Category: Review

SINE – Mantis 1

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mantis 1

“Show me what you’re made of,” croons SINE’s main member Rona Rougeheart, atop a slow-burn minimal (but not “minimal wave”) beat. I found myself returning to this sentiment a bunch of times throughout the duration of MANTIS 1, the latest EP from SINE. “Attack”, the title of the opener, rides a single synth riff throughout its duration; it’s a cool riff, admittedly, and the swung house-music claps do much to keep the dancefloor alive. If there’s anything that ties together the whole EP, it’s mood; this slow burn tempo persists throughout much of the EP .”Future Whores” is a definite vibe switch from the opener, feeling more open, almost like a distorted version of a William Orbit track (and I mean that as praise.) Buzzsaw guitars sit comfortably next to fuzzy monosynths; “Until” explores a mellower vibe, with more of a rocky, dynamic feel.

“Blurred” is my personal favorite from the album; Mark Pistel’s glitchy, dirty industrial hip hop suits Rona’s vampy monotone very well, and I’d love to hear further collaboration from the two of them. “Control” closes out the EP with a retro 90’s-goth type track helmed by Curse Mackey (that checks out!), switching from roaring rock to noise to the familiar slow-burn dancefloor fare, sometimes with a whiplash change. The highs? This a VERY well produced EP, and both the mix and the sound choices work very well together. Sean Beavan, Mark Pistel, Curse Mackey and Charles Godfrey strike admirably similar vibes, which can be difficult when working with multiple producers. As for the lows, there’s never a moment where a track lets loose, where the energy and tension breaks into a big release; this may or may not be by design. Because of this, there’s the danger of a song feeling half formed. That being said, there’s always the next one to grow into your sound – and there’s a great deal of potential on display with SINE.

Check it out at BandCamp!

Aesthetic Perfection Gathers Chris Harms and Corvin Bahn For Industrial Holiday Ballad “Lonesome Ghosts”

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If reading the phrase “industrial holiday ballad” skeeved you out any, I assure you that you aren’t the only one with a raised eyebrow. While Aesthetic Perfection mastermind Daniel Graves is no stranger to ballads – the tear-jerking closer to Blood Never Spills Far From the Wound that was “Devotion” comes to mind – a holiday-flavored tune seems especially out of pocket. Leave it to the Austrian implant to shake things up once again, as he wraps up his 2021 twelve songs in as many months project with “Lonesome Ghosts.”

As Graves himself writes:

“Lyrically, it tells the story of our longing for connection, our desire not to be alone, and offers hope that there is truly a chance at redemption – we’re not all doomed to spend our lives haunted by ghosts of the past.”

Teaming with Lord of the Lost’s Chris Harms, who also mixed the track, and German composer Corvin Bahn (Crystal Breed, Perpetual), Graves brings us a lamenting number about the longing, the Sehnsucht if you will that comes with this time of year, and with the ever-present beast that is the ongoing pandemic breathing down our necks, this loneliness can feel all too magnified. 

Things start off soft, with a piano and Daniel’s voice, but by the time we hit the end, we have a guitar solo, a full orchestra, and sleigh bells ringing in what some call the most wonderful time of the year. Is it a quintessential AP track? Depends. Should it be someone’s first exposure to the king of independent industrial pop? Perhaps not. Is it a testament to the breadth of genres or subgenres that Daniel Graves can explore not only competently, but to a fair amount of success? Absolutely.

Check out the video for “Lonesome Ghosts” below, and stream/purchase the single on Bandcamp:

‘Slow Crush’ Redefines Shoegaze with Sophomore Album “Hush”

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The incredible Belgian band, Slow Crush, has been making a name for itself in the post-punk and shoegaze scenes for the last few years. They’ve been called “My Bloody Valentine with a post-hardcore edge” by Guitar World and are described as “the sound to a beautiful alternate reality” by Kerrang. Now they’re bringing their dreamy and abrasive sound to the next level in their latest full-length album “Hush”.

“Hush” album cover

I can’t start to tell you how much I love this album. After listening through it the first time, I was hooked. If you’re a lover of pedal driven music, you will too.

This album will take you many places with it’s simultaneous offering of harsh abrasiveness and delicate dreaminess. While the instruments are fluid and the vocals are angelic, the entire album has a pleasing fullness and overarching heaviness that makes even the harshest sounds favorable and welcomed in abundance.

“Hush” is the sophomore album by Slow Crush which exceeds it’s incredible predecessor “Aurora”. With shimmering melodies, soothing vocals by Isa Holliday, noise and chaos added on top, this album brings next-level emotion and intensity. The album was born from the ideas floated around between tour gigs in the beforetimes and brought to life by the worldwide lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s because of these circumstances that the album can both be light and melodic while carrying the weight of the world outside.

Slow Crush

Drown: The opening track of the album which sets the tone for the what follows. With shimmering guitars and whirling noises, this song makes me feel like I’m seeing the world through frosted glass. There’s no way to describe how beautiful this track is. With dual vocals, a simple strumming guitar, and keyboard creating a lush atmosphere, I had tears in my eyes and couldn’t wait to hear the rest.

Swoon: This songs pace is a little faster. Opening with a crash of noise and drum fills, this track quickly takes a dark, pulsating turn. Throughout the song, there’s an amazing showcase of grinding guitars, obscure noises, and dissonant vocals that somehow create an absolutely beautiful post-rock track.

Lull: This is the first single released off the album and it’s the perfect track to showcase how heavy and beautiful this band can be. The song starts and it seems like it’s going to be soft and pretty. When the drums and guitars kick in, the song layers up. Without lacking in beauty, the overdriven guitars create a wave of loudness that gives me goosebumps. Check out the video below!

Official Music Video for “Swoon” by Slow Crush

This album will surely make your album of the year list if you love shoegaze and post-punk. With walls of sound, celestial-like vocals, and shimmering instruments, “Hush” will throw you back to your favorite artists like My Bloody Valentine and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, while adding some new spices to the mix.

“Hush” will be available October 22, 2021 on vinyl, cd, and digital download via Quiet Panic. Also, stay tuned for updates on the bands upcoming WORLD tour!

SINE’s : Desire, Denial and Paramania paints with all the colors

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Earnest without pretension, and somehow both distinct and familiar, SINE’s : Desire, Denial and Paramania is a warm hug from a spiky leather jacket.

https://sineofficial.bandcamp.com/album/desire-denial-and-paramania

SINE, an Austin based electro-industrial bona-fide rock band, has Control, which happens to be the name of the first and my favorite track of the album, “Desire, Denial and Paramnia”. The music crunches and creaks while lead singer and founder, Rona Rougeheart, shifts and mixes vocal styles, presenting the dichotomy and conflict of her lyrics without over-characterizing or identity segmentation.

And yet, the versatility and range continues throughout the album, not only vocally, but in production, structure, tone color, and cadence. The production is impeccable and Rogueheart wears her influences openly, yet doesn’t fall prey to mimicry or pantomime. Her artistic vision and sensibility remain clear while showcasing a thorough gradient of electro-industial-goth-rock. SINE’s latest foray almost feels like a greatest hits album, yet is showhow a cohesive and fully listenable experience from start to finish.

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

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