THE LAST INFLUENCE OF BRAIN is yet another phenomenal band on the BLACK FLAMES label, and the Slovakian duo, consisting of Bob on instrumentation and Solo on vocals/lyrics, presents their terrific debut ILLUSIONS AND REALITY. The album is a very progressive electronic album saturated with excellent synthetic melodies, spine-melting sonic textures, and many tempo shifts throughout the tracks in order to keep the excitement alive. If someone pointed a gun to my head and told me to give a comparison, I would say that I see a definite old XMTP influence here (no pun intended). The sequences and keyboard skill walks hand and hand on ILLUSIONS AND REALITY, and all of the tracks fit together perfectly while still exhibiting variance and uniqueness. The instrumental intro-esque track "One" presents the skill of sequencing and drum-manipulation first. Soon to follow are the elements of angst and electronic mutilation. "Cruel Beast" is a very dreary track filled with rhythmic and harmonic cacophony, which is actually very pleasing to the ear of the skilled musician. The vocal effects change often and drastically throughout the album, thus it is almost a challenge to distinguish which voice is actually most representative of singer Solo. "N.O.A.C.O.L." is a club-friendly track with excellent sequences and riffs. The title track "Illusions And Reality" is filled with pure electro bliss and Solo’s seething distorted voice in the middle of the mix. "Conventions And Halve’s True" is an excellent up-tempo instrumental deviation! The album also contains 2 remixes of the track "Legacy"... one by ESR and one K.I.F.O.T.H., Bob’s preivous band. I have been nothing short of impressed with everything I have heard on the BLACK FLAMES label, and ILLUSIONS AND REALITY is no exception. Please check out the BLACK FLAMES website for more info on THE LAST INFLUENCE OF BRAIN and other great artists!

Some kick-ass hard-hitting cool shit is being thrown at us all the way from Arizona. Hardwire: The Industrial Hardcore Tech is a young and unexperienced duo, but I assure you that you wouldn't tell neither that they are young, nor that they are unexperienced. Their mixture of electronics, industrial, metal and hardcore displays a rare maturity and style. Altough this kind of music has seen its time pass by in the record industry, fans and lovers of the true electro-industrial-metal genre (like myself) might still appreciate certain releases. Personally, I really like "Keyboard Cowboy", especially because of its heavy similarities with some of my old-time favourite bands, such as Die Krupps (first and foremost, I've hardly ever heard a band that resambles to Engler's old project this much - at least on some songs), KMFDM, Rammstein, Sepultura (another disappeared first-rate act!), Ministry, Fear Factory, Flugshaedel, Headcrash, Bytet and many others. If you are a moshing metal head approaching electro-industrial, or if you are an electro-freak looking for heavier emotions, or if you simply can't make up your mind on where to go and what to lean towards, this might be the perfect compromise: scratching, hard, heavy, powerful, aggressive, digital, technological, cold and cool. Highly recommended for people who know what they want (then again, maybe not...).

Both Bunkur (Holland) and Moss (UK) have reached a sort of cult status in the ultra-underground niche of extreme drone-doom, in spite of their relatively limited discography. This anticipated split release is a sort of tribute to two major influences of theirs, i.e., respectively, Burzum and Swans. Bunkur's cover of "Erblicket..." (originally from the gloomy masterpiece "Filosofem") begins with a mess of spacey, disjointed feedbacks, gradually evolving into a recognizable remake - Burzum's trademark riffs are there, though played by Bunkur's peculiar line up (two basses, a synth, screams and drums). Less recognizable is Moss' "Cop", though their desperate, obtuse sludge-doom (reminiscent of Eyehategod, early Cavity, Corrupted, etc.) is a good tribute to the tortured sounds of early Swans. A nice ep thing, though I was honestly expecting something more - I'm now looking forward to Bunkur's anticipated studio full-length (due out next year on Deserted Factory) and for something more consistent from Moss.

This is a first compilation CD released by the internet community www.hotgoth.net hailing from the Salt Lake City area. It presents mainly the music by registered members of this community and they all are more or less well known in the world-wide Electro/Industrial scene. The music included here varies a lot in styles and gives the listener a huge amount of diversity. Tracks ranging from Synth Pop tunes (PLATFORM ONE) to softer Electro (BOUNDLESS), from Dark Electro (SYMBIONT, LITTLE SAP DUNGEON, LEXINCRYPT) to typically US Coldwave Industrial (PROJECT 9, QUEEN BEE), from chaotic Industrial (23 EXTACY, CIRCUIT SURGEON) to somewhat like Death Metal (LORD BEHERIT), which isn’t surely my cup of tea. 12 Tracks in all plus a hidden piece at position 23, this can only be 23 EXTACY with their Punk-like cover version of DEVINE’s disco classic "I’m so Beautiful", which is both outstanding and funny. Other marvelous works are presented here by BOUNDLESS (a new track with damned efficient sequences), LITTLE SAP DUNGEON (with a scary Ambient-like start for their "Dinner Guest") and PROJECT 9 (reminds a little bit to RAZED ?N’ BLACK). This comp lacks a bit that known bands do not provide more new or unreleased stuff (LEXINCRYPT or SYMBIONT) but nevertheless there is a lot of interesting stuff provided here, so fell free and check out the Hotgoth website to purchase this remarkable compilation.

Vultures are back with their mixture of industrial metal/electro anger but too bad this isn't their full lenght album. Even if the CD contains ten songs, only three are new studio tracks. The other seven are remixed versions of songs coming from their first MCD ("Internal plea" and "Vulture's splendor"), remixes of new tracks ("Horrible weather" and "Live a message"), remixes of unreleased tracks ("Systematic") and a live track ("Snow"). First of all I have to admit that the new tracks ("Easy does it", "Live a message" and "Horrible weather") rock! Their mixture of power and melody will make the NIN fans question if the Vultures will become their next favorite band. The remixed tracks (treated by PTYL, K-Nitrate, 21st Century Jesus, PTSMC and Such) are good (K-nitrate version of "Horrible weather" differs totally from the original one and he makes out of it a really nice dance/ambient/e.b.m.) but sometimes (specially for the unreleased tracks) you feel that something is missing: you never heard the original track and a blend of distorted samples, like in the case of "Systematic", isn't enough. This CD is a good follow up to "Vultures EP" but I wish they will release their real first album sometimes soon.