Out on August 30th via Progress Productions is the brand new single from Briar Moth´s alias the US-based darkwave project Vexagon. The track is a new remix of the track “Eyes Without A Face” by JK Flesh aka Justin Broadrick from Godflesh (and a founding member of Napalm Death).

The original version of “Eyes Without A Face” is taken of Vexagon´s album “A New Flesh Experience” released in January 2024 also under Progress Productions.

Here’s the original version.

Justin Broadrick has been very active recently with for instance a new Godflesh album titled “Purge” (June 2023), a series of U.S. dates this year, and a new album for his electronic project JK Flesh, ” Sewer Bait”.

While Godflesh focuses on industrial metal, JK Flesh allows Broadrick to explore darker, more experimental electronic territories, often blending elements of techno, dub, and industrial 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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The Chicago-based industrial metal band Derision Cult has released their new single and video, “Warning Signs”. The video premiered at Glitch Mode Recordings’ immersive cyberpunk showcase, Tech Noir, on July 20, 2024.

“Warning Signs” is a fast-paced industrial metal track featuring heavy, spoken-word vocals, thrash metal guitars, cyber beats, and guitar by former David Bowie guitarist, Reeves Gabrels.

Lyrically, “Warning Signs” explores the current turbulent cultural climate, highlighting the warnings that surround us. The chorus, “Is it getting real enough yet?” draws from a true story shared by frontman Dave McAnally’s brother, a Naval EOD officer. During a raid, a Hollywood director, witnessing the aftermath of a firefight, was shaken. As a Navy SEAL carried the body of a Taliban member past the director, he chillingly remarked, “Oh, is it getting real enough yet?”

The single features contributions from Glitch Mode stalwarts, including Jim Marcus, David Kultgen, Justin Broadrick, Chris Harris, and Pete Berwick. The video was created by Vancouver-based Empire Animae. Empire Animae previously collaborated with Derision Cult on their “Deaf Blood” video.

“We had so much fun with the ‘Deaf Blood’ video we couldn’t wait to work with Empire Animae again,” says Derision Cult founder, Dave McAnally. “This time around, we wanted to do a whole different setting and just go crazy with influences from ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,’ Martini Ranch and do things with animation that wouldn’t be possible in a live-action video.”

About Tech Noir

Tech Noir is Glitch Mode Media’s Cyberpunk Showcase, held in Chicago on July 20th. The event featured the premiere of the “Warning Signs” video and live performance, celebrating 40 years of cyberpunk culture. Tech Noir included performances from nine bands, cyberpunk films, and fashion, all housed in a building that once served as Al Capone’s private club. Tech Noir aims to redefine live music experiences by combining film and music in innovative ways.

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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English industrial metal act Godflesh are set to release “Purge”, their first new material in six years, on June 9th following the 2017 release “Post Self”. The digital-only single for the opening track “Nero”, along with three remixes, has just been unveiled and you can check it below.

Justin K. Broadrick, Godflesh’s songwriter and creator, explains: “‘Nero’ serves as a symbol and reminder of the ongoing, reckless self-destruction that has always existed and will continue to do so. In true Godflesh fashion, three self-reinterpretations are showcased, displaying the many facets of the same coin.”

In January 2022, Broadrick confirmed that a new Godflesh album was being demoed for release later that year and that two live albums documenting the performances of “Pure” and “Selfless” at Roadburn 2013 and 2018 respectively were forthcoming.

Musically “Purge” mixes 1990s hip-hop grooves through the trademark Godflesh sound. The album’s title, “Purge”, alludes to how Broadrick uses Godflesh’s music as a temporary reprieve from his diagnosed autism and PTSD.

Justin: “Since my childhood, I have felt like an outsider and have used the band’s music to express my feelings of being overwhelmed by hypersensitivity and misunderstood. Godflesh serves as a means of catharsis and transcendence, communicating overload and disillusionment with the human condition, the abuse of power, and the systems that bind us. ‘Purge’ reflects on the never-ending cycle of horror inflicted by those in power in the name of religion, control, money, and national pride.”

Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the original title O.P.D. (later Fall of Because) but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals and programming) and B. C. Green (bass) renamed the band and decided to use a drum machine for percussion. Melding heavy metal with industrial music and later with electronic music and dub, Godflesh’s sound is widely regarded as a foundational influence on other industrial metal and post-metal acts and as significant to both experimental and extreme metal.

In addition, Godflesh has announced a series of US tour dates.

Godflesh headliner

• Jun. 18 – Austin – Oblivion Access Festival at Empire Control Room

Supporting Priest Religion

• Jun. 21 – San Diego – Brick By Brick
• Jun. 22 – San Francisco – DNA Lounge
• Jun. 23 – Los Angeles – El Rey Theatre
• Jun. 24 – Denver – Trve Bacchanale at Gothic Theatre
• Jun. 28 – Portland – Hawthorne Theatre
• Jun. 29 – Salt Lake City – Metro Music Hall
• Jun. 30 – Lawrence – The Bottleneck
• Jul. 01 – Atlanta – Terminal West
• Jul. 02 – Orlando – Conduit

Supporting Cel Genesis

• Sep. 13 – Philadelphia – Underground Arts
• Sep. 14 – Baltimore – Baltimore Soundstage
• Sep. 16 – New York – Desertfest at Knockdown Center
• Sep. 20 – Montreal – Foufounes Electriques
• Sep. 21 – Toronto – Lee’s Palace
• Sep. 22 – Detroit – El Club

Godflesh headliner

• Sep. 24 – Chicago – Coldwaves Festival at The Metro

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 all new EP by industrial metal band Derision Cult. The “Mercenary Notes Pt. 1” EP features members of Ministry, The Cure & Godflesh and continues on Derision Cult’s themes of over-stimulation that humanity is faced with in the 21st century.

Derision Cult leader, Dave McAnally says: “On the last album, we pointed out ways the media prays on people’s emotions. On this one, we’re talking about solutions and how to move forward in the 21st century.”

Mercenary Notes Pt 1 features several guests that include Chris Connelly (Ministry, Pigface), Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie, The Cure) and Justin Broadrick (Godflesh). The 8-track EP is available on CD as well via Bandcamp.

Derision Cult is a project by Chicago solo artist Dave McAnally. He was involved in a number of projects across a range of genres and has been featured on releases by Metropolis Records as well as his own imprint, South Street Dungeon.

Here’s the video for “Year Hope Failed” from the EP.

Side-Line also covered The Cure’s ‘One hundred years’.

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 Chicago based industrial/metal project, Derision Cult has just unleashed their new single and video, “Bastards Of The World”. The track is off the forthcoming EP, “Mercenary Notes Pt. 1” set to be released on December 2 via Glitch Mode Recordings.

For the song, Derision Cult ringleader, Dave McAnally tapped into years of experience helping brands create narratives. Dave: “It deals with my experiences running campaigns that provoked enragement for a certain audience so another audience pays more attention. This has become an effective strategy. The messages we receive are attempts to illicit emotional responses.”

“Bastards Of The World” was inspired by a specific instance where Dave was approached to help a gun manufacturer infuriate gun control advocates to create a run on guns and ammunition: “On paper, the concept was very logical because when there are calls to ban weapons, we do see an uptick in sales for guns and ammunition. On principle, I didn’t take the project, but it inspired me to talk about this type of a campaign in a track because these things go on all the time.”

Here’s the video for “Bastards Of The World” in the Glitch Mode Breaks Mix version. The video was produced by Sean Payne (Cyanotic, Robohop, Conformco).

“Mercenary Notes Pt 1” will contain a set of tracks which serve as survival guide for maintaining mental health in a media-entrenched world “determined to generate hysteria and sensationalism among the masses”. Dave adds: “On the last album, we pointed out ways the media prays on people’s emotions. On this one, we’re talking about solutions and how to move forward in the 21st century.”

In addition to Dave and Sean, Mercenary Notes Pt 1 features several guests including Chris Connelly (Ministry, Pigface), Reeves Gabrels (David Bowie, The Cure) and Justin Broadrick (Godflesh). Part 2 of the Mercenary Notes series is due for the following year.

Here’s the download for the track.

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: Industrial-rap, ambient, hip-hop.

Background/Info: Zonal is the meeting –and comeback, of  Justin Broadrick (JK Flesh, Godflesh) and Kevin Martin  (involved with numerous projects like The Bug, King Midas Sound ao). They both already worked together in the early 90s under the God moniker. They also released an album as Zonal in 2000. “Wrecked” is their newest opus featuring Moor Mother.

Content: “Wrecked” features 2 distinguishable parts. You first get 6 tracks featuring Moor Mother and next you’ll hear 6 instrumental cuts. The songs featuring Moor Mother are something really special; the music is the fusion between industrial and trip-hop while the vocals are pure rap. It creates something really unique –or at least I’m not used to hear industrial-rap or –trip-hop. It creates an anguishing feeling, the music being raw and the slow cadence creating an imaginary state or paranoia.

The other tracks left are quite similar in sound, but remain instrumental versions. The music is a little less more industrial-minded, but still featuring poignant ambient, icy passages.

+ + + : This Zonal album definitely deserves an award for most original industrial album of the year or should I say most creative hip-hop album of the year? I prefer to assimilate it with industrial music because of raw sound treatments and overwhelming atmospheres. This is an extremely dark opus accentuated by the rap vocals of Moor Mother. The album brings a succession of great cuts and I have to confess, I’ve already listened to this work a few times.

– – – : The main difficulty for Zonal will be to catch the attention of a wider audience. I’m confident they’re on the right label to get the recognition they deserve, but this mix of styles is a hard challenge!

Conclusion: “Wrecked” is without a shadow of doubt an album I’ll keep in mind! This project proves it’s absolutely possible to bring opposite styles together, but in the end we have to admit that nothing is impossible when it comes to making good music.

Best songs: “Debris”, “Wrecked”, “In A Cage feat. Moor Mother”, “Body Of Wire feat. Moor Mother”, “Black Hole Orbit”, “Medulla feat. Moor Mother”.

Rate: (9).

Artist: www.facebook.com/jkflesh / www.facebook.com/kevinrichardmartinofficial

Label: www.relapse.com / www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords

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: Experimental-techno, minimal-electronics.

Background/Info: Justin Broadrick will be always linked to Godflesh, but he in the meantime is getting more and more recognition with his technoid brainchild JK Flesh. “New Horizon” is the artist’s third full length album and the second one on Electric Deluxe (the label founded by Speedy J).

Content: “New Horizon” takes the listener away to discover a minimal- and somewhat experimental techno universe. The production is somewhat rough through the addition of industrial sound treatments. But I also discovered a more mysterious and even cinematographic style, which especially at “The Next Stage” is reminding me to the intriguing soundtrack from Brian De Palma’s thriller “Body Double”.

+ + + : JK Flesh deals with his very own vision of techno music. It sounds miles away from ‘classic’ techno formats. I especially like the dark sphere hanging over the tracks, which excels on both last cuts. I already mentioned the cool “The Next Stage”, but “Homo Sapiens” is a truly apotheosis.

– – – : The opening cuts are cool, but a little less similar to each other.

Conclusion: “New Horizon” sounds as a prophetic title for an artist who moves on creating his very own techno universe.

Best songs: “Homo Sapiens”, “The Next Stage”, “Different Species”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/jkflesh

Label: www.facebook.com/electricdeluxe

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: Experimental, techno, industrial.

Background/Info: You are probably hailing from a distant music planet if you have never heard of Justin Broadrick. The legendary Godflesh front man returns under the JK Flesh moniker to unleash a new technoid experiment. JK Flesh already released multiple productions and now joined hands again for a second EP on Downwards.

Content: “Exit Stance” doesn’t deal with classical techno music and to tell you truth, I don’t consider it as pure techno music. The 4 tracks reveal a solid and experimental crossover between industrial- and techno music. Repetitive loops and raw technoid treatments have been mixed with heavy experiments, which sometimes become more accessible through a kind of melodic tune running through “Bullied By Love”.

+ + + : I have always been fascinated discovering the work of JK Flesh, which has nothing in common with Godflesh. It reveals an artist with a wider arsenal of influences. “Exit Stance” definitely reveals a very personal approach of techno music, which at the same time also sounds industrial-like. There clearly is a mix between both genres resulting in a truly experimental work. You can hear the artist likes to manipulate sounds and noises without taking care for any compromise. I think it’s the single way to create something personal!

– – – : The other hand of the coin is the experimental result, which I can’t call accessible for a wider audience. So this 12” will be first of all please to experimental addicts and techno lovers with a real open-minded vision.

Conclusion: I already heard better and more accessible productions from JK Flesh, but the artist definitely composes music with a very own approach. It sounds like a big “f*** you” to stereotypical standards without a truly sound identity.

Best songs: “Caveman”.

Rate: (6½)

Artist: www.downwardsrecords.com / www.facebook.com/jkflesh

Label: www.facebook.com/Downwards–Records-255360997821158

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

Out by mid-November is the newest Godflesh album “Post Self”. “Post Self” has been over 2 years in the making and explores the less ‘metal’ side of Godflesh. So expect material influenced by late 70’s early 80’s post punk and industrial.

The 10-track release is available on vinyl (you can order it here) and on CD (you can order it right here).

Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham which was formed in 1988 by Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals and programming) and G. C. Green (bass).

Signing to Earache Records in the late 1980s, the band released their debut, “Streetcleaner” (1989) to critical acclaim. After releasing 1992’s “Pure” and 1994’s major label debut “Selfless”, they started experimenting with live drums, as well as hip hop and breakbeat influences. The resulting releases, “Songs of Love and Hate” (1996) and “Us and Them” (1999), were followed by “Hymns” (2001).

Broadrick ended Godflesh in 2002 shortly after Green’s departure and pursued various other projects, including Jesu. Broadrick and Green reformed Godflesh in 2010, releasing “A World Lit Only by Fire” (2014).

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: Industrial-doom, death-industrial, industrial-metal.

Background/Info: Hailing from Birmingham (UK), Khost has gained a serious reputation in a rather short lapse of time. Andy Swan and Damian Bennett released some real noticeable productions while they did some massive live performances. The apotheosis probably was when Justin Broadrick (Godflesh) reworked the work of Khost on the “Needles Into The Ground”-album (2016). Khost is now back on track with a somewhat intimate work, which was inspired by some personal drama like sickness and one near-death-experience.

They’ve asked a few guest musicians who by the way are already familiar with Khost. Eugene Robinson (Oxbow), Syna, Daniel Buess and Jo Quail already contributed to the “Corrosive Shroud”-album (2015).

Content: Khost is not exactly music for sensitive souls. The mix of heavy screams, dark and oppressive atmospheres, heavy industrial elements and drones and metal music all together create a rough sonic creation. You now and then will notice some unexpected elements such as a kind of esoteric chants and sweet female vocals.

The entire work remains driven and controlled by hard and merciless industrial-doom & metal music.

The last track is a remix of “Coven” by Adrian Stainburner (Israel).

+ + + : It didn’t take that much time to Khost to become experts in their genre. The music style is pure crossover featuring different influences, which might appeal to lovers of doom-metal music, but still to death-industrial. The sound is constantly recovered with heavy sound layers and oppressive atmospheres leading the listener into a vision of horror. I sometimes get the impression that Khost is starting there where their town mate Justin Broadrick is stopping. But on the other side I also like the few, more sensitive elements –such as the contribution of Jo Quail, running through the work.

– – – : Khost is one of those formations composing music for extreme souls! It means that it’s not exactly the kind of accessible release. Speaking for myself, it took some time to get into the sonic aggression created by this combo.

Conclusion: Khost are truly sound terrorists composing sonic bombs, which can provoke a serious brain damage!

Best songs: “Cloudbank Mausoleum”, “Redacted Repressed Recalcitrant”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.facebook.com/khostband

Label: www.coldspring.co.uk / www.facebook.com/coldspringhq

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

Out in a few weeks is the “Needles Into the Ground” vinyl/CD which contains material by the Birmingham based experimental metal act Khost reworked by Justin Broadrick of Godflesh.

The original Khost material has been taken from the act’s second album “Corrosive Shroud”? Broadrick then extracted what he needed for his work whilst in pure Godflesh mode.

In addition to these 3 pieces, Khost has also added a new track. You can order this release on vinyl (available here) and on CD (available here).

You can listen to 2 tracks below:

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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