Eisbrecher - Kaltfront (2025)

Eisbrecher is one of the best German bands and one of my favourites in the neue deutsche harte genre. Their new album Kaltfront is another excellent release from the band with a perfect mix of hard sounds, darkness and electronic arrangements.

Sister Machine Gun - The Future Unformed (2015)

 

This is a very solid EP from Sister Machine Gun. I love industrial, have always loved it and Sister Machine Gun has been a band that whilst never at the top it always succeeded to create solid albums. After a long hiatus this is a welcome addition to their discography and one that I’m already addicted to.

The only complaint? It’s too short. I want more!

You can The Future Unformed through BandCamp here

Ministry - From Beer to Eternity (2013)

Ministry are back again. The band seems to have more false endings than Peter Jackson's The Return of the King, but with an album like this, you will hear no complaint for me. From Beer to Eternity is quite simply the most varied album Jourgensen has put together under the Ministry name and it's superb.

The opening track Hail to His Majesty (Peasants) paves the way for what's to come. This is a more experimental Ministry that's not afraid to mix lots of elements in one song. Overall the album has a dirty sound, with dark sleaze grooves, electronica, incursions into reggae/dub and the pounding guitars that have become their trademark. 

It's hard to pick songs as the songs are very varied and this is an incredibly solid album. My personal favourites are, the Filth Pig era sounding Permawar, the angry brutal Fairly Unbalanced (a kick in the balls directed to Fox News) with The Horror as a dub-like epilogue, the surprising Lesson Unlearned and the two epics at the end (Thanx But No Thanx and Change of Luck) which make use of reggae and middle eastern sounds. 

Mike Scaccia, a long time guitarist for Ministry and according to Jourgensen the driving force behind the sessions that became this album, died three days after the recording sessions were done. It was left to Jourgensen to cobble the sessions together into a presentable form. I have to say that Mike Scaccia would be proud, this is Ministry at its best, unexpected, experimental, hard hitting and dirty.

Rating: Heavy Rotation

Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks (2013)

Trent Reznor decided to resurrect NIN and Hesitation Marks is the result. Some fans may not be pleased by the new direction but it stays true to the NIN sound and at the same time goes in a completely new direction for the band.

The sound is decidedly electronic more than it has ever been since... well, since NIN's first album Pretty Hate Machine. The anger and abrasive heavy guitars are mostly gone here. 

This is NIN at its most dressed down, lean and minimalist. Of course, there's still plenty of complexity in the songs and layers of sounds and beats, but in general this is a very lean and often pop oriented album. Having said that, all the NIN trademarks are still present and the atmosphere is still oppressive.

This is a bold new direction for NIN and Hesitation Marks is an incredibly beautiful album, whether it's the incredibly addictive Copy of A, the dark and heavy beats of Came Back Haunted, the upbeat and poppy sounding Satellite, the album offers plenty of textures and colours, with one great song after the other.

But as usual with NIN, Hesitation Marks is more than a collection of great songs, it's a coherent and cohesive album that is as fascinating as some of the best work Reznor has done across the years.

Rating: Heavy Rotation

Ayria - Plastic Makes Perfect (2013)

Originating from Canada Ayria's music is a mix of future pop and EBM with hints of electro-industrial aggressiveness here and there. Plastic Makes Perfect is her fourth album and it's a pretty solid release.

The highlights of the album are, at least to me, her more aggressive tracks, particularly opener Hunger and Plastic Makes Perfect (see video below). On the lighter, more melodic side I'd highlight Three Months, Missed the Mark and the particularly danceable Big City Lullaby. 

The album has it's ups and downs but there's plenty to enjoy here and the mix of future pop, EBM and more aggressive moments is well balanced.   

Rating: Good Vibrations

Skinny Puppy - Weapon (2013)

Canadian electro industrial legends Skinny Puppy are back again and after more than thirty years of career, they're still not only relevant, but in good form.

Weapon is a very solid album with no dead moments. This is the music of angry machines. Ogre's vocals are mostly clean but are also filtered and distorted to great effect when needed. The album opens with Worning (see the video below) a danceable track, with great melodies, hard beats, plenty of layers, abrasive sounds and a strong vintage electro industrial feel. 

In fact, the best thing in this album (at least for me) is that Skinny Puppy sounds modern and at the same time old. The production is modern and follows their more melodic danceable recent releases but it's darker and more industrial, sometimes going back to the sound of their early days. 

Listening to this album, it's easy to see why Skinny Puppy is such a legendary band and this album is an excellent addition to their discography.

Rating: Heavy Rotation

Undermathic - Indistinct Face (2013)

Originating from Poland, Maciej Paszkiewicz is the man behind Undermathic and this is his third release.

Throughout the album, a vast wasteland of phantasmagoric cities and machines is explored. Indistinct Face feels more like a soundtrack than a collection of songs. This is experimental music at its best. Lush strings and arrangements contrasts with harder beats and sounds to create a haunting and beautiful whole.

Undermathic may not be everyone's cup of tea but for someone who appreciates experimental music and is open minded Indistinct Face delivers an outstanding album that keeps revealing new shades and details in subsequent listens.

Rating: Heavy Rotation

Rob Zombie - Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (2013)

Rob Zombie is inspired these days. The new movie looks great and this album may just be his best solo effort yet. It's a very varied album that somehow manages to mix elements from all his eras; including White Zombie. 

The album is relentless, fun and it never lets you down. The worst part of it is that it feels short. That's my only criticism (and I guess that in a sense it's a positive). When the album finished it, I just had to start it again because it left me wanting more. I wanted to keep the party going.

It's early days, I need to listen to it more, but my gut feeling is that this is better than Hellbilly Deluxe (my favourite Rob Zombie album until now) and it can stand alongside White Zombie's La Sexorcisto and Astro Creep. 

An excellent album from start to end, an absolute blast.

Rating: Heavy Rotation

Krystal System - Rage (2013)

Originating from France, Rage is Krystal System's third album and the first one I listen to. The music moves between electro-industrial and industrial-rock. 

Most of the songs have predominantly clean female vocals. The music is quite electronic but when guitars enter they are quite heavy and metal. Male vocals are use sparingly to great effect.

The album is consistent but still displays a wide range in the music and delivers great songs.  

Rating: Good Vibrations

Zeromancer - Bye, Bye Borderline (2013)

Zeromancer have been around for a while and to be honest, for one reason or another, they've gone under the radar for me until now. 

Bye Bye Borderline is a great electro, industrial rock album. Nothing too exciting or new, but the album is very easy to listen to, with a solid collection of songs that move between electro pop-rock and angry industrial rock.

Rating: Good Vibrations