Released
1997
Label
Possessive Blindfold
Reviewed by
Kim Alexander
Contact
Possessive Blindfold
Possessive Blindfold Recordings
P.O. Box 423827
San Francisco, CA 94142
Visit
Last Edit/Update
31 March, 1998
Posessive Blindfold Records Presents
Exoskeleton Compilation #1
(PBCD02)
Track Listing
1. Blink Twice -- Striving
2. Gridlock -- Frantic
3. Imperative Reaction -- Predicate
4. I Parasite -- Piety (edit)
5. Morgue -- Dead End
6. Synapscape -- Stop Yield
7. SALT -- Stolen Icons
8. Dive -- Dark Room
9. Patchworks -- Medicine
10. Holocaust Theory -- Balanced Chaos
11. Noisex -- No Fear
12. Pain Konsept -- Progressive Decay
13. P.A.L. -- T.A.E.
14. Jugend Staat -- Vaterland
15. Ichor -- Parasite
16. Imminent Starvation -- Link Addiction
This CD belongs in your collection. All the artists on Exoskeleton are excellent
and come from Europe (Germany), and the U.S.A. whom of which produce some of the best dark
electronica, EBM, power electro and noise you could ever want to hear. All sixteen tracks
on this release are incredibly good and diverse enough to please just about anyone who
likes the type of music I listed above. In addition, this release definately negates the
idea that *Industrial* music is dead or on its way out.
Beginning with Blink Twice
and their wonderfully soft yet powerful rendition of Striving, Gridlock's
creepy industrial maneuvers and vocals in Frantic, and Imperative Reaction's
more hard synth driven track: Predicate, which contains dark and smooth elements,
the CD continues on with Parasite's Piety, beautifully expressed with
harmonic industrial darkness.
Morgue continues the
assault with Dead End, a bit on the noise end of things, sliding into Synapse's
Stop Yield, a fast paced composition and a bit more on the speedy end of the sounds
on the release along with Salt's track: Stolen Icons, another power noise
*speed-bump* on the CD you won't have any trouble getting over.
The sounds change directions a bit
with Dive's Dark Room, a place where harmonic vocals and injections of
hydraulic sound abound and leading into Patchwork's Medicine, where more
inclusions of scary vocals and dark synths take over with a steady beat of aural
medication. Holocaust Theory's Balanced Chaos, is quite a powerhouse of
drumming and sonic assault reflecting the oxymoron in the title, which lends a good
introduction to Noisex's dramatic entrance with the subtle yet steady beats,
treated vocals and blend of background harmony in No Fear.
Pain Könsept's: Progressive
Decay sounds more traditional EBM-Industrial with excellent synths and wicked
vocals. "What's the matter you got Shit in your ears?..." begins t.a.e by
P.A.L., samples, faster machine-like beat and noise, "I would like to kill
somebody." "Well Otis, let's take a ride..."
Vaterland by Jugend
Staat is good track of more traditional electro-EBM, leading into Ichor's Parasite
(version 2) of a more darkwave industrial sound, and finishing up with Imminent
Starvation's Link Addiction, a more experimental tribal "quieter"
noise composition, which brings the CD full circle.
