Grendel – Timewave Zero

If you ever fancy some sample driven techno with an element of aggrotech  and a nod to Infected Mushroom then look no further than Holland’s leading exponents of industrial electronic action; Grendel. I’d already heard the excellent ‘Harsh Generation’ and enjoyed the tracks with the more up front sampling most. Sadly ‘Timewave Zero’ uses the samples more as embellishments and relies on gravel tonsiled vocals and pulsating rhythms for the entertainment factor.

That’s no bad thing, but the album definitely lurches towards a darker feel to proceedings not unlike a pumped up version of Aesthetic Perfection but not quite so seedy. It’s a pounding tour de force with just enough melody, hooks and singalongability to keep you interested, but not enough to sweeten the sour atmosphere.

 

 

I enjoyed all the tracks but worthy of special attention are the high octane rush of ‘Neon City Lights’ (which sounds not unlike X-Cabs, which is praise indeed), the shouty meets mellow vocal of ‘Chemicals + Circuitry’ and the eighties throwback charms of ‘Wheels in Motion’. Best of all  is the mid-tempo electro of ‘Deep Waters’ with its starkly contrasted lush arrangement and squeaky yet gorgeous vocal.

I doubt it’s to everyone’s taste but seriously, what’s not to like? Funky, trance driven techno with contrasting gritty/smooth vocals and a lovely android with an exploding head on the CD cover!

 

 

Aesthetic Perfection – All Beauty Destroyed

I’d heard a previous Aesthetic Perfection album (Til Death) on YouTube and decided it was worth investing in their allegedly best work ‘All Beauty Destroyed’. Essentially the album is a game of two halves with half of the tracks proving to be excellent and the other half getting flicked instantly. How can Daniel Graves, the world’s premium purveyor of dark screamy techno, get it simultaneously so right and so wrong? Well I’ll tell you…

Til Death was a lovely album and I’ve only just realised it was released in 2014. It combined catchy electro with a dark atmosphere and the odd burst of screamo style vocals. However to cut through the darkness was a sense of jollity and upbeat singalongability that made tracks like ‘Antibody’ and ‘Oh Gloria!’ so much fun in a downcast sort of way. In short, it has the cheese and jam sandwich effect of combining sweet, sour and salty in a wholesome little package.

Meanwhile ‘All Beauty Destroyed’ is a much darker affair. There’s lots of stinky cheese and a distinct lack of tangy jam. Having said that, the quality half are banging, dancefloor fillers with the emphasis reverting from jolly singing to snarling and full on screamo. ‘Inhuman’ is like New Order meets Marilyn Manson, ‘A Nice Place to Visit’ is darker still and reminiscent of the music played in nightclubs on the outskirts of Hell. Best of all is the no holds barred screamo meets techno bleep-fest of ‘The 11^th Hour’ which has to be dark techno’s finest moment.

Unfortunately all the other tracks push the darkness into sleazy and/or attention seeking for the sake of it territory akin to the afore mentioned Manson. They’re all rubbish and that includes the too slowies that aren’t that seedy but are still hopeless.

With hindsight I should have bought and reviewed the more recent album ‘Til Death’ but I suppose I have really. Of the two I’d definitely prefer this latest offering, but ‘The 11^th Hour’ is a must listen moment!