This is another US-based act which has already reached a kind of cult status, playing since years successful in the rhythmically Powernoise-genre. I guess there’s no need to introduce Justin Brink of PNEUMATIC DETACH more detailed, his sold-out and totally out-of-print releases for Hive Records speak for him and his talent. And since Tympanik Audio has announced the sensational signing of this act months before, I was curious, how Justin would like to continue. His latest discovered audio results with his friend in crime, the Rock n’ Roll Supergod IT-CLINGS, king of the Jews, on their mutual project ICVSPD (see our interview with IT-CLINGS somewhere else here...), got a bit shadowed under the hefty lyrical content of the word-core artist, so everything on "[Ko-mor-bid]" starts at zero. Somehow, this is Powernoise, but in a different manner someone might has expected. Justin doesn’t seem to have an interest to fall into the creation of static and louder-than-hell noise walls, and also his music doesn’t cover the too often heard "distorted-Techno-kick-4/4-on-the-floor" kind. Justin rather more concentrates to banish several snare drums, clicks, scratches, hi-Q’s and percussion elements into one track. Multi-layered arrangements means for PD a multiple hammering percussion experience. This sound outfit gets normally accomplished with an Industrial-related ambience provided by some effected and manipulated synth drones – to me "Down In The Earth", "Moment Already Gone" or "The Turning" are outstanding for this. And if some of the tracks ("Slow Chatter", "Grinderscraper", "Dischordant Live Mix") offer for a short moment a tendency to some dancefloor-compatibility, you can be assured, that Justin breaks down in the very next moment the complete song structure, just to try out something different. Also featured is another friendship-track with IT-CLINGS entitled "A Helpful Bit Of Advice", which of course picks up the path already provided with the above mentioned mutual release. At least I wouldn’t go that far to call this album a milestone for this genre - but it is definitely a little pearl – and a must-have buy for you!

Good work finally pays of and it warms my heart, that there’s somebody out there, who gets rewarded with a deal to record a first debut album and to release it via the Canadian Experimental/Noise-label Bugs Crawling Out Of People. WORMS OF THE EARTH alias Dan Barrett works in multiple fields of the Electro/Industrial/Noise genres, be it with the issuing of an online magazine with the same name, or be it with the compiling of some download-able compilations, which can provide here and there some better known names. If somebody out there deserves a bit more attention and exposure, then Dan is the one for all of his efforts for and around the scene. This official debut album of WOTE offers a diverse mixture of styles, mostly and started with rhythmically Powernoise ("The Whore", "Famine Wears The Mask Of Prosperity"), but you’ll get also some calmer, more Electro-minded works too ("Dew Falling Over The Garden"). Generally the music of WOTE isn’t at all the new invention of the bulb, but this album comes out quite respectable. Several collaborations are presented on this album, too. We have at first a new word-core assault by the omnipresent Rock n’ Roll Supergod IT-CLINGS, king of the Jews, with the typical title "Big Fucking Titties Or A Fuckable Mouth (Of The Succubus)". Some remix contributions mostly done on the track "Whore" turning some parts of this album near to the Harsh EBM/Hellectro genre, no wonder, if names like the new NoiTekk-act DYM, DEAD MANS HILL, EMBODI, VICIOUS ALLIANCE or TO MEGA THERION have laid their filthy hands on the WOTE originals. An interesting and generally convincing debut for sure, while WOTE can’t bring up anything new to the genre. Please note that the first 50 copies of this album will be accomplished with a special bonus CD, which features 4 additional tracks, plus 5 remix contributions. Try to get it!

French act FLINT GLASS releases a remix collection, which quite follows the idea of the past DISHARMONY album, both now out at Tympanik Audio. Also Gwenn Tremorin’s solo project has done through the years several remix works for foreign bands, from which a few remixes got released, while a few others have been collected dust buried in some archives. Therefore this is a highly recommended initiative to collect all of those remix works for a new FLINT GLASS album. And similar with DISHARMONY – there can’t be doubts on the music quality, since all music and re-programmings got done by FLINT GLASS. As expected, Gwenn offers his full-scale high quality Electronica music, which often integrates elements out of Dark Electro, Ambient, Industrial and Powernoise genres. Always complimented with the needed doze of intelligence behind the tasteful arrangements, FLINT GLASS offers a 72 minutes + assault filled with mystic soundscapes in a very unique outfit. You’ll get new interpretations of tracks of among others POLYGON, PROSPERO, H.I.V.+, OTX, the already mentioned DISHARMONY, EMPUSAE or SUICIDE INSIDE. It is hard to pick out a special favorite, since this would follow some personal preferences, but the remix on THERMIDOR’s "Plenum Aquae" with its layered synth ambience is sort of an outstanding work. "Circumsounds" is nothing else than a pure audio enjoyment, which allows the listener to sink into the deepest sound layers. A high recommendation to purchase it, while European-based listeners will be able to pick up this album via Gwenn’s own label Brume Records, which takes care on the availability. A must-have item!

This is a California-based Electronica/Experimental solo-project by David Inden, who releases under his moniker ATTACKS THE DARKNESS his first full-length album after his predecessor EP entitled "Six Times Seven". David’s music isn’t that sort of an easy-listening Electronica with a calm attitude, it rather integrates multiple fragments out of quite different music styles and it tends to mix this fragments in an at times obscure manner. It is definitely rhythmic oriented, but a quite unusual sonic experience which needs some more spins to find an assessable entrance for the listener. Electronica, Experimental, Ambient and/or Electro/Industrial styles can all be discovered here, but in a quite unusual style. Advantageous is the fact that David don’t likes to explore a one-dimensional path of music, and as the info sheet to this album explains it wisely, "ATTACKS THE DARKNESS attempts to map the ever expanding soundscape that is on repeat in his (David’s) brain." Therefore it is hard to name some favorites, but the gloomy Dark Ambient-tune with the delicious title "There Is A Body In My Freezer And I Don’t Have Any Answers" gets a vote from me. Music for some open-minded Electronica music fans, in some parts compatible with some acts signed Tympanik Audio and/or Hymen. Available via several known online downloading retailers like iTunes, Amazon.com, Napster, etc...

There are often two issues that I have with power electronics acts: First, they all begin to sound alike, and second, they tend to deal with things that I am uninterested in, such as the whole "true crime" elements of Slogun and the like. STROM.ec manages to avoid these two pitfalls to create a sound that is quite engaging. The first I heard of STROM.ec was their Neural Architect album, which was good, but then I heard some of the tracks from "The Manual of Diagnosis" (a concept album on surgical lobotomy!) and realized that their sound had evolved considerably. "Divine Legions Beyond Psyche" continues on that trajectory, drawing together harsh noise with ominous atmosphere all with the disembodied samples and harsh distorted vocals that one would expect from power electronics. Evidently, they have been working on this album for seven years and the evolution certainly shows. The opening track, "Helvetin Esikartano," is downright subdued at times, making more use of atmosphere than I expected. Quite nice – kind of reminds me of Karjalan Sissit. The use of quiet atmosphere juxtaposed with shouted, warbling, distorted vocals and noise elements is a theme that persists throughout this album to great effect. In fact, some of the tracks border on dark ambient at times, such as the first half of "Divine Legions Beyond Psyche Part 1" and much of "Vitaalinen Olomuoto." Overall, if you are looking for power electronics that goes beyond the standard fare, this is definitely one to pick up. This has just the right blend of noise, ambience, and yelling. Comes in a nicely illustrated fold out DVD digipak with lyrics, which is good because there is no way you’ll understand them by listening to the album. This disc weighs in at 62 minutes.