'Introspection ~ Extrospection' is the latest release by Belgium's Psy'Aviah. Despite having an overall milder sound than 2010's 'Eclectric,' right out of the box, this record throws some hard industrial right at you. Very modern in sound and production, but has a distinctly vintage industrial feel to certain elements, i.e. the vocoders, distorted, screamed vocals, and throbbing, four on the floor beat coupled with a thick, buzzing bass. The song is 'SOS Overdose' and it is a great opening track, and if you've gotten the limited edition 2CD (the 2nd disc being referred to as 'Retrospection') then you'll eventually be treated to a Leæther Strip cover of this song, which is, needless to say, also quite the listen.

From the harder edge of the opener, we make our way through a variety of sounds and styles and feels. Most of the rest of the album has female vocals as opposed to those harsh male vox on the onslaught. These smooth, sensual vocals weave and slither their way through more plenty more industrial, though more often than not, a much more pop oriented version. The harder edge of that first piece softens considerably for several songs, some of which seem to have an almost industrial-reggae feel to them, an odd, but surprisingly successful fusion.

Through industrial dance pop, to that industrial-reggae, to high energy dance anthems and even a pseudo lullaby this album is pretty solid from front to back. The only possible misstep, is 'Nouveau Quiche,' a very reasonable song, dotted with lackluster guest rap verses, and even opens with an obligatory 'Roll out the red carpet!' sample. It's not just the simple fact that the rap is quite out of place on the record, but its just rather drab all around. That being said, the choruses are quite nice and again the music itself is fine.

Overall Psy'Aviah cross a lot of boundaries while maintaining that core industrial sound yet with serious pop sensibilities. Great for a night at the club, great for dimly lit night at home.

Upon first listen of 'Shapeshifter' by The Alacrity, I was unsure how I felt. At the time I was hearing a LOT of music that really sounded the same, followed the same formula, had the same vibe. I was rather disillusioned with the whole industrial movement as a whole at the time (which isn't to say that I'm not still.) But I felt I my state of mind was an unfair one to be judging music of this nature, so I set it aside for a while and let some time go by. So finally I felt able to objectively listen to the record, and put it on. A very different listen than I recalled having that first time around. There are certainly some thoughts that came to me that were similar, but on the whole, I actually found myself enjoying the record FAR more. It even made me fondly reminisce of my club days. Jason Alacrity, mastermind behind The Alacrity, has an impressive resume including opening for Skinny Puppy, remixes for a variety of acts, and performances with Stromkern, Song of Zarathustra, Babyland and Trance the Sun which fellow Shinto records artist Scarlet Slipping's Dawn Wagner (whose music I've been in love with since the 90's) was at one time a part of. Needless to say, you don't gain these sorts of credentials without producing some worthwhile music. 'Shapeshifter' is an interesting ride through a collection of EBM and industrial tracks, some of which really shine, some of which may be a tad generic, but all of which are certainly well produced and performed. Songs like 'D:soLVE (Original Sin),' 'Shapeshifter,' and 'Wolfs Hook' demonstrate a careful cocktail of darkness evident in the harder beats, aggressive synths and occasional guitars; mixed with the light. A particular gem is 'Graveyards of Empires,' a bit slower, a bit quieter, but still manages to be quite epic, yet emotional. Vocally a lot of the work on this record is rather reminiscent to VNV Nation, but with a bit rougher, a bit more industrial, a little less dance, which is good. On the whole it's a relatively solid release with certain moments better than others, but nothing that drags the album down. Maybe a little less VNV next time around, but that's just my personal opinion.

I given myself the opportunity to listen to this one over several times already and its a little more exquisite with each experience. I'm referring to 'Through Glass' by Attilio Novellino. In this release he crafts amazingly epic scapes of sonic wonder based, at the core, on the concept of light filtering though glass, and how that concept would translate into sound. He chooses sounds and textures and tones to get this across to the listener with flawless precision. The concept shines through like (forgive me) light through glass. Not only does the overall tone and feel of the record fit perfectly with the title, so do the songs with their titles. Pieces like 'A Footpath for Night Dancers,' 'Snapshot of a Loss,' and 'Yosemite's Night Sky' couldn't have been more fitting. Attilio evolves through many different forms herein; from harsher drones, dense textures, tense pads and razor-like tones, to washing, airy, lush atmospheres. It's an all encompassing sonic journey guided by an absolutely poetic mastery of his craft; Attilio Novellino has given a very special gift to the world with 'Through Glass,' one that you'd be sorry to miss.

'Counting to Zero' is the latest release by Los Angeles' electronic duo Collide. Here they have crafted a very smooth, intricately designed record of electro beats; darkwave synths and atmospheres; and smoky, seductive female vocals. There is nary a dull beat to beat found herein, from chill, trip hop loops to funky glitches to even the occasional huge distorted drum loop. They are expertly melded with a variety of interesting synths and sounds and peppered lightly with a select few distorted guitar/bass parts throughout. There are a lot of influences obviously at work here, from Nine Inch Nails reminiscent passages, to echoes of Tori Amos and even a few hints of Nocturne's first album. The biggest comparison I find myself making, however, is kidneythieves. In nearly every song I find myself coming back to this reference at some point, which is ok because I'm a fan of KT as well. With 'Counting to Zero' Collide have certainly gone a bit more in-the-pocket in that the record as a whole is more cool and calm than 2008's 'Two Headed Monster' which was a bit more raw and aggressive, though this isn't a negativity, merely an observation, as they have definitely grown since then. The arrangements are more solid, intricate and professional; the vocals more mature; it's an all around positive evolution. My personal recommendations: 'In the Frequency,' 'Clearer,' and 'Tears Like Rain.' While some of this record may be a tad laid back for me, it is overall a great record with very few lows, and plenty of highs, very well done. And not to mention comes with a poster, a button with a small card, a large 2 panel folded card with a note from the band, a full color post-card style card and a full color booklet with photos and full lyrics (you have the option of this being an autographed set as well).

'Quiet Places' is the most recent full length released by Janne Hanhisuanto. Quiet Places is really the most fitting title that could've been chosen for this work, and the songs themselves, even more appropriately titled. Each title reflects PERFECTLY the feel of its audio counterpart; titles like 'Dance of the Electrons,' 'Day Dreams' and 'Breathing Universe' fit the songs like gloves. The album as a whole is a great work; very thoughtful, emotional, deep. Almost the entire thing has a great retro feel to it with its synth pads, bells, moogs and just the overall feel gives off a very late 70's to mid 80's vibe, but in a very inviting way. There are only a few select moments where the retro gives way to 'dated' and loses its charm, but then seems to come right back again. It opens with the title track, a very light and beautiful piece with airy textures providing a bed for some lone high pitched, resonant tones quietly suggesting the echo of a melody. Song to song it flows almost perfectly, save for two songs that while are really great pieces of music, are just a LITTLE out of place only due to the extreme difference in their sound and feel in relation to the rest of the album. 'Some Kinda Image' has more of a contemporary feel but with an early psychedelic core. It has just a whisper of Pink Floyd beneath its wings, and boasts guitar riffs reminiscent of King Crimson, though maybe given the rest of the record, Brian Eno with Robert Fripp would be a more appropriate reference? Also, 'Romance (2)' feels again just the TINIEST bit out of place here, though not quite so much as 'Some Kinda Image.' It is a short piano piece, which is quite beautiful with notes of Beethoven somehow melded with memories of the Cure's 'Love Song.' Again, not that it doesn't belong, it's just quite a departure from the ebb and flow of the remainder of the record. I must say though, Janne does tie between the contemporary and ambience with perfect fluidity, it just takes you off guard for a moment. With its soft textures, light ambiences and occasional errie soundscapes, there isn't a dull moment within these 'Quiet Places.' There are a few slight lows, but never even close to low enough to sink completely.