Considering that the band members’ roots lay in the Chicago industrial scene, with the now-defunct band Acumen Nation, Czar surprised listeners with 2011′s excellent Vertical Mass Burial, an album of angular alt metal that suggests bands like Mastodon and Helmet more than it did, say, Ministry and Nine Inch Nails. Still, despite the stylistic shift, Czar maintain a love of industrial music, a passion they will get to indulge when they hit the road with Killing Joke this spring. Here, Czar guitarist Brian Elza picks his Top Five Industrial Songs by Metal Bands.
1. Nachtmystium, “No Funeral”
“I remember a lot of people hating on this song when it debuted, but it’s probably my favorite on Addicts, amidst all the blast beats, trem-picking, and post-punk. With synths up front, drums so distorted they might as well be programmed, and monotone barking, this song sounds closer to dance goth like Electric Hellfire Club or even The Faint than USBM. And at the risk of sounding totally un-kvlt, ‘No Funeral’ is also the most memorable song on Addicts, boasting the album’s catchiest riff–played on a synth! Good luck finding a live clip of this one.”
2. Torche, “King Beef”
“Yes, this is one of those lava-slow Torche jams, but it’s the inclusion of what sounds like a 16-bit steel drum from a Dr. Rhythm that really makes Torche’s debt to Godflesh stand out. Instead of ‘doom pop,’ you get some seriously repetitive and unwelcoming shit, with minimalist drum patterns, zero guitar heroics, and a plodding second half that devolves into downtuned sludge. If you like this, check out the noisier, more organic industrial of Pigface, Young Gods, and, of course, Godflesh.”
3. Gojira, “A Sight to Behold”
“A synth, vocoder, and basic rock beat set ‘Sight to Behold’ off from the rest of The Way of All Flesh. It might sound like the least industrial song on this list, but given Gojira’s penchant for precise, tactical, mechanized chops, they have arguably learned the most from industrial. The verse starts with a slinky Sister Machine Gun-style groove before giving way to the guitar hammer-ons, punishing double kicks, and syncopated curveballs that are Gojira’s trademarks.”
4. The Dillinger Escape Plan, “Phone Home”
“After DEP’s EP with Mike Patton, there were signs that new singer Greg Puciato would continue putting spazzy vocals over the band’s spazzy mathcore. Cool. But for fans who were 43% burnt out on mosh jazz, he didn’t just bring Patton’s vocal range. He brought some mainstream tendencies, like good-cop choruses and Nine Inch Nails worship. This started on Miss Machine, especially with ‘Phone Home,’ a glitchy, sinister tune with a trip-hop beat, lurching choruses, and more dynamics than any other track on this list. It also kills live. Later songs like ‘Parasitic Twins’ and ‘Widower’ could’ve come right off The Fragile.”
5. Blut Aus Nord, “Epitome XVII”
“This is a hard band to pin down, literally and musically. Over 10 albums, Blut Aus Nord have mixed black metal, industrial, darkwave, and more into something very ‘other.’ Which is why Cosmosophy took me by surprise, adding shoegaze to their minor chords, programmed drums, and howls. ‘Epitome XVII,’ the fourth song, takes the French band into shimmering, epic territory, sounding something like an uptempo Jesu or Bathory covering Tears for Fears. If this showed up on a Cleopatra Records comp in the early 90s, a lot of black eye makeup would’ve run for the chins.”
Honorable Mention: Harm’s Way, “Becoming”
“They might come from Chicago’s hardcore scene, but the production on Isolation is metal as fuck. ‘Becoming’ takes Harm’s Way to another extreme, adding industrial flourishes to an already slammed mix of kick, snare, dirty bass, and buzzsaw guitars. Now throw some echo on the vocals? Delay on a couple drums? Gain and gates on the others? “Special hi-hat programming”? Is that a synth towards the end? You could put this song on Filth Pig and no one would notice. Sold.”
Corrections House, the new supergroup/collective featuring Scott Kelly of Neurosis, Mike Williams of Eyehategod, Sanford Parker of Nachtmystium, and Bruce Lamont of Yakuza, have debuted a new song and video, “Hoax the System.” Check it out below, and let us know what you think in the comments. The group is also kicking off their first tour ever in a few days–see dates under the video.
CORRECTIONS HOUSE – 2013 TOUR DATES
01/21 New York, NY – Saint Vitus
01/22 Boston, MA – Great Scott
01/23 New Haven, CT – BAR
01/24 Washington, DC – DC9
01/25 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery
01/26 Richmond, VA – Strange Matter
01/27 Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade
01/28 Gainesville, FL – The Atlantic
01/30 Miami, FL – Churchill’s
01/31 Tampa, FL – Crowbar
02/02 Birmingham, AL – Bottletree
02/06 New Orleans, LA – Sibera
02/08 San Antonio, TX – Korova
02/09 Austin, TX – Red 7
02/10 Dallas, TX – Bryan Street Tavern
02/11 Norman, OK – Opolis
02/13 Omaha, NE – Slowdown
02/15 Denver, CO – Moon Room
Canadian sludge-metal band Bison B.C. are preparing to release their new record, Lovelessness, on October 22. The band worked with producer Sanford Parker (Pelican, Nachtmystium, Unearthly Trance) for this, their fourth full-length effort.
Today, they are premiering a new track on RevolverMag.com called “Clozapine Dream.” Check out the song below and let us know what you think in the comments.
]]>Check out “Height of the Rifles” off Chrome Waves below:
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Chris Krovatin is the author of the young-adult novels Heavy Metal & You and Venomous, as well as Revolvermag.com's “Final Six” blog. The latter book was the inspiration for Deadlocke, a one-shot published by Dark Horse Comics.
Last week, I went to see Nachtmystium, who played with Zoroaster, the Atlas Moth, and Dark Castle in Brooklyn, NY. Here’s what happened:
General state of the crowd at the Knitting Factory: Hairy.
General state of this reporter: Hungover, hairy.
Best hang-over cure: Psychedelic black metal, I guess?
Merch consistency: Groovy '70s-style block lettering. Guess these guys do drugs.
Coolest piece of merch available: The Atlas Moth back patches, featuring the phrase “Drop Acid, Not Bombs.”
First up: Dark Castle from Florida.
The skinny: A two-person band, featuring a female guitarist-vocalist and a drummer, that sounds like Bathory having a panic attack after smoking some high-potency grass.
Favorite fashion choice: Frontwoman Stevie Floyd’s shirt, a simple white sleeveless shirt with fake bloodstains running down the collar, like her throat’s been slit.
Best back patch of the show: The dude with the Impetigo patch. Solid.
The difference between a Brooklyn metalhead and a Manhattan metalhead: Brooklyn kids smell better. I know, it surprised me too, but if last month’s Exodus show proves anything…
Noteworthy venue detail: The bar actually has a number of decent beers on tap.
About the old Knitting Factory: If I remember correctly, they did not have a bunch of good beers on tap. If I remember correctly, they had PBR and Budweiser cans, shit like that.
Coming up second: The Atlas Moth of Chicago.
Noteworthy name bullshit: The band is named after a type of large saturniid moth named after the Greek titan Atlas due to its map-like wings.
Sounds like: The titan Atlas listening to Neurosis, then dropping the globe on his back as he’s eaten alive by a swarm of poisonous moths.
Worst thing about the Atlas Moth: They must not know that I’m brutally hungover, as their music makes my brain feel like it’s getting fucked with a hammer.
As such: They’re obviously doing their job.
Available tour poster: Mother Nature, lilly in hand, reels back from a line of blow while the Grim Reaper reaches around and cops a feel on one of her tits.
Drug use worth mentioning: Nachtmystium seem pretty down with promoting the yayo in a way that is often shunned by more extreme-metal bands. Maybe they think it’s too glam.
Drug use not worth mentioning: When I’ve done it, the yayo made me take epic forceful shits all night. I’ll stick to weed, thanks.
Door number three: Zoroaster from Atlanta.
Comprised of: Two big hairy dudes, a wild drummer, and a fourth guy on his knees manipulating a sound box to add that super-psychedelic flare.
The result: Crushing, riff-based stoner metal with throbbing pulse that makes you wonder if you might have a stroke if you stop banging your head.
Coolest band gear of the night: Zoroaster’s transparent orange drum kit. I shit you not, man.
And finally: Nachtmystium, from Chicago.
Sounds like: Master Of Reality–era Sabbath meets Sons of Northern Darkness–era Immortal, with a touch of Varg Vikernes thrown in for good measure.
Intense state of perspiration: Nachtmystium frontman Blake Judd sweating buckets from the moment he started playing.
Sudden thought: Maybe he’s as hungover as I am!
Favorite stage moves of the night: Nachtmystium just lining up, legs spread, and fucking thrashing out as they play. It’s simple, it’s old-fashioned, and it still looks fucking cool.
Song of the set: A tie between “Ghosts of Grace” and the indie-friendly mindfuck of “Nightfall.”
Holy shit: A mosh pit! Brooklyn kids starting a little black metal mosh pit! Ain’t it grand!
Actual hang-over cure: Going up to the front of the stage and pounding my fist against it while headbanging to “A Seed for Suffering.”
Look for: The band’s new video for “Every Last Drop,” directed by Revolver and Guitar World writer/photo dude Jimmy Hubbard.
In conclusion: What an awesome show, but Jesus Christ, I smell fucking awful.
However: B.O. ist krieg.
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Chris Krovatin is the author of the young-adult novels Heavy Metal & You and Venomous, as well as Revolvermag.com's “Final Six” blog. The latter book was the inspiration for Deadlocke, a one-shot published by Dark Horse Comics.
On Saturday, I went to a night of classic thrash and extreme metal headlined by Kreator with support from Voivod, Nachtmystium, Evile, and Lazarus A.D. Here’s what happened:
General observation of Nokia Theatre: Man, this place would do better with fewer flashing lights and more draft beers.
Awesome sight: Kreator’s name in 10-feet-tall lights over Times Square.
Last time I saw Kreator: L’Amours, with Destruction on the Hell Comes to Your Town tour. Was that 2001? 2002? I had to leave midway through “People of the Lie” or else I wouldn’t make curfew.
Number of patched-up denim vests sighted before even entering the venue: Seven.
Number of patched-up denim vests sighted upon entrance: 40,000,000.
Number of back patches viewed that featured mutants fleeing from a mushroom cloud: Six.
Favorite obscure back patches: Mantas, Pagan Altar, Y&T, and a tiger-print Overkill patch.
First band of the night: Wisconsin’s Lazarus A.D.
Thoughts: Sure, OK. No, I get it, and you guys do it well. Sure. These riffs do sound big and angry, and you play them well. Sure.
Most interesting piece of band merch available: Kreator belt buckles.
There’s not enough cool merch: All I want’s a small embroidered Endless Pain patch, and you’re offering me a $25 belt buckle? Or a $50 Voivod art book?
Point of merch knowledge to be remembered: You could get a thrash-hungry metalhead to buy a lump of dog shit if it had the cover of Endless Pain ironed onto it.
Next onstage: Evile from England.
Crowd reaction: Kids are dancing like crazy for these motherfuckers.
Best song intro by Evile frontman Matt Drake: “Are you ready for some heaviness? Some real dirty heaviness?!”
Next song: “Bathe in Blood.”
Necks: Wrecked.
Alcoholic budget tip: When purchasing concert booze, go for the Guinness tall-boy. Sure, it’s heavy and black instead of yellow and refreshing, but there’s more beer for your buck that way, and the bartenders respect it.
Now we have: Chicago’s Nachtmystium.
Name your poison: Psychedelic black metal rancor with a Floydian twist.
Frostbitten fun fact: Nachtmystium’s Assassins: Black Meddle pt. 1 was my Best Album of 2008.
Overall opinion: Definitely awesome, but they were better when they opened for Marduk.
To be expected, I guess: They had a longer set, and were playing to a crowd they knew a bit better.
My two cents: Don’t play “Ghosts of Grace” and “Life of Fire” back to back. They sound very alike, and it’s weird.
Two left: Next up, Voivod.
Personal confession: Hard as I’ve tried, I’ve never really given a shit about Voivod.
Performance thoughts: They’re…OK. Definitely focusing more on their first two albums, which are famous for being thrash throwaways. Frontman Snake is not the best dancer.
It’s the crowd: This group doesn’t want 10-minute space-jams, they want to thrash until they’re sore.
Best song played: “The Unknown Knows” from Nothingface.
Random thought: Man, Voivod songs would sound so much better if performed by Devin Townsend.
Even more random thought: As a young Canadian, did Townsend look up to the boys in Voivod as Maple Leafs who’d made it big in metal? Did he lie awake at night, clutching his copy of RRROOOAAARRR, and wonder?
And finally: Kreator, auf Deutschland.
Everyone against everyone: CHAOS.
Holy Jesus: This place filled up quick. Who knew that everyone and their mother loves Kreator this much?
Awesome backdrop: Kreator’s Demon Brain creature as the statue of liberty with pointy Capitol Building tits. Classic.
Best Kreator jams: “Endless Pain,” “Pleasure To Kill,” and the oft-overlooked “Servant in Heaven, King in Hell.”
Favorite crowd banter: “PLAY ‘BETRAYER,’ PLEASE.”
Favorite stage banter from Kreator frontman Mille Petrozza: “I want you to scream the word ‘HATE’! Louder! Scream ‘HATE’ for Kreator! SCREAM ‘HATE’ FOR KREATOR!”
Number of fliers received post-show: Six.
Closing thoughts: Oh man, if that was that nasty, the Overkill is going to be absolutely disgusting.