires, Aesthetische and Acylum. The release also marks a collaboration between Azul Far and Komor on his own Komor Kommando EP “One By One”.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

December 9th marked the release of “The Nine”, the new album by MissFit Toys on the Pittsburgh-based Distortion Productions label. MissFit Toys was formed in Orlando, FL in 2007 by Richie V. Suriv.

After a string of releases and live shows (with Dope, Pig, Skold, Psyclon Nine, Combichrist, Grendel and Wednesday 13) this aggrotech/industrial band was direct support for electro act Hocico in Spring of ’22.

“The Nine” is available via Distortion Productions on all streaming and digital platforms along with a compact disc. MissFit Toys will be announcing 2023 tour dates that include shows in Mexico supporting Hocico. Read the review of ‘The Nine’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

The female fronted industrial metal act The True Union is back with an all new video, “Love Me Now”, and a mini-album, released as an EP: “Love Me Now (Not)”.

The new EP is out on Alfa Matrix , the Belgian label that already nurtured other female talents as Zombie Girl, Under Null, Helalyn Flowers or Ayria to name just a few.

For this new release front woman Azul Far was joined by producer Sebastian Komor and German metal producer Siggi Bemm and Travis Bacon who produced “Love Me Now”. On the EP we also find a guest appearance of Jamie Cronander’s (Combichrist live guitarist) who appears on the track “Karma”.

Note that the “Love Me Now (not)” EP also features the unique collaboration between The True Union (as guest vocalist) and her producer Sebastian Komor for the release of his new EP under the Komor Kommando moniker.

The EP also furthermore holds reworks by Alfa Matrix label mates Alien Vampires, Aesthetische and Acylum.

Here’s the excellent video clip for “Love Me Now”. Read the review of ‘Love Me Now’.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

From March 31 until April 2, 2023 included you will be able to attend the US festival, Dark Force Fest, a three-day goth-industrial music festival. The festival takes place in Parsippany, NJ (one hour from NYC), at the massive Sheraton Parsippany, an imposing castle styled hotel that features 44,000 square feet of event space with 370 hotel rooms (which are however already sold out, but there are enough hotels in the neighborhood).

Organized by VampireFreaks, the team that brought you the Triton Festival and Dark Side of the Con, this brand new event features a lineup of international bands from the gothic, industrial, darkwave and post-punk scenes. In the line-up we find such bands as HEALTH, Combichrist, Suicide Commando, ACTORS, Rabbit Junk, Vision Video, Empathy Test, Solar Fake, BILE, Psyclon Nine, Das Ich, Bootblacks, Leathers, Josie Pace, God Module, Bella Morte and many more.

In addition to 30+ bands, Dark Force Fest will also feature over 100 vendors, a costume contest, cosplay guests, sideshow performers, fun activities and informative panels. More info can be found at https://darkforcefest.com and you can order your tickets right here.

Below is the poster for the event.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Body-Pop.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Two years after the last album “Tropical Gothic”, Too Dead To Die revisited songs of this album. 

Content: The work features a varied content, moving in between ‘happy sounding’ Electro-Pop and rougher danceable cuts. The work sounds a bit like the offspring between Faderhead, Aesthetic Perfection and even Combichrist (for some of harder passages).

+ + + : Too Dead To Die created a very own Electro-Pop interpretation; a powerful production which is not driven by sweet melody lines, but experiments with Dance and Industrial. Nothing sounds impossible and that’s the main strength of this production. “Porcelain Mary” remains a great and powerful exposure but I also want to mention “They All Were Wont” featuring Freaky Mind and “Anywhere But Home – B-Side”.

– – – : There’re a few cuts which are a bit too short to my taste.

Conclusion: There’re less bands in the genre of Too Dead To Die and that’s for sure what makes this band interesting.

Best songs: “Porcelain Mary”, “They All Were Wont”.

Rate: 7 .

Artist: www.facebook.com/toodeadtodiemusic

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

About Too Dead To Die

Too Dead To Die mixes Electro-Pop and Body-Pop with rougher Dance and Industrial passages. The band’s album “Tropical Gothic” was released on February 28, 2020, on Out Of Line, and tracks from the album have previously appeared on Side-Line’s Electrostorm compilation series. “In The Dark” revisits and reworks material from “Tropical Gothic” for the same label.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

“Dark Sanctuary: The Story Of The Church” will be a feature-length documentary about the historic Dallas goth club The Church. The documentary will explore the history and stories of one of the longest running goth clubs in the U.S..

Through interviews with music artists (including Paul Oakenfold, Bill Leeb, Aurelio Voltiare, and RubberDoll), local bands, and patrons, the film will tell the story of the transgressive community of misfits that formed in the nearly three decades of the legendary club’s existence.

The film will center on the club’s DJ in residence, Joe Virus, and follow his journey from aspiring musician to DJ’ing the main stage for over 20 years. The film will also narrate the events of 2019 and 2020 as a multimillion-dollar real estate company bought up the neighborhood, and the pandemic claimed the community’s beloved building at 2424 Swiss Avenue. Now, their home of nearly three decades stands on the brink of being lost forever.

They plan to seek more interviews with many of the world-famous artists who performed there over years such as cEvin Key, Front 242, Front Line Assembly, Combichrist, Clan of Xymox, VNV Nation, Dita Von Teese, and many more. The additional plan is to explore many of the stories and personalities intertwined with The Church’s history including such Marylin Manson, The Cure, Trent Reznor, Joan Jett, and even Madonna.

In tandem with the story of The Church, the film will talk about the Friday and Saturday EDM nights known as The Lizard Lounge where legends of electronic music performed: Paul Oakenfold, Paul Van Dyk, Moby, Tiesto, The Prodigy and more.

To complete the documentary Dallas, Texas-based Spectrograph Films has launched an IndieGoGo campaign to fund their film. You can check out the Indiegogo campaign right here.

Music by cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy

cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy will co-compose the title music track along with resident DJ of The Church, Joe Virus. Artist Ashley Thorpe known for the Shudder Exclusive film Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched will do illustrations and animations as well as design the movie poster.

The goal is to collect $70,000 in funds. The perks for the backers include DVD’s, signed posters, 45 rpm records, and even actual ceiling tiles from 2424 Swiss Ave.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Combichrist has released their third new single “Modern Demon”, after their 2019’s “One Fire” album.

Andy LaPlegua comments on the new song: “Modern Demon” is about the path we are on as humans, and how it makes us inhuman. Trading a life worth living, for a life of convenience. Most of all, it’s a killer track written by me and Elliot Berlin, and I can’t wait to crush the stage with it this summer!”

You can watch the new Combichrist lyric video for “Modern Demon” right below. Combichrist was formed in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua, who also founded the bands Icon of Coil, Panzer AG, Scandinavian Cock and Scandy. Combichrist is now based in Oak Hill, Florida. The band consists of only LaPlegua in the studio, with a changing lineup of live performing members.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Photo: picture alliance/dpa, Alexander Prautzsch

After a two years break, due to Covid-19, the annual Wave-Gotik-Treffen 2022 (29th edition) will take place from 3rd-6th June in the Agra-Halle and surrounded area of Leipzig, Germany.

WGT focuses especially on the gothic, (steam)punk, new wave, electro, EBM, industrial and medieval music and (sub)culture. It is a total-concept world festival including concerts, renaissance fairs, viking and pagan markets, exhibitions, CD/DVD and film premieres, lectures, artist signing events, fetish events, and (late-night) parties.

Approximately 200 artists are on the list, spread over more than 50 locations and the festival has about 20.000 visitors. As usual a lot of names out of the dark scene will play WGT: Lacrimosa, IAMX, Clan of Xymox, Combichrist, Rabia Sorda, Corvus Corax, VNV Nation, Orange Sector, Tanzwut, Xotox, Eisfabrik, Unzucht, Nachtblut, NNHMN, Linea Aspera, Minuit Machine, Dark, Fïx8:Sëd8, Letzte Instanz, Nosferatu, …

Tickets for WGT soon can be ordered here (entrance tickets purchased in the years 2020 or 2021 remain valid for the WGT 2022).

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Industrial-Trance, Techno-Body Music.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Neuroklast is a new German project set up by Kay S. (previously involved in Chainreactor) and Markus H. (previously involved in Readjust and Fractal Age). Their debut full length was released in December 2021.

Content: Neuroklast brings different, but related music influences together. It’s a solid sonic cocktail mixing Industrial-, Techno-Body- and Trance music together. The songs are dark and whipping up featuring robotic/pitched vocal samples. The songs are carried by heavy electronic blasts, driven by aggressive sequences and featuring melodic passages. A few tracks are also featured (sampled?) guitar riffs.

+ + + : Neuroklast isn’t innovating, but will appeal for lovers of Chainreactor, early Combichrist, Noisuf-X and related bands. The debut part of the album sounds powerful and ultra-danceable, but still reveals great songwriting. The last part is also fascinating for its empowered Trance influence and harsh sequences. We can’t speak about true vocal parts, but I like the robotic- fragmented- and pitched samplings -at least it all sounds like samplings.

– – – : Neuroklast doesn’t bring anything new and sounds a bit like a melting pot between different more famous projects, but it doesn’t take away it’s an interesting piece of music. It’s a pity the album isn’t available in physical format.

Conclusion: Pro Noize is the right and only home for Neuroklast revealing a true Electro osmosis between Industrial, EBM, Trance and Dark-Techno.

Best songs: “No Future”, “Corporations (Intro)”, “Chrome Monk”, “Beyond The Blackwall”, “Totentanz Pt 2”.

Rate: 8.

Listen to “Beyond The Blackwall”:

Artist: www.facebook.com/Neuroklast

Label: www.darkdimensions.de /  www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Dimensions-Label-Group/486014725206

About Neuroklast

Neuroklast is a German duo formed in 2020 by Kay Schäfer, credited as Kay S. and previously in Chainreactor and Epicarmina, and Markus Horschig, credited as Markus H. and previously in reAdjust and Fractal Age. The project name joins the Greek “neuro” and “-klast”, and its lyrics follow a science-fiction storyline in which corporations replace governments.

Pro Noize, part of the Dark Dimensions Label Group, released the fifteen-track debut album “Beyond The Blackwall” on 3 December 2021 and the CD “Streetkid” in 2022, followed by the EP “Digital Ascension” in 2023. The duo then moved on to the EP “Empyrean : Oblivion” (Hybrid Blak, 2024), the darkTunes Music Group singles “Ruina” and “Ignite” in 2024, and the album “Hellfire” on darkTunes Music Group in 2026.

Neuroklast has played WGT, Resistanz and SSM, and has remixed material for Freakangel and others. Side-Line published the Click Interview with Neuroklast in April 2023.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Combichrist have revealed a new single and music video for the track “Compliance”. This is their second new single since 2019’s “One Fire” album. The first single “Not my enemy” was released earlier this year.

In other news, Elliott Berlin has rejoined the band as a recording and touring member. In addition, the first official solo album will be released under the name LaPlegua – containing some songs that were originally destined for a third Panzer AG album. The first single, “I Will Heal” was released online in February 2021, with the post-punk/goth rock album originally planned for a Summer release. New material from Icon Of Coil is also in the works, as is a new project of viking techno which will come out under the name HDLGIR.

You can watch the new Combichrist video below.

Combichrist was formed in 2003 by the Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua, who also founded the bands Icon of Coil, Panzer AG, Scandinavian Cock and Scandy. Combichrist is now based in Englewood, Tennessee and consists of mostly LaPlegua in the studio, with a changing lineup of live performing members.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: Minimal-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Clicks is back on track, unleashing the second full length album of the Polish project, which comes five years after the phenomenal “Glitch_Machine” (according to me the best Electronic album of 2016). The band is still driven by ex-Controlled Collapse frontman Kr-Lik.

Content: The title of the album is somewhat misleading as Clicks remain driven by pure Electronic music. It’s a kind of avant-garde EBM format based upon blasting sound treatments and solid bass lines. Most of the vocals are rather clear, but still getting back to some robotic effect we got used to hearing on the debut opus. From pure modern EBM towards Minimal-Electro, Clicks have seriously evolved in sound, but the result is still unique in its genre.

+ + + : Clicks took time to achieve its debut album and I think it hasn’t been that different for “G.O.T.H.”. It’s not a copy-paste of “Glitch_Machine”, but a band in progress. The songs are carried by impressive sound treatments and some mind-blowing bass lines. The songs are progressively built up and often resulting in a true climax by the choruses. Just as for the previous album, nearly all songs are worthy of examination. There are several potential hits and EP/Single title songs featured. The sound intelligence and sophistication of the global production reminds me of the shock I heard discovering early Combichrist and Komor Kommando; simply an impressive sound and top notch production! 

– – – : I don’t see any single minus point here, but I simply can’t understand why Clicks didn’t get more recognition. This project comes close to perfection!

Conclusion: If you’re in search of intelligent, efficient and visionary Electronic music, you better purchase this album touched by the genius of music Gods!

Best songs: “Clicks. Dead”, “Mr. Nevergonnabe”, “Past Of My Past”, “First World Problems”, “Thermostimportantperson”, “Every Bloated Muscle”, “Connection”.

Rate: 9½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/clicks.music

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records

About Clicks

Clicks is a Polish electronic project led by Wojciech Król, who records as Kr-Lik and previously fronted the electro-industrial band Controlled Collapse. Discogs lists Łukasz Klaus and Tomtylor as further members. Król also worked as a producer and remixer for Polish acts such as Agonised By Love and Deathcamp Project in the late 2000s.

Clicks issued the digital singles “This Is Jeopardy” (2012) and “Oh Lord” (2013) on Machineries and appeared on the Dependent samplers “Septic IX” and several “Dependence” compilations. In May 2015 Side-Line reported that Dependent sign Polish trio Clicks; the debut album “Glitch_Machine” followed in 2016 on CD and as a limited 2CD box set and was reviewed on Side-Line in March 2016.

“G.O.T.H.” was released on 16 April 2021 on CD and as a download by Dependent. Król wrote, produced, programmed and mixed the thirteen tracks; Vincent Uhlig mastered the album and Nico J. made the artwork, which comes with an interchangeable double-sided cover. The Dependent notes describe the title and the goth-styled cover as a deliberate joke, set up by the pre-release video for “I Dream”. The same year the project self-released the limited 12″ single “The Party” and the digital single “Dropdead”. “G.O.T.H.” is the second Clicks album.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Projekt Records is gearing up to release a name-your-price single from the Brooklyn, New York based goth/darkwave act Abbey Death on July 27 via Bandcamp. The single will be called “Death is for the Living” and will feature Addam Robert Paul.

Valerie Abbey explains the title: “It’s been a year of deaths and close calls. However, only the survivors hear about it. I heard a friend say ‘Death is for the Living’ in regards to the news reporting lots of deaths as a way to grab our attention. It all grew so frustrating! To balance this, I started writing this brooding-abrasive yet chilly romanticized track to give a traditional dark intensity back to the meaning of death in a remote, stylistic statement.”

Abbey Death has been active since 2014 and consists of husband-and-wife duo Valerie Abbey (Valerie Gentile) and Abbey Nex. In the project they used their past experiences in Combichrist, The Cruxshadows, Psyclon Nine, Angelspit, Genitorturers, and Black Tape For A Blue Girl. The debut EP “Realignment” was released in 2016. After that they collaborated with Sevin VII (Columbine) on the 2016 single “The Veil”, released their sophomore EP “Ethos” in 2018, and covered Phil Collins’ “Land of Confusion” in 2020.

The new single features guest vocalist Addam Robert Paul of ritual industrial band TheDestructPrinciple.

Check out the band’s other singles.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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While the Italian dark electro act Synapsyche are currently locked in the studio to record all new material, the band’s label Alfa Matrix has re-released the band’s 2016 album “The Abyss Effect” with a bonus track, a rather surprising cover of Moby’s hit “Lift Me Up”.

The reissued album is available on Bandcamp and all other platforms such as Spotify.

Originally released on May 13th 2016, “The Abyss Effect” is the trademark album for Synapsyche offering their by now well known mix of dark electro and harsh EBM. Included are such tracks as “We All Suck”, “Venereal”, “The Flesh Party” and the hit single, “Hate And Psyche”.

The album will certainly please the fans of Combichrist, Alien Vampires or yet Suicide Commando.

You can check out the album below on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

While the Italian dark electro act Synapsyche are currently locked in the studio to record all new material, the band’s label Alfa Matrix has re-released the band’s 2016 album “The Abyss Effect” with a bonus track, a rather surprising cover of Moby’s hit “Lift Me Up”.

The reissued album is available only on Bandcamp for now.

Originally released on May 13th 2016, “The Abyss Effect” is the trademark album for Synapsyche offering their by now well known mix of dark electro and harsh EBM. Included are such tracks as “We All Suck”, “Venereal”, “The Flesh Party” and the hit single, “Hate And Psyche”.

The album will certainly please the fans of Combichrist, Alien Vampires or yet Suicide Commando.

You can check out the album below, right now exclusively available on Bandcamp, later on on other platforms.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Metropolis Records was set up in 1994 by Dave Heckman. In no time the American label became a truly reference when it comes to Electronic and Industrial music. The label licensed –and still does, European productions, but also signed new artists. Among the Metropolis roster you’ll find bands as VNV Nation, Front 242, Front Line Assembly, Wumpsuct, Project Pitchfork, Juno Reactor, Assemblage 23, The Birthday Massacre, KMFDM, Numb, Haujobb, Leather Strip, Apoptygma Berzerk, Velvet Acid Christ, God Module, Covenant, Informatik and many, many more

(Stéphane Froidcoeur / Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Was there a kind of ‘philosophy’ when you set up your label and did it evolve over the years? How would you define your label activities today?

Dave: No philosophy per se. It was just something I wanted to do for a living, so I needed to go about things in a very professional manner and always stay focused on that goal.

I am going to presume you mean label activities as compared to my activities at the label, although I will go into both.

The first step is to find the talent and that has always been my job. I am the owner and the A&R guy. Then, of course, a deal needs to be worked out and again that has always been my job too.

After a deal is done, we have to assemble the assets for the release such as artwork, photos, masters, videos, and publishing information. This is all needed to setup the releases with our worldwide distributors and to manufacture the albums themselves.

Then comes promotion. Retail, club, radio, video, press, touring, social media, etc. A lot of this is done internally, but sometimes we hire outside companies, particularly for video, radio, press, and booking tours.

Finally, the royalty statements need to be processed and payments made. A tedious and important part of the business.

So, believe it or not, as much as the industry has changed, the setup and promotion is really quite similar to what it was years ago. The revenue just comes from different sources.

Q: I can imagine you must have specific and explicit criteria to sign an artist/band. Can you give us more details about this aspect and how important is it for you to know the person(s) hiding behind the ‘artist(s)’?

Dave: Not really. In general, I sign bands I like and there is no particular sound I am looking for. I cannot really tell you why I liked Numb or Project Pitchfork, I just did. When it comes to art, whether music, film, or paintings I cannot tell you why I like what I do. In some way it has to move me.

That said, I do have a tendency to like or lean towards things dark, edgy, and innovative. Some of the bands that I was interested in were never signed, because we could not come to an agreement. Sometimes the bands had higher expectations than I did and the advance they wanted was too large or we had different ideas on promotional aspects of a campaign.

Metropolis has released over 1200 albums with over 200 different artists, so I did not get to meet and know everyone. In the beginning I just licensed from a few European labels like Zoth Ommog, KK Records and Hyperium. So, my relationships were with my licensing partners. However, as things progressed and we brought the bands over to tour and I went overseas to festivals and conferences and finally met these artists, my relationships with them developed. Always liked to travel and visit the artists where they lived and liked hanging out with them during and after shows. As we got to know each other better it just made everything smoother.

Q: You are already active for numerous years now so you must have seen a lot of things changing and evolving; think about social media, streaming platforms, Youtube channels… but also economic crisis etc. What are the pros and cons of these changes/evolutions and in, which way did you had to adapt/change your strategy and activities?

Dave: The biggest change was the death of retail record stores. That was how I started consuming music as a 10 year old kid. I mean I just did not go there to buy music, but to discover it. The cool stores played cool music and I also would just go through the record bins to find something new that caught my eye. Retail was still a force in music in the 90’s, but went really downhill after 2002 or so. As I mentioned above, retail promotion was important, but now it is almost gone.

So, of course digital comes along and I knew tons of artists and labels that were vehemently opposed to the format. Don’t get me wrong I thought 128 bit rate MP3 played on a computer sucked compared to a Compact Disc on a good stereo system. However, that is the way people wanted to consume, so we sold digital downloads.

At present, hardly anyone buys downloads and streaming revenue is going through the roof. Of course, I have artists complaining about this. More arguments / discussions with artists about streaming than any other industry issue, but it has saved the industry not destroyed it. Illegal downloads and CD burning where the real culprits.

Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Prime, Deezer, Pandora are great platforms. However, YouTube sucks. They pay a fraction of what everyone else does, but people are complaining about Spotify instead of them. That I do not understand.

The bottom line is to adapt fast to a changing industry.

The benefit of the digital world is the massive savings on manufacturing, storage, and shipping, which of course is also good for the environment.

As far as the economic downturn, we go through these all the time and readjust.

Q: The ongoing pandemic has affected all artistic life and activities so what’s the true impact on your label activities and do you think it will also affect your long term objectives?

Dave: The pandemic has hurt the industry considerably. We had a dozen tours lined up for last spring including Lords Of Acid, Clan Of Xymox, KMFDM, Front Line Assembly, The Birthday Massacre, and many more. All cancelled and the bands lost money to varying degrees. However, the recorded music industry saw their revenue grow since almost everything is digital or online even including physical sales. In the long run and this intermediate period, nothing will change much, people will go back to their old habits for the most part.

Q: Do you think media (magazines, online platforms etc…) still have an impact and a role to play today? What’s your relationship with ‘journalists’ and how important is their work?

Dave: Yes, that medium is still important. All promotional activity counts. You have to spread the word around wherever you can. However, I really cannot comment on my relationship with the journalists as I never really had one. I am talking about me, not the label. Publicity and press is one of the few things I have always delegated to someone else.

Q: What do you consider as your biggest accomplishment(s)? Do you have specific goals/dreams you want to achieve and how do you prepare and see the future of the label(s)? And what are your biggest regret(s)?

Dave: Even though I eventually worked with some big names in the industry what I liked most was taking bands that were once small and introduce them to the scene, promoting them and then selling reasonable amounts of records for them. Covenant, Haujobb, Velvet Acid Christ, Wumpscut, Combichrist, Apoptygma Berzerk, And One, Assemblage 23 were all selling just a couple thousand copies and eventually sold 20,000 to 50,000 albums in North America alone. These are good numbers for alternative music. VNV Nation sold even much more than that. Just to put it in perspective only one in a hundred artists sold over 10,000 copies back then no matter what the genre.

I have met my goals. As I mentioned I wanted to do this for a living and I did. Also, Metropolis has a good brand name and I got to meet a lot of great artists who are now my friends. I wish I could have pushed the boundaries more and could have done more outside the Goth / Industrial genre. However, that did not work out that well except with the a few bands like Mindless Self Indulgence and Electric Six.

I am content with the label’s accomplishments. The label is 27 years old and I was well into my thirties when I started in the music business. So, we will continue to do what we do and improve where we can, remembering that adopting to change is important.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Wave, Industrial.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Set up in 2016 by Livio Caenazzo (voice, guitars, programming) and Daniele Iannacone (keyboards, programming) the Italian duo Sun’s Spectrum self-released their self-titled debut work in 2019. They next joined hands together with FinalMuzik to unleash this official debut album at the end of 2020. “Don’t Chase The Light” features new songs plus tracks that were released at their self-titled debut.

Content: The album features two parts; the first one consisting of the new songs plus updated versions of two older songs and the second one featuring four songs from their self-released debut. It’s not an easy thing defining the sound of this Italian duo. There clearly is something Electro-Wave running through the songs, but there are also harder Industrial elements mixed with Techno sounds. One of the songs (cf. “Just A Destiny – Update Mix” perfectly illustrates the sound and approach of the duo; a bass line reminding me of The Cure mixed with Electronic sound treatments featuring Acid sequences. Other heavier passages are even reminding me of early Combichrist with some extra Pop on top. Most of the songs are featuring male-female vocals, often resulting in a pure complementary production.

+ + + : I can’t say this band is setting the Electronic music universe alight, but the production has something refreshing and clearly revealing a true creative process. First there’s a great production of the vocals, featuring multiple irresistible duos. The female vocals inject a sensual touch while the make vocals have something charismatic. Next there’s the global sound production carried by impressive, heavy Electronic arrangements and monstrous sound treatments plus empowering guitar riffs. The work finally sounds as the offspring between power and sensuality. There are numerous noticeable songs featured, but I’ve a preference for the harsh “Elevate – Update Mix”, “Just A Destiny – Update Mix” and the sexy opener “Intrusion”. 

– – – : It’s hard to label this band, which rather appears to be an offspring between multiple music genres.

Conclusion: If you want to discover an original, but still a great and talented band, you better try this sublime album!

Best songs: “Elevate – Update Mix”, “Just A Destiny – Update Mix”, “Intrusion”, Every Word Is A Lie”, “Lucent”. 

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/SunsSpectrum

Label: www.finalmuzik.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Final-Muzik/85814529244

About Sun’s Spectrum

Sun’s Spectrum is an Italian duo from Udine formed by Livio Caenazzo (vocals, guitars, programming) and Daniele Iannacone (keyboards, programming), per the band’s own Bandcamp credits. Discogs lists a self-titled 2019 debut, followed by “Don’t Chase The Light” (2020), which combines new material with reworked tracks from that first release and features guest female vocals from Deborah Fratini and Giulia Ossena.

The duo discussed the album in a June 2021 Click Interview and returned in 2023 with “The Silence After The Fall” on Cold Transmission Music, later featured in Side-Line’s Top 25 albums of the year 2023.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

The ‘Electrostorm’-sampler is back. On volume 9 Out Of Line unifies the best of its dark electronic acts on one CD including 17 partly brand-new and exclusive tracks (new songs, limited remixes, and rarities). The sampler also holds 2 newcomers on the label, namely Kiberspassk and Yellow Lazarus.

Here is the video of the new Kiberspassk track “Derevna”.

Tracklist:

1. Solar Fake “I Despise You”
2. Too Dead To Die “Tropical Gothic”
3. Blutengel “Wir Sind Unsterblich”
4. Ashbury Heights “Wild Eyes (feat. Madil Hardis)”
5. Solitary Experiments “The Struggle (Midnight Resistance Remix)”
6. Blutengel+Hocico “Obscured (Club Version by Hocico)”
7. Suicide Commando “Bunkerb!tch”
8. Amduscia “Just Feel And Enjoy”
9. Dive “Death Machine”
10. Kiberspassk “Derevna”
11. Yellow Lazarus “Vicious Memories”
12. Massive Ego “Digital Heroin”
13. She Hates Emotions “Don’t Leave Me”
14. Rummelsnuff “Interkosmos”
15. Hocico “Cross The Line (Remixed by Zardonic)”
16. Combichrist “Last Days Under The Sun (Fear Of Domination Remix)”
17. Ost+Front “Sex, Schnaps und Gewalt (Dickpik Remix by Yellow Lazarus)”

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Released originally In September last year, industrial bass upstart Moris Blak delivers a dance floor remix of the Danny Blu track here.

“Sanctuary”. You can check out the remix

Hailing from New York City, Danny Blu offers music which is influenced by industrial, goth, dark-wave, and 90’s alternative rock and pop music. Performing as Danny Blu since 2011, by 2015, he formed the glam pop-rock band Echo Black and toured the US and Canada, opening for The Birthday Massacre, Combichrist, Genitorturers, MXMS and Skold. He also independently released the band’s first album, “Dawn”, in 2017 with the help of a successful IndieGogo campaign.

In summer 2019, Danny Blu re-emerged with a new dark pop sound and released his first solo single in over 4 years titled, “Bubble”. Blu later premiered the music video with Billboard Pride.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, cassette.

Background/Info: Two years after the successful “Be A Light”-EP Zwaremachine strikes back with new songs. It also is the first work released by Brutal Resonance, which we all know as online magazine devoted to EBM, dark-electro, industrial and related styles. ‘Match FoX’ brings us five new tracks plus an extra remix on the digital edit.

Content: I was already convinced after the previous “Be A Light”-work, but Zwaremachine moves a step further at this new work. The songs are all driven by solid EBM bass lines while carried by pumping kicks and great sound arrangements. The vocals are rough, expressing anger and rage, which is totally fitting with this kind of production. Zwaremachine remains devoted to early EBM productions, but with this extra and empowering, contemporary touch on top. The songs sometimes make me think to a hybrid between early Frontline Assembly and the rage of early Combichrist. Notice by the way the digital edit is featuring an “Alternative Mix” of the title song;

+ + + : All songs are carried by impressive EBM-like bass lines. They inject a phenomenal power into the work, which is joined by heavy, pumping beats and detailed sound arrangements. Zwaremachine doesn’t only create enraged music, but the production is also sophisticated and totally accomplished. The title track is an absolute masterpiece, but “What We Are” is even better. I also have to mention “Resist” and “New Design” featuring the same ingredients and dense sound layers. Zwaremachine is much more than only power, it also is a project with a meticulous approach. 

– – – : I think the only single aspect of the work that could be improved – although it’s not exactly a point, is the vocals’ production. I think the way of singing is maybe a little less too linear.

Conclusion: “Ripping At The Fabric” is a brilliant sonic exposure from an artist the dark-electro community can better keep an eye on!

Best songs: “What We Are”, “Ripping At The Fabric”, “Resist”, “New Design”.

Rate: (8½).

Artist: www.zwaremachine.band / www.facebook.com/zwaremachine

Label: https://brutalresonance.com / www.facebook.com/brutalresonance

About Zwaremachine

Zwaremachine debuted with the album “Be A Light” in April 2018. “Ripping At The Fabric” followed as the project’s next EP, the first release for Brutal Resonance‘s label arm, ahead of the second full length “Conquest 3000” in July 2021. The band later returned to performing as a trio of Mach FoX, Dbot and Dein Officer.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences:  Industrial-metal, crossover. 

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: The title of the Italian combo The Silverblack is clearly inspired by the Holy Bible. “Prototype 6:17” is the band’s fourth official album and the second one released on darkTunes.

Content: This band clearly knows the receipt to mix metal- and industrial music together. The electronic structures are mixed with furious guitar riffs creating a rather melodic, but heavy and doom-like sound universe. The production of the vocals sounds pretty metal-minded as well, most of the parts being rather shouted than sung. You also will notice female backings. This band seems to have found its inspiration in the work of Combichrist and related formations.

+ + + : Is this metal music for electro-lovers or a way for metal addicts to get more familiar with electronics? The answer is probably somewhere in between, but The Silverblack perfectly knows to join both influences together. Industrial-metal simply is the offspring between both styles and this is a talented band in the genre. The main strength of the work emerges from the carrying choruses revealing great melody lines. The guitar play gets the work hard and powerful. The last song is an instrumental piece, which also is my favorite one.

– – – : This kind of production however remains a challenge; too metal-like for electro heads and too electronic for metal purists!

Conclusion: The title of the album might have a biblical connection; the content definitely sounds as a demonic expression!     

Best songs: “Revelation 6:17”, “Insurrection”, “The Ghostwalker”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.thesilverblack.com / www.facebook.com/thesilverblack

Label: www.darktunes.com / www.facebook.com/darkTunesMusic

About The Silverblack

The Silverblack is the Italian industrial metal act of multi-instrumentalist and producer Alessio “NeroArgento” Neroargento and vocalist Claudio Ravinale, later joined by Ivan King, Rob Gaia and performer Nisha Sara. The band released its self-titled debut album in 2014 via AExeron Media/FiXT. Following “Prototype 6:17” (2019), the band postponed a follow-up album in 2020 but released an acoustic EP and the single “Retaliation”, before returning in 2024 with the title track of the album “Serenades Of Hate”.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Crossover, industrial, dark-electro. 

Background/Info: Canadian formation Nitro/Noise gained some recognition releasing a few EP’s and three albums on Deathwatch Asia and Digital World Audio. After a hiatus of a few years they now joined hands with major company Trisol to unleash this new EP featuring four songs. 

Content: After a rather orchestral-sounding intro, Nitro/Noise reveal a merciless, heavy electro-industrial-metal sound. There’s a perfect twist between guitar and dark-electronics with enraged vocal parts on top. “Love Hate Love” and “I Won’t Back Down” both stands for powerful compositions announcing the return of this formation.  

+ + + : I like EP’s featuring different songs and without any single remix. And the least I can say is that the songs blew me away. There’s such an overwhelming power emerging from the songs that you can’t remain unmoved. Nitro/Noise has found the right balance between menacing guitar riffs and icy electronics. The EP features two master cuts, but especially “Love Hate Love” is a brilliant piece of sonic madness. 

– – – : The opening song, which is a kind of intro-cut is the single song that can’t totally convince although it creates a particular, freaky atmosphere. 

Conclusion: I don’t want to compare Nitro/Noise with any other formation, but I can easily imagine this is the kind of EP that will appeal to Combichrist fans. 

Best songs: “Love Hate Love”, “I Won’t Back Down”. 

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/nitronoisemusic 

Label: www.trisol.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Trisol-Music-Group/104166526285471 

About Nitro/Noise

Nitro/Noise is a Canadian formation that released its debut album, “Total Nihilism”, in 2012, followed two years later by “No Cure For Apocalypse”, which came out alongside the band’s first European tour. “Censorsh!t – The Remixes” arrived in 2015, an eight-track companion EP gathering remixes from Zardonic, Dope Stars Inc., Faderhead, Rotersand, Raimon and Seraphim System, pressed on a limited vinyl edition with artwork by Estonian artist Darius Alas.

After a few quiet years, Nitro/Noise signed to Trisol for “NN: Echoes”.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

(Interview / photo by Eldrina Mich) While the charity download compilation “Face The Beat: Session 5” is still reigning the charts on Bandcamp, we decided it was time again to speak with Bernard Van Isacker, the brain behind this compilation. He is also Side-Line’s chief editor and resides with his family (and 2 cats) in Ypres, a small town nearby the French border in what’s called the Westhoek or Maritime Flanders. During the First World War, Ypres (or “Wipers” as it was commonly known by the British troops) was the centre of the Battles of Ypres between German and Allied forces, nowadays it’s a bit calmer.

I meet Bernard on a cold Friday evening at The Times, a small pub on the border of the Ypres market square.

SL: The previous interview was in June of 2015 when the 2nd volume of “Face The Beat” had just been released. It’s like yesterday!

B: Time flies very fast indeed. Good to see you are still looking great (laughs)!

SL: The compilation has been doing quite well since its launch, it went straight to the number 1 spots on Bandcamp in the alternative, industrial and goth charts.

B: Yeps, and it even was the 2nd most downloaded release on Bandcamp the day of its release, so yes, quite spectacular. It’s not really a surprise though, all of the volumes kept on being downloaded ever since the project started and I kept getting questions when the new volume would be released. But most importantly, I think we have a very strong list of tracks on this volume.

Next to that, the power of Bandcamp has become very clear here. The moment the new volume was launched Bandcamp’s notification system sent out a huge blast to a massive amount of people informing them and as a result you saw the release climbing very fast in the charts.

SL: I don’t know of any other scene compilation which has succeeded charting that fast and so high on Bandcamp?

B: Me neither (smiles). I have already been asked by a lot of people from inside the music industry how this is possible with a compilation that doesn’t feature the biggest names from this scene like Front 242, VNV Nation, etc.. But it’s especially the fact they can discover new and less wellknown bands that makes people wanting to get hold of it. Speaking of which, I especially want to thank Raphael Beck (darkTunes), Andy Skyqode (Skyqode) and Seba Dolimont (Alfa Matrix) who have been good allies in the past few years – and again this time – in getting the series up and running. They have valued the series since day 1 and I really appreciate that.

SL: Was the start so difficult?

B: When I started with this series a few years ago, in 2011 that is, not many labels believed in the concept, some did like the ones I mentioned earlier. The hesitation was mainly because I decided to feature a lot of smaller and starting bands. For me that was THE reason to do it that way because this is actually the core idea behind Side-Line since day one: being an indie magazine that is a platform for bands to get noticed, unknown and known, starters and established acts. Since the start of the series, the influx of submissions for the compilation never stopped, a lot of bands want to be on it and especially those who stand behind the charity causes that we support.

SL: It took you a while to come up with this 5th volume, I think I have seen some preliminary cover artwork some 2 years ago already?

B: Yes (smiles). It would initially have been released in early 2018, but something came up in mid-2017 that jeopardized the whole project. Let’s say that some mainstream label thought they could just harass us in taking over the concept. It kept on causing problems till mid-2018. I won’t say more about this, suffices to say, we won, they lost (smiles). The first cover artwork you refer too (Editor’s note: you can see it below) was made in November 2017 during a stay in France, at Le Mont Saint-Michel, together with my wife and newborn son Magnus.

SL: The cover artwork produced at that occasion had ‘the final side-line’ as subline? What was the meaning of that?

B: Back then I was really doubting if I would go on with the magazine or not. So that artwork would have been my final word on the matter.

Sorry I didn’t inform the rest of the team, but it was really on my mind to pull the plug. It isn’t all that unlogical, it takes lots of time to keep this doing and with a new baby in the family, I wasn’t sure to be able to handle this all. My other ‘companion de route’, Stef, also has had his fair share of not so pleasant news, so the toxic mix was there and it played around for a while…

I think we all have those difficult moments when there’s too much going on. Plus, and that’s on a personal level, often you don’t really get any ‘thank you’ back for all of the work that you do, and I’m not only talking about Side-Line or so. When you do a lot of (mostly unpaid) work for very little return on several levels, it starts nagging.

Then in February 2018 I was in Oslo with my wife and I visited Jan Ronald Stange, our local correspondent there. We have gotten along really well since meeting I think in 2010 and when I’m in the Nordics I always try to pay him a visit. And believe it or not, his enthusiasm is kinda infectious (laughs). My wife also noticed that, and said something like: “It’s time you get the same enthusiasm like Jan in your work again”. That made me thinking… Anyhow, here we are (smiles).

As a result I binned the first cover artwork idea and went for a completely new approach. But it was only last month after visiting Maastricht in The Netherlands together with my oldest son Sebastian that I found the perfect artwork idea. I saw this great bronze lion face on a big door, watched it closely, took a picture and in the hotel I started playing with some ideas. I sent those to Simon Helm from Cold War Night Life to ask his opinion and we picked the final one.

SL: Why Simon?

B: Long story cut really short. I knew Simon was behind Cold War Night Life, and one thing led to another and I got to meet him a few months ago when he was in Brussels. Jean-Marc Lederman told me he was a decent guy so the more reason to meet up. We ended up talking for hours in a small restaurant, the Arcadi in case you wonder, about all kind of things. And Simon got to learn to eat Stoemp with saussage, a typical dish from Brussels (laughs)! Cool intelligent guy he is with a clear view on a lot of things. I like straightforward people and he for sure is one. On top we kinda share the same humor, something really important. Simon also has been writing some stuff for Side-Line since then. I trust him and value his feedback, hence why I asked for his feedback.

SL: In the press release for this compilation it’s noted that the release is by far the darkest you ever compiled. I tend to agree with this. Personally, it reminded me of “040 Hamburg Strikes Back!”, the compilation released by the defunct label Hypnobeat in 1992.

B: I love that compilation! For me it was the first time I got to hear from Fortification 55, the band formed by Björn Petersen and Jan Kruse. They made some great albums back in the days. Thanks for the compliment, it was really that feeling that I had when going through the selection here!

SL: I noticed you also had a megamix prepared to promote this release, how did that come about?

B: I actually hadn’t prepared this at all. It was pure coïncidence. Shane Aungst, who made the megamix, contacted me a few days after the release was out saying he had picked 20 something tracks of the compilation to create a megamix. It turned out to be one that was 1 hour, 33 minutes and 21 seconds in length featuring 23 tracks and the quality was excellent! After mailing back and forth I created a cover for the megamix and Shane edited the megamix into 2 because Bandcamp was unable to feature the full length in one cut. Perhaps they should increase the 600 MB limit when you want to release a megamix (smiles).

It’s a nice extra on which Shane has been working for hours. We plan an interview with him in the next days actually.

SL: Something else. You informed us a few weeks ago that Side-Line had opened a channel on the mobile app Telegram?

B: Yes, that’s correct. The reason behind this is that Facebook is more and more becoming a no-go for indie news discovery. I for instance use Twitter a lot more for my news digestion, because Facebook really is rubbish at getting decent news in my feed even though I follow some really good sources. At Side-Line we could easily write clickbait articles that would get spread a lot. But that’s not what I want, and on top the team really wants to continue bringing news about smaller bands. But that’s not what Facebook wants, so it deliberately doesn’t push those newsitems to our readers since the ‘engagement’ is lower.

Facebook is really becoming a graveyard as far as non-commercial news is concerned. Unless you pay and even then. I don’t expect Facebook to get any better, on the contrary, it will get worse, because the shareholders will want more and more. Facebook can only deliver this by squeezing more and more money out of our pocket. And with their Libra project becoming a nightmare, you can be sure we the publishers all will have to pay for it (laughs)!

You know, Facebook has censored a ton of our articles because they didn’t like the artwork used by the band’s featured. Rammstein, Apoptygma Berzerk, Siva Six, Alien Vampires, Combichrist, articles from all of these bands and many more were simply censored and banned from the network … pretty frustrating.

SL: So Telegram is the way to go?

B: Yes. The service offers you the possibility to send out newsupdates to an unlimited number of people in one go without it being stopped, hidden away or censored even. I prefer this kind of news updates where I chose what I want to get.

People can join us on Telegram via this link https://t.me/sidelinemag (install the app as well, on desktop or mobile) and they will get our news first before it gets posted on Facebook. The good thing is that the channel is ad free. You just get our news and you can leave a like or dislike, and that’s where the comparison with Facebook ends. I’m personally also using Telegram a lot more to connect with people instead of Whatsapp. If you haven’t got an account yet, make sure to sign up!

SL: What’s coming up next?

B: As far as Side-Line is concerned I’m working on a few projects, but it’s too early to announce anything yet.

SL: Last question, what keeps you busy besides Side-Line?

B: Ha, a lot of things, too many things really. Besides my daytime job as a social media marketeer and CRM responsible at the Belgian branch of a multinational, and running 2 small holiday houses, I’m still heavily involved in Alfa Matrix, Bob De Moor, collecting original drawings by comic masters and a lot of local ‘policy work’, the latter is often draining a lot of my patience (laughs). I also have started running to stay fit. Every 2 days I try to do my 5 kilometers, early in the morning before having a breakfast at the local Panos, which opens at around 5.30 AM. It’s a perfect way to start the day with fresh energy I must say.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, electro-metal.

Background/Info: Combichrist once started as a solo- and side-project of Icon Of Coil singer Andy La Plegua. There where the early work sounded rough and electro-industrial like Combichrist progressively started to explore different sonic paths. Andy started to work with other members and the songs became driven by guitar. “One Fire” is the ninth full length for the Norwegian artist who’s now based in the USA. “One Fire” is available in different formats (CD, digital, vinyl) and also in a limited edition box set featuring a bonus CD with extra songs plus another CD with remixes.

Content: “On Fire” is a work, which perfectly summarize the career and move in influences from the early electro productions towards the merciless, metal driven works. It all started with the heavy and metal-side of the band, which sometimes moves on the edge of hardcore at “Guns At Last Dawn” featuring Fear Factory singer Burton C. Bell. It progressively moves towards the ‘roots’ of the band with some pure electro-driven cuts. You also will recognize the cover version of Dead Kennedys “California Über Alles” and the more epic-industrial chanson-like “Bottle Of Pain”.

+ + + : Combichrist is a band without limits. There’s no real compromise, but Andy La Plegua simply seems to do what he likes. That can only explain the diversity of the work, which is a truly sonic merge between real heavy metal-industrial cuts and great electronic songs. I’ve always been more into their harsh electro-approach revealed at “Last Days Under The Sun”,  “Lobotomy” and even the title song. But there’s also something to say about the harder metal-orientated songs and especially “Hate Like Me” and “Understand”. The Dead Kennedys cover version is pure fun and for sure a live-song.

– – – : “One Fire” is probably the most versatile work of the band, like mixing all different influences together. I’m not sure the electro-heads will like the metal-minded cuts while industrial/metal freaks will maybe not be ravished with the electro songs.

Conclusion: Combichrist remains a very unique experience, mixing different genres and songs all together on one album.

Best songs: “Last Days Under The Sun”, “Understand”, “One Fire”, “Hate Like Me”, “California Über Alles”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/combichrist

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel Read the news on ‘One Fire’.

About Combichrist

Combichrist is the industrial metal and aggrotech project built around Norwegian vocalist Andy La Plegua, who later relocated to the USA. The project’s fifth album, “Making Monsters”, followed “Today We Are All Demons” by nineteen months and arrived on Out Of Line in August 2010, with Metropolis Records handling the North American edition, as detailed in a Side-Line retrospective on the record.

“One Fire” followed as Combichrist’s ninth full length, continuing the project’s move from early electro-industrial material toward guitar-driven, metal-infused songwriting.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial-pop, EBM, dark-electro.

Background/Info: Daniel Graves and his creative exposure Aesthetic Perfection are back on track unleashing a new album, which the fans were waiting 4-5 years for.

Content: Is there a better way to open your album by featuring one of the Rammstein members? Richard Z. Kruspe has been invited to play guitar on “Gods & Gold”, which is a song also characterized by the charismatic and heavy vocals of Daniel Graves, which have been alternated by clear and softer passages. Aesthetic Perfection always has had something ‘schizophrenic’ in its sound; it’s a mix of different influences, which you can describe as the offspring between industrial-pop, EBM and dark-electro. Another important guest is Krischan Jan-Eric Wesenberg (Rotersand) while 4 songs feature ‘Jinxx’ (real name Jeremy Ferguson).

The songs reflect power and rage; furious and raw electronics with some pop arrangements on top.

+ + + : What I especially like in the work of Aesthetic Perfection is the originality. It’s not exactly about innovation, but a band with a proper sound mixing multiple influences. So in the end it’s nearly impossible to define, but it sounds powerful, enraged and accomplished with great sound treatments. There are some irresistible bass lines running through the album, but also brilliant, rough sequences and overwhelming leads. The guitar parts add some extra power to the work. There are several songs to mention, but I have a preference for “Saint Peter” where the sound treatments are just excelling.

– – – : I noticed a few songs, which couldn’t totally convince, especially the last one “Mourning Doves” with a more prominent guitar part..

Conclusion: If you never heard of Aesthetic Perfection before you might imagine hearing a hybrid between early Combichrist and IAMX. But in the end you’ll have to agree this is just Aesthetic Perfection and nothing else!

Best songs: “Saint Peter”, “Wickedness”, “No Boys Allowed”, “Echoes”.

Rate: (8).

Artist & Label: www.aesthetic–perfection.net / www.facebook.com/aestheticperfection

About Aesthetic Perfection

Aesthetic Perfection is the project of American musician Daniel Graves, who released its debut album “Close To Human” in 2005. Further albums followed with “A Violent Emotion” (2008), “The Devil’s In The Details” (2010), “All Beauty Destroyed” (2011) and “Love Like Lies” (2016).

“Into The Black” (2019) followed three years later. Aesthetic Perfection released the single and video “Villain Era” on August 7, 2026 via Out Of Line Music, previewing the project’s next full-length album.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

On 10th and 11th August 2019 the annual M’era-Luna festival takes place in the area of Hildesheim-Drispenstedt, Germany. M’era Luna exists since 2000 and is one of the biggest Gothic festivals in the European scene. Gothic, new wave, electro, EBM, industrial and medieval bands are featured on 2 stages.

The last years the festival was every time sold out and had about 25.000 visitors. This year some of the confirmed artists are: Fields Of The Nephilim, VNV Nation, Lacrimosa, OOMPH!, Deathstars, DIE KRUPPS, Within Temptation, ASP, Subway To Sally, Combichrist, Diary Of Dreams, Corvus Corax, Suicide Commando, Agonoize, Funker Vogt, Mono Inc., DE/VISION, Empathy Test, Joachim Witt, Spetsnaz, [:SITD:], Zeromancer, Melotron, …

DJ’s at the afterparties are: Der Schulz (Unzucht), Bruno Kramm (Das Ich), Chris L. (Funker Vogt and Agonoize), Andy Krüger (Melotron), Ronan Harris (VNV Nation), Mike Kanetzky (Matrix Bochum).

Besides watching concerts you can also visit markets, artist signing events, gothic fashion shows, readings by Axel Hildebrand, Markus Heitz and Christian von Aster. The Gothic Garden, an oasis of calm right in front of the festival infield, offers demanding festival-goers comfort, space and conveniences to make your stay more exclusive, pleasant and more relaxing. At the M’era Luna Academy you can follow special workshops which will be announced soon on the official renewed website.

The interactive M’era Luna app can be downloaded here and tickets can be ordered here.

Combichrist, the aggrotech/industrial metal band formed in 2003 by Norwegian vocalist Andy LaPlegua (Icon Of Coil, Pnazer AG, …), has 3 vinyl reissues coming out in a few weeks. Each album will be released on coloured double vinyl.

The first double vinyl re-release is from the 2003 album “The Joy of Gunz”. The album was Andy LaPlegua’s debut as Combichrist. You may expect the visuals to look something like this. Orders can be placed right here.

The next is the 2005 follow-up to “The Joy of Gunz”, titled “Everybody hates”. You may expect the visuals to look something like this. Orders can be placed right here.

The 3rd re-release is for “What the F*ck is Wrong With You People?”, originally released in 2007. You may expect the visuals to look something like this. Orders can be placed right here.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

“One Fire” is the title for the newest Combichrist album. The band’s ninth studio album will be released on 7th of June and offers cold industrial and heavy riffs melted together.

With this album Combichrist return to their roots and celebrate the sound that made them great. For the studio effort they were aided by Burton C. Bell (Fear Factory) who offered vocals on “Guns at last Dawn”.

Notable is the artwork as designed by Deka Sepdian (known by the fashion line Deathrod by singer Andy LaPlegua).

3 formats available

The new album comes in 3 different formats. First of all there’s a 2CD version (available right here) of which the tracklist of the bonus CD is still to be confirmed.

Next there’s a 3CD boxset (limited to 1000, hand-numbered units and available here) holding the double CD digipak plus an additional exclusive bonus remix-CD (of which the tracklist is also to be revealed shortly). Included in this 3CD set is also a solid metal key holder, a hipster bag and a certificate of authenticity.

Finally, there a 2LP vinyl (picture LP). You can order and view a preview of that vinyl set right here. Read the review of ‘One Fire’.

The visuals

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, dark-electro, future-pop, electro-pop, gothic, industrial-rock, industrial-metal.

Background/Info: The latest volume of the Out Of Line compilation “Awake The Machines” brings us 3 CD’s for a total of 45 artists.

Artists: Blutengel, Solar Fake, Rummelsnuff, Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio, Heimataerde, Rave The Reqviem, Fear Of Domination, Davey Suicide, Combichrist, Rabia Sorda, Ost-Front, Solitary Experiments, Melotron, Hocico, Signal Aout 42, Accessory, Dive, Suicide Commando, Amduscia ao.

Content: The first disc is the most eclectic one although more focalized around gothic-inspired formations. The second disc reveals the ‘newest’ direction of the label, which is inspired by metal-related formations. This is an opportunity to discover different bands that aren’t (or not yet) signed to Out Of Line. Finally we get the last disc revealing electronic bands that have made the name and reputation of Out Of Line.

+ + + : This new edition is quite fascinating for its diversity revealing a label, which has seriously enlarged its sonic horizon throughout the years, but especially during the past few years. The tracklist is impressive and confirms the leading status of the label. When a label has bands such as Blutengel, Suicide Commando, Hocico, Dive, Solitary Experiments, Ost-Front, Combichrist, Ordo Rosarius Equilbrio, Client ao flying under their wings you only, but agree this is a major company.

– – – : From a very personal point of view I’m not totally convinced by the metal direction of the label although it clearly will catch the attention of a wider -and different audience. But my main regret is that the familiar bands have been featured with known songs. I even noticed Angels & Agony with a song from 2015!
Conclusion: This is a colossal compilation, which is really interesting if you’re not that familiar with Out Of Line and/or simply you’re a die-hard fan of the Berlin-based label.
Best bands: Blutengel, The Ritualists, Heimataerde, Rave The Reqviem, Rabia Sorda, Solitary Experiments, Massive Ego, Chrom, Dive, Amduscia.

Rate: (7).

Label: www.outofline.de / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

About Out Of Line

Out Of Line is an electronic music label, mail-order service, and online shop covering Electro, EBM, Industrial, Gothic, and Dark Wave. Formerly based in Leipzig, Saxony, the label moved to Berlin in 2007.

“Awake The Machines Vol. 8,” reviewed here, is the eighth installment of the label’s flagship compilation series, gathering artists from across its roster, including Blutengel, Suicide Commando, Hocico, and Combichrist.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Background/Info:

Read the news on ‘Mirror Terror’.

About Synapsyche

Synapsyche is an Italian EBM/industrial duo of Stefano “Mannequinetik” and Marco “Katatronik” Mantovani, active since 2008. Following a self-released debut and “The Abyss Effect” (2016, SkyQode), the duo signed to Alfa Matrix. “Mirror Terror”, reviewed here, previewed the then-upcoming third album, “In Praise Of Folly”, released on Alfa Matrix in 2019. Synapsyche has continued on the label through later EPs and the 2024 album “Anti”.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Mortiis’ “Perfectly Defect” album, which was originally released as a time limited download album only in 2010 during the European comeback tour with fellow industrial stalwarts Combichrist (and which has since been unavailable), will be re-issued on the 1st of June 2018 via Mortiis’ own label Omnipresence Records. Pre-orders are available now from the band’s own webstore and as download via iTunes, Amazon or Google Play.

But attention, anyone who pre-orders the album directly from the Mortiis Webstore will also gain instant access to the full “The Perfect Reject” release, a free digital 11 song remix album containing reworked versions of songs from “Perfectly Defect”.

3 free tracks available for download

And to tease you already, Mortiis is already offering fans 3 free tracks from the “The Perfect Reject” remix album which can be accessed here.

“Perfectly Defect” will be released in the following vinyl editions:

• Necrotic Bone (bone white & brown) vinyl – limited to 100 copies, only available from the Mortiis webstore
• Classic Black vinyl – limited to 250 copies
• Bubonic Plague (swamp green & black splatter) vinyl – limited to 250 copies

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial-metal.

Background/Info: “Ex Machina” is the third album by Ecuadorian formation Bleeding Corp. Nearly 3 years after their previous work also released on Advoxya the band is back on track revealing 13 new songs. A limited edition of this work is also available featuring an extra disc with a few remixes.

Content: The previous album “Infected Sounds” hasn’t really convinced me so “Ex Machina” was a new introduction to the sonic universe of this band. I discovered a rather classical industrial-metal format revealing a mix of harsh and somewhat technoid electronics and heavy guitar riffs. The enraged vocals perfectly match with the sound brutality created by this band. Sometimes reminding me of Combichrist and sometimes moving on the edge of pure hard-core I have to admit this work took me by surprise.

+ + + : A serious improvement in the global writing and production happened and that’s why this album caught my attention. I like the raw electronics creating a great twist with the furious guitar playing. The song “Techno Satanic” is the ultimate cut of the album for its technoid approach mixed with pure metal influences. Bleeding Corp. definitely enlarges the sonic horizon of Advoxya and has definitely accomplished a great piece of music.

– – – : You don’t hear me complaining although it’s clear this band is not reinventing the industrial-metal style.

Conclusion: Bleeding Corp. and Advoxya both took me by surprise. The band has seriously improved different aspects of writing and production and Advoxya clearly appears to be more interested than only signing dark-electro and EBM acts.

Best songs: “Techno Satanic”, “A New Day”, “Party In Hell”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/Bleedingxcorp

Label: www.advoxya–records.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Advoxya–Records/265765706059

About Bleeding Corp.

Bleeding Corp. is the Ecuadorian industrial-metal project of David Andrade. The project debuted with “Out Of Control” in 2011, followed by “Capitol Drunk” on Engraved Ritual in 2012 and “Infected Sounds” on Advoxya Records in 2014.

“Ex Machina”, Bleeding Corp.’s third album for Advoxya Records, followed in 2017 with a limited edition adding a bonus remix disc. The project went on self-releasing albums through the following decade, including “La Nueva Era” (2018), “Virus” (2020) and “Inside I Die” (2024), before returning to Advoxya Records for “Requiem” in 2025.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Mortiis’ “Perfectly Defect” album (out of print since years) which was originally released in 2010 during the European comeback tour with fellow industrial act Combichrist will be re-issued this year in both digital and physical format, including 3 strictly limited vinyl versions.

When “Perfectly Defect” was first released, it was available in 2 versions – an 8-track (tour edition on CD) and a 10-track version (digital format), while the complete studio session actually contains 12 songs which will all be available on the new 2018 version.

The re-issue of “Perfectly Defect” will be released on June 1st 2018 via Mortiis’ very own label Omnipresence Records.

Mortiis: “At the time of the initial release, I had given up on working with a label as I was super pissed off with previous negative experiences in the record industry and decided I’d rather give the album away for free as a gift to our loyal fans during the comeback tour. It was a big fat ‘fuck you’ to certain industry vampires! I have since then calmed down and I’m super stoked to finally be able to give ‘Perfectly Defect’ the proper release it deserves on my own label! Just wait until you see the strictly limited vinyl editions.”

Stay tuned for more info on this re-release.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The biggest distributor for the industrial electro scene, Audioglobe, has announced its Top 10 in best selling industrial music labels. The numbers were already out there for the labels to look at it, but here they are also for the regular fans. Note that with 2018, Audioglobe also enters it’s 25th year of existance as the distributor set up shop on 6 December 1993. We will of course have a big extended interview and more with Sebastian Koch regarding this great achievement in a very tough market.

But now the numbers many of you have been waiting for!

The Top 3

First the Top 3. The number 1 label in sales is Trisol which has bands such as Clan of Xymox, Rome, Project Pitchfork, Sopor Aeternus, Nachtmahr, Rotersand, Asp, Mantus etc. under contract. The second label in the list is the Belgian based Alfa Matrix which nurtures the talent of Front 242, Underviewer, Daniel B Prothèse, Metroland, Alien Vampires, Ayria, Leatherstrip, Psy’Aviah, Kant Kino and so many other acts. Note that this label also has a very strong e-shop presence (direct sales are not included in this Top 10 list). The 3rd label is Out Of Line with Blutengel, Combichrist, Hocico, Solar Fake, Heimataerde, Unzucht, Solitary Experiments. Also this label has an own e-shop.

The rest of the Top 10

The 4th label is Fabrika/Dead Scarlet (She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…) followed by ArtOfFact (Legend, Frontline Assembly, Haujobb, Psyche, Noise Unit, Dead When I found her, Pankow…) and Metropolis (Birthday Massacre, Aesthetic Perfection, God Module, Lords of Acid, Skinny Puppy, Delerium…). The 7th place is occupied by Rustblade (Morricone, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, Leaether Strip, Lydia Lunch, Legendary Pink Dots, Merzbow…). Also Dependent is still in the Top 10, namely on spot 8 with their label roster (Covenant, Mesh, Pride & Fall, Beborn Beton, Seabound, Encephalon, Frontline Assembly, Clicks..). Place 9 and 10 finally are for Manic Depression (Winter Severity Index, Ash Code, Schonwald, Box and the Twins, Sjoblom, Dear Deer…) and Undo (Marsheaux, Girl One and the Grease Guns, Mesh, Fotonovela, OMD, Nikonn, Mikro, Vienna, Liebe…).

And on spot 11 and 12…

2 labels didn’t make the Top 10, namely Hall Of Sermon (Lacrimosa, Snakeskin, Black Moon Secret, Eyes Shut Tight) and Infacted (NamNamBulu, Grendel, Torul, Reaper, Frozen Plasma, Ruined Conflict, Orange Sector, Syntec…). Both labels ended on place 11 and 12.

Here’s the complete list again. The bands next to the label are listed in order of sales results/total turnover per band in 2017 via Audioglobe.

01 TRISOL (Clan of Xymox, Rome, Project Pitchfork, Sopor Aeternus, Nachtmahr, Rotersand, Asp, Mantus…)
02 ALFA MATRIX (Front 242, Underviewer, Daniel B Prothèse, Metroland, Alien Vampires, Ayria, Leatherstrip…)
03 OUT OF LINE (Blutengel, Combichrist, Hocico, Solar Fake, Heimataerde, Unzucht, Solitary Experiments …)
04 FABRIKA/DEAD SCARLET (She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Selofan, Kaelan Mikla, M!R!M, Doric…)
05 ARTOFFACT (Legend, Frontline Assembly, Haujobb, Psyche, Noise Unit, Dead When I found her, Pankow…)
06 METROPOLIS (Birthday Massacre, Aesthetic Perfection, God Module, Lords of Acid, Skinny Puppy, Delerium…)
07 RUSTBLADE (Morricone, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, Leaether Strip, Lydia Lunch, Legendary Pink Dots, Merzbow…)
08 DEPENDENT (Covenant, Mesh, Pride & Fall, Beborn Beton, Seabound, Encephalon, Frontline Assembly, Clicks..)
09 MANIC DEPRESSION (Winter Severity Index, Ash Code, Schonwald, Box and the Twins, Sjoblom, Dear Deer…)
10 UNDO (Marsheaux, Girl One and the Grease Guns, Mesh, Fotonovela, OMD, Nikonn, Mikro, Vienna, Liebe…)
11 HALL OF SERMON (Lacrimosa, Snakeskin, Black Moon Secret, Eyes Shut Tight)
12 INFACTED (NamNamBulu, Grendel, Torul, Reaper, Frozen Plasma, Ruined Conflict, Orange Sector, Syntec…)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, techno-body music.

Background/Info: Set up by Pascal Beniesch (and later on joined by live member and backing vocalist) Jan Teutloff), X-RX is back on track unleashing its sixth album and the first one in three years.

Content: I’ve never been a huge ‘fan’ of X-RX, which is a project good to dance on, but being a bit too cliché and sometimes dealing with cheap, but danceable sound formulas. I can’t get away from the idea that this album is a new cliché although the song became more mature and globally speaking ‘interesting’. Most of the songs now feature harsh vocals, which are comparable to the enraged style of Combichrist. The album is mix between classical dark-electro inspiration and dark techno-body music.

+ + + : Pascal Beniesch has released his best work to date. This album is really relevant featuring great sound treatments. Even if it still sounds a bit cliché (Combichrist come out of that body!), the songs are elaborated and efficient. This album reveals multiple noticeable songs. There’s a right balance between power, danceable vibes and carrying choruses. The vocals express passion and rage, which is a perfect match with the music.

– – – : I noticed a few quieter tracks, which are a kind of intermezzo, but poorly inspired. The album sounds a bit like a copy of early Combichrist work, but at least it’s a damned good production.

Conclusion: “Gasoline And Fire” finally is the album I was desperately waiting for! The band was already popular and recognized, but I’m maybe one of the latest ones to get convinced. This work is a solid basis to move on with.

Best songs: “Gasoline And Fire”, “Pedestrian”, “Riot”, “Shut The F Up And Die”, “Code Red”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.facebook.com/XRxmusic

Label: www.darkdimensions.de /  www.facebook.com/pages/Dark–Dimensions–Label–Group/486014725206

About X-RX

X-RX is the solo project of German musician Pascal Beniesch, working in electro, industrial rhythmic noise and EBM from Cologne, Germany, with Jan Teutloff on backing vocals and live support. “Gasoline And Fire,” reviewed here, is X-RX’s sixth album, following “Unmöglich Erregend” (2007), “Stage 2” (2009), “Update 3.0” (2010), “Activate The Machinez” (2012) and “Crank It Up” (2014).

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, industrial-trance, power-noise.

Background/Info: Jens Minor and singer Kay Schäfer (who now became a full time member) are back on track unleashing a new opus of Chainreactor. The project became a kind of ProNoize flag holder and definitely a noticeable project if you like dark-electronics and industrial-techno/rave music.

Content: “Decayed Values” moves on where previous releases “Dirt” and “Mass Driver” stopped. The songs remain inspired by dark-electronics and industrial-rave music, but quite progressively you can hear this band evolving from the ‘rave’ input towards more ‘classical’ dark-electronic music. They in a way bring elements of Noisuf-X and Combichrist together. The vocals, which become more present on each new album are sung a raw and enraged way reinforcing the element of ‘violence’ running through the music.

+ + + : I still consider Chainreactor as one of the most talented artists belonging to this ‘new’ generation of dark-electronics. “Decayed Values” once again reveal the genius of Jens Minor who has a nose to create alluring sound sculptures mixing icy and raving sounds together with hard-pumping kicks. Some of the tracks are resulting in a trance atmosphere, but other cuts are touching ground with power-noise. There’s a lot to discover on “Decayed Values” and that’s why this album will appeal for a wider range of electronic lovers.

– – – : This is without a shadow of a doubt the most diversified Chainreactor work and I have to admit I’m a bit missing the pure trance/rave-industrial format from the early years.

Conclusion: Chainreactor is a project that has progressively evolved throughout the years. There’s not a big difference between this album and the previous one, but if you go back to the first work you’ll realize the evolution. It’s a great album I can fully recommend, but not my favorite one in the Chainreactor discography.

Best songs: “Legendary Suffering”, “The Devil’s Trick”, “Impact Drill”, “The Powers”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.facebook.com/Chainreactor

Label: www.darkdimensions.de /  www.facebook.com/pages/Dark–Dimensions–Label–Group/486014725206

About Chainreactor

Chainreactor is a German project set up in 2009 by Jens Minor, later joined on vocals by Kay Schäfer, signed to ProNoize/Dark Dimensions. The duo’s sound mixes industrial, trance and EBM into hard, danceable productions; Chainreactor’s seventh full-length, “Interlinked,” followed in 2020 on the same label.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Root4 is not exactly the most famous and renowned underground electro band. Set up in 1990 the German formation went through several line-up changes releasing new work at irregular basis. Their newest opus “Walk My Way” already got very positive response and I can only confirm it’s a great and powerful piece of electro-pop music. The songs are well-crafted and elaborated while the global production sounds ultra-professional. I had a chat with founding member and creative spirit of the band Hauke Hein.

(by Inferno sound Diaries)

Q: I noticed ROOT4 was set up in the late 90s. How did you came in touch with electronic music and what kind of band did you had in mind?

Hauke: In 1990 I found ROOT4 with a good friend. We both loved electronic music like Depeche Mode and Front 242. Gunter played piano in the studio and I was the singer. After many years, the cast changed and new members joined in. We started with synth-pop, changed in 2008 to future-pop and our new album is said to be dark electro.

Q: The band went through several line-up changes, which might explain ROOT4 releases new material at irregular basis. How do you look back to the past years and releases and what have been the main facts?

Hauke: Making music is a pure hobby. Everyone has a real job and not always enough time for making new songs. Since 2013 we worked on new songs, which also means, spending a lot of money on the production. In addition to the song writing many people are involved. And that takes time. Last year in September I went to my good music friend Chris and he produced, mixed and mastered the ten new songs and one acoustic version for the album.

Q: “Walk My Way” album must be a kind of new start, but still a mature and well-crafted production! What did you keep in mind from the writing/production process and what is the album all about?

Hauke: Chris and I spent so many weeks and months in his recording studio – from September to January. It is not easy to say ‘this track is finished’. Because every day again you listen to your song and you constantly get new ideas of melodies that you want to pack into the song. But you know you have to finish one song before starting another one. Otherwise you will never finish! The lyrics are very different from song to song. One is about the current topic refugees, from the perspective of a refugee. One song (“Follow Me”) tells the story of people blindly following other leaders. And “Strassen” is a cover of a song from ACSII DISKO. I loved the original so much that I just had to cover it.

Q: “Walk My Way” clearly sounds inspired by electro-pop, but you also like hard-pumping kicks and guitar play. You this way created a more personal- and somewhat ‘free-styled pop’ sound. What’s your own perception about the ‘sound’?

Hauke: We wanted to produce not only an album for the dark scene, but also for people who like to hear pop. It shall be a bridge between these ‘groups’.

I loved to have guitar sounds in the songs, but not too much… When my friend Art assisted to the recording sessions we had so much fun together and we decided to put some of his Ideas on the album. To get the guitar sounds live on stage we played a few shows with Art, Chris and me. This was great!!

Q: I think you already released three singles, which are taken from the new album. How comes and what’s the real impact of releasing singles today?

Hauke: I am a honest person; we could not decide which song could be the best one to release as a single. At the end we chose for the pop song “Follow Me”, the electro song “Drugs Are My Master” and the dance song “Strassen”. The next thing is, when you release only the album you get only the attention once. When you release two or three singles, the album has a bigger chance to be heard.

Q: You already did a few tours as support act for great names such as Combichrist, De/Vision and now Decoded Feedback. We all know bands often have to pay to get on tour with bigger names. What’s your personal experience about this item and what kind of live band are you?

Hauke: In recent years I noticed that fewer people come to the concerts. Many people are only waiting for the big festivals and less are visiting single band-shows. If more audience would come, better fees would be possible for the bands… (laugh).

When you are on tour for many days with another band like Decoded Feedback you always have so much fun together. It’s like going on holidays with friends. And in the evening you play a show and meet many cool people. That’s what makes the tour an experience. Our booking management always tries to make a free tour possible. If you have enough audience, everything is payed while somewhere else you only get money from selling merchandising and CD’s, but having fun is the most important thing!

ROOT4 loves to play live and give the audience a cool party! We play many parts of the songs live with the Akai MPC5000. This gives us the opportunity to customize the show and make them a bit different every time.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com