luciazelenia

White Zombie’s ‘La Sexorcisto’ as a Breakthrough Record and a Sign of Things to Come

on October 31, 2023October 31, 2023 By luciazelenia 1 Comment

The music of Robert Bartleh Cummings, better known as Rob Zombie, has become some of the most memeworthy material in the rock and metal world. That said, I’d make the case that his work with his previous band White Zombie is far easier to lampoon. In these times, particularly in the late Eighties and early Nineties, the band’s sound was more groove-oriented, riding the thrash-laden wave of bands like Pantera, Prong, and Sepultura. Rather than get political or outright aggressive, the work of White Zombie was a throwback to B-movies, schlock, and exploitation of all sorts.

They say that moaning isn’t an instrument, but three decades later, he’s still using such samples, so…

While the band’s sound originated more in noise and punk rock, it was on their third album, 1992’s La Sexorcisto: Devil Music, Vol. 1 where things turned more towards groove and, to a lesser extent, industrial metal. The latter wouldn’t be the modus operandi of the band until 1995’s Astro-Creep 2000, but bits and pieces of what would allow Rob Zombie to make a career singing about the Munsters’ family vehicle and the apparent copulation of all of those around him in flying saucers can be found far, far back.

The opening sounds of “Welcome to Planet Motherfucker / Psychoholic Slag” sound like a warp-speed trip to Hell before we’re left in a synth-laden abyss. The guitars kick in, the band follows, and the groove for this journey is dialed in like a set of coordinates. Rob’s vocal delivery is somewhere between rapped and sung, using as much real estate per line as he can. What follows is a heavy, pocketed vibe that is easy to dance to or bang one’s head to, something that we can still say about Zombie’s music all these years later. A brief interlude with radio commercials and dial tuning gives way to “Thunder Kiss ‘65,” one of the simplest and best riffs in the metal world. Behind “Smoke on the Water” and “Paranoid,” it’s one of those riffs one first learns when learning guitar, and why wouldn’t it be? It’s a foot-stomping, gravel-singing good time jam-packed with samples and swagger.

As if that wasn’t enough, we get spoiled with one of the best road songs there’s ever been, “Black Sunshine,” featuring narration from punk godfather Iggy Pop. I remember it from Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, some may remember it from its feature on Beavis and Butt-head, but if you don’t remember it all, do yourself a favor and play it back. It’s in this track where we get that griminess that turns things ever so slightly towards the industrial beats which Zombie’s music would later enjoy, but there’s loads of groove and gusto to be had here. “Soul-Crusher” is, by contrast, very guitar-driven and takes things back to their noise rock, Make Them Die Slowly days, before things arrive at a thrash-inspired, ride-heavy rhythm. “Cosmic Monsters Inc.” doubles down on the thrash influence, with loads of palm muted riffing and an airtight rhythm section.

While yes, every metal band ever has been touched by Black Sabbath, “Spiderbaby (Yeah-Yeah-Yeah)” does so more than just about anything, particularly in the bridge found just after the three minute mark. The drum fills, the riffing, it all feels like it was lifted from Osbourne-era Sabbath, and if you’re going to imitate anyone, go for the gold and go for the godfathers. The clean guitars which open “I Am Legend” are a departure from what we’ve heard so far, but before long, the monolithic riffing returns, as do the solos that so many in the Nineties say were killed off by grunge. Clearly White Zombie missed that memo, as we get another shred of shred from Jay Yuenger to take this track home with the classic big rock ending.

Another “Knuckle Duster” interlude gives way to “Thrust!” and the title more than advertises what the song brings. It’s full speed ahead, bouncing and banging with the classic White Zombie sound that we’ve taken the first half of the record to establish. We even get a sample from the zombie film that started it all, Night of the Living Dead, and while that seems like an odd choice for a song called “Thrust!”… fuck it, it’s about zombies, we’ll allow it. A third interlude called “One Big Crunch” gives way to the thumping drums of “Grindhouse A Go-Go,” with a stop and go main riff that begs for an air guitar accompaniment or pantomime.

“Starface” is still very much a rock and roll song, but damn if this one doesn’t have the most dance and disco influence, from the guitar playing to the drum techniques used by Ivan de Prume. This one leans more groove than metal, but it’s still plenty heavy. The near-seven-minute closer “Warp Asylum,” however, is another Sabbathian nod full of big riffs, big drums, and a doom and gloom feel, the “slag” part of the titular psychoholic slag. It’s a big, gnarly crescendo, a summation of everything that brought us this far, and everything that will take White Zombie, and in particular Rob Zombie, into the future for decades to come.

Folks will be most familiar with the singles “Thunder Kiss ‘65” and “Black Sunshine,” but let the rest of the record play and you’re in for an answer to the grunge movement. You want Sabbath? You got it. You want all of the movie references to make Ebert and Roeper blush? Come closer. You want guitar solos? Pilgrim, we will show you some guitar solos. This is an essential record, patient zero for Mr. Zombie and his decades-long reign as the king of grindhouse-inspired grooves and macabre-themed metal.

Stoneburner Comes Back Howling With ‘The Great Filter’ EP

Featured By luciazelenia

On their last tour, the tagline for the mighty Stoneburner was “industrial music like a goddamn firestorm,” and the live show lived up to that claim. The music of Steven Archer’s tribal-industrial setup Stoneburner is mechanical aggression with a sense of urgency, melodies to make one move their ass, not because they want to, but because they have to because the World Wolf itself is in pursuit. The project’s last album Apex Predator was a statement record, their first as part of a proper label, and now that statement is revisited with The Great Filter, a seven-song EP that isn’t finished kicking the listener’s teeth in, as if the listener is pre-Bloodline Roman Reigns and the music is Braun “I’M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET!” Strowman…

Perhaps I got swept up in the pro wrestling analogy, but the point is, The Great Filter, named for Robin Hanson’s potential solution to the Fermi paradox regarding extraterrestrial life, is an assault on the ears in the best ways.

“Narcissus” kicks off proceedings with a hearty bassline and Stoneburner’s signature layered vocals. It’s a powerful way to open the EP, barreling forward for a four-plus minute opening salvo that flows seamlessly into “Fair and Balanced.” Vocally, Archer is all over the place, with talk-sung, almost rapped verses before the refrain and command of “put your hands up,” almost making this song a spiritual successor to “Sellout” from the Apex Predator album. It’s an anthemic “all hands on deck,” with lyrics talking about the corrupt and warmongering nature of America, with the throughline being that it may be time to wipe the slate clean, as Archer sings in one of the earlier verses.

“Hard Crash Necropolis” feels like a love letter to Nineties electro-industrial, taking things in a dancier direction with elements of noise and a stronger sense of rhythm. Of everything in this EP, this might be the most club-friendly track, while remembering where it came from with the harsher electronic flourishes and features. Things go from dance to destruction with “Corvomancers,” a staccato-laden industrial rocker with loads of reverb and echo, making for a dreamier backdrop for the palm-muted guitars and Archer’s multiple vocal tracks to soar through. This song will definitely make my regular listening playlists before long.

Spoken word samples and acoustic guitars set “Generation Loss” into motion, haunting and shambling like the shell of its former self the America that Archer sings about has become. Elements of doom metal help to amp up the dread in this song, and while it wouldn’t be the first song I would show someone to introduce them to Stoneburner, it is one that appeals to me as a fan of metal music and of industrial music, as well as of things that lay just left of center. The title track is an abrasive and challenging one, though it would almost certainly get a dance floor going if given the chance, at least until the final third of the nearly five-minute track, in which pianos and different noise samples dominate the conversation until the fade.

The EP goes home on a cover of Psychedelic Furs’ “The Book of Days,” and this nod to the English post-punk group is a faithful one. While the original article has a bit more muddiness and grittiness to it, the Stoneburner rendition features a bit more of a dreamlike quality, a slightly more fantastical feel despite the heavier use of guitars than in the Furs’ version. It makes sense for Archer to give this late-Eighties classic the Stoneburner treatment, and it finishes off this seven-strong sortie that is The Great Filter on a high note.

The original version of the song from Psychedelic Furs’ 1989 album of the same name, for those unfamiliar.

My first introduction to Stoneburner was the Red in Tooth and Claw EP back in 2020, and every release I’ve heard since has only gotten stronger. Steven Archer has been in the music game for decades and is showing no signs of stopping, and we should feel blessed that that is the case. I don’t normally like doing superlatives or “best of the year,” but this is an essential listen, especially for the industrial fan that likes the music to beat back occasionally.

The Great Filter is available now via COP International.

Black Nail Cabaret Pen Their ‘Woodland Memoirs’ With Friends, An Arboretum, and Eleven Breaths of Fresh Air

on July 2, 2023July 2, 2023 By luciazelenia

Black Nail Cabaret are a dream of a modern dark synthpop act, and exhibit A would have to be their 2020 album Gods Verging on Sanity. Their danceable tracks are worthy of any dancefloor, where their more sultry numbers are worthy of happenings after the club. The record soars with swaying songs like “No Gold” and “Private Religion,” while the lead single “My Casual God” is one of the most intimate, stripped down tracks in a genre that runs the risk of throwing too much seasoning into a single pot. The Hungarian duo of singer Emese Arvai-Illes and producer/multi-instrumentalist Krisztian Arvai know how to make darkness, sadomasochism, and even abject hatred sound incredible.

For their semi-live album Woodland Memoirs, the duo added three musicians to make a full band experience. Guitarist Tamás Számvéber, saxophone player Márton Barják (ex-CsizmáSKAndúr), and drummer Péter Laskay help Emese and Krisztian reimagine eleven songs from their catalog, reaching from their 2012 debut album Emerald City to the aforementioned Gods Verging on Sanity. Recorded among the elements within the Agostyan Arboretum in the band’s native Tatabanya, Hungary, while combining elements of jazz, hard rock, and lounge music with the band’s dark pop sound, every song gets a fresh coat of paint, with nearly every new version working just as well, if not better than, the original article.

There are two songs which stick out as the ones which get the most dramatic facelifts, those being “Veronica” and “Bete Noire.” The former goes from a flirty, synthpop tale about forbidden love into a sleazy, sax-laden number with a driving guitar line and Emese hitting some uncharacteristically high notes. The latter, one of the band’s best-known songs, takes the pulsating beat of the original and turns it into a slow, crawling Sabbathian monolith with some of Számvéber’s best guitar work on the whole project. The urgency of the studio version is swapped out for an unease and an untapped power on this version, and it makes for one of the stronger improvements on this record.

The video for “Veronica,” shot by Richard Besenczi.

The one problem spot for me was “My Casual God.” Maybe it’s an issue of sentimentalism, as that’s the song that got me hooked on BNC, but this new version of such a calculating coldwave track is a completely different song, save for the melody, and in that change something deep in the core of the song is lost. Redoing this song under the circumstances which Woodland Memoirs was a big swing, and I wouldn’t call it a total miss, but I’m not exactly at this version’s mercy like I was the original’s.

Part remix album, part live album, completely swinging for the fences, Woodland Memoirs is for the fans. I personally hope that the idea of a backing band is one that lasts beyond this project, as it created a unique listening experience, especially when taken for the full eleven-track ride front to back. The limited edition artbook is something to behold as well, with gorgeous photography by Dora Hrisztu-Pazonyi that frankly makes me sad there isn’t a full recording being released, only the snippets put out by the band and their label on YouTube. Even then, while I wouldn’t recommend this for the uninitiated or newer fans of the band, this is a captivating listen who like their dark pop with a bit of jazz thrown in, to say nothing of the helpings of hard rock throughout.

Woodland Memoirs is available now via Dependent Records.

BARA HARI Celebrates The ‘Lesser Gods’ On Her Feverish and Fresh First LP

on June 22, 2023June 23, 2023 By luciazelenia

Once upon a time, an elder goth told me “goths are corpses, and corpses don’t evolve.” There’s a lot to unpack with a sentence like that, but generally speaking, the idea that one cannot evolve, improve, or become better is a damaging one. What is old can be new again, if given the right opportunity to grow. With the uptick of the independent scene thanks to platforms like Bandcamp and sites like these, there are some who have decided to go about things with that old time tradition, albeit through the modern lens of production.

To nail down the sound of the self-professed dark pop maiden BARA HARI is to take up a fool’s errand. One moment could bring something post-punk, while the next could go into dark electro-laden pop. After a few years and a handful of singles, we now have Lesser Gods, the singer’s first full-length, and it is equal parts celebration and revelation, steeped in darkness and uncomfortable subject matter behind ten varying dark alternative soundscapes.

The tone set by the opener “Siren Song” is haunting, an invitation into darkness that lives up to its name. Unease gives way to a post-punk groove on “Tempest,” with a bass line that harkens back to the old days of gothic rock and the first instance of Corey Hirsch’s lively drumming helping to solidify the rock foundation upon which this song is built. Sam Franco, the voice behind BARA HARI, has a voice reminiscent of Lacuna Coil’s Cristina Scabbia, with the harmonies to boot. The following track “Immoral Tales” further serves the comparison to the celebrated Italian alt-metallers, with the guitar work by Ian Flux getting a moment in the sun. “Violence Rising” builds up from its sampled vocalization and electronics to a Nineties-flavored goth- and alt-rock number, something akin to Garbage in their heyday. It’s a throwback with modern polish, and it makes for a standout single.

This ritualistic, opulent video for “Violence Rising” saw Sam Franco design the costumes herself, as well as edit and direct.

“Looking for Oblivion” takes things in a more electronic direction, with Franco’s vocal harmonies shining on this electropop tune. It’s accessible and blissfully uncomplicated, and would make for a great call to the dance floor. The next track, the cinematic and foreboding “House of the Devil” needs to feature in a film or television series as soon as humanly possible. It has that vibe of a main title theme, or perhaps it would be more suited for a montage full of secrets being uncovered. Heavy, swaying, and ominous, and yet still so easy to get into and find oneself humming along to the vocal melody, this song is another notable one. The debate over “Agoraphobic” being a song of the times is remotely debateable, but the trip hop influence and staccato guitar riffing capture the crippling anxiety disorder for which the track is named.

Vicente Cordero directed this colorful and macabre music video for “House of the Devil.”

“Delusions of Grandeur” brings the proceedings fully back to that rocking core with another guitar-driven track supplemented by lush synths and more of those sweet vocal harmonies. Again, Corey Hirsch’s drumming has a moment here, bringing the energy back up after the last couple of tracks brought the BPM down ever so slightly. The penultimate “Easy Target” plays around in Nineties and early Noughties alt-rock, with clean guitar lines floating over synths of many flavors and flourishes. We end on “Immortal,” another goth-rock banger with a prominent bass line and everything else that brought this record to the dance in the first place.

BARA HARI doesn’t reinvent the goth pop wheel with Lesser Gods, but rather celebrates it and gives it a facelift. When the goal is a vibrant sound while maintaining that darker vibe, Franco and Co. can do that. If the aim is to evoke the sounds and the names of those who came before, they can accomplish that as well. For a first full-length, Lesser Gods strikes a balance between honoring the old blood while establishing themselves as the new blood, and in a scene as booming and saturated as the dark pop realm, a confident and capable voice like Franco’s is welcome.

Lesser Gods is available now via Re:Mission Entertainment.

April Showers Bring May… Covers? Sure, Why Not?

on June 1, 2023June 1, 2023 By luciazelenia

Sometimes the right thing to get the creative juices flowing is to take an existing and influential song, put one’s own spin on it, and unleash it upon an unsuspecting fanbase. Whether taking a page of a genre playbook similar to one’s own or covering a track clear out of left field, why not shake shit up here and there? Within the last few weeks, the alternative world has seen a number of its best and bleakest offer up their interpretations of some popular tracks, ranging from a Nine Inch Nails Grammy winner to a cut from the Queen of Pop.

Poppy modernizes nu metal darlings Kittie’s first salvo “Spit” from 1999 debut

The post-genre princess known simply as Poppy has paid homage to the women that have rocked before her, namely t.A.T.u (“All The Things She Said”) and Jack Off Jill (“Fear of Dying”), but the once-YouTube sensation tends to wear her musical influences on her sleeve. The title track from Kittie’s 1999 debut album was a rattling of the metal cages, as the Canadian four-piece challenged the entire concept of women in heavy music in a way that hadn’t been done since the heyday of Doro Pesch. A shame it may be that the lyrics of “Spit” are still relevant nearly a quarter of a century after its initial release,

Poppy’s update picks up the pace and adds in more electronic elements, making what was already a mosh-ready track a mule kick to the teeth. If Kittie’s original was pissed off, Poppy’s is an exasperated, infuriated howl along the lines of “god damn it, we’re still debating this shit?!” It’s urgent, dangerous, and an improvement on an iconic song from the heart of the nu metal era, and for that Poppy should be proud.

Danny Blu & Moris Blak confirm what we all knew: Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” is, in fact, industrial

In 1989, Janet Jackson invited us all to join a nation without geographic boundaries, united by a common mission. The title track from her landmark fourth album was set to bring people together through the power of music, addressing social calamities in a concept album for which Jackson fought tooth and nail to maintain creative control over. Given the rising influence of industrial music in the late Eighties, some have quipped, albeit only semi-seriously, that Rhythm Nation 1814 is an industrial album, but leave it to two of today’s best and brightest in the game to take that and run with it.

The SHVDOW Records duo of singer Danny Blu and producer Moris Blak bring the legendary track into modern times, tweaking the lyrics ever so slightly to reflect the problem du jour (namely, “with music by our side, to break the gender lines,” whereas the original named “color lines”). The live out loud mantra and attitude of Blu, with the pounding rhythms and thought-out production and arrangement by Blak, amounts to a smash for both. May this collaboration never end, and may the Rhythm Nation never stop.

We found Garbage hiding, and they finally uncovered their take on Siouxsie and The Banshees’ “Cities in Dust”

The godmother of goth that is Siouxsie Sioux championed the post-punk sound that populated the Seventies and Eighties, influencing innumerable alternative music acts for decades to come. The Madison, WI quartet Garbage has gone on record saying that the Banshees frontwoman was integral to their sound from moment one, and as a loving tribute, the band’s recent Record Store Day special Witness to Your Love EP included a version of “Cities in Dust.” Part electropop, part noise rock, and all driven by Shirley Manson’s smooth yet commanding voice, this cover may take a bit to grow on the more diehard Siouxsie fans, but such a careful and thought-out tribute cannot go unnoticed.

Ego Likeness mark their return with a rendition of Madonna’s “Live to Tell”

Madonna is an artist that invokes an old adage from wrestling manager extraordinaire Captain Lou Albano: often imitated, never duplicated. The Queen of Pop has a body of work and a sound all her own, making any artist’s go at reimagining one of her songs a tall task. Leave it to the seasoned Ego Likeness, breaking their yearslong silence following the reissue of their Dragonfly album and the release of their Wolves EP, to put the “power” into a power ballad. Donna Lynch’s dynamic and haunting vocals with the instrumentation and production of the multi-talented Steven Archer give this song about lies and mistrust an even darker, more ominous cloud to hang over it.

Otep’s take on Billie Eilish’s “you should see me in a crown” rules with an iron fist

The music of Otep Shamaya has always been confrontational and boundary-challenging, and her handling of covers has been no different. Be it her faithful cover of Nirvana’s “Breed” or even the transformation of Lorde’s bedroom pop smash “Royals” into an alt-metal banger that begs to be belted, the edge which Otep adds is one that is razor-sharp. On her first studio release since 2018’s Kult 45, Otep tackles Billie Eilish’s “you should see me in a crown,” one of the anchoring singles from the young singer’s debut full-length. Through death-growled choruses and gritted teeth, Otep adds plenty of bite to the track, going for aggressive where Eilish’s original approach was more understated.

Tony Hawk enlists a bevy of heavy to cover Nine Inch Nails’ “Wish”

If you had “Tony Hawk sings Nine Inch Nails” on your 2023 bingo card, no you didn’t, you fucking liar. Fairmounts frontman Mike Hawdon hosts “Mikey and His Uke” on YouTube, a music show featuring a who’s who in music creating all-star covers of rock and metal classics. For a more recent video, Mikey recruited Tony Hawk, who I’m convinced still doesn’t know how famous he really is, along with guitarist Ben Weinman (ex-Dillinger Escape Plan, Suicidal Tendencies), bassist Brad Magers (The Bronx), keyboardist Kat Lucas (ex-P!nk, stormylovechild), and drummer Ryan “Legs” Leger (ex-Norma Jean, ex-Every Time I Die), to cover a song which Hawdon himself always wanted covered on his show: Nine Inch Nails’ 1992 smash “Wish.” In the music video, Trent Reznor himself makes a brief cameo, giving an emphasis to the phrase “fist fuck” while still keeping well within YouTube terms and conditions. The cover itself is crunchier and more guitar-forward, with Hawk’s vocals staying faithful to Reznor’s original takes, albeit with a bit less inflection than the genuine article.