love blossoms ‘from the grave’ in militia vox’s latest
Just in time for Halloween, you say? Militia Vox is back with another haunting ballad, this time in the form of “From the Grave, From the Heart,” a brooding electro-industrial rock track.
The New York-based musician known for her darkly ambient grooves and industrial rock flair, Militia Vox brings heavy drama and theatricality to her engrossing musicality, and her latest is no exception. A ghostly visitation for Cupid, Militia Vox says the song came to her in a dream:
“I could hear the music and sounds so clearly. I saw my own death and my ghost came back
to tell a loved one not to be afraid, but that I couldn’t move on without them.”
“When I woke up, I had to put it down (record it) immediately. But there was an initial fear of writing like a swan song or Lacrimosa, because I have so much more to say and make. But I had to get this out of my head and share it.”
Photo by Kevin Vonesper
reach a death-defying climax with psychedelic singer kayla starr’s ethereal ep
Kayla Starr’s music charts the previously unknown territory lying between psychedelic rock, pop, goth, dreampop, and R&B, so it’s fitting that her latest EP is called Exception to the Rule. It’s a dreamy, hypnotic affair, dripping with melancholy and seismic distorted bass.
The EP is at its best when Kayla Starr pairs her ethereal voice with raw and noisy sounds. Opening track “Say You Will” builds from a haunting guitar line into a threatening bass, before she launches into the reverberating stratospheric chorus. The song carries a menace that never quite erupts, sustaining an unearthly tension through the end. “Deepest Sea” brings Kayla Starr’s sound into nearly metallic territory, with howling noise enveloping her voice. The song reaches a death-defying climax while earth shattering waves of distortion swirl around her voice.
The depth of production, and the nuance in Starr’s voice make this the kind of EP that rewards (and maybe even demands) listening on repeat.
unleash your fury with trap metal revolutionary scarlxrd’s explosive ‘dxxm’
Behind a veil of distortion, guitars crashing against 808 drums, SCARLXRD calls what he does “trap metal,” but to me it just sounds like the future of heavy music. His last record, the galvanizing LXRDSZN transformed the energy of a radical protest into pure fire. While his latest, DXXM turns down the protest clips, it retains every decibel of fury. DXXM is one of the most uncompromising heavy records ever made by an artist who sounds like no-one else on Earth.
Anchored by tracks like “BXILING PXINT,” and “HELL IS XN EARTH,” SCARLXRD delivers throat-searing raps over blistering thrash riffs. You can play this shit on the lowest volume and it’s still loud. It’s the sound of tearing shit down; it’s the sound of revolution.
DXXM, like LXRDSZN tend to be strongest when SCARLXRD leans into his industrial tendencies. On the punishing “we waste time FADED,” he contorts his voice above a wall of noise delivering the kind of song that Al Jourgensen only dreams about. “a BRAINDEAD civilisatixn” gives a brief respite from the full throttle screaming just to casually toss off that yeah, SCARLXRD’s got bars. While album highlight “BURNS” condenses his sound into 2 minutes of raw destructive power. If you can listen to that song without smashing oppressive systems and running screaming into the street, I don’t know if you’re listening to the right song. That track is an atom bomb.
DXXM is out now. And stream LXRDSZN via Soundcloud:
Picture via Instagram/artist selfie
the most essential punk record of the year comes from the fever 333, former letlive. frontman jason aalon butler’s new project
It’s only the end of March and the best record of the year just dropped. Pack it in artists, regroup for 2019. This is The Fever 333’s year. letlive. frontman Jason Aalon Butler has never exactly been one to mince words, but with his new project, he’s on fire. The Made An America EP holds nothing back. It’s 7 songs of pure power, mixing post-hardcore energy with industrial and trap beats and Butler’s blistering takedowns of white supremacy and American exceptionalism.
We’re giving thanks for measles, blankets, and genocide
They call it “cleaning up the streets”, we call it “homicide”
From the title track on down, this is one of the most essential punk records to come out in years; easily the best post-hardcore record since, well, letlive.’s last. The secret weapon is Jason Aalon Butler’s talent for turning slogans into hooks. From the title track to “Hunting Season,” these songs punch a hole in your eardrum and demand squatters rights. Drummer Aric Improta and guitarist Stephen Harrison light the fire under Butler’s vocals, switching on a dime from industrial drive to anthemic hardcore.
While many bands claim to be kicking off a movement, The Fever 333’s the real deal. The band is one of the rare acts that walks the walk, committing to activism and social justice on and off the stage. As Butler explained to AltPress: ““The movement is much greater than the music. The art is only a contingent piece. We want to make sure we’re just as involved in the activism and actual activation.”
The Fever 333’s playing a record release show in Brooklyn at the Knitting Factory tomorrow 3/28. Tickets and full tour info is here: http://333.thefever333.com/
metal prodigies unlocking the truth go industrial on their massive new single “my chains”
One of the great joys of the scene over the past year has been charting the evolution of Unlocking The Truth. From the kids blowing minds at the AFROPUNK Battle of the Bands on instruments bigger than them and a sound even bigger to playing sold out tours. Their latest single “My Chains” takes the trajectory they’ve been on and makes a sharp turn left without dropping a beat.
Clearly someone’s been dusting off their copy of Living Colours criminally under-appreciated Stain, as the industrial-metal announces itself early. A clicky beat is met with a synth line that somehow splits the difference between a trap riff and NIN. It’s a full minute of buildup before the song announces itself into full on metal riffage. Then Malcolm Brickhouse’s vocals kick in, sounding more melodic than he ever has, but still packing a serious punch. Some older fans might get alienated by the move to industrial-metal, but “My Chains” keeps Unlocking the Truth moving forward without losing an ounce of what makes them great.
new music: goth/industrial project deviated ascension takes on rape and racism in monstrous new album
Deviated Ascension is a one man goth/industrial project founded in 2013 by William McKinney. Based in Chicago, IL, Deviated Ascension fuses elements of goth and industrial music with coldwave and ethereal. The project’s most recent album, Rable Rousing Rapture Rupture takes on issues like rape culture and racial violence head on. With track titles like “See Trump Rape(((A Childrens Book))),” “MaKe Them Eat Bill Cosby(Mayonaise Mix),” and “Free Dylan Roof for A+ Moment,” the ten-track offering lives up to its instigating name for a hard-hitting musical experience. Check out the album below!: