Dream Into Dust is a New York City based band headed by Derek Rush (vocals, synths, guitars, bass, drum programming, etc.), and also features Bryin Dall (noise guitar, synths), Scott Reiter (synths and other electronics), and Mario Padron (bass). DID has been around since 1997 or so, had a few CD releases and also a couple of 7's, and appeared on a number of compilations. 'So Beautiful and So Dangerous' is their first album in nearly a decade. Having never heard them before I have no basis of comparison and it's difficult to categorize too. There are elements of a lot of different genres here- darkwave, industrial, electronica, shoegaze, etc., but what really makes DID stand out from the pack is Derek's melodic vocals. You don't hear a male voice like this too often in this type of music. His voice is very emotive without being pretentious. Make no mistake though, this is no pop band (or even synth-pop); it is often hard and heavy stuff with an experimental industrial edge. Yep, it's gonna get noisy at times, but that's a good thing!

The electronic elements are solid and inventive, the songwriting expressive and compelling, and the production, in a word ' great. Yes, it's dark and gloomy, but not in the way might you'd expect There is a depth here that is often found lacking in some of the giants in the electro-industrial genre. A lot of this is due to Rush's songwriting skills and vocals. He brings the drama, he brings the melody, and wraps it in a very dark soundscape. This is the kind of album Muse or Radiohead might make if they took a deep plunge into the industrial world, but you know they never will. Pop music pays the bills.

No doubt that Dream Into Dust is going to draw comparisons to other artists ' Nine Inch Nails comes to mind, especially in the opener, 'Counterfeit'. I'm hearing some Collide in their arrangements, but maybe that's just because I think Collide is an exceptional outfit. Most of the album isn't geared to the dancefloor, although 'Counterfeit,' 'Suspended in Fear,' and 'Perfect Vision' are beat-worthy enough to deserve club play. But that's not what this album is really about. It's Rush's personal dystopian concept album expressed in pain, sorrow and angst. It's uncompromising, as it really should be.

In order to get this album manufactured, Dream Into Dust had to solicit backers on Kickstarter. (Hey, getting CDs made is expensive; been there done that.) Any time you put out product without a major label bankrolling you, it's a risk, especially in the age of the DIY digital download. This time though, I think it's paid off. 'So Beautiful and So Dangerous' is a worthy album, one deserving of a lot more attention than I could possibly give it.