Dance With The Dead - Driven To Madness

self-release: 2022

And thus we've come to the end of yet another of my Bandcamp catalogue bulk buys, that of the dynamic duo of Dance With The Dead. What I find remarkable about this one is, unlike so many other artists I did the deed with, these chaps haven't released anything since. No continued unearthing of archival material or relentlessly releasing new stuff, just sitting pat for the past two years. Okay, a tenth anniversary remastering of their debut album Out Of Body, but I don't count that. All I'm getting at is it's rather satisfying completing one of these discography dives and not having my OCD triggered by some unexpected unfinished business at its conclusion.

Is that the bigger question here, whether I'll carry on getting Dance With The Dead albums after this? For sure I like their stuff, but Driven To Madness kinda' shows they haven't evolved much either. You generally know what you're gonna' get with each record – driving synthwave action with epic guitar riffage – and that's fine for a fix every now and then. Yet I can't help but feel completely sated on their style now, this album not quite hitting the highs I've come to expect from them. Maybe it's just the record itself, Tony and Justin trying to find their mojo again after a four-year gap between LPs (not to mention a pandemic).

They're certainly shooting for something far grander in scope, even getting some dialog from John Carprenter in the opening intro. Finally, a feature from the man that inspired so much of their sound! What turned my head even quicker, however, was the opening riff of follow-up Firebird, reminding me of Stone Temple Pilots' Sex Type Thing. Grunge is not a genre of music I make many connective tissues with, especially when dealing with anything involving synths. Firebird is pretty darn epic though, even dropping some choir pads at its climax. Ah, hmm, maybe overselling things a little there, lads. And something about the chugging synths in Hex has me feeling a track more suited for some festival set than a pair of dudes jamming on stage. It is a different direction than what I'm used to hearing from them, but not really sustained for the rest of Driven To Madness.

And I think that's where my disconnect comes in. While I can't say I would have looked forward to a whole album of just festival bangers (even from these guys), at least it would have been something different. Instead, we're back in familiar territory with the outrun cuts (Sledge, Wyrm Of Doom), the heavier rockers (I'm Your Passenger, A New Fear), the synth poppers (Kiss Of The Creature, Nebula), and the ballad (Start The Thaw). I do appreciate hearing more regular drums over digital ones (sampled or not, I'm not sure, there isn't a drummer credit included), but beyond that, yeah, it's Dance With The Dead doing their thing. Think I'll need a little more than that should I get any future albums.

Dance With The Dead - B-Sides: Volume 1

self-release: 2017

Yep, I've still got Dance With The Dead material too. Man, have I ever been burning through a lot of those bulk-buy bundles this past month. Something about the letter 'B' artists just love utilizing in titles. And you'd think, having reached the B-Sides of Justin and Tony's band, I've finally come to the end of their discography. Like, how can there be anything more after the also-ran tracks from their back catalogue? If I was reviewing their stuff in sensible order, that would be true, but no, there's still One (1) more album I've yet to cover. Talk about timely.

Incidentally, having snagged all their stuff off Bandcamp, you'd think getting a b-sides collection would be redundant. After all, aren't such songs the extra cuts you'd find on the backside of singles or bonus tracks off albums? Traditionally, yes, but we're in a brave new world of digital now, where obscure cuts are easily available with an artist's entire library. Instead, b-side collections serve the purpose of rounding up wayward releases that have appeared on label compilations or guest features on other artists' albums. So more like rarities and such, but B-Sides: Volume 1 has a nice ring to it nonetheless.

That said, I'm wondering if this compilation of songs should mostly be called 'rare and unreleased', as by Lord Discogs' count, barely a quarter of them have appeared elsewhere. And the ones that have, hoo boy, are they ever Dance With The Dead at their absolute best. Pumping Outrun rhythms, bright synth riffs in overdrive, and Tony's impossibly epic shredding in spades. I mean, if you're gonna' get a feature on any ol' synthwave CD, you generally want to send your best shit for all to hear, get them intrigued to hear more. Hell, it worked on me, though it was that remix they did for GosT's Reign In Hell that got my curiosity piqued. Hey, why isn't that on here? Or any of their remixes, for that matter? Huh, guess they gotta' save some stuff for Volume 2.

So this volume may or may not have many unreleased songs, since I've no way of confirming so few of them actually appeared on other compilations. Oh alright, I could dive deep into the ditches of the synthwave compilation scene, but dear God, do you have any idea how stupidly vast that is, with so few folks having actually gotten any? I'm not surprised Lord Discogs has many supposed gaps in this info.

What I can tell is B-Sides: Volume 1 does seem to be in chronological order, the band's earlier emphasis on the metal side of things quite prevalent in the first run of tracks. There's a couple slower songs too (Stoic, Blood Moon, Surrender, They Only Come Out At Night), which confirms to me many of these are just unreleased tunes that didn't make an album cut. Which does make the lengthy fifteen tracks of this kinda' ironic, what with most DWtD LPs quite svelte and tightly sequenced.

Dance With The Dead - Blackout

Neuropa Records: 2020

Hey, remember when me reviewing one Dance With The Dead release per month for half a year felt like over-exposure? Good times. Actually, I don't know if that really was this case with this synth-metal duo, but I cannot deny I was personally running out of things to shoot the shit with in short order. Maybe a new wrinkle here, or a dodgy bit of production back there, but by and large, you throw on one Dance With The Dead record, it's probably gonna' sound like any other.

Fortunately, it's been a whopping ten months since I last talked this band up. On one hand, holy cow, has it really been that long? Considering the last album I reviewed was The Shape, it just goes to show how massive this ongoing alphabetical queue of mine is. Yet that also means much of what I've said about Dance With The Dead has probably left all of your brain-noggins (yay short-attention span internet generation!), so I could start all over again, as though this was my first DWtD review. Wait, it's just another EP, and a three tracker at that? Dang it, that's not much to go off of at all.

Actually, the fact this is an EP is something of a talking point, in that the duo seldom released them. I know that may seem weird considering I've already covered two (Into The Abyss and Send The Signal ...itself barely stretching what should be considered an EP), but those came early in DWtD's existence. When the creative fires are burning bright enough for full-length albums, what need is there for short players keeping one's name out there? Especially with what was undoubtedly a productive tour schedule to boot. I guess things were taking a little longer to materialize after Loved To Death though, so here's a little something in anticipation for another road trip and what's that? Everything gotta' shut down for a year or two? Well shit, guess Blackout will be all that's heard from Dance With The Dead for a while after all. Timely, that.

Scar doesn't waste any time getting us into the action, a gnarly bass lead and propulsive rhythm kicking us into high gear. I'm almost reminded of Felix da Housecat's Rocket Ride, but once the bright synths and bleepy fills join the action, it's familiar Dance With The Dead territory. All that's missing is a bit of Tony Kim's shredding and... there it is, at the peak, but so brief. Huh, guess this was Justin's moment to shine. Just as well, since second track Ravens In The Sky slows things down a little, providing more guitar action among all the epic synths and whatnot. Man, almost too epic, getting into Dutch trance territory. Final track The Dawn is pure head-bangin' fare, or hair whip if that's your game. For those of us who are follicly challenged, however, a simple neck snap and throwing up of the devil horns will suffice.

Sykonee's 'Sportsing' Surveys: KILLING JOKE

I've long admired Youth's work with The Orb, and have even checked out one or two of his other projects, but never the one where he got his start: Killing Joke. I know very little about this band, beyond being one of those Very Influential ones of the '80s, often name-dropped by many big-league players of alternative rock. I felt like I should check them out at some point but wasn't sure if they'd even be my jam, way outside whatever expectations I had for supposed post-punk pioneers. Then again, isn't the whole point of doing these discography dives while demolishing my deltoids to discover music I'd never give a chance otherwise? Most definitely it is, and what better way of truly getting outside my comfort zones than engaging a band while my heart rate and adrenaline are operating at peak proficiency. I mean, it works for dance music, so why not some noisy proto-industrial rock too? So let's get into the epic, oh-my-God how is this band still existing? discography of Killing Joke!





























Another survey that took much longer than I was anticipating. It was an interesting one, and I've come away from it with an appreciation for this band's accomplishments. Aside from a select few songs though (plus that psy dub remix album), there isn't much here I'm eagre to rush out and buy proper-like. Maybe if I find an album or two on the cheap, sure, but for the most part, their style is just a tad too caustic for my regular listening habits. There's only so much aggro rock I make room for these days. At least I feel more sorted for whenever I take a deeper dive into Youth's larger body of work.

Anyhow, I'm sure folks reading this on an electronic music blog prefer it when I stick to electronic music acts, so my next survey will be on one of its most successful artists: Norman Cook. ALL projects!

Sykonee's 'Sportsing' Surveys: CYPRESS HILL

Like 99.5% of suburban Canadian white boys, I first learned about Cypress Hill when Insane In The Brain became a juggernaut of rap music. You could not escape this tune on your regular MuchMusic (re: Canuck MTV) rotation, and was practically guanteed a rinse out at the high school dance. Everyone loved the tune, including me, but over-exposure led to disinterest on my part, and I never gave the group much attention after.

Not so for some of my peers, the clutch of skaters and potheads I knew always blasting the Hill's weed anthems wherever they could. Even while working that little music shop at the ends of the earth, I'd still sell the odd copy of Black Sunday to a fresh batch of marijuana connoisseurs. I sometimes wondered, was there more to this team of B-Real, Sen Dog, and DJ Muggs than I gave them credit for? Some of their newer stuff I'd play didn't really catch my ear, but then I'd yet to be fully bitten by the hip-hop bug.

Fast forward many years later, and I'm playing GTA: San Andreas, hearing How I Could Just Kill A Man a whole lot while driving about Los Santos, digging it every time. Well, that's more than enough for me to want to hear if there's any more tracks in the Cypress Hill catalogue that I've overlooked. Seems like survey material to me!



















This survey certainly had its fair share of surprises. While I had a feeling I'd enjoy their first couple albums, I had no idea the Hill had some concept LPs under their belt too. Made me want to go out and get the records proper-like, so I could do a proper review of them at some point down the road! See, these aren't just mindless things to play while I'm burning calories, it's scouting for ace material too!

Who's next, then? Well, the poll I did on Mastodon ended up with a tie, Cypress Hill being co-winner. The other: Paul van Dyk! Yeah, I was shocked by the results too.

Dance With The Dead - The Shape

Neuropa Records: 2016/2017

Yep, another Dance With The Dead review. This will be the last of 'em for quite a while though, their remaining releases way up in the front-half of the alphabet. Believe you me, it's gonna' be a lo-o-o-ong while before I loop around to the beginning of my queue again. How long? Hell, I'll be lucky to finish off my current clutch of 'S' albums before the start of spring!

The Shape is a significant album from the band for yours truly, in that it's the only one I have a physical copy of. How can that be though? Isn't the whole catch of bulk-buying a Bandcamp discography that it must be in a digital format? Erm, no? Like, I just did the same for Suntrip Records, not to mention others offering their catalogues on whole as well (Ultimae Records, to namedrop just one). But yes, it is rare, and typically only done through label offers, not artist pages. Plus, it's not like Dance With The Dead had such a deal available either. Did I simply buy a CD from the label re-issuing their catalogue then? Huh, never occurred to me to check out Neuropa Records. What are they, the Belgian version of Blood Music?

Regardless, I have this CD for no other reason than I bought it from the band's swag table. Yes, instead of laying down my last $20 on a couple more 'cheap' beers, I got myself a souvenir instead. Look, the counter was taken mostly up by Magic Sword's paraphernalia: t-shirts, stickers, posters, comic books, etc. All Dance With The Dead had was CDs and vinyl. Gotta' stick with what I collect, y'know?

Anyhow, let's talk about The Shape. As if the John Carpenter influences weren't clear before, the title comes from the actual name for Halloween slasher-star Michael Myers, as often referred to in script and novelization. Obviously this is common knowledge for fans of the franchise, but I feel like I'd be tut-tutted if I didn't at least mention it. I'm actually a bit surprised the cover-art didn't incorporate it somehow, instead going with this campy gothic horror motif instead.

Their third full-length, The Shape is Dance With The Dead finding their final form, hitting all the sweet spots that makes their blend of synthwave and shredding metal so endearing. The straight-up head-bangers (Eyes Of Madness, Screams And Whispers, Riot... holy Hell, is this one epic!), the slower, rugged chuggers (Diabolic), the more melodic driven numbers (Her Ghost, Watching You), the obligatory 'ballads' (Adrift, Quietly Into The Night), and that one track that feels like an entirely different genre. Seriously, add a little acid and Horizon would be a dead-ringer for some vintage S.U.N. Project. Buttrock goa will never die!

A good introduction to the band, then? Well, you could say that about any of their records after 2015, but yes, if you still haven't been zombie bit by them, The Shape is as solid as any of their albums to get infected by.

Dance With The Dead - Send The Signal

self-release: 2014

Spare some time for an anecdote?

The setting, a little post-clubbing afterparty, which is always nice being at when you're not quite ready for a night to be over. I didn't know these folks in the slightest, but sometimes the conversations you're having are just too good to let die. Still, it became clear to me that our musical tastes weren't so compatible. Lots of Drake, Bieber and the like being played, plus they could tell I was one of those guys, who knew too damn much about music (guilty as charged). But that's fine, I was having a fun enough time chit-chatting about other things (and watching the World Cup Final), so whatever music was playing wasn't a concern for me. Until it was.

At some point, I suggested music a bit more 'peppy', to which I was put on the spot to recommend something. Friends, that has to be the worst thing for me to be asked! Of all the music I know of, I now have to pare it down to just a singular song that my new one-night clubbing pals might enjoy. For some reason, my mind went to Dance With The Dead. It went over like an iridium weight in the atmosphere of Saturn.

I bring this up because, for a time after, I had a crisis of faith, a flailing sense of doubt over my own taste in music. Yeah, I know not everyone will dig what I dig, just as I won't dig what everyone else will dig, but surely Dance With The Dead was bullet-proof? How can some folks not get hype to those pounding darksynth rhythms, the soaring John Carpenter synth leads, and Tony Kim's righteous shredding?

I realize I may have over-committed to this band in buying their entire catalogue off Bandcamp, but man, perhaps I was wrong about enjoying the duo all along. Might they have always been cheesy, corny, and just not cool? Am I so out of touch? I mean, sure, I was one of the 'geezers' when I went to go see them in concert last year, throwing up devil's horns among a crowd of millennials, but might synthwave already be past its prime, with me clinging to a nostalgia of... *checks calendar* a decade old?

Then I listen to Poison off this Send The Signal mini-album, and all is right in the world again. Oh, Dance With The Dead, I can never stay doubtful of you.

Anyhow, Send The Signal is another of the band's earlier EPs, released after the Near Dark album. As such, we're in their era where the synth leads and rhythms dominate over a given track, Tony's guitar action still mostly relegated to a bit of soloing at a track's peak, if featured much at all. Of the six songs (plus an intro), they touch on all the synthwave bases, so a nice little appetizer of the Dance With The Dead stylee. Just, y'know, don't play it for J Cole fans.

Dance With The Dead - Out Of Body

self release: 2013

Going all the way back with this album. Back to the beginning. Back to where it all started. Back to the alpha and the omega. Back to your wildest imagination! No, wait, too far back. What is this, an '80s movie advertisement tie-in? Of course not, but as with most things synthwave, you bet Dance With The Dead would love to score an '80s love-in flick, even a video game. Come to think of it, I'm surprised they haven't appeared on something of the sort yet. Could it just be that, *gasp*, there simply isn't any interest in the synthwave scene anymore?

Honestly, I could see it. Yeah, when movies like Turbo Kid and games like Hotline Miami 2 made a splash, it was just about all the internet could talk about for a hot minute there. Lord knows I fell sway to the hype along with everyone else. A scene with that much exposure needs more than hype to sustain itself though. Many artists were able to push forward with their careers, but without that all-important cross-media penetration, it can only go so far before being relegated to faddery. I can't help but feel the game Cyberpunk 2077 was a make-or-break moment for synthwave as a whole, and while it certainly delivered on the musical front, the game's infamously buggy launch kinda' curtailed whatever momentum that scene still had going for it. Unless something truly fresh emerges, methinks synthwave is now and forever relegated to pure niche interests.

Which has absolutely little to do with the debut album of Dance With The Dead, Out Of Body ...or does it? Okay, it really doesn't. Justin and Tony seem to have found themselves a winning formula of synthwave-meets-metal that should keep them active for as long as they wish to pursue this career. You probably wouldn't have guessed it based on this first effort though, Out Of Body showing clear signs of still finding their voices. Frankly, there's little on here that would distinguish them from most up-and-coming synthwavers of the early '10s (and boy were there ever a lot of 'em, believe you me).

Yeah, Tony's guitar solos are present, but far from the prominent feature they would become. In fact, of the fourteen tracks (plus an intro), only five of them have a proper shred-out moment, and only at the climax of a given track. If there's any guitar leads or rhythm support, it's quite buried in the mix, which wouldn't surprise me given that Out Of Body does have that unfortunate bricked mastering a lot of synthwave used early on.

So this may not be Dance With The Dead as they became, but there's still a lot of fun synthy tunes on hand, some brisk, others slowed, a few epic, others sombre, and even a little disco-dancey. Erm, maybe too much, the album dragging a little by the end. Nice of them to pare their LPs down some later on, but hey, growing pains.

Dance With The Dead - Near Dark

self released: 2014

Stepping back in time with this one, but what else is new with these discography dives, eh? Okay, my recent Twitter ones actually are chronological, but that's a totally different gimmick. Not that me buying up someone's entire catalogue off Bandcamp is much of a gimmick either, but at least my alphabetical stipulation throws a little variety in their sequence. Besides, there's a couple discographies I've gone chronological too, such as Pet Shop Boys and... hmm, gosh, is that all? Feel like there's more I could do, should do. What other act out there have I not done a single review of, but really do like, actually? There's got to be some.

Anyhow, I think we're well caught up on what's the deal regarding Dance With The Dead. Near Dark was their second album, third overall following the EP Into The Abyss. And if there was any indication it didn't take long for Justin Pointer and Tony Kim to figure out what their sound could entail, this here LP is proof-positive. For sure synthwave that leans heavy into its rockier attributes was well established by the mid-'10s, but these chaps, they figured out the perfect blend to push it just that little bit extra, a sweetening of melody and mush of mosh. I really can't explain it any better how their style of synths 'n' thrash is set as such perfect levels here, and carried on to this day. Is it for everyone? Probably not, but for what I want out this music, I couldn't ask for more.

I've got a lot of word count left to burn here, so how about some good ol' track-by-track descriptions, then. Opener Invader sets us off with a stomping half-time beat that marches along with backing arps and synths stabs before Tony's guitar gets its wailing solo action on. A fairly straight-forward tune, then unleashes some low-end shredding for a propah' head-bangin' finale. Now that your body is warmed up, let's up the tempo with Dressed To Kill with more of those gnarly bass-synths powering forward as synths do those vintage '80s horror movie riffs. A little muted breakdown gives us pause, then bring it all back for another sweet guitar solo. Go on, raise those devil horns, I know you want to.

Waves goes more the synth-pop route, the guitar action in support rather than the previous two, but Tony gets plenty of shred time in Midnight Never Ends, even as the synths get their trance on. Speaking of 'ravey' music, Andromeda does that thing Frankie Bones loves to do wherein it sounds like the music is coming from some distant area, maybe a warehouse, before emerging through the rain in full concert glory.

Holy cow, I've burned through a lot of words fast, and I still have half an album left. Uh, Eye Of The Storm: synth ballad. Near Dark: heavy rocker. The Pitt: heavy synther with soloing. Graveyard Shift: spooky rocker. Riser: closing credits-er. There, a vintage track-by-track review! Dope album, too.

Dance With The Dead - Loved To Death

self release: 2018

Once, a long, long time ago, I had a chance to see Dance With The Dead on tour, the supporting act of long-standing machismo-shredders Dragonforce. I didn't go because in those days, you took clubbing and concerts for granted, always assuming they'd always be there, whenever the whim struck you. Never did you conceive of it all shutting down for 'reasons'. Should they ever re-open, and the band tour once more in my nook of the world, no way in Hell I was gonna' take them for granted, no sir (and I didn't, too).

I bring all this up because, had I gone to that show in the before-times, this was the album Dance With The Dead were touring with at the time. Honestly, that isn't much of a revelation, in that my exposure to the band was so raw and new, I couldn't I.D. any of their songs (I highly doubt they'd perform their version of GosT's Reign In Hell). In some ways, it's irrelevant which songs would have more prominence over others, in that they do all kinda' aesthetically blend together. Some rip faster, others shred harder, but the core elements of each tune – synths, guitars, heavy chugging rhythms, nods to '80s soundtracks – remain intact for much of the band's discography. And it's all the more awesome for it!

Loved To Death gets going with Go!, Dance With The Dead wasting no time getting the goings on. The beats are brisk, the guitar powers forward, and the synth leads are oh-so glorious. How can you not want to bang your head to this? Throw up a devil's horn or two? Epic adventure in spooky, sci-fi dwellings beckon, so strap on your finest Adidas, hop on your BMX bikes, and let's fight against the alien murder robots invading some misty Maine backwoods.

Follow-up Into The Shadows carries on with high-octane shredding synthwave action, then things slow down considerably for a while. Salem lets synth melodies take the lead, though Tony Kim still gets his chance to solo towards the end, while Portraits almost goes reflective and chill, at least as chill as a synth-metal band can go without going full ballad. War almost gets you thinking the heavy beat action is returning with the band's chugging basslines and building arp leads, but the song surprisingly breaks down for some soft electro, piano and burbling acid action. Even a return of the gattling-gun bassline isn't enough to lift War out of its newfound contemplative mood.

The second half of Loved To Death features more tunes of similar ilk as the side A: heavy beat chuggers (From Hell, Become Wrath), moody synth-led numbers (Red Moon, Oracle), and that one rippin' tune that sounds more ravey than rocky (From Hell). Obviously if the idea of synth-metal-wave has little interest to you, then this album ain't for you, doing little to shake the genre's foundations away from its most appealing attributes. For those of us in for the ride though... wooooo!!

Dance With The Dead - Into The Abyss

self release: 2014

So I got all of Dance With The Dead, the entire Bandcamp catalogue, all ten main releases. Why would I go and do something like that? I've only heard one track of theirs, and it's a remix at that. Yeah, but it's also one of the most awesome tracks I've ever heard, their go with Gost's Reign In Hell an all-timer in getting me absolutely fuckin' hype. If the rest of their catalogue is even a fraction as dope, then a bounty of kick-ass synth-metal must exist.

Where to start though? I could sift through each album before dropping some coin, but y'all know I prefer the exhilarating reactions of unheard purchases. All the cover art is retro fun, like browsing the Horror section of your local VHS rental shop, so hard to decide just on those merits. Wait a minute, everything is only two dollars more than buying a single album? Heck, may as well go with that option. Might help break up my ongoing coverage of the entire catalogues of Lucette Bourdin and Speedy J.

And thus, by Alphabetical Decree (re: what's currently slotted in the ongoing queue), we're starting this deep dive into Dance With The Dead with Into The Abyss. It's... not the most typical of their releases, that's for sure. Like, their iconography is very much in a George A. Romero vein, and this cover art is anything but. I guess it being one of their earliest EPs – in fact, their second release overall, if the Bandcamp dates are believed – the duo had yet to establish much of a proper identity. If finding influence from something a little more Cameron than Carpenter was where their heads were at, so be it.

After an intro of sonar pings and ominous tones letting us know that, yes, we are indeed descending into the depths of the bounding main, Battle holds little back in delivering the epic synthwave stylee: epic build, choir pads, stomping rhythms, squealing vintage synths, and that triumphant guitar action from Tony Kim. Perhaps not as tear-out as you'd expect from a track titled Battle, but gotta' save a little of that for later in.

From there, we get Moon Runner, a track that- wait, “Moon” Runner? I thought we were going into dark, oceanic domains. What's a tune that would sound better fitted in a Dynatron collection doing here? Well, it's a cool tune regardless, if rather typical of mid-'10s synthwave. Let's get back to that propah' Dance With The Dead synth-n-metal action on Mask (and hey, sonar pings again – way to tie things back to the EPs theme, guys!) and Odyssey (ooh, that bassline's almost as good as the on on Reign In Hell). By contrast, Suede sounds more like it should be the opening credits theme to a classic arcade game, while No Survivors wants to be the closing credits to a Cameron film, orchestral swells and all. Mmm, stick to the shredding, mates. (and they would too)

Ensiferum - Victory Songs

Spinefarm Records: 2007/2009

The original line-up for Ensiferum looked unbeatable, a promising row of melodic death metallers who'd proven themselves in the field of battle. Then lead singer/screamer Jari Mäenpää left/was relieved when he wanted to work on his Wintersun project, but no worries, just hire another vocalist for replacement. Happens all the time in the world of metal, right? Probably, except Jari's departure seemed to kick-off a mass exodus of band members, original guitarist Markus Toivonen and keyboardist Meiju Enho the only ones left from the Iron sessions. Ah, whoops? I'm not sure what caused such a radical personnel change, but Mr. Toivonen had enough confidence in his band's prospects that it wouldn't be hindered by fresh musicians in the studio.

So new band members came in, Petri Lindroos now the lead wailer. Sami Hinkka picked up the bass-axe, and joined in on the backing vocals with Markus. Janne Pariviainen handled the blast-beats, and the new Ensiferum tested the waters with the Dragonheads EP. If Sputnikmusik is anything to go by (and I see no reason why it shouldn't be a reputable source of metal music opinions), that record didn't do much to convince fans of the old Ensiferum that the new Ensiferum was up to snuff. Well gosh, what hope would the expectant album have then?

But lo', whatever kinks they had to work out must have been solved, as Victory Songs (pronounced 'VI-cTOR-Ree') surprised everyone by being pretty darn good. Certainly different compared to their self-titled debut, but not substantially so such that fans of their heavy folk thrash couldn't still vibe to it. The production is tighter and cleaner, which may turn off some who prefer their death metal rough around the edges, but man, it sure is nice hearing all the instruments in sync with each other, nothing being drowned out. As a 'harsh vocalist', Petri does well, and I can actually understand most of what he's going on about, though that may be in thanks to the better mixdown when stacked against Ensiferum. Still, I find Jari had more presence, more variety in inflection. Yes, even for a form of singing that's generally raspy and guttural. I'm as surprised as you that, even in my extremely limited exposure to it, I've managed to pick out such nuance.

As for the songs, it's more 'melodic speed' (or whatever) as before, with tales of adventure, deeds of war, musings on heroism, and all that fun stuff. Riffage is fast and intense when needed, scaled back for breathers, with traditionalist musicians brought in where appropriate (gotta' get in those bagpipes in the titular finale). Why, there's even a 'clean singing' ballad in Wanderer which still chugs well enough. Strangely, lead single Ahti, with its sea shanty theme (kinda'), didn't do it for me. You'd think that'd be right up my alley but I dunno', that just doesn't feel like Ensiferum's wheel-house. Look at me, acting like some arbiter of proper sound in a Viking metal band.

KMFDM - Symbols

TVT Records/Metropolis: 1997/2007

This could have been my first KMFDM album, in another timeline. When Symbols came out (yes, I'm going with that – it's simpler), it was right at that sweet spot of having more music buying options, and my tastes still somewhat in flux. Bands like Fear Factory and Type O Negative were catching my ear just as much as anything from The Prodigy or The Chemical Brothers. I knew of Sascha K.'s band thanks to their soundtrack contributions, which would often be enough for me to explore further, if any of their music ever made it out into the Canadian hinterlands I resided. Surprisingly, Symbols did, and there's no way anyone could miss that iconic Brute! artwork. For whatever reason though, I passed on it, someone else ended up buying it, and that was the last anyone ever saw of a KMFDM CD in that town. Tale as old as time.

A shame, because had I nabbed Symbols when I had the chance, it may have changed my entire sense of self-identity. Okay, not really – being a 'raver' in ass-backwards Canuckistan was weird enough, so becoming a rivithead just wouldn't fly. Still, if any album had a chance at wooing me to the haXz0r-side, this would have had a good go of it.

Symbols is often regarded as KMFDM's 'electronica' album, where heavier influences from techno beats and synthy sounds override the shredding. No doubt Günter's guitar work sounds drastically reduced compared to previous albums, that rockabilly boogie and metal thrash that made classics of Juke-Joint Jezebel and Ultra is mostly absent, but he still has moments to shine. Spit Sperm shreds between the stomping arena-rock chants, while Mercy gets in a little woogie-wiggle. I wish I had more to say about the extra attention paid to the electronic side of KMFDM but I dunno'. Feels like the song-writing got overstuffed as a result.

As I understand it (via the re-issue liner notes), this album's creative process was a bit of a mess. All the band members had greater input, plus many more outside artists contributed to the project, which would explain why it sounds like so much more is going on. Meanwhile, everything but the vocals had to be redone in the studio when the original recording sessions were lost, and as anyone who's had to redo something creative can attest, it's almost never as good the further you get from that initial spark. Long time fans have claimed Symbols marked the end of peak-KMFDM, and hearing it in contrast to the tightly written previous three albums, it's hard to deny.

Fortunately, some bangers still keep the album in discourse. Anarchy remains a great anthem for those PO'd days, Megalomaniac will always have its fans thanks to Mortal Kombat, Waste reminds everyone the band haven't forgotten their odes to gabber, I've a soft-spot for Unfit's boogie, and Stray Bullet... *sigh* Could have retained classic status in another timeline.

Týr - Eric The Red

Tutl/Napalm Records: 2003/2006

I couldn't settle for just one Týr album. Unlike some of their Scandinavian brethren, however, the Faroe islanders don't have quite so robust a discography, only eight albums over twenty years. But if Sputnikmusik is anything to go by (I generally trust their opinions regarding metal), they're all of consistent quality, none dipping low, but neither peaking high. Well gosh, if that means I can always expect at least one song on the level of Land, it don't matter which one I nab.

In the end, I went with Eric The Red, mainly because I'm more interested in Norse history than Norse mythology, and Erik Thorvaldsson was indeed a real dude. If the tales of his exiles and exploits are embellished a little into song, that's all well and good. This isn't such a bad starting point for folks getting into Týr either, the band's first album with their most consistent roster, with Heri Joensen taking on full lead vocal duties.

Seeing as how Land came out half a decade after Eric The Red, I figured this album wouldn't be as epic or richly produced, the band still in the process of finding their footing. Nope, Týr comes in as finely polished as you could hope for a prog-metal band from a tiny cluster of islands (very good, is what I'm saying). Opener The Edge immediately hits you with walls of guitars, nifty drumming, a confounding time-signature, and Heri bellowing suitably grand, poetic lyrics about Viking things. While the mixdown isn't quite as full as heard on Land, the bass a bit buried under the guitars, its still crisp and clear, especially compared to some of the other examples of Viking metal I've heard from this era.

All well and good, but Týr's use of traditional Faroe folk music was what helped set them well apart from their contemporaries, and second track Regin Smidur gets in on that kick-ass metal chant. I haven't a clue what they're saying, but I don't care, quite eager to get in on that heavy bellowing action. Preferably with a stein in hand, banging on a table with equally inebriated Norse folk. Wait, isn't that an Irish cliche? Speaking of, it's weird hearing the Irish standard The Wild Rover on here. Týr perform it well enough, and I suppose the Faroe Islands had just as many folks of Celtic heritage as Norse migrating there over the centuries. Still a surprising moment of levity from a band that's generally all about the epic tales.

And epic tales are continuously told for the remainder of Eric The Red. Some of it sounds more like regular ol' metal rather than prog or folk inspired (especially the solos), but I'll allow it, Týr clearly still discovering just how far they can push things. The only thing that brings this album down is the inclusion of two bonus demos in the reissue, ending things on an unfortunate limp note when the titular song served as a fitting closer. Ah well.

Nine Inch Nails - Broken

Nothing Records: 1992

Feels like I've come another full circle, having started this blogging project with an unexpected dive into Nine Inch Nails' discography. Closer, The Downward Spiral, Further Down The Spiral, and Fixed came from a previous owner of those CDs, but I was intrigued enough by Reznor's music to also spring for The Fragile and Ghosts I-IV. Now, as I crawl ever closer to some sort of proper conclusion to this project, I've come to Broken, the last of the big EPs from the band's '90s output. Except The Perfect Drug, but I kinda' already have that since Lab 4 nicked it.

Broken came out at an interesting time in the Nine Inch Nails saga, by which I mean an utterly turbulent, tumultuous test of Trent's resolve. Despite the success of his debut album, Reznor wasn't reaping all the rewards for his efforts. He felt TVT Records was dicking him around (because they were), and was looking for a way out of his contract with them, even going so far as to record new music on the sly under different aliases. It did land him with Interscope Records, and his own Nothing Records, but TVT somehow still had their fingers in the pot (to say nothing of how those label deals turned out later, but that's a discussion for another time). Throw in the killer combo of a world tour that wasn't turning out as they'd hoped, and it's unsurprising that angst-filled thrash vibes were seeping into Trent's sonic palette. Hey, anything to distance themselves from the 'synth-pop' tag TVT so carelessly tossed on them.

The result was Wish, where distorted guitars sound like they're being ground up and chewed back out by the machinery of industry, only to finally unleash their full fury in the chorus (a few 'fuck's thrown in for good measure). Heavy metal industrial was already in existence, but few put as much production detail as Reznor did here, a song remarkably dense for something so primal. Last is more of a standard thrash rocker, while Happiness In Slavery gets thicker in the industrial muck with EBM basslines and digital distortions. Final track Gave Up comes off rather quaint in comparison, muffled for much of its duration, at least until a raucous close-out of shouty, thrashy noise, as if to drive home the point that Nine Inch Nails is anything but a 'synth pop' band.

When Broken first came out, it was followed-up by a mini-EP with extra songs, a gimmick that would carry on with Closer. That was soon changed, second runs of Broken simply adding the tunes to the regular EP, but indexing them as tracks 98-99. Yes, this is one of those CDs, with 90 seconds of silence eaten up by second-long tracks. Hey, if there's fun to be had with the format, have at her. Oh, the songs themselves? Decent hard industrial rockers, but not worth the wait to hear them. Thank god for instant access on computer devices!

Arcturus - Shipwrecked In Oslo

Blood Music: 2014

This crossed my path while browsing about Blood Music's webpage for CD deals. The Ensiferum albums had already intrigued me with their Viking art, so was on the look for anything similar, where Shipwrecked In Oslo popped in. Well gosh, this sure looks spacey and all. Plus, the band's name is that of the third brightest star in the sky? (okay, fourth, if you want to get technical about it) Is it Viking metal though? Oh, what the heck! I'm feeling adventurous, courageous. What a thrill, finding a whole new genre to explore with absolutely no idea who anyone is or if any of them are good!

However, I have no idea if Arcturus actually are any good. They certainly don't appear to be bad, definitely talented musicians at what they do, but man, this is getting into realms of metal I wasn't prepared for. Lord Discogs lists Shipwrecked In Oslo as “Black Metal, Prog Rock”, and “Avantegarde”, and right from the jump, I hear rockers unafraid to go where no metal has gone before.

Apparently Arcturus have been something of an outlier since their inception way back in the emergent Nordic black metal scene of the early '90s. Only two members have been there since the beginning, keyboardist Simen “Sverd” Johnsen, and drummer Jan Axel “Hellhammer” Blomberg - and yes, “Hellhammer” is the most metal name for a metal drummer I've ever seen. Aside from those two though, Arcturus had many rotating members coming and going throughout the '90s, gaining something of a reputation for being the band where black metal musicians would go if they wanted to push the boundaries of what their music could entail. By 2005, they'd settled on their current line-up ...after which they broke up. Then they reconvened half a decade later, and have been stable ever since. This live concert album was recorded in support of their last album before the hiatus.

Actually, I wouldn't even technically call this a live album. Originally Shipwrecked In Oslo was a concert DVD, released on Season Of Mist. I guess when Arcturus reunited, a round of album reissues happened, and somewhere along the way, Blood Music got the music rights to release the audio for this, including limited run CDs and vinyl. This is the only Arcturus item Blood Music has, though to be fair, Arcturus' journey among record labels is almost as convoluted as its rotating band members.

Am I gonna' talk about the music at all in this review? What can I say? There's operatic black metal, with crazy time signatures and key changes, such that a six-minute song can feel triple that length. Groovy solos and blast-beat drumming. Mastering so wonky that it sounds like you can hear everything all at once, but is drowned out at the same time. I want to 'get into' this, but with absolutely no frame of reference guiding my opinion, I feel lost on a black metal sea. Music Entry Difficulty Level: too damn high.

Týr - Land

Napalm Records: 2008

I made mention in the Ensiferum reviews that non-Scandinavians finding inspiration in classic Scandinavian folklore and making metal music out of it caused a couple side-eyes. Like, how authentic can one be if your heritage places you somewhere on the other side of a continent? It's definitely a gate-keepy conversation, but perhaps necessary – Mongolian Horde metal would sound weird coming from the folks of Oghuz Turkish descent, is all I'm saying.

Fortunately, Viking metal band Týr has none of that to worry about, hailing from the Faroe Islands. A 'last stop before Iceland' archipelago, the Norse heritage runs deep with the inhabitants there, developing their own language and history as most Norse transplants were wont to do in their remote island habitats. So when these guys go on about Valkyries and adventures across the endless oceans, it's coming from an authentic source, especially since they often sing songs in Faroese, a legit descendant of Old Norse. This is turning into a historical/linguistics class, isn't it?

If you're wondering what got me so enthralled by Viking metal, it's this album right here. Hearing stuff from bands like Ensiferum and Amon Amarth only piqued my interest. Musically though, they were still following death metal tropes, what with the power chords and growling and such. Not these guys, going on more of a prog metal path, constantly changing up time signatures so to fit better with the traditional music of the Faroe Islands.

Plus, them singing in the native tongue really sells that feeling of being... Well, maybe not exactly in the era of their inspiration (no electric guitars in the 11th Century, that's for sure), but as close to immersion one can hope for in our modern clime'. It doesn't even matter I generally don't know what the lyrics are (booklet provides a handy translation, if it's important), I'm still mentally singing along as though joined in drunken celebration at a longhouse. Skipping on the death metal growls help.

Then there are the two 'epics' on Land, songs breaching the double-digit mark, and performed in English (yay, I can connect!). Holy cow, do these ever give me feels I didn't think possible from nearly any form of music. Ocean imparts the thoughts of hesitant wandering sea-faring Norsemen, reflecting upon whether a great future and glory awaits them across the unknown horizon. To take up the call of adventure, leaving all that you know behind? Or was it greed?

Well, Týr do heed that call in the titular song, lost on the endless waters in desperate search of any spot of land. And hot damn, do these guys ever sell that desperate hope, persevering in the absolute worst of conditions, the human spirit indomitable in the face of all that the Gods can throw at you. When they sing “Sail with me across the raging sea; Write your tale into eternity”, I'm ready to throw myself into the nearest knörr in search of Vinland! Oh, wait, I already live there, technically.

Ensiferum - Iron

Spinefarm Records/Icarus Music: 2004/2012

Not that it matters to readers of a blog supposedly dedicated to electronic music, but I should probably clarify a couple things regarding Viking metal band Ensiferum. For one, this band isn't strictly a Viking metal band. Yeah, they use Viking iconography and all, but they tend to fall more in the Folk metal branch of things.

And you may wonder, what's the difference, aren't we splitting braided hairs here? Hey, glass houses and all, fellow electronic music lovers. Especially psy-trance lovers (I'm looking at you, Goblin Psy). But okay, the fact that Ensiferum are Finnish does raise an eyebrow over the band finding inspiration in themes supposedly originated by the peoples of classic Scandinavia. Isn't that like Scots doing Celtic metal? Not that geographical neighbours aren't allowed to crib things from one another – cultural exchange and all that. It would properly make Ensiferum more Folk than Viking metal though, so if the nagging pedantic is bothering you about it, there's the necessary trivia.

After a successful debut and tour, the band struck again while the iron was hot, hence the title of this album. Heh, no, it's in reference to Ensiferum itself (know your Latin, kids). While I haven't done enough research to know exactly how stuffed the Viking/Folk metal scene had gotten by the mid-'00s, I can't imagine a complete retread of Ensiferum would do. No, this band went full-in with the Folkish traits. Instead of brief interludes where acoustic guitars or kantele would play a traditional ditty before erupting back into the blast-beats and heavy riffage, you now have full songs dedicated to it, complete with backing orchestra! Okay, synthesized orchestra, but the intent is still there. Honestly, if you found this CD sitting in some ye' olde Renaissance fair merch booth (just ignore the anachronistic nature of it), opener Ferrum Aeternum and closer Tears wouldn't seem out of place in the slightest. Heck, they even got Kaisa Saari to do vocals in the latter, and if you look at the Discogs page of her folk rock band Tarujen Saari, you'll be astounded by how un-metal they be.

But metal is what Ensiferum are, and by golly, metal is what they give. With added synthesizers. And more folkish interludes. Plus much crisper production, such that I can actually hear and understand Jari's vocals now. Well, when he doesn't go full-throated growl, though he's added the classic falsetto wail to the Ensiferum repertoire. And I can't get enough of good ol' group choruses and chants. LAI LAI HEI indeed!

Iron is also a much shorter album than Ensiferum, and not so relentless as the debut either, plenty of pause between its pummelling portions. When the band does go off though, it's as full-tilt as anything from before. And gosh, is it just me, but do some of these songs sound like Metallica's Battery? I must not be the only one, because the 2009 re-issue included a bonus cover of that very song. Inspiration not only regional, but timeless!

Ensiferum - Ensiferum

Spinefarm Records/Fontana: 2001/2008

We all knew this was coming, eh? It's all Blood Music's fault (Blood Music!!). While browsing the label's website for synthwave and CBL, I noticed many striking pictures of Vikings, and couldn't help but wonder what the music within sounded like. When I heard some, a quickly realized I had to hear more, more, MOAR!! Okay, not that much more, but enough for an exploratory dig based on reviews found on Sputnik Music. How novel.

Why Viking metal? I'm not really sure, to be honest. Absolutely there's a romanticism surrounding the peoples of Scandinavia, those who ventured far into lands and waters no sane human dared go. Plus, all that rich lore in their pantheon of pagan Gods, ripe for retelling and such. They also were kinda' massive pricks to their European neighbours, but eh, so was everyone else to everyone else in those times. Basically, my scant metal music indulgences typically go for the escapist, and Viking metal is definitely that, while grounded in some semblance of historical fact. This is my excuse for taking Viking metal somewhat seriously, while still snickering over things like fantasy metal.

Ensiferum was the band that got my attention, so it's only appropriate (and alphabetically fortuitous!) that we're kicking this off with their debut, self-titled album. I had zero idea what to expect going in – maybe something harking back to '80s metal like Manowar? I hadn't counted on the evolution of thrash, power, and death metal having been so thoroughly ingrained in Northern Europe, that even the Viking stuff would be doing it. Just... holy cow, all those blast beats and shredding! Not to mention raspy growl of lead singer Jari Mäenpää going on about folkish tales of Gods and men. At least, that's what the liner notes tell me, as I can barely understand him most of the time, his voice often buried under the aggressive layers of guitars. Was this just how death metal was mastered at the turn of the century?

But yeah, after an acoustic folk ditty for an intro (played on a Finnish instrument called a kantele), it's just go-go-GO after, a relentless assault of guitars, drums, epic power chords, operatic choir choruses, and it's glorious! Okay, maybe a bit on the corny side too, but only if you don't buy into the whole vibe, and Ensiferum, they win you over immediately. Just as you're acclimatizing to the ridiculous speed of their music, in comes one of those choruses celebrating honour and adventure and all that good stuff. Some songs go a little slower (Token Of Time, Treacherous Gods), others heavier (Old Man, Abandoned, Eternal Wait), including brief downturns back into acoustic folk. All is again overcome by d'at galloping metal though, right up to final song Goblin's Dance, more of a metal jig, complete with flute action. Judas Priest namedrop here.

So yeah, great first impression into this realm of Viking metal, but I didn't go on this journey for just one album's worth. Stay tuned...

KMFDM - Angst

TVT Records/Metropolis: 1993/2006

I've decided the best way to experience KMFDM's discography is to jump back and forth from their critical peak Nihil. Or forth-and-back, in this case. I do this because, well, why not? Most often folks will do the chronological dive into a discography, or the 'best reviewed' descent. Why not change that up a little? Sure, I'm technically also starting from the band's agreed-upon pinnacle, but how about I spread out my exploration like an expanding glacier? Simultaneously discover where KMFDM went from Nihil while also learning of their growth. At the very least, it's a different way of doing this.

Thus I've come to Angst, KMFDM's seventh album and regarded as a major turning point in the band's history. Wait, doesn't every one of their albums leading up to this one have that claim as well? Rephrasing: the final step in a lengthy staircase of musical evolution. This was where the heavy industrial rock that marked much of their '90s output fully solidified, getting them noticed by all the metal heads who never really jived with the electronic side of industrial before. Just throw some screeching guitar shredding in there, and the long-hairs will feel right at home with the rivetheads. Also, make sure you let it be known that, despite coming from Germany, you're currently residing in Seattle – the instant credibility of the city made it the '00s Montreal of early '90s rock, or something.

Weirdly, I don't have much to say about Angst. For sure the guitar licks are a hoot, and apparently the band became so enamoured using them that they'd bring multiple guitarists on stage during the tour. Unfortunately, KMFDM don't quite sound at the level I'm most familiar with, the production still a tad flat and basic compared to Nihil and Xtort. Which shouldn't be unexpected, since this is an earlier album than those. And I'm sure when I finally deep dive into KMFDM's actual early, under-produced work, this will sound light years ahead of the game. Whatever, tunes like A Drug Against War and A Hole In The Wall shreds with the best of industrial thrash, and what metal lover wouldn't get tingly feels over the solos in Move On? This is a guitar album above all else, the backing drum tracks and lyrics secondary to the glory of the ol' six-stringer.

Oh yeah, I guess that's another thing that's kinda' lacked for me on Angst, the lyrics. Most of it revolves around the same ol' industrial tropes of evil overlords, fighting revolutions, and the like, but played seriously almost to a fault, lacking the sense of fun other KMFDM songs have. About the only tunes that lyrically stood out for me was anything Dorona Alberti sings on, 'cause that gal's got some pipes, and really shines on The Problem. Then there's Sucks, KMFDM basically having a jolly ol' pisstake at their own expense, including such nuggets of comedy gold as name-dropping some of the artists their acronym supposedly hates. I LOL'd.