Electronic Metal

A Dark Halo – Omnibus One Review

By Itchymenace on July 23, 2023 in Reviews, Electronic Metal, Nu Metal, 38 comments

“What is cyber metal? That’s the question that I got stuck on as I was snorkeling through the dregs of the promo bin and came across A Dark Halo’s sophomore album, Omnibus One. I had never heard of this band (billed as cyber metal) before but maybe they were all robots or some sick shit like that. A quick scan of the liner notes further whetted my curiosity with mention of “a fierce display of ludicrously heavy guitars.” Since I love anything that’s ludicrous and I love heavy guitar, it seemed like I had found a golden nugget in a sea of turds.” Cyber warriors.

Black Magnet – Body Prophesy Review

By Kenstrosity on July 28, 2022 in Reviews, Electronic Metal, Industrial Metal, 7 comments

“Industrial metal is an extremely difficult genre in which to stand out. Part of this challenge lies in the relatively limiting set of attributes that defines the style. A lot of industrial music relies on robotic, crushing synth tones, backed by throbbing beats with gritty distortion slathered over almost everything from drums to vocals. The specific niche that industrial music fills in turn creates an incredibly crowded and competitive field for new artists intending to make their mark. To stand out, you have to deliver something that breaks new ground in either sound or songwriting quality. Oklahoma City-based one-man-band Black Magnet aim to do just that with their new album, Body Prophesy.” Body hammer.

Luminous Vault – Animate the Emptiness Review

By Dear Hollow on May 17, 2022 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Electronic, Electronic Metal, 57 comments

“Electronic elements and black metal is often met with disdain. Atonal EDM beats over blackened shenanigans make acts like Psyclon Nine and Mora Prokaza questionable, while the guitar-less synth overload of Golden Ashes and Wreche are often met with mixed reception. Perhaps more successfully, acts like Blut aus Nord and Dkharmakhaoz incorporate cold industrial flourishes to the raw guitar tone, creating an uncompromisingly obsidian sound. Electronic is divisive, but Luminous Vault does it right.” Electro-violence.

Master Boot Record – Personal Computer Review

By sentynel on May 17, 2022 in Reviews, Electronic Metal, Synthwave, 27 comments

“For the three of you who haven’t yet encountered me gushing about Master Boot Record, here’s the summary. Decreasingly anonymous Italian musician Victor Love, inspired by classic 16-bit video game soundtracks and the harsh sound of a floppy drive stepper motor, synthesizes heavy metal. Despite sounding like a one-album novelty, Personal Computer is MBR’s eighth full-length in seven years and they’re signed to Metal Blade.” Boots and scans.

We Butter the Bread with Butter – Das Album Review

By Kenstrosity on September 23, 2021 in Reviews, Deathcore, Electronic Metal, 46 comments

“We Butter the Bread with Butter have gone full circle, entering 2021 with the same original lineup as when the duo first spawned in 2007, plus one adorable doggo. I’m not sure how that happened, but at least their secret formula remains intact. Electronic dance music and deathcore renew their vows on Das Album, drumming and bassing to and fro, trapping me beneath the weight of a stout breakdown or whipping me around a stupid catchy chorus.” I can’t believe it’s still Butter!

Sermon of Flames – I Have Seen the Light, and It Was Repulsive Review

By Dear Hollow on August 31, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Electronic Metal, Industrial Metal, Noise, 27 comments

“I was more than ready to write off Sermon of Flames as just another dissodeath album. It meets all the criteria: lurching riffs, wormy dissonance, bellowing insanity, and above all, violent disregard for its listeners. Its black/death breed recalls the mighty Mitochondrion or Abyssal with its hellish intensity and atmosphere – like many albums of its ilk. Just like every person, Sermon of Flames’ debut I Have Seen the Light, and It Was Repulsive is full of flaws and inconsistencies, highlights and strengths.” Things that cannot be unseen.

Eggvn – La Era de la Bestia Review

By Dear Hollow on May 12, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Electronic, Electronic Metal, Industrial Metal, 39 comments

“Let me introduce you to Eggvn, self-professed “Satanic Death Industrial Metal.” Sporting some obvious black metal influence, I was expecting an ominous ambient album among the ranks of Moëvöt or Velvet Cacoon, but the Mexicans’ sophomore full-length La Era de la Bestia is more akin to a bizarre combination of Psyclon Nine, Brokencyde, Angelspit, and Nine Inch Nails. Featuring pulsing beats, cold industrial flourishes, dark ambiance, and harsh barks, it has its moments of listenable plagiarism, but is comically marred by a club-footed collision of its influences.” Alert the Egg Council.

Duma – Duma Review

By Roquentin on August 30, 2020 in Reviews, Drone, Electronic, Electronic Metal, Experimental Metal, Grind, Non-metal Metal Things, 23 comments

“The self-titled debut by Kenyan duo Duma (meaning “darkness” in Kikuyu) is a most peculiar rara avis, carrying the sort of art difficult to distill into words, let alone narrow down to a single genre indicator. So while “grindcore” might be easiest to associate with the often rhythmically driven and dark work of Martin Khanja (aka Lord Spike Heart) and Sam Karugu, any expectations or points of reference go out the window within the first ten seconds of Duma’s opening track.” World metal.

Blut – Hermeneutics Review

By Kenstrosity on May 26, 2020 in Reviews, Electronic Metal, Gothic Metal, Progressive Metal, Symphonic Metal, 71 comments

“This is the last time I pick up something that more respectable reviewers wouldn’t. Steel Druhm, in his infinite wisdom, decided he had some other unfathomable thing to do besides review Hermeneutics, the fifth LP by Italian-Swiss symphonic prog-metal band Blut.” Blut force trauma.

Master Boot Record – Floppy Disk Overdrive Review

By sentynel on March 21, 2020 in 2020, Doom Metal, Electronica Metal, Italian Metal, Metal Blade, Reviews, Doom Metal, Electronic Metal, Synthwave, 34 comments

“Master Boot Record first came to my attention a few years ago as a novelty synth-metal nerd music act that made good coding music. After a hard disk full of releases in their first couple of years, Interrupt Request was released in 2017. At that point, I suddenly realized that MBR had privilege escalated from novelty act to serious music. Nothing had changed about the style or the presentation, but after iterative improvements, the quality of the songwriting demanded that they be taken seriously.” Disc blaster.