Category: Industrial

The Joy Thieves ” Apocalypse Pending”

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Chicago Industrial Supergroup The Joy Thieves on Armalyte Industries in 2018 has a brand-new album just in time for the steady decay of the post Capitalist society. Drum Daddy Dan Milligan started this project in 2018 blending a love of live punk rock power, and industrial electronic expertise. A chance meeting through his wife with Chicago Industrial Supergroup legend Martin Atkins (Pigface) led to Milligan compiling a talent packed armada to rival any group in the genre that includes current, former, and touring members of bands such as Ministry, Stabbing Westward, Rollins Band, Killing Joke, Pigface, RevCo, PIG, David Bowie, Blue October, Machines of Loving Grace, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, Naked Raygun, Foetus, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Pegboy, Nitzer Ebb, and more. I’m proud to say the “more” even includes me.

The Joy Thieves – Apocalypse Pending – Lyrics by Chris Connelly (Yes that Chris Connelly)

Additional production by:

Derek Christopher –Penfield Studios
Mark Pistel -Room 5 Studios

Jeff Harris -JH Studios

Steven Archer -House of Wolves

Dee J Nelson -DJN Music Studio

Jane Jensen -Autozen Music

DJ Darryl Hell -HellLab Studios




Mastered by James Scott at Populist Recording + Mastering
Art direction by Destiny Justic Scott

Original artwork by Charlie Athanas for Burning City

2022 Sounds and Shadows Interview with The Joy Thieves

The world has steadily progressed into a pea green soup skied nightmare of political confrontation, media overload, and wealth disparity which has us all terrified for the future. Enter the sonic baseball bat with nails driven through it to fight back against the dumpster fire that is “Apocalypse Pending“. From the funky bashing buildup of 52 second title track intro (Milligan/DJ Darryl Hell) into the first single “No Anchor” (Connelly/Milligan) we are thrust into a desperate crumbling world which the Thieves immediately start beating the piss out of until it releases the sweet juice of hope.

“Why am I desperate to have no anchor? To prowl just like a panther? I can’t remain for anyone Why is it frostbite in July? So strange the time flies I can’t remain for anyone I will not stay, I’m not wanted I’m neither living, nor haunted Beauty has no anchor, don’t forget you’re here “

Things that really stand out above the pack in 2026. 1) The drums here (As expected by Drum Daddy Dan Milligan) are absolutely electric. Every track to tight, clean, but always feels like it is rattling off the tracks. It never does but the sense of anxiety created by controlled chaos releases your adrenaline. 2) This is peak Chris Connelly, not that he ever goes wrong but I think Dan and company are huge fans that really understand the pocket to create for one of the best ever to do Industrial vocals to let him shine. He snarls, croons, spits, and breathes with perfect intuitive timing. 3) The lyrics are the self-aware directed anger that this era is screaming for given voice. I just don’t spend enough time reading along with the lyrics sheet while listening to music these days, but that’s exactly what this record had me doing. 4) The guitar tones here a DIALED in, they are crunching and cooking just beating you over the head while you stomp.

Favorite Tracks: Honestly all of them. This is a hit play and let them cook album. That is a cop out answer though so here we go.

“The Wrong End Of Your Rifle” – What a flow this track has. It is so real with 90s Industrial homage and Public Enemy political intelligence.

“Not one to clash with my investors
More like cardiac arresters
Menace, ignorance
And heavily armed court jesters

Blamin’ it all
Menace becomes investor
Pay to win
Corporate branding on your sin of sins
You came to blame
And nothing will keep you stifled
Menacing
At the wrong end of your rifle”

“Knife Fight Nihilism” – Jensen and Connelly do a beautiful vocal volley in a slam poetry full of razor wit and funky beats. I love the old school record scratching effect and slippery phrasing.

I’m kind of warming up to you
And your consistent fight
To make it true
A knife fight in a garden
Close to paradise
A royal pardon
Look what’s branding us with heavy shields!
And mortal stuff we can’t reveal
You spilled your guts out
And the dogs prepared to feast
A knife fight honors every carnivore and every beast
Unlikely bloodstains make a pattern
Like a jigsaw on the lam
Unlikely jetties rid the sea of bodies
Dead serious, or just another dead man?

This album is a must have and an early contender for my album of the year.

Caustic – “FIEND I”

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There are a lot of things that make Industrial Music, Industrial Music. Intensity, absurd sounds, samples of movies everyone should stop sampling (I’m looking at you Full Metal Jacket). One of the others at the top of the list is authenticity. True industrial music is a gory high fidelity pulsing vein of truth that lays an artist bare spread eagle on a sun dial at high noon with a metal pole bursting through their chest for all to see. That is who Matt Fanale is. That is what this record is.

FIEND I | Caustic

released August 20, 2025

All songs by Caustic/Matt Fanale, except Thirsty Dog, lyrics by Nick Cave

No AI went into the making of this. Don’t be a hack.

Why do we love Madison Wisconsin Industropunk Caustic? The punk rock ethos? The intelligent political vinegar? Is it the fact that Matt loves bad ass beats as much as you do and dedicates his life and time to making sure your fuking bones quake when his bassline drops? Pick an answer. One truth remains, for 1.5 decades now Caustic has been giving you both barrels of fearless phosphorus dragon round industrial music and the Fiend dual albums leave it all on the floor.

Favorite tracks:

“I Love You Matt, but fuck off” – Pure Industrial bare boned self-flagellation. It’s mean, it’s fearless, it’s beats are thrashed within an inch of their life. I love the craft, I love the energy. This the sound a 16 year old me screamed at the moon for.

“Pushing Rope” Part of the amazing beauty of Caustic is to scream rusty nail anger while tearing yourself down a peg. It is real, it is relatable, it is staring at your own mortality how fuking dare you universe.

“I‘ll Throw A Mountain At You” – “When you’ve got nothing to lose I’ll throw a mountain at you” Unhinged aggression with glitchy beats relatable in the modern times. I love the classic growling cadence and exposed emotion.

FIEND I | Caustic

Rather you are talking Caustic, DaddyBear, or Klack, Matt Fanale is a geyser of propelled emotion and boot stomping beats. There is a Part II of Feind out and I look forward to reviewing it too. Matt is one of the real ones, Caustic is a legend.

The Squirrelly Years Revisted by Ministry

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“The Ministry album “The Squirrely Years Revisited” is called that because it compiles re-recorded versions of songs from the band’s early, synth-pop-influenced “squirrely” era in the 1980s. Al Jourgensen reportedly disliked these early works, and “The Squirrely Years Revisited” represents a revisiting and re-evaluation of that material. The title also reflects the band’s journey from their initial synth-pop sound to their later, more industrial metal sound.”

That’s how the overview reads and that pretty much nails it on the head.

—-

If you’re like me, you had fond memories of those days when Ministry was the catchy, synth-heavy ear worm that was always a fun four-minute ride on the radio.

Sadly, the album Twitch wasn’t on my radar for several reasons. So I was completely unprepared when MTV’s 120 Minutes debuted the then new single, Stigmata.

At first I was confused. “Did I hear the name right?” “Is this the same Ministry?” “What the hell did I just watch?!?” These, among others, were the thoughts that ran through my junior year mind. This would take some digesting.

A few short years later, I was working at my college radio station when I finally got the whole story: Jourgensen got a raw deal from his record label and made With Sympathy, an album that was well-received but if Jourgensen had his druthers, would have sounded differently.

By this point, The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste and In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up were on our shelves. This would, in my mind, forever cement their sound and lead to a decades-long love affair with aggressive guitars, pounding drums, and growled vocals.

—-

Those who are familiar with the early material (including myself) probably cannot help but compare these new versions to the originals. But, to be fair, Al Jorgensen and Co. didn’t try to reinvent the wheel on these songs. They just gave them a little extra “oomph!”. Beefed up guitars and a heavier-hitting drums reign prominently throughout the album. But the likes of the revised Work For Love or All Day maintain their danceable qualities. Jourgensen does, however, take some chances with the vocals, employing the distorted treatments that would prominent on later albums such as The Land of Rape and Honey.

All of the classics are represented on this record like Every Day Is Halloween and Revenge. Fans should have a very satisfying experience listening to these classics being given a fresh coat of paint.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-squirrely-years-revisited/1794406730

REVIEW: Clusters of Fornication’s Loss For Words EP

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Clusters of Fornication, Loss For Words

(self-released via Bandcamp, 2021)

R.I.Y.L.: the more electronic Clan of Xymox, Void Vision

https://clustersoffornication.bandcamp.com/album/loss-for-words

Sean Cook, a rare veteran of the 1990s Arkansas darkwave/industrial scene, has released music as Clusters of Fornication (a sly reference, that name!) in recent years. His fourth EP, Loss For Words, refines Cook’s vision, moving forward and reverently looking back.

Kicking off the EP, “Hate is a Carnivore” is a good example of the CoF sound – insistent beats, icy synths, and brittle, introspective vocals.

The opening moments of “Pandemica” marries an electro pulse with truly of-the-time subject matter – the rage and sadness that has tarnished the idealist’s vision for America.

“A God in the Reflection” is an effective condemnation of organized religion, with a beat reminiscent of The Cure’s “A Hundred Years”. The house-style bass supports the beat while remaining understated. 

The EP proper wraps up with the minimal Kraftwerk-esque “Moscovium Element”. The beat diverges from straightforward mimimalism – like something Front Line Assembly might sample for their own work. Loss For Words concludes with a short demo called “Each Time”.

One’s first impression might focus on classic reference points – the high drama of the best Sisters of Mercy tracks, the foreboding of Clan of Xymox and contemporaries like Void Vision – but further listening will reveal contemporary relevance. It’s ponderous and simultaneously comfort food for darkly attuned ears.

J. Robot

Links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

6/18/21 Bandcamp is donating 100% of our share of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund

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I have been thrilled to watch as the Goth/Industrial community grows more diverse. Hats off again to Bandcamp for really putting their money where their mouth is to support both bands and the rights people of color. I will go through some of the things I am currently listening to so you can add to your list and support a great cause.

LEATHERS – Reckless – The long anticipated EP from Shannon of Actors. A unique departure from her other projects and really highlights her essence which is more collaborative in Actors. It’s sleek, it’s beautiful, it’s as light as an angel dancing on a pin. I love the silky billowing synths and how they flow off the shoulders of her voice. The sound is such an immersive dream which slides along the borders of reality. I spend moments dwelling on how something so beautiful manages to remain so relatable.

https://leathers.bandcamp.com/album/reckless

Favorite track: Take your pick, but I will go with Missing Scene. Something about this swooping shoegaze LUSH 4AD vibe. Her voice is reverberating like a tuning fork yet ringing so clearly. I hear this song and even on earbuds I feel like I’m in an old opera house with a towering sound system feeling wave after wave wash over.

October Noir – Cover Type O Negative: Love You To Death – Loving the sound of this band. Does it emulate the band they are covering in a lot of their sound. Yes. Type O is an amazing sound though. It’s ultra bass Steele vocals. It’s crunching power chords. It’s chest pounding bass guitar. This cover is rich with extra layers and complexity. It feels like a love letter to a band now beyond the veil. You can really feel the time and dedication placed on taking apart and reanimating every aspect.

https://octobernoir.bandcamp.com/track/love-you-to-death

Dea Decay – Magic Lantern – This is a beautiful fun romp from Florida artist Dea Decay that came out in December 2020. A spicy club crashing electronic explosion. No vocals but instead a steady stream of adorable wicked anime samples. It’s non stop energetic explosion of adorable imagery and and surreal colors.

https://deadecay.bandcamp.com/album/magic-lantern

Favorite Track: Catronica – A little secret here, when the new netflix She-Ra came out I was blown away. It’s so wonderful and pure. This song really captures that energy and highlights my favorite character Catra. It’s sharp claws bounding around with reckless abandon.

SHIV-R – Kill God Ascend – Brand new album from the Australian electronic apocalypse know as SHIV-R. I love the expansive fantasy metal destruction fed into a machine brain and turned loose on an unsuspecting populous. Pete Crane is a force of nature in the industrial scene and has a glorious gift for poetic imagery in his lyrics. If you are a fan of the violent industrial power of Front 242 and shaking your body in dangerous convulsions, this is your jam. I’m also impressed by the range shown on tracks like Spark, a truly lovely brain infecting track of pop industrial glory. Or Black Turns Blue a downtempo marching chant of a ballad. This record is a journey. Crane’s voice is one of those charismatic characters that feels at home in every setting the music places it. This is the wonder of modern industrial.

https://blindmiceproductions.bandcamp.com/album/kill-god-ascend

Black Angel – Prince of Darkness – I am LOVING this modern trend of returning to guitar driven true gothic rock. Matt Vowels has done it again. This is sizzling and sensual dark driving glory. I just don’t get to make this comparison enough but this album holds that emotive blistering power of Love and Rockets. Deep brooding rich vocals, whip snap percussion, but it always comes back to the V8 power of these guitars. Everything is foot to the floor speed and slides. It’s a non stop action flick of adrenochrome and dark intent.

Favorite Track: Serene – What a gorgeous highway 51 desert hard hitting ballad. The vocals croon and tantalize as the dust rolls by on an empty stretch. I love song for outlaws.

PALAIS IDEAL – The Art of Crashing – I’ve been waiting for the follow up to the 2019 release Pressure Points with baited breath. I was disappointed only by the fact it was three tracks and not twenty. This release is a perfectly blended sound of quality crafting, unique flavor, and infectious hooks. It’s one of those releases I can’t imagine who I could play this for and have them not enjoy it. It really has a universal appeal. It feels kinetic, like Depeche Mode “Construction Time Again”. I always enjoy John’s voice, but this EP really highlights how many different things he can do while sounding distinctly himself. It’s the true mark of a singer who has found his themselves and are owning it. The other greatest power of PI is, like all great prog genre, the two components know each other and their instruments so intimately. It really feels like two blended minds working without barrier. It makes the guitar and bass lines dart, bend, and twine together in perfect syncopation. I will be playing this…. A LOT.

https://palaisideal.bandcamp.com/album/the-art-of-crashing

Favorite Track: You can’t go wrong but Results is damn near perfection. From the opening guitar riff, the workout routine bassline, and John’s drive and grit. This song feels like an instant classic from out of time I somehow didn’t hear. It also holds the higher concept lyrics and hope PI always wins me over with. 10/10