Genre/Influences: Industrial, Electro.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Formed in the late 80s and having been mainly active during the 90s, Canadian Death And Horror Inc resurrected a few years ago and started to release their back catalog. The band even got signed to KK Records. The enthusiastic reactions incited front man Vicar to compose new songs, which have been released on this EP. The EP deals with a critical view of the narrow-minded society and people driven by denial ideologies.

Content: The EP features 2 sides; first you get 3 songs -including the previously released singles “Losing” and “Chosen Ruler” and taking off with the title song. Next you get 3 alternative versions of the 3 songs.

The title track is a heavy and rough piece of Industrial music carried by brutal sonic assaults and vocals reminding me of the rage of Marylin Manson. DHI has this typical and easily recognizable ‘Canadian sound DNA’, which is characterized by sophisticated, rough and hard Industrial music reminding me of early Skinny Puppy. The 3 last songs reveal ‘alternative’ edits, which have been empowered by furious guitar riffs, this way accentuating the Industrial sound.

+ + + : The new songs are more than simply a comeback, but clearly revealing a creative process from a project, which hasn’t lost its initial power and efficiency. The tracks have been meticulously elaborated with raw and rough sound treatments while the alternative edits have been empowered by a guitar boost. I like the 3 songs for their rage, complexity and simply their Industrial spirit. The title song is a great illustration of DHI’s talent and I can only encourage Vicar to move on.

– – – : I can’t say that there’s one single cut to throw away and I don’t see true minus points. DHI isn’t the most original nor innovative project in its genre, but on the other hand it’s an efficient and accomplished work.

Conclusion: If you like the good-old Canadian Industrial style, this new work by DHI will be a great surprise.

Best songs: “The Idiot Parade – Sardonic”, “Chosen Ruler – Shameless”, “Losing – Desolate”, “Losing – Mix V2”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.deathandhorrorinc.com / www.facebook.com/DHI-death-and-horror-inc-560328507342651 Read the news on ‘The Idiot Parade’.

About DHI

DHI (death and horror inc) formed in 1987 in Toronto’s early electronic industrial scene and released four CDs on Fringe Product, the Canadian home of Black Flag and The Dead Kennedys, during the nineties. The band also appeared on Belgium’s KK Records, label of Front Line Assembly and Bauhaus.

In 2019, the group released expanded editions of its entire 1990s catalogue, including remixes and rare early tracks. In response to the renewed interest that followed, and with the blessing of his cofounding band member, frontman Vicar returned to writing new material under the DHI banner. “The Idiot Parade” is the first set of new songs from that period.

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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Out now is DHI (death and horror inc)’s latest EP, “The Idiot Parade”. The song is described by frontman Vicar as “a condemnation of grotesque ideologies and their disturbing intertwinement. It’s a protest against fact denialism, Hollywood-esque conspiracy theories, anti-science activism, mob rule mentality, and the delusion of white supremacy.”

The EP’s four remaining tracks include a new ‘Desolate’ version of last year’s “Losing” single, “Chosen Ruler (Shameless)”, and 3 remixes: “Chosen Ruler (Mix V2)”, “Losing (Mix V2)” and “The Idiot Parade (Virulent)”.

As Vicar explains: “Once the EP’s title track and new remixes were completed, I went back and listened to the two singles from last year. Which, compared to the new material, almost sounded like demos to me. Ultimately, I ended up mixing the original versions of ‘Chosen Ruler’ and ‘Losing’ all over again, from the ground up. I’m happy to say that the ‘V2’ mixes do a better job at capturing the energy and emotion of those songs. And, hey… they’re louder now!”

About DHI

Formed in 1987 in Toronto’s early electronic industrial scene, DHI (death and horror inc) released four CDs on Fringe Product (the Canadian home to Black Flag and The Dead Kennedys) in the nineties. They also appeared on Belgium’s Kk Records (Front Line Assembly, Bauhaus).

In 2019, the group released expanded editions of its entire 1990s catalogue, including remixes and rare early tracks. In response to the renewed interest in DHI that followed, and with the blessing of his cofounding band member, frontman Vicar is once again creating new material under the DHI banner. Read the review of ‘The Idiot Parade’.

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: EBM, industrial, crossover.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Driven by ‘Graf’, ‘Nocturne’ and ‘Vicar’, DHI (Death And Horror Inc) saw the light of day in the late 80s and released their work during the 90s. Most of their work got released by Fringe Product, but their last album from 1994 (cf. “Pressures Collide”) got also released here in Belgium on the legendary KK Records. To celebrate the 25^th anniversary of this work, the album has been remastered plus expanded by the “Bitter Alloys”-EP released in 1993 on Fringe Product. The album this way gets a total amount of twenty songs!

Content: I confess DHI is a band I don’t exactly remember. So this album was an opportunity to rediscover their work, which is alternating Canadian (that’s where they come from) EBM sometimes reminding me of FLA and industrial or pure crossover. The tracklist is different than the original “Pressures Collide”, but the most interesting aspect is the new mastering of the  instrumental songs have been exposed to. I’ve been surprised to realize most of the songs still sound up to date. The guitar riffs are empowering the electronic layers while the vocals accentuate the power and energy emerging from these songs. Some passages remind me of Frontline Assembly during the 90s. The new edits of “Rage”,  “Ninety-Nine Realities” and “Red Carnival” will bring you back to the dynamism of DHI. The work also features a few instrumental songs and alternative edits.

+ + + : It’s interesting to see how an album can even remain very efficient 25 years after its original release. The new mastering has for sure empowered the original work, which will appeal to crossover fans. This format mixing electronics together with guitar was quite common and successful during the 90s. But it still makes sense today! I (re)discovered some cool songs, “Ninety-Nine Realities” getting somewhere lost in my brains, but now reactivated by this celebration album. I also have to say this album was produced in a very professional way.

– – – : A few instrumental songs (cf. “Exanthem”, “Undercurrent”, “Black Hour”) haven’t been remastered, which I can understand as they rather appear to be poorly inspired album fillers.

Conclusion: This is an album for the fans of DHI and KK Records, but first of all a real good opportunity to rediscover a somewhat forgotten formation from the Canadian EBM/industrial scene.

Best songs: “Rage – Amplified Vox Mix V2”, “Catastrophe (Mix V2)”, “Ninety-Nine Realities (A Tougher Mix V2)”, “Pain and courage (Mix V2)”, “Red Carnival (Mix V2)”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.deathandhorrorinc.com / www.facebook.com/DHI–death–and–horror–inc-560328507342651  

About DHI

DHI (death and horror inc) was formed in the late 1980s in Toronto’s electronic industrial scene by Graf, Nocturne and Vicar. The band released its work through the 1990s on Fringe Product, the Canadian label also home to Black Flag and The Dead Kennedys, with 1994’s “Pressures Collide” issued in Belgium on KK Records. Renewed interest following the 25th-anniversary reissue reviewed here led frontman Vicar to record new material under the DHI name, released in 2022 as the “The Idiot Parade” EP.

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