Concert Review: My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult with Special Guests ADULT. and Kanga

 

Sunday night August,13th in downtown San Jose, CA was one massive fanatical electronic/industrial gathering that featured three solid acts. Headlining was industrial/electronic music icons My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult along with openers ADULT. and Kanga. Performing at The Ritz, a venue that is extremely significant when pertaining to the music scene in downtown San Jose, I had a strong feeling that this would be an epic show. 

Hell, even before I arrived at the venue there was this buzz in the air as I walked through downtown, which seemed to be hosting some sort of festival/bloc party with street vendors as well as people dancing in the middle of the sidewalk. The atmosphere around the city and even inside the venue was unbelievably electric. Before the first act even took the stage I felt as though people were in good spirits just listening to the music being played by DJ Basura who was ecstatically rocking out in the DJ booth.  Even if some of these people were probably under the magic spell of a feel good type of substance, I'd rather have people in a positive mood before a show compared to a bunch of angry looking yokel ready to whack you in the back with a steel folding chair. 

The first act of the night was Kanga, a female synth pop artist from Los Angeles, who actually took me by surprise. I had checked out some of her material earlier in the week to get an idea of what she sounded like and to be honest the recordings that I heard were just not fully grabbing me. However, once she started performing and I watched her command the stage with such mesmerizing presence, I started warm up to her sound. Quite frankly, I am the furthest thing from an indie pop/synth pop fan, but I can respect the music and appreciate the creative talents that go into writing and arranging the songs. Also, I thought she had a really strong natural voice compared to a lot of these new artist that I hear who tend to drown their voices with unnecessary digital effects. One song that I like was, “Rehab” because Kanga really brought a tremendous amount of euphoric passion as she sang over the adrenaline pumping electronic beats. 

Kanga

Following Kanga was, AUDLT. , an electronic/synth wave duo from Detroit, MI. The band started the show by wrapping a piece of tape from one end of the stage to the other and then the singer, Nicola Kuperus, attached a wire that seemed to be hooked up to an effects pedal of some sort to create these unearthly sounds. As Nicola madly ran her hand up and down the tape to send these ear shattering noises through the speakers, Adam Miller, hammered out some thunderous rhythms to create this cold dark electronic sounding atmosphere. Throughout the band’s set I was extremely impressed by Nicola’s stage presence as she has this punk rock attitude where she come right up to the crowd and delivers the lyrics with such vivid tenacity. Also, I liked how at the end of their set she walked out into the crowd to perform the final song, while Adam just kept rocking out on stage with such a suave presence. 

ADULT.

Once AUDLT. finished their set and cleared the stage, it was time for the night’s headlining act, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. The band’s second full-length album “Confessions of a Knife…” is without a doubt one of my favorite albums, so when the band opened with the song “Burning Dirt” I started singing along as well as most of the audience in attendance. There was this thrilling electricity in the room as the band performed that allowed you to get lost in the infectious electronic sounds coming from speakers. Buzz McCoy was rocking out from behind his keyboards, while Groovie Mann delivered the lyrics with his distinct voice and charismatic stage presence. Also, Mimi Star is a solid bassist and her tone made songs like, “A Daisy Chain for Satan” and “Sex on Wheels,” sound even more brilliant when hearing them live. Plus, Justin Thyme did a great job behind the kit and in my opinion was one reason as to why the band had such a tight overall sound. 

My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult

I thought they played with such passion and the audience was really going all out as the band continued to deal out some groovy sinister electronic cuts like, “Ride the Mindway” and “And This is What the Devil Does.” For their final song of the night the band played, “Kooler Than Jesus,” to a massive pop from the crowd and it perfectly capped off the evening. From the start of their set until the end, the band seemed to be fueled by the audience's passionate support, which made this such a thrilling experience. 

Once the show was over and I made my way out of the Ritz and onto the streets of San Jose I felt exhausted, but also really elated as I walk back to my car to make my trip back home to the mundane suburban confines of San Ramon. Seeing this show reminded me of how strong the connection can be between a band and its fanbase, and I do believe it is why My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult has continued to thrive for so many years, as well as the band's unique and passionate creative mindset. All around this was a great show and if you have the chance to see them when they perform near you, I'd highly recommend going as they have more stops on the tour. Only complaint of the evening was going home a section of the 680 freeway was closed because of road work and I had to take a detour, but that is what you get living in this chaos carnival known as the Bay Area. 

Check out the show if it comes to your town, or if there is a stop close to where you live! 

My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult "Sinister Whisperz IV: The Bedroom Tapes 1987-1988"

    Whenever I picture a town in the Midwest where the local preacher is giving a sermon about the dangers of satanism and degenerate musical acts trying to brainwash the youth of America, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult is always one of the first bands that comes to mind. Arguably one the most influential industrial rock/electronic bands along with the likes of Ministry, Front 242 and KMFDM, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult has amassed a very loyal cult following over the years. 

    Originally formed in the late eighties, the bad started when founding members Groovie Mann and Buzz McCoy started coming up with some unique sounding electronic/industrial ideas for their B movie project which never fully came to fruition. However, their music caught the attention of Wax Trax! Records and from that moment on the world would be gifted with groovy electronic satanic themed industrial music. This upcoming release, “Sinister Whisperz IV: The Bedroom Tapes 1987-1988,” is part of a really cool retrospective serious which the band has been doing as of recent. I think fans will appreciate getting to hear recordings that originate from the pre-band days when the two founding members first started throwing ideas around in a small Chicago bedroom during the winter1987. 

    The recordings on this release definitely provide insight into what fans would later hear on the band’s first couple full-length releases, although some of the tracks on this album are truly epic sounding electronic jams. I would describe their sound as new wave music with a adrenaline pumping satanic themed twisting, taking you on a rhythmically hypnotic journey. Buzz comes up with some bombastically raw sounding arrangements, while Groovie Man’s bewitching vocal parts perfectly compliment the catchy chaotic compositions. Tracks like, “Sermon 4 None” and “Absolution,” are trippy electronic surrealistic pieces of music that you could imagine being used to score some bizarre black and white avant-garde satanic themed art film. During “Absolution” Groovie Mann repeats the title of the song through the track, but he does it in such suave and haunting manner that the words can easily get stuck in your head. 

  

  Throughout the album you hear a plethora of audio clips from religious speakers talking about the dangers of Satan that are perfectly woven into the mind altering industrial arrangements. The best example of this would be, “Satan's Power,” because the main beat is extremely euphoric sounding, yet you hear all these people babbling on about the dangers of Satan. There are countless examples on this release where the compositions may be a bit rough, but the beats and synth arrangements create these unbelievably solid sounding jams. “Out of Order 87,” is one of my favorites off of the album and explores this very dreary atmospheric landscape where the vocals are muffled to give the music a truly ominous vibe. 

    From start to finish, when listening to this album you can really hear two individuals letting their creative thoughts flow without any boundaries, or fear of getting run out the community by a pack of bible thumping old women. In my opinion, the songs on this album serve as the blueprint for what would eventually lead to My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult becoming one of the most iconic industrial bands of all-time. The creativity and uncompromising mentality of this group has always stood out and I really hope more people check out their albums as they have a very prolific discography with enough music to send a televangelist preacher straight into a spastic frenzy. 

Promo video for the album which comes out May 9th :

Band's Website:

https://mylifewiththethrillkillkult.com/

Pre-Order for the album:

https://mylifewiththethrillkillkult.com/album/2457772/sinister-whisperz-iv-the-bedroom-tapes-1987-1988

The Bleak "Unwritten"

    Prepare to enter the warped and avant-garde realm of unconventional black metal mixed with electronic and industrial elements on the new release from, The Bleak. You literally find yourself falling down a rabbit hole into a dark land of complete electronic insanity on this album which is titled, “Unwritten.” 

    Here is another artist that was featured on the compilation from Ritual Abuse Hysteria that I reviewed a few months back, and out of all the bands on the compilation this one was without question the most unorthodox. The overall sound and production reminds of certain bands that tend to work with Sentient Ruin, especially bands like Decoherence, 6th Circle and DSKNT. The raw and harsh black metal elements are present, but you are also thrown plenty of nasty sounding electronic curve balls. Imagine the soundtrack to an avant-garde futuristic horror film featuring some of the most unimaginable and incomprehensible scenarios. 

    The Bleak seems to be onto something, however, there are moments on this album where the rush of chaotic industrial elements tends to sound a bit cluttered and leaves the listener feeling overwhelmed at times. On the album’s opening track, “Consume and Destroy,” there is no time wasted jumping right into the twisted sounding landscape which The Bleak feverishly conjures up. Even with all this anxiety inducing noise, the black metal style vocals and the haunting raw arrangements really stand out and create a sinister sounding atmosphere. The second track, “Culminate in Annihilation,” deals out a punishing electronic attack right from the very beginning, thus making you feel like the world is completely falling apart. 

    As I stated before, there are moments where the music can be completely overwhelming and sounds like the artist is running around in a variety of directions, but if you continue listening to the entire album you find yourself getting to hear some really strong pieces of blackened industrial. “Chamber of Seclusion,” and “Rift,” are two tracks that really caught my attention after listening to the entire album. “Rift,” is a short song, however, packs a might punch by laying down some agonizing rhythms mixed with demonic like noises in the background. Then to wrap it all up, “I Can Hear You Breathing,” is a solid ending track given the amount of hellish hallucinogenic torment that was heard on most of this release. 

    Overall I have to credit this band for coming up with a very atypical sounding release, because even though the music at times sounded like somebody completely lost their mind, the ability to put this album together is a very impressive feat. Experimentation can sometimes cause an album to come crashing down after the first couple tracks, but I thought for the most part the band was able to deliver, and you do get some unique sounding moments to maintain your interest. Like any band that has a sound which draws from a variety of harsh sounding elements, my best advice would be to keep pushing and exploring, but also think about production and keeping it sounding tight. The Bleak’s, “Unwritten,” is highly worth checking out and will hopefully be one of many twisted offerings for fans to check out in the future.  

Bandcamp Link :

https://ritualabusehysteria.bandcamp.com/album/unwritten

8 Hour Animal "Resigner"

   At first you almost don’t know how to react when listening to 8 Hour Animal’s debut full-length album, “Resigner,” because you find yourself trying to pick up the pieces of your shattered sanity after listening to this album. The blitzkrieg of harsh industrial elements and chaotic electronic noises creates a massive sounding mind altering atmosphere. 

   Once again, Sentient Ruin finds a one-man act who does not follow the stereotypical path and explores the most deviant sounds a human could possible conjure up. Imagine Ministry and all those Wax Trax Records band, but with a more inhuman approach that aspires to bring about a musical annihilation of unforgiving digital proportions. Some of the compositions on this album are truly phenomenal and captivating, while some are down right frightening in terms of the amount of overwhelming electronic sounds that pierce your ears without remorse. 

   The first song on the album, “Almost Free,” is a nightmare inducing piece of music and the audio clip in the beginning of the track adds to the song’s misanthropic theme. True electronic sounding disgust brings about a rush of hateful energy that dissolves into a sea of complete chaos. The second track, “Oblivs,” reminded me a bit of early acid house, but with a more darker and sadistic energy coming from the heart pounding rhythms. Actually, I thought the track was very catchy, so much that felt like I was in a complete trance as the music intensely flowed out of my speakers. 

   Track number three, “Clever People,” is another hard hitting industrial experimentation which I thought brought together a monumental amount of frantic sound effects. The muffled vocals were hard to make out, although I believe they were more intended to inject an extra boost of savagery into the overall mix. “Pushing Myself Down,” is the longest song off of the album with a total run time of around 13 minutes. Give this artist 13 minutes and you are sure to hear a plethora of unfathomable electronic compositions. The track definitely reminded me of some classic 80’s horror film score, but I would go as far to say that if this were used in a movie I would not be surprised if the concept of the film would be something truly sinister. 

   The last two tracks on the album are also worth checking out, “Wake” and “Once You Accept Everything,” however I was really impressed more with the beginning of this release. The level of unorthodox creativity that I heard on this album stood out from start to finish, which is why I would say that 8 Hour Animal is perfect for Sentient Ruin. Again, here we have a release that does not sound like most of what is being pumped out these days and actually explores so much more than just the typical industrial sounding release. Highly worth checking out if you are in the mood for something that will melt your mind and turn you brains into a puddle of liquid! 

Check out the entire release below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/resigner

Dos Cobros "Misadventures in Dystopia"

    The new album from Dos Cobros, “Misadventures in Dystopia," is what I would call a rollercoaster through a dystopian cyberpunk themed world that has your head spinning and your mind constantly questioning all that you hear. Simply put, this is an album that I was not expecting to hear at first, but in the end it turned out to be something I'm glad came my way. 

    This two-man band based out of Nashville, Tennessee brings together an eclectic range of different musical elements. When listening to this album you can hear some industrial metal/rock, punk, hip-hop, as well as some cinematic elements. Right off the bat the opening song, “Initiation (A Space Wolf Tale),” throws you into a volatile sea of industrial sounding metal that contains a massive amount of adrenaline pumping force. There are plenty of slamming industrial arrangements that also blend into this hallucinogenic atmosphere of catchy sounding electronic noises. 

    On the next song, “No Hope (A Black Philip Tale),” the band delivers a strong hip-hop and industrial sounding piece of music. I was extremely impressed by the delivery of the lyrics and thought that the singer did a tremendous job added an extra boost of aggressive energy into the composition. Just imagine if Nine Inch Nails or My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult were working in the studio and Cypress Hill decided to stop by to lay down some lyrics. Honestly, the industrial rock/metal instrumental arrangements matched with this unapologetic no holds barred style of hip-hop is very profound and does not sound cheap, or gimmicky. Another band they remind me a bit of is the Butthole Surfers, but with a more industrial flavor added into the mix. 

    Also, I really like the horror movie references in their songs like, “No Hope (A Black Philip Tale,” as well as the track, “The Perfect Game (A Slender Man Tale).” The loudly distorted main guitar riff matched with the no nonsense sounding rhythms provided a fierce background for the singer to come in and unleash his tale of blasphemous terror. Overall, the song is a great example of solid production that all fits together flawlessly. Throughout the album you hear that this group is able to put everything together in such a solid fashion, which is impressive given the diverse sounding elements. “Ubuntu (Insomnia Mix),” was a song that at first sounded very chaotic and overwhelming with a hornets nest of industrial sounds, but eventually mellowed out to once again offer up a solid vocal performance and unique sounding musical landscape. 

    At first I did not know how I was going to like this album, because I am not exactly the biggest hip-hop fan on the planet. However, when listening to this album from top to bottom, I felt that the variety of influences actually allowed Dos Cobros to have a great amount of creative freedom. Again, the production on,“Misadventures in Dystopia,” is what really stood out and each track delivers in terms of recording quality. Dos Cobros is a band that I highly recommend checking out, especially if you are a listener who has an open mind. I’ve reviewed a handful of bands that incorporate a variety of styles into their sound and usually they end up sounding like a choir of feces throwing chimpanzees, so Dos Cobros is a talented group that definitely deserves recognition for their work on this album. 

Check out the song "Ubuntu (Insomnia Mix)" below:

Dos Cobros Bandcamp (Album comes out July 17th):

https://doscobros.bandcamp.com/album/misadventures-in-dystopia

Decoherence "System I"

    When listening to a Decoherence release I swear that you feel like you are being thrown through a vortex full of agonizing dynamic arrangements that eventually takes you to an eternal galactic realm of pure darkness. This band executes an extreme metal vision that brings together nightmare inducing industrial sounds with unforgiving black metal. Their new release, “System I,” contains remastered singles and tracks from EPs which were only available previously through digital format.  

    I’ve reviewed a couple of the band’s full-length releases before and I have never found myself walking away with massive amounts of criticism. Actually, I find it extremely hard to critique this group of musicians due to the fact that they put in some much effort into their creative style of extreme music. The production quality and overall atmosphere presented on this album provides a vivid rush of inhuman brutality. “System I,” breaks down the walls of typical extreme metal music by exploring the endless voids of cosmic sounding entropy and travels deep into the harsh blackened gateways of unorthodox sounding compositions. I can tell you that there are few bands who write like Decoherence, and with good reason, because this band knows how to make everything come together for one unforgettable extreme listening experience. 

    Compared to the band’s earlier releases, I really felt like the eight songs on this new album were very profound and offered a lot to take away. The guitar playing once again transcends the typical gritty distorted sinister sounding riff approach to instead make way for guitar parts that methodically pull apart your cerebral cortex piece by piece. As with all Decoherence releases, the band builds-up anticipation on the first song by mixing together these haunting industrial sounds that help usher in the massive sounding chaotic arrangements. “Line of Force,” is a track that really explores the more hypnotic industrial side of this band’s sound, while also adding those grim black metal touches into the mix. 

    The next on the release, “Ray Spallation,” is another hellishly distorted offering of extreme sounding music. Throughout most of the the album you are presented with such a plethora of dynamic arrangements that your head begins to spin as a result of the sadistic tempo changes. Tracks like, “Gate Error” and “Non-Holistic Constraints,” convey a more ferocious side in terms of presentation and thrive on adrenaline pumping blast beats to complement the chainsaw fueled guitar attack. 

    Another tormenting track off of the album is, “Dimension Witness,” which contains some utterly ghastly guitar riffs. There is nothing simplistic and dual about this band’s presentation, so every second of this release has you possessed by the blizzard of abstract extreme metal horror. Also, I really enjoyed their cover of Killing Joke’s, “The Wait,” and I liked how they approached the song. Instead of just doing a basic cover, Decoherence brought in their sinister industrial style to create a very catastrophic atmosphere. “The Wait,” is a classic that has been covered before by punk and metal bands, however, I felt as though Decoherence did tremendous job covering it by giving the track an even more terrifying edge. 

    Decoherence’s, “System I,” is currently out now and can be ordered through Sentient Ruin. Out of the three Decoherence releases I have reviewed so far, this one might as well be my favorite. I truly respect the creativity as well as the unbelievably intense instrumental compositions. The mix of industrial and black metal with touches of other extreme metal elements proves to be an almost other worldly extreme sounding concoction that has allowed Decoherence to pave their own unique path. I highly recommend checking out this album and I look forward to reviewing the next release from this band!  

Check out the full album below:

Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/music