New York City’s metal act Militia Vox has joined forces with Los Angeles-based industrial collective FleischKrieg to release their latest single, “Reach”, now available via Golden Robot Records. The collaboration also features Logan Mader (Machine Head, Soulfly) on guitars.​

The single is now streaming on all major platforms, and the official video is available on YouTube.

FleischKrieg’s Richard Cranor describes the track as “an out-of-body experience where you realize you are not at the top of the food chain.”​

The partnership between Militia Vox and FleischKrieg was forged at Wasteland Weekend, in the Mojave Desert. Militia Vox will return to perform at Wasteland this fall for the 15th anniversary of the Mad Max-inspired event.

“This song is a testament to my love for the APOC scene and the community,” says Militia Vox. “We are some of the most die-hard, heavy music lovers on the planet. The commitment to the Wastelander lifestyle, the creativity, and the people are like no other. Wasteland is my happy place. It’s where my music and my fire show make the most sense, and they fully accept my artistry – uncensored.”​

About Militia Vox​

Militia Vox is an artist based in New York City, known for her four-octave vocal range and a musical style that blends alternative metal, goth, industrial, and progressive rock. She has collaborated with a diverse array of artists, including Cyndi Lauper, Twisted Sister, Living Colour, and John Petrucci of Dream Theater.

Militia is also the frontwoman of Judas Priestess, the world’s only all-female Judas Priest tribute band, and has performed a duet with Rob Halford on the track “Push Comes to Shove” by Bad Penny.

Beyond music, Militia has appeared on television as a host and VJ, starred in Off-Broadway productions, and is an advocate for diversity and representation in the rock and metal scenes.

About FleischKrieg​

FleischKrieg is an industrial rock band formed in 2019 by Richard Cranor in Seattle, Washington. The band’s name, meaning “Flesh War” in German, is thematically incrusted in the band’s focus on personal struggle and empowerment.

Their music, described as “Brutalwave”, fuses elements of industrial metal with synth-pop and darkwave influences, drawing inspiration from bands like Rammstein, Nine Inch Nails, and Depeche Mode.

The lineup includes Thomas Crawford on guitar, Nick Mason on drums, and Kaylie Cortez on keyboards. FleischKrieg’s debut album, “Herzblut”, was released in 2021. ​

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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Premiering on Side-Line today is the brand new video, “Eve”, from the Los Angeles-based industrial rock band Fleischkrieg. The song was produced, mixed, and mastered by Logan Mader (Machine Head, Once Human).

Here’s the excellent video for the song.

This is what the band says about the track: “The song “Eve” is based on the Gnostic tradition of Adam’s wife being the hero in the Genesis creation myth – rather than the villain. This 2nd century Christian sect revered Eve as an early incarnation of the Divine Feminine, and if it weren’t for her courage to commit “original sin” – we’d still be trapped in a genetics lab known as the Garden of Eden.

The song is sung from Adam’s point of view where he praises Eve for delivering them from the tyranny of the Elohim. Though they are “thrown out the gilded cage”, Adam asks Eve to “make the thorns our home”, a poetic nod to human resilience in the face of catastrophe.”

Italian scholar Mauro Biglino and his research on the Biblical Apocrypha inspired the song’s themes and lyrical content. Mauro briefly translated for the Vatican – but was eventually fired when his published works revealed modern Christian theology was incompatible with the written texts of ancient Hebrew authors.

About Fleischkrieg

Fleischkrieg is an industrial rock band based in Los Angeles. The band was formed when vocalist Richard Cranor, with a background in video production and small acting roles, met guitarist Thomas “Ceraphym” Crawford while driving for Uber. They discovered a shared passion for industrial and metal music, leading to the formation of Fleischkrieg​.

The band’s sound is heavily influenced by acts like Rammstein, Lord of the Lost, 3TEETH, and DK-Zero. Their music explores complex themes such as the conflict between physical, emotional, and intellectual survival.

Their previous single, “I Believe In Gnomes”, released in April 2024, delves into the themes of belief and its shapers, which is well linked to the band’s newest offering, “Eve”.

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 industrial rock band, Fleischkrieg has just unleashed their new single, “I Believe In Gnomes”. “I Believe In Gnomes” is a song about our beliefs, who shapes them, and why.

The band explains further: “Many things that were too absurd to believe in (such as UFOs) have now been proven to be true. The crackpots have been vindicated. Now the gnomes ask us to consider what else have we been lied to about, and why. They ask us to examine our beliefs. Are they really ours to begin with or did we inherit them from a society bent on hiding the truth from us?”

The single was produced / mixed / mastered by Logan Mader who has produced and mixed acts such as Fear Factory, Divine Heresy, and Five Finger Death Punch.

“I Believe In Gnomes” is available on all major digital outlets including Spotify and Bandcamp.

The group, currently based in L.A., cite Rammstein, DK-Zero, Die Krupps, and Lord of the Lost as musical influences. For their live shows they have added Nick Mason on drums and Kaylie Cortez on synth/keyboards.

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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FleischKrieg is an American formation inspired by the ‘Deutsche Neue Härte’ calling their music ‘Brutal-Wave’. After a few singles they self-released the debut album “Herzblut”. This album is a mature and accomplished production. It sounds like an imaginary hybrid between Rammstein, KMFDM, Armageddon Dildos and Birmingham 6. A powerful sound with a perfect balance between guitar and electronics. “Herzblut” is a sonic bomb and you better can keep the band’s name in mind as they might become the ‘next big thing’! I asked a few questions to core members Richard Cranor and Thomas Crawford.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Let’s start by asking you how FleischKrieg saw the daylight? How did you get in touch and what kind of music did you want to compose?

Richard: I was a big fan of Synth-Pop and Industrial-Metal growing up. I’ve always related to the mystical and aggressive aspects of both genres. I wrote songs when I was in my 20s, but took a long hiatus from music. I honestly never had the self-confidence when I was young to really push as hard as you need to make a band work. So I did what grown-ups were supposed to do -stopped dreaming. That was of course until I started having dreams of Trent Reznor asking me to open for him -I had to tell him I didn’t have any songs. I guess that was a little nudge from my subconscious saying it was time to get to work and start writing again. I remember having a $200 light bill to pay. At the same time, there was a sale at Guitar Center for a 7 string guitar -same price. I made a fateful decision that day, and time has proven it to be the right one.

I met Thomas (FleischKrieg’s guitarist) while I was driving for Uber. I noticed he was wearing a RAMMSTEIN-shirt when I picked him up and we soon were collaborating on each other’s personal projects, one of which became FleischKrieg.

Thomas:  When we started putting together songs and wanting to play live, it was just the two of us.  We set up all the backing tracks and drums, and could play live with just the two of us.  But it didn’t feel full.  We were introduced to Nick Mason (FleischKrieg’s drummer) by our friend D-Punk from DK-Zero and clicked right away.  Shortly after, we collaborated with Nuda for our song “Reach”. She’s such a phenomenal EBM artist in her own right and worked so well together, we asked her to join as our live keyboard/sample player.

Q: The name of the band, but still elements of the music and the image are clearly evoking Rammstein and other ‘Neue Deutsche Härte’-bands. What do you like in this music genre and in which way do you feel connected with this -or any other band and what does the FleischKrieg sound stand for?

Richard: I don’t think there’s a more powerful form of music in the world than Industrial-Metal. You get all the power of Rock/Metal but also the seductive and mystical elements of Synth-Pop. I remember doing an inventory of all my favorite bands, and realized that the Germans had it all figured out just PERFECT for me.

Thomas: For most of my musical career, I’ve always been drawn to heavy music with industrial elements.  Be it Mushroomhead, Rammstein, Chimaira, or even more recently Lord Of The Lost.  I also love the opportunity to write music where guitar is the accessory rather than the focal point.  No flashiness, just pure energy.

Richard:  As for our name and meaning, I felt the band needed a German name. ‘FleischKrieg’ literally means ‘Flesh War’. So as to what our name/sound stands for -I would say ultimately it’s about reclaiming your power and personal sovereignty from forces trying to steal it daily. In my opinion, we are fighting a ‘Flesh War’ every day. Most of the songs reflect personal experiences dealing with the particular journey I’ve had with the subject. Just about everybody has some personal war to fight on some level. I’d like to think FleischKrieg can provide the soundtrack.

Q: You last year self-released the debut album “Herzblut”. Tell us a bit more about the writing and production process of this work? What was the input of each member? And is there any particular reason you self-released the album instead of getting signed to a label?

Richard: It all started with “Bloody Prophets”. I’d been having alien abduction nightmares and was too terrified to go back to bed. So I stayed up all night and wrote the rough demo of the song. Thomas filled in the guitars and recommended other arrangements, and we went and filmed our first music video. I think it was then I knew we could do something really great together.

Being the band’s founder, I drive the creative vision and do the main songwriting/arrangements with Thomas providing guitars and feedback on the compositions. I then work with Nuda and Nick on how the rest of the arrangements/drums should sound -and how the live show should work. At the end of the day, everyone brings their personal touch to the FleischKrieg sound. I am grateful to have met such talented and brilliant people.

Self-releasing is easier than waiting around for the cavalry to show up. We’ll see what the future brings. I certainly don’t think it’s worth waiting around for a label’s help -at least in the beginning.

Thomas:  Also, it’s so much easier for musicians to be independent now. While it was expensive to do it on our own, we were fortunate enough to receive some funding through a crowdfunding campaign. We also wanted to make sure that we were doing everything right. We worked with D-Punk as a producer who not only gave us insight into the mixing/mastering process, but also how to release it right. Because of this, we definitely have been successful for being a brand new band formed in the middle of a pandemic.

Q: You already made a few clips and especially the one of “Relax” caught my attention. It looks like a great ode to Frankie Goes To Hollywood. What does the original song mean to you and what did you try to express by the cover version and the clip?

Richard: What’s weird is Frankie spoke to me and Thomas from the psychic dimension lol. We’d both been contemplating doing an 80s cover… and on the same night, we called each other up and BOTH recommended the song to each other. It was kinda weird. It just popped into both our heads as THE song todo.

For me the song means freedom to be yourself without judgement. I tend to censor myself to please others often. I always loved how unabashed the song comes off. It’s literally about spraying semen everywhere. You can’t get more liberated than that, right?

Q: How do you see FleischKrieg as a live band? What have been your experiences so far and what are the further plans? Do you’ve contacts in Europe and other foreign countries? 

Richard: The live band has worked out exceedingly well, more so than I ever expected. Each member has great stage charisma and we truly love performing. It was a major affirmation to me when we played the Wasteland Weekend festival last year -people really loved our set. You could tell we had an impact, that our energy on stage and the quality of the music delivered the goods. We hope to do a lot more touring, in Europe would be fantastic.

Thomas: The interesting thing for me is how the crowd reacts to us for the first time.  Almost every single show, there’s a handful of people in general audience area with mild curiosity. Then by the end of the first song, everyone in the venue comes right up to the stage. By the beginning of the second song, there are people dancing.  I say again, ‘Dancing!’ That is truly a first for me as I’ve been in several bands and never had people dancing.

As for touring in Europe, we have been making contacts in Germany and the UK trying to set something up in spite of Covid.  However, we’ve recently started working with a booking agent. They’re confident that we’ll be able to get over to Europe once things start to die down.  We’re hoping for late summer of this year.

Q: I noticed a cool quote affirming ‘If Hell hosted a dance party -FleischKrieg would be the headliner’! What would be the other bands on the list that night? And how do you imagine ‘hell’? More seriously now, what brings the future for FleischKrieg?

Richard For me hell is more of a metaphor where individual spirits go to be themselves, to free themselves from the soul-crushing burden of being ‘well behaved’. I would definitely want all the Neue Deutsche Härte bands we could book, plus any 80s Synth-Pop band willing to show up. I have no desire to go to any actual hells lol.

I remember at one show a 20-something kid told me his favorite thing about our performance was that ‘it was real’. I’m not exactly sure what he meant, but I believe he felt we were there to really play versus just to get lots of new likes and subscribers on social media. I think that strikes as disingenuous to fans -just trying to look the part versus connecting an audience to a much bigger reality only music from the heart can reach. He could tell our songs meant something to us, and I think that made them mean something to him. I honestly think the kids are getting burnt out on the Instaworld we live in. There’s no filter for genuine connection.

I’d like to think FleischKrieg’s rebellion hidden behind heavy dance music can act as a form of subterfuge to the system, even if we someday get on a major label and have a similar success to what NIN had in the mid-90s. Just dreaming for now, but so far… our dreams do tend to become reality.

Thomas:  As for the future, the sky’s the limit.  We’re continuing to find ways to play more live shows in more and bigger places.  We’re dying to play some festivals in the near future. Additionally, we’re working on at least one more music video in support of “Herzblut”. And we’re currently writing our second album and if all goes well will be out in early 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.

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Genre/Influences: Metal, Industrial.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: FleischKrieg is an American formation inspired by the ‘Deutsche Neue Härte’ calling their music ‘Brutal-Wave’. After a few singles they self-released the debut album “Herzblut”.

Content: There clearly is some Rammstein inspiration driven through this album, but I can also refer to bands like KMFDM, early Armageddon Dildos and Birmingham 6. FleischKrieg brings harsh, Metal-driven guitar playing together with carrying Electronic treatments. There’s a constant power polished with Electronic music and powerful vocals on top. The last track is a powerful cover version of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s mega-hit “Relax”.  

+ + + : FleischKrieg isn’t exactly the most original band I’ve heard, but I was deeply impressed by the mature writing and production work. This combo perfectly knows how to play merciless guitar parts together with Electronic sound treatments. It creates an elevating effect, which comes through at several tracks. I want to mention “Reach” and “Brawler”, which both are impressive pieces of music. “Saunting Eyes” is another noticeable cut and definitely more into extreme guitar power. I also have to say a word about the charismatic vocals. I’m nearly sure this band will rapidly catch the attention of a major label.  

– – – : “Relax” is the only song, which can’t totally convince me although I’m nearly sure this song live will get great reactions. 

Conclusion: FleischKrieg is a name you better keep in mind; this debut full length sounds like dynamite!

Best songs: “Reach”, “Brawler”, “Saunting Eyes”, “DOROS”, “Parasite”. 

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.fleischkrieg.com /  www.facebook.com/fleischkrieg 

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 Los Angeles based industrial band Fleishkrieg has just unleashed their new full-length album, “Herzblut”, which is “Heart’s Blood” in German and a metaphor used to describe the total effort and sacrifice a person makes towards their life’s work.

With “Herzblut” the band debuts the sound of ‘brutalwave’, a sub genre of industrial that blends the synth-pop of new wave with more aggressive metal elements. Included is also a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax”.

You can check out the album below, it’s also available on CD and vinyl.

About Fleischkrieg

Fleischkrieg Richard Cranor (vocals, synth), Thomas Crawford “Ceraphym” (guitar), Nick Mason “Living Dead Drummer” (drums) and Kaylie Cortez “Nuda” (keyboard, synth).

The band is the result of a chance encounter between a video producer moonlighting as an Uber driver and a drunk passenger having a party weekend in Seattle. The driver, Richard Cranor, and the passenger, Thomas Crawford, talked about Rammstein, industrial metal, and purchasing equipment for their industrial metal solo careers and after Rich attended Tom’s next show, he ended up shooting a music video for him. In exchange, Tom tracked guitars for three of Rich’s songs.

When an opening act dropped out of a show in which Tom was involved, he contacted Rich to do the opening set. Rich agreed with the caveat that Tom play guitars, and so Fleischkrieg was formed.

The band, currently based in L.A., cite Rammstein, DK-Zero, 3TEETH, and Lord of the Lost as musical influences.

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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Industrial act Fleischkrieg has unveiled their new video for the Frankie Goes To Hollywood song, “Relax”. “Relax” appears on the forthcoming Fleischkrieg album, “Herzblut”, due out in October of this year.

Guitarist Thomas Crawford explains the choice: “We chose this song because we believe it was a perfect representation of FleischKrieg’s sound. An 80’s influence of pop and synth about self-love and respect, wrapped in a heavy industrial bow!”

The band released “Fool’s Folly”, the first single and music video off their debut album “Herzblut” earlier this year. The band will continue to release a new single and music video in July, September, and October to promote the album’s October release.

But here’s their version of “Relax”.

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 LA based industrial band Fleischkrieg has launched their brand new video for the single “Reach”. The song features fellow goth/industrial artist Nuda and will appear on the forthcoming album, “Herzblut”, due out October, 2021.

Here’s what the band says about the concept of the album: “The album, Herzblut as a whole is about how we’re always fighting a war of some kind for both our physical, mental & emotional survival. There are a lot more layers to this struggle than most realize. Every day is a “fleshkrieg” (flesh war) if you think about it. Something or someone is always trying to steal our natural resources of mind, body, and spirit. I hope the album inspires people to know they’re not alone in this battle, and that the search for the truth should be ever-present in their lives.”

Fleischkrieg released “Fool’s Folly”, the first single and music video off their debut album “Herzblut” a while back. The band will release a new single and music video in September and October to promote the album’s October release.

Here’s the video for “Reach” featuring Nuda.

About Fleischkrieg

Fleischkrieg Richard Cranor (vocals, synth), Thomas Crawford “Ceraphym” (guitar), Nick Mason “Living Dead Drummer” (drums) and Kaylie Cortez “Nuda” (keyboard, synth).

The band is the result of a chance encounter between a video producer moonlighting as an Uber driver and a drunk passenger having a party weekend in Seattle. The driver, Richard Cranor, and the passenger, Thomas Crawford, talked about Rammstein, industrial metal, and purchasing equipment for their industrial metal solo careers and after Rich attended Tom’s next show, he ended up shooting a music video for him. In exchange, Tom tracked guitars for three of Rich’s songs.

When an opening act dropped out of a show in which Tom was involved, he contacted Rich to do the opening set. Rich agreed with the caveat that Tom play guitars, and so Fleischkrieg was formed.

The band, currently based in L.A., cite Rammstein, DK-Zero, 3TEETH, and Lord of the Lost as musical influences.

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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