This self-released gem is a promo compiling random bits of the live work, demos, and past/future tracks of Adipocere. Adipocere is the solo project of Keith Dylan, founder of Death Wax Records. His work in Adipocere is a complex mixture of dark ambient, powernoise, IDM, and all things related?never remaining in the same genre for long, and always demanding attention.

The promo starts out easy with two tracks that are so relaxed and soothing you could almost drift off to sleep; shifting into a screaming hell reminiscent of the New Blockaders or Masonna without warning?ripping away the deception of peace and replacing it with a world of comparable torment. From there the promo calms, but the promise of serenity is gone, leaving the listener aware and ready for anything. The promo then shifts from atmospheric themes and scattered beats comparable to Download’s later work into heavy dark ambient/powernoise pieces that snatch away all semblance of tranquility and feed the listener, instead, the abrasive sounds that make this genre great.

Adipocere mixes elements of IDM, ambient, and noise with an unforgiving precision. This promo holds some of the best intelligent powernoise I’ve had the pleasure of hearing this year. Tracks like "The Trenches of Reality" and "Dysplasia" are so catchy they have become staples on my playlist. If this promo CD-r is any indication of the quality of work to be expected from Keith Dylan’s Adipocere, then I am convinced that anything he releases will be worth picking up.

Things Outside the Skin are back for their fifth release, "You Knew it all Along." TOtS is Chvad SB (vocals/programming), Blight Productions (bass), and The 1-2-3-4 (drums), interesting names to add to the curiousness of this colorful new release. TOtS’s sound is composed of, basically, dirty gangster rap above spooky and aged sci-fi themes?or, better put, a nightmarish amusement park moving in slow motion.

My first impression about this release was that it would be blatantly evil with not much intrinsic value, however; upon listening and reading the lyrics I was quick to discover this band actually has a healthy(?) sense of humor, and a smart approach to their subject matter that is quickly infectious.

While I’m not a big fan of industrial rap, Things Outside the Skin does an extremely convincing job of merging the two genres, and does it better than most acts I’ve heard. TOtS is not, by any means, limited to rap?as they show an affinity for EBM and touch on a variety of other genres. Regardless your interests, though, TOtS’s violating cover of the Spice Girls’ "Spice up Your Life" alone is well worth any price asked for this album.

GASR is Gary Suarez (vocals/programming), Luis Brito (programming/production), and Jim Ankrom (live keyboards). Survival of the Fittest, GASR’s debut effort is a beautifully structured album that is not only emotionally and mentally captivating but also a fresh addition to stagnating dance floor playlists everywhere.

GASR’s Survival of the Fittest is a complex and thoughtful release, visiting familiar EBM and synthpop staples ranging from Neuroticfish to Bigod 20 (leaving nothing untouched between) and taking the combinations to newer and higher grounds. Suarez’s vocals and lyrics switch between intimate and fragile to a darker, accusing tone. The keys/programming, however; are GASR’s real strength. While Suarez’s vocals require a few listens to really enjoy, the programming stands out within seconds.

While I’ll admit I was not instantly carried away by Survival of the Fittest, after a few listens I was completely engrossed. It amazes me the quality and effort this trio has managed to put into just their first release, and I can only hope they continue in this trend.

Apathy is the self-released debut of Pillars of Nein, a guitar-oriented industrial rock band hailing from Portland, Oregon. Pillars of Nein is the project of Chuck Nein (vocals), Angel (guitars), Keith Sommers (keyboard/drums), and Chelle Beck (backing vocals). With Apathy, Pillars of Nein deliver an impassioned and intense release that sounds professional beyond anything you might expect to hear from an unsigned band.

Apathy walks a very fine line between alternative and industrial music and succeeds in doing justice to both. The highlight of this release, for me, is the compatibility of Chuck Nein and Chelle Beck’s vocal work. Nein’s vocals bear a remarkable resemblance to Bush’s Gavin Rosdale, and Chelle Beck’s strong, seductive backing vocals are the perfect match to an already commanding presence.

Apathy is a perfect balance of aggression and beauty, shifting from melancholic keyboard/piano themes to crushing Rammstien-like guitar sequences without a moment’s notice. Pillars of Nein have figured out the formula to both the alternative and industrial genres, if they can further harness that formula there will be no end to their potential.

Telerotor is the merged product of Klaus, Danijela, and Rene Jochim of Telepherique, and Roger Rotor’s own Roger Rotor?both well known staples of Ant-Zen’s ever-expanding catalogue of noise-core heavyweights. The theme behind Telerotor’s second release, Mobilitat, is based on the fast paced world of today. In particular, Mobilitat is based on the speed, and resulting convenience, of today’s mass transit systems.

Mobilitat is structured by a layer of perpetual 4X4 beats thumping away over an active, sample-heavy background showcasing the sounds of mass transit. The compositions are thick, and prone to complex keyboard textures flowing throughout as ambient noise bubbles in and out of the foreground. Tracks like "Rain Hill" and "Larmkulisse," both with more subtle 4X4 (less techno) beats, are so full of sound and content I could put them on repeat and get lost for hours.

Depending on my mood, the overly constant beats are either comforting and hypnotic or just slightly annoying. The ambient noise and delicate keys beneath the technoid beats, however; are what really win me over about Telerotor’s Mobilitat. My personal bias against techno does not stop this from being a phenomenal album. The atmospheres created by Roger Rotor and the Telepherique crew are so rich I find myself actively searching for the right context and time to listen to Mobilitat.