ALIEN SEX FIEND: Possessed

Alien Sex Fiend have been playing their goth-industrial mix since forming in London, England in 1982, and have just released their brand-new studio album, Possessed. This is the first new album since 2010’s hugely successful Death Trip album.

So here is a new album by Mr. and Mrs. Fiend, could you believe that when the Batcave started, that this band would still be around, let alone be this interesting still? I am glad that I’m not a betting man and also glad that they are still putting out fantastic albums like this. With a cool intro, we jump into the album and “Shit’s Coming Down” which has a trancey feel to the titled being sung over and over and the beat just flowing over the song. “It’s In My Blood” has distorted vocals, a throbbing beat and has a mellow, but edge to it that sends shivers up my spine. “Carcass” has the feel of a trance song mixed with a freak out going on at the same time…awesome! “Ghost In The Machine” is kind of a twisted spaghetti western mixed with ambient that makes for a strange, but a cool mix. As before, this is a machine that you can’t ignore. “Amnesia” is kind of minimalist and really stood out as an interesting song that had interesting effects and vibe. “Spine-tingler” is a short song with twisted vocals, then “Gotta Get Back” is a mellow track with quiet vocals that eventually gets a bit more full as more sounds start to enter and is a cool track that sounded great as the thunderstorm hit my area. “Invisible (The Beyond Mix)” reminds me of some of their older songs, but there’s nothing wrong with that at all! The interesting sounds mixed with the insane vocal from Nik just make for a song that made me hot repeat a few times. “Neutron” is an instrumental track that has a bit of twangy guitar and swelling synths that just reach for the stars and it almost has a hint of Pink Floyd in it. “Bloody Reprisal” is a version of “It’s In My Blood” that adds to the original track by being spacey and cool. Last track is “Shit’s Coming Down (Monster Mix)” that adds more effects, a thicker dance beat and more insanity that ends the album off perfectly.

The recording of this album had a very troubled bunch of circumstances that made what was supposed to be a quick follow-up to the previous LP Death Trip a very long journey. The death of guitarist Simon “Doc” Milton in 2012, as well as Nik Fiend being involved in a nasty car accident and Mrs. Fiend’s mother passing away, all took their toll on this album getting done in a timely manner. All I can say is that despite all of the hardships, this was worth the wait and is a fitting memorial to Doc and the Fiends commitment to great music. A band that is and has always been an original and just keeps putting out music that thrills.

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ALIEN SEX FIEND: Fiendology – 1982-2017

Since their emergence in the early ’80s, Alien Sex Fiend have remained one of the most loved and longstanding pioneers of the Goth movement. Fusing themes of horror, humour, inner turmoil and outer space with an industrial and electronic sound years ahead of its time, the band scored countless indie chart hits, found success across Europe, America and Japan and won a dedicated, adoring fan base which exists to this day. The collection is composed of 3 CDs spanning their 35 year history, including five previously unreleased recordings, previously unreleased mixes of “Now I’m Feeling Zombified,” and “I Walk The Line.” There are two brand new tracks from their forthcoming album Possessed, plus artwork by Nik Fiend in the booklet telling the band’s story in pictures, as well as sleevenotes by Kris Needs and Youth.

With the big songs mixed in with album tracks and remixes, this collection gives fans and those curious a look at the band that is without comparison. The band has been in and out of fashion and still marches on to the sound of their own drum machine. Electric and bizarre, they continue to thrill and get people dancing to the mix of strange lyrics and the dance beats that they have been putting out with regularity. The new songs sound right at home, maybe a bit more modern, but fit in perfectly with the sound that they have molded over the years. The booklet has great stories and gives a terrific overview of the band and how they have moved through the years, giving the fans amazing music.

With all of the collections of the band out there, this has to be the one to get, great sound, a collection of obvious and less obvious tracks, and with some rarities added to the two new songs, you just can’t go wrong. Now go out and “Walk The Line” and get Zombified.

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HE IS ME – Cleansing

He Is Me is a collaboration between Portland-based songwriter and musician/producer Casey Braunger and Calgary, AB based songwriter/vocalist Steve Moore. Casey and Steve first collaborated on a 2001 track called “Silencer”. Fast forward to 2016, when Casey reached out to Steve about guest vocals on a new song, Steve liked it so much that they decided to form a new project.

This fourth single that they have released is a down tempo, electronic/industrial song that has angst, anger and enough edge to grab you and pull your ears into the swirling morass that they have concocted. The vocals and subtle at times, but then they turn savage and the song goes into a pounding drill into your soul. The guys have come up with a song that takes a little from here and there and makes it into something that you will want to replay over and over again.

This certainly hits the right buttons and makes me anxious to hear what they will come out with in the future. Stop being a tease and get a whole album out already!

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CLOSE TO THE NOISE FLOOR: FORMATIVE UK ELECTRONICA 1975-1984

If you were around for the early New Wave era, or just curious about when it was still hungry and vital, then this is a box set that you will love. It showcases the early sounds of the synthesizer used in bands to create sounds, noises and in most cases, songs that still raise the hair on your arms. This collection has sixty tracks across four CD, a great detailed booklet, and has bands that you’ve heard of like the Human League, Blancmange, and OMD, to obscure artists that will make you try to hunt down their music….if you can……

This collection goes from the very experimental, with beeps and other strange noises making up songs, to beautiful soundscapes and early industrial. This was just as punk rock at the time as picking up a guitar, maybe more so, since a lot of these were done on homemade machines and with even cheaper materials. The CDs are packed full of songs that were made in a hurry and not with any eye on being on a chart, just made to do something in the spirit of the times and to create something. To think that a lot of these people have moved on and have forgotten about a lot of this, it’s a great collection to get people to hear things that would have been forgotten except for the greedy and horrible collectors who charge an arm and a leg for these singles online. The big song on here is the Human League track “Being Boiled,” but the others all have their charms and I’m glad to have the chance to hear a lot of music that I never had the chance to hear back then. The remastering is fantastic, especially since some of this came off of cassettes, the sound is clear and makes for a great listen.

I could go on and on about the artists and songs, but you just need to go out and get a copy of this collection. While not being definitive….and how could it ever be? The collection is a great beginning to expanding on your idea of what synthesizer music started out as, as well as being sad at how bad a lot of it turned out later in the ’80s.

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ALIEN SEX FIEND: Classic Albums Volume 2

Alien Sex Fiend is a combination of goth, new wave, and industrial that has been a going concern since 1982 and still continues now. The heart and soul of the band is Nik Fiend and Mrs Fiend who are like the Energizer bunny……..they keep going and going and going…….thankfully for us all. This is a remastered collection of four albums, and the second such collection of their music in this format. You get Here Cum Germs, Another Planet, Curse, and Open Head Surgery, which is their fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth albums. You also get remastered music, bonus tracks, a booklet, mini LP sleeves and a clam-shell box to store it in.

A fantastic collection of albums that showcase the band at the end of the 80’s and the early 90’s when they were getting a lot of interest in North America as well as the UK and Europe. It has them getting deeper into sampling and electronics and doing more experimental things, but still sounding like themselves. The albums have a great mix of cartoonish lyrics and manic music that mesh together perfectly. Here Cums Germs has a great continuation of their earlier albums, and a foreshadowing of the more electronic sounds coming on the next bunch of albums. Another Planet is just Mr and Mrs Fiend and they put together a great album of solid songs. From “Bun-Ho!” to the covers of “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones and Hawkwind’s “Silver Machine,” the album is a treat. Curse has the fantastic “Now I’m Feeling Zombiefied,” and a huge jump into techno, hip-hop style music that is strong on this album, but still retains the feel of the band. Open Head Surgery continues on from the previous album with a similar sound and has the band leaving the batcave/goth sound pretty much in the dust. The remastered sound gives the listener the opportunity to hear the little sounds that got lost on the previous recordings, and the cleaner sound makes for a better listening experience. The bonus tracks are a treat and the information in the booklet is interesting to read.

The band has gone through a lot of different styles and sounds throughout their career, but through it all, they still are Alien Sex Fiend. This band changes, but yet stays the same in a lot of ways………thankfully for us.

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POP WILL EAT ITSELF: Anti-Nasty League: CD

After coming back in 2011 with the New Noise Designed By A Sadist album and a couple of EPs, PWEI have come back with an album that has the best of the classic sound mixed with modern touches. These twelve tracks will not be available on iTunes, Spotify or any digital platforms, although an immediate digital version is downloadable with each physical purchase.

One thing you noticed while listening to this album is just how angry, bitter about politics, racism and the crappy way the music industry is today this band is. “21st Century Civil War” starts things off with an anthemic blast that tells of bigotry and elitism that sticks in your head and makes you think. “They Can’t Take (What You Won’t Let ‘Em Have)” continues the powerful messages and is a tight song. “Middle East Street Party” rails against the puppet masters of corporate globalisation and hits hard in message as well as in beats. “Digital Meltdown” is a thrilling song that has energy to spare. “Middle East Street Party” is a fantastic song with great lyrics and a nice mix of electronics and blazing guitar playing. “Sacrifice And Pain” starts off softly and then explodes and gets you up and dancing. “Watch The Bitch Blow” sounds like Slayer getting into a blender with Nine Inch Nails and becoming a mixture that works perfectly together. “Director’s Cut” has a nice reggae vibe that’s mixed with Rammstein heaviness and is a terrific song. The bonus song, which brings the total to thirteen songs, is a song that sounds like it could have been on one of their ’90s albums and was another standout song.

An album of powerful sounds and lyrics to make you think and dance, great exercise for the head and the feet. It’s great to have these guys back and I hope that the band keeps building momentum and grabs fans old and new to take the Poppies all over the world and turn people onto their revolution.

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POP WILL EAT ITSELF featuring BNegão: Reclaim The Game (Funk FIFA): Single

PWEI have voiced their dislike for FIFA by unveiling a protest song featuring Brazilian singer/rapper BNegão. It originally came as a two song single with a radio edit and a more explicit version, changing the word “Funk” to “Fuck.”

This is a slice of pure and classic PWEI with samples and a groovy beat that will take you right back to the early / mid ’90s when they were all over the radio. In the song, PWEI unleash their dislike of FIFA and its boss Sepp Blatter. They sing about how horrible and tainted its become and show no mercy in their disdain for it all. They also ran a remix contest where the winner (best entry as judged by the band), wins a pair of tickets to the PWEI gig of their choice (travel not included) and a free signed album due in October. You can get the remix CD online or you can download it as well.

A classic song with a bitter edge from PWEI and a great message while you are watching soccer / football / futball and cheering on your team. Grab this one and shout out…”Reclaim the Game (Fuck FIFA!).”

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DIFFUZION: Insomnia: Download

While they are currently in the studio recording their third album, Belarusian act DIFFUZION today have released their first single from the new album. You get five songs on the EP, two mixes of “Insomnia” and three of “City Of Dust”.

“Insomnia” starts things off with a tight and pounding beat and distorted vocals that gives this songs harsh electronics a great forum to kick up a noisy and pulsating vibe that really is catchy. “City Of Dust” is a more mellow synth pop track that has female vocals and flows over you and makes your head bob and gets stuck in your head. “City Of Dust (Junksista mix)” is a bit more deconstructed at first, but then kicks into a nice groove with some Euro house touches that give the song a nice dance floor vibe and get you moving. “Insomnia (sleepless mix by Eff Dst)” hardly has any vocals and has a cool UNDERWORLD vibe going on that brought back memories of spinning their music back in the ’90s and this remix would fit in great with a night of cool electronica / techno. “City Of Dust (Diversant:13 mix)” has a cool, bubbling sound that keeps the dancefloor in its sights, but has a bit more depth and it would sound great loud in the car.

A great taste of what the band is up to and it really makes you look forward to their new album. I’m going to be playing this a lot.

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HELGRITT: Helle 666: Download

This album from Las Vegas, NV resident Helgritt caught me off guard completely. The high energy album will get you up and you will feel the need to dance as soon as you hit play.

The album comes at you with blasts of Euro-house, EBM, and New Beat all mixed together in a delightful concoction that put a smile on my face right away. You also get a mix of different styles all mashed together on the terrific track “Abomination”. You get the great electronics mixed with chanting, harsh noise, and gentle piano to create a track that really stood out. From start to finish, this is an album of one great song after another with energy and a sense of excitement as a theme.

As I listened to this album, I kept thinking that this is one of the most interesting albums that I’ve heard in a long time, lots of fun tracks that just felt like a party. If you’re looking for an album that brings together the best of different genres and sounds like it’s a lost classic from the early ’90s, then this is the album for you…it is for me!

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POP WILL EAT ITSELF: Dos Dedos Mis Amigos / A Lick of the Old Cassette Box: CD

A remastered and expanded fifth album from PWEI and now you can get to hear what would have been their sixth album for the first time. The original album has been expanded with demos and selected b-sides and remixes plus a detailed essay and liner notes from guitarist Adam Mole.

This is the album that put them on the charts around the world and got people on the dance floors and now it gets a fresh sound that gives the songs more of a clean sound with the instruments jumping into your ears and giving you a sense of the energy and power that PWEI put into this release. The songs all sound fresh and make you want to get up and dance like a madman around your house and the addition of the bonus tracks just adds to the terrific original album, including the great singles “R.S.V.P.” and “Ich Bin Ein Auslander” which I played the hell out of when this album first came out in 1994. The album goes into a more industrial direction than their previous albums, but still retains the same feel of their older albums. Their unreleased album goes even further into industrial with some techno touches as well and would have been a very good follow-up to Dos Dedos, but at least we get a chance to hear where they were going before money and life got in the way of this great band.

I had a chance to see these guys live once and had to pass it up, at least I have the chance of listening to this great remaster and enjoy them whenever I want, and now in improved sound…it’s some consolation. Grab a copy and hear what a band at the top of their game sounds like and what could have been…if only.

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