Album Review: Nine Inch Nails's Pretty Hate Machine

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Well, the beginning month of Industrial Metal Insanity has certainly been interesting. The first review showed potential, but ultimately fell flat due to quality & ego. The second review was a big improvement, and has aged far better, yet it didn’t quite have that metallic punch that Industrial Metal would eventually be known for. Today’s review fixes that for the most part. I think many of us are familiar with Trent Reznor & his Industrial project, Nine Inch Nails. Since 1989, the man has produced some of the world’s most recognizable Industrial music, and of it is still being spoken about to this day. Today’s review goes back to the very beginning of his career when he was just a small fry, but little did he know that it would spark off a path to stardom. So doll your face up, and take a look at my review for the first ever Nine Inch Nails album, Pretty Hate Machine. Let’s begin.

Background
Taken from Wikipedia:

“During working nights as a handyman and janitor at the Right Track Studio in Cleveland, Ohio, Reznor used studio "down-time" to record and develop his own music. Playing most of the keyboards, drum machines, guitars, and samplers himself, he recorded a demo. The sequencing was done on a Macintosh Plus.

With the help of manager John Malm, Jr., he sent the demo to various record labels. Reznor received contract offers from many of the labels, but eventually signed with TVT Records, who were known mainly for releasing novelty and television jingle records. Pretty Hate Machine was recorded in various studios with Reznor collaborating with some of his most idolized producers: Flood, Keith LeBlanc, Adrian Sherwood, and John Fryer. Much like his recorded demo, Reznor refused to record the album with a conventional band, recording Pretty Hate Machine mostly by himself.

"A lot of it sounds immature to me now," he stated in 1991 of the recordings that were then two years old. "At first it totally sucked. I became completely withdrawn. I couldn't function in society very well. And the LP became a product of that. It's quite small scale, introverted, claustrophobic – that's the feel I went for."

After the album was released, a recording known as Purest Feeling surfaced. The bootleg album contains the original demo recordings of most of the tracks featured on Pretty Hate Machine, as well as a couple that were not used ("Purest Feeling", "Maybe Just Once" and an instrumental introduction to "Sanctified" called "Slate").”

Basic Description
Industrial Metal at last!

Okay, that’s not completely accurate. While Pretty Hate Machine is easily the most metallic offering of the 3 albums I’ve looked at in June (Massively more so that The First Annual Report, and mildly more than Opus Dei), it’s technically not an Industrial Metal album. The album, at least on Wikipedia, is classified as Synth-Pop, Industrial Dance, Electronic Rock, and Industrial Rock. Even with all of that said, PHM is one of the heaviest Industrial releases of the 80s period. Trent gave the typical techno/electronic stylings of the 1980s a dirtier & heavier feel that many current (At the time) and future Industrial artists just ran with.

Best Track
Even if you’re not a Nine Inch Nails fan, or a casual metal fan in general, you’re probably familiar with the single Head Like A Hole. The first of 3 singles, this track has become a staple of NiN’s live shows, and it’s pretty easy to see why. A steady but thunderous beat, a metallic vibe that electronic & grimy, and Reznor’s voice is putting in a damn good amount of work. You can play this song, and you can a guarantee number of people to get up & move around to this. A classing song!

Head Like A Hole

The other good thing about Pretty Hate Machine is that it’s aged incredibly well. The First Annual Report sounds like an absolute mess, and Opus Dei, while a strong album in 2018, still has some datedness to it. With this album? We finally get an Industrial album from the 80s that sounds remarkably crisp & fresh. A little bit here and there has dated sounds (More on that in a moment), but it’s a testament to Trent Reznor & his crew as musicians & producers that they can make an Industrial album that’s stood the test of time for nearly 30 years, and I can always respect that.

Worst Track
Like I stated above, Pretty Hate Machine has aged incredibly well for an 80s Industrial. While many others sound like they come from an earlier time, Nine Inch Nails’s inaugural release comes across as a mostly modern album. That being said, when it shows it’s age, it shows it’s age. Unfortunately, it’s a little too obvious when it shows what decade it comes from. There are moments in some of the songs where they almost come across as mid 80s rather than early 80s, but they’re not as common as you think.

Other
If you’re interested in listening to this album, then check out the link below:

Pretty Hate Machine

Overall Impression & Rating
Pretty Hate Machine definitely deserves a hell of a lot of the good things said about it. As with the previous 2 review it shows it’s age, but compared to those two it’s the album that has aged the best. You can put this album in a sound system, and from the first few beats many people will recognize what you’re playing. Definitely an album to pick & listen to....especially if you like the history of Industrial music.

Pretty Hate Machine gets a 8.5 to 9 out of 10.

And that was Pretty Hate Machine. . So with that, we close out part 1 of Industrial Metal Insanity. I’m taking a week off to get ready for part 2, when we’ll be taking a look at American icons Ministry & some of their contributions to Industrial Metal. Also, I got Connecticon coming up in the middle of July, so I’m beginning to get ready for that. See you soon!




***
If you want a more detailed look at Pretty Hate Machine & it’s history, check out the link below:

Pretty Hate Machine (Wikipedia)

Album Review: Type-O Negative's Life Is Killing Me

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and happy Father’s Day!

Today is something of an odd anniversary. Coming on the day where we revere (For those of us who do) the paternal figure in the household, today also marks 15 years since the release of Type-O Negative’s first album in the 2000s. Second if you count The Least Worst Of compilation from 2000. Yep, today is the 15th birthday of Life Is Killing Me. An album that saw a reinvigoration in Type-O Negative, and an album that saw new life come back to the beleaguered Pete Steele. So, let us all raise a glass to our fathers, and enjoy a review for Life Is Killing Me. Let’s begin.

Background
The late 90s & early 2000s were not the best time for the beleaguered Pete Steele. Releasing what was perhaps the darkest record of his career, only to be followed up by a compilation album due to writers block, really kept the green man away from being creative & energetic with his music. On top of that, Type-O Negative wasn’t the only big band in Roadrunner’s payroll. With newer bands like Slipknot around, the group’s importance diminished a little, but that didn’t stop the band from continuing to make new music. After hitting bottom, Pete managed to get back up on his feet, and climbed all the way out of the pit to reach the top. Once he got back out, he regrouped the rest of boys, and set out to create a comeback album of sorts. After getting down to the recording studio & jamming out as hard as they could, and on June 17, 2003, Life Is Killing Me was released to the public.

Originally titled The Dream Is Dead (Name for the final track of the album), the name for the album changed because Type-O Negative & Roadrunner Records didn’t want to give fans the impression that the band was breaking up. As far as reception was concerned, fans definitely enjoyed the newly reinvigorated music (More on that below), and appreciated the frontman’s renewed lease on life. Life Is Killing Me managed to tie World Coming Down in terms of the Billboard 200, as both albums reached the 39th spot (Miles ahead The Least Worst Of, which was at the 99th spot).

Basic Description
In a word.......bipolar?

I’m actually somewhat conflicted with saying that. When I said that in my review for Korn’s 2002 release Untouchables (Which you can read here), I stated that it was bipolar because they were a Nu Metal band that was trying to keep their 90s feel, while at the same time not completely sounding like themselves. With Life Is Killing me, you have a consistent sound across the board, and the quality is fantastic.....but the album doesn’t know what it wants to be in terms of tone & feel. Does the album want to be a more lighthearted release that has moments of seriousness, or is it a serious record that’s got moments of hilarity strewn about. Life Is Killing Me really isn’t consistent in this regard, as it goes from one side to the other in a seemingly random fashion, and it’s because of this randomness that I don’t consider it one of my favorites.

Does this mean the music is bad? Hell no! Life Is Killing Me was & still is an incredibly refreshing album not just for me & the rest of the Type-O Negative fans out there, but for Pete Steele as well. It had been 4 years since the incredibly depressing World Coming Down, and just 3 years since the writers block release that was The Least Worst Of (Which you can read my review here). You can tell that Pete was reinvigorated on this album, as much of his passion & drive came back to the forefront, and while he still wasn’t clean off of drugs, he knew by this point that he had a drug problem. While this album will never be one of the first records I play when I’m in the mood for Type-O Negative, I certainly won’t complain about it when somebody else puts it on.

Best Track
I’ve always kind of liked the ode to classic television women in the form of How Could She. Pete was always a fan of old-school television, and this was his chance to show of his love for these iconic female characters. The song is also slightly cynical as well, as it talks about how said female characters don’t judge the man watching them when women in real life judge him all the time. It’s that hint of cynicism that somehow makes the whole package work for me, and makes it the best song on Life Is Killing Me.

How Could She

Some highly honorable mentions go to the two tracks that Pete dedicated to his folks, Todd’s Ship Gods (Above All Things) & Nettie. The former was dedicated to his father, who had been deceased for almost a decade by the time the album came out. Peter really managed to emulate the stoic & powerful personality of his dad, not to mention his strong work effort. Nettie, on the other hand, was dedicated to his mother. Still alive by this point (But would pass away in 2005), there’s a more gentle approach to the song. Almost as if there’s an air of feminine spirit about the track. Together, these two tunes show just how much Pete Steele loved his family, and how devoted he was to people that were close to him in general.

Todd’s Ship Gods (Above All Things)

Nettie

Worst Track
Again, Life Is Killing Me’s biggest issue is it’s tone & personality. There’s consistency in terms of quality, but the album can’t seem to pick a personality & stick with it. If this was intentional (Given how Pete Steele was at the time, it might be possible), then perhaps I’m complaining over nothing. If this wasn’t done on purpose, then I can only contribute it to the fact that Pete simply had no idea how Life Is Killing Me was suppose to feel, and if that’s the case, I’m shocked.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then check out the link below:

Life Is Killing Me

Overall Impression & Rating
Life Is Killing Me is just a weird album from Type-O Negative. Simultaneously a revitalization for Type-O Negative yet inconsistent in what it’s supposed to be, the record truly deserves the title of “Dark Horse”. Even with this fault, one can’t deny that the music is fantastic on this album, and showed that even someone who’s fallen down so hard, can come back up strong.

Life Is Killing Me gets a 8 out of 10.

So that was the 15th birthday & review for Type-O Negative’s first true release of the 2000s, Life Is Killing Me. It’s not necessarily an album you should go out of your way for, but it’s not bad by any stretch of the imagination. Well, the end of part one of Industrial Metal Insanity is upon us, so I’ll see you all next week.



***
There’s one other Type-O Negative anniversary a little on down the road.....but you’ll have to wait and see what that one will be.

Album Review: Laibach's Opus Dei

Welcome back to Industrial Metal Insanity, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

We kicked things off with The First Annual Report from British Industrial legends Throbbing Gristle. Artistically it has stood the test of time, and acts/acted as a source of inspiration for many future Industrial groups, but with dated sound quality & a huge ego behind it, means that it’s aged horribly. Luckily, as we transition into the 1980s, things would greatly improve. Better technology, better production techniques, and better sound quality practically ensured that Industrial music from the decade would aged better than anything from the 70s. There were plenty of groups that created some iconic Industrial music, but one band from Europe would help push the genre into the spotlight, and that band is.....Laibach!

That’s right, Laibach! This classic Industrial band (Technically an art group that worked with music for the most part) from Yugoslavia has released music since the mid 80s that, to this day, has been the source of inspiration for some of the biggest Industrial bands ever formed, Metal or otherwise. They’re certainly iconic, and they happen to be one of my favorites in the genre. So let’s not waste anymore time, and let’s take a look at their late 80s classic release, Opus Dei. Let’s begin.

Background
Normally I would talk about the background in which an album is made, but there’s not much info stateside (And what is around is somewhat all over the place), so here’s the Wikipedia page for details.

Laibach (Wikipedia)

Basic Description
Iconic Industrial.

Outside of some small faults (More on that below), Opus Dei is just one of those albums that came out a classic, and has stayed a classic. In it’s 30-plus years of existence, it has inspired numerous Industrial groups, and it’s not hard to see why! Taking the gritty notes & vibes of early Industrial music, Laibach takes all of that and puts a militaristic spin on things, and almost comes across as tyrannical to a degree, yet they don’t seem to completely believe in the far-left/far-right politics that are promoted in their music. The sound created on Opus Dei have been instrumental in helping other Industrial groups push their own sound, and still inspires bands today.

Best Track
Gotta go with Geburt einer Nation. Ages back when I first discovered Laibach (September of 2009 if I'm correct), this was one of the first songs I heard from them, and immediately became hooked. Ironically, Geburt einer Nation is a cover of the classic Queen song One Vision, but you wouldn’t be able to tell. Taking out the pop vibes & lighter feelings, Laibach instead converted it into a militaristic marching song, complete with a almost totalitarian coat of paint slathered over everything. It’s sinister sounding to be sure, yet you can tell that the group doesn’t believe in the ideology, and instead uses it for artistic purposes.

Geburt einer Nation

My other favorite track on Opus Dei is the title track......Opus Dei, or Life Is Life translated (Latin I think). Once again Laibach takes a popular song (A pop song in Germany I believe), guts out the original architecture, and remodels it into a totalitarian, militaristic stronghold. As with Geburt einer Nation, it’s obvious that Laibach are using the imagery for purely artistic purposes. None the less, you definitely get a nationalistic feeling as you listen to Opus Dei, and it stirs pride deep within your soul. Certainly an interesting track.  

(Opus Dei) Life Is Life

Worst Track
Kind of like The First Annual Report, Opus Dei is a bit of a pretentious record. Laibach has always been an artsy group, and about 75 to 90 percent of their releases carry this pretentiousness. In their defense, they know when to put back the artsy vibes, and give the listener a more grounded musical experience. For every “Ooo, what is this” track, there 1 or 2 more that are just fun songs. Apart from that, the album’s only other fault would be it’s age. Much like the Throbbing Gristle review from earlier this month, you can definitely tell when this album came out. Again in it’s defense, Opus Dei has aged considerably better, as Laibach has greater tech behind their music, and had better production value put in. The end result is a release that, while aged a bit, is a little fresher in terms of sound.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to Opus Dei, check out the link below:

Opus Dei

Overall Impression & Rating
Opus Dei is an old-school Industrial album done right. It’s got some age to it, and it comes across as a little pompous, but one can’t deny the power behind this record. It helped create a new genre of music, while simultaneously being some amazing music in it’s own right. I will say it here, and I’ll say it again in August: Opus Dei is essential Industrial listening!

Opus Dei gets a 8.5 out of 10.

So that was Opus Dei everybody. A solid Industrial album with heavily improved production quality & sound, and it finally gave us a little bit of a metallic edge to things. However, an artist from the United States just 2 short years later would finally put the metal within Industrial. So see you all after next week for the reveal of this release, and see you in a few days for a Type-O Negative birthday. Until then, stay safe.

My Top 10 Heroes Of The Storm Characters (3.0)

Happy 3 years old Heroes of the Storm! Let’s celebrate fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Yes ladies & gentlemen, it’s that time of year again. Time to celebrate one of gaming most popular MOBA titles. I’ve done 2 lists that chronicle my favorite characters in this title, and 2018 is no different. This year isn’t going to have as many multiples per spot, as that takes away future characters to put on future lists (Ironic, give that I’ve got multiple characters in some spots on the list). Regardless, Heroes of the Storm continues to crank out great & iconic characters from across Blizzard’s multiverse, and even the ones I’m not fond of still manage to be fun if I’m in the right groove. With that out of the way, here are my top 10 favorite Heroes of the Storm characters, part 3. Let’s begin!

10) Garrosh (Spotlight) & Kel’Thuzad (Spotlight) & Alexstrasza (Spotlight) & Maiev (Spotlight)

Good on you HotS team!

From late 2016 to early 2017, we saw a flood of Warcraft characters enter the Nexus. Some were good and some were bad, but most players could agree that this tide of characters really turned off a bunch of the fanbase from future entries of Blizzard’s first series. So once Valeera was released, Warcraft heroes were put on hold for a host of characters from other game series, with one in particular (More on that at the no. 4 spot) having a bit of the spotlight on them. So it came as something of a surprise that Warcraft characters would return later on in 2017. However......they were great!

You’ve got the beefy Garrosh. The combotastic Kel’Thuzard. The offensive & defensive Alexstrasza, and finally the slippery Maiev. I surprisingly enjoyed all 4 of these heroes, as the return to Warcraft was a surprising breath of fresh air. The best part of all this is that I’m strangely intrigued to see who else from Warcraft shows up, and given that a themed event is due for 2018, there’s not that much time to wait for.

Speaking of Warcraft.....

9) Rexxar (Trailer & Spotlight)

When Heroes of the Storm’s first ranged warrior came onto the scene in late 2015, it certainly turned a few heads. Up until this point, all warriors that showed up into the game were strictly melee, so seeing a beefy fighter who fought primarily from a distance definitely shook things up for a little bit. When Rexxar first came up, I enjoyed him immensely. I could stand in the back throwing axes while my bear Misha could maul someone’s face off, and still feel like I was a walking tank. I would have placed this champion of the horde higher on this list, had it not been for changes to the character. Mainly, the fact that I now have to manually target myself when recalling Misha back to me. Despite the changes, I still enjoy playing Rexxar when the mood suits me.

8) Sgt. Hammer (Video) & Sylvanus (Trailer)

Troll....masters!

In my mind, these two ladies are the essential characters to pick when you want to mess with the other team. In Sgt. Hammer, you have a buff no-nonsense woman in a giant tank, and said tank’s job is to make everything go boom. Minions, heroes, buildings, it doesn’t matter. Something is going to go up in smoke, and chances are you caused someone on the enemy team to have a brain aneurysm. As for Sylvanus, she’s a bit more on the cerebral side of things. Not having as much health as her tanky counterpart, the undead elf needs to know when to move, and when to stay put. Despite that, the master archer can lock down minions & buildings with ease, allowing other characters to show up and wreck face. At her highest ranks, she can silence people with a single arrow, or can take control of foes for a moment. Like Sgt. Hammer, Sylvanus is a troll character of the highest degree, and I love her for that!

7) Alarak (Spotlight)

Much like Artanis from last year’s list, it took me a little bit to get used to Alarak’s abilities. Unlike Artanis, I learned how the leader of the Tal’Darim works much more quickly, and for some reason I always seemed to like him a little more. Alarak is a constant smartass, as he’s just as likely to insult you for doing something right as he is to praise you, but even when he’s praising you he’s stroking his ego. Alarak is something of a strategist when it comes to his abilities. Knowing when to move someone with your Telekinesis, shocking a line of foes with Lightning Strike, and silencing anyone with Discord Strike is key to playing him. Once you get your ultimate abilities (Alarak is the only character to have both ultimates), you need to know when to use them at the right time. If you can get all of this down, then Alarak will be a mainstay for you.

6) Kharazim (Spotlight)

Kharazim is a textbook example of a character that first came to the Nexus okay, but later on down the line was vastly improved. Even before the improvements, Kharazim was an interesting support character. Unlike ever hero before him, he could select his trait to add an extra benefit. He could increase damage with every 3rd hit, heal someone a little bit with every 3rd hit, or regain some mana every 3rd hit (And eventually reduce cooldown on basic abilities as well). His first incarnation wasn’t bad, but you could tell that it needed some work. Come about a year after he was released, and he finally felt like he was something special. Improved trait options, reconfigured talents, and upgraded abilities all gave the venerable monk a much needed boost in playability & fun. So the next time you happen to be in the Nexus, why not fight alongside this wise one?

5) Stukov (Spotlight)

There have been plenty of characters within Heroes of the Storm that are rather odd, but none have left me scratching my head quite like the Nexus’s first infested human. On the one hand, I like Stukov! The idea of using pathogens to heal your teammates, viruses to disable your foes, and using your corrupted body as a weapon is really cool! On the other hand, I never felt like I was playing a full support class. Most of the time, it always felt like I was playing a multiclassed support character that wasn’t labeled as such. Given how the HotS development team seem so hesitant in making another multiclass character, perhaps I’m over thinking things in this. Regardless, Stukov is an innovative healer who can dish it out just as much as he can patch it up, and if you haven’t played him yet, give him a try.

4) Ana (Spotlight) & Junkrat (Spotlight) & Hanzo (Spotlight)

Ironically, 2017 had a flood of characters of it’s own. Well, not exactly a flood, but more of a pleasant trickle. Given that in May of 2017, Overwatch would turn a year old, I’m not all that surprised either. I already covered 4 of them last year, so why not cover the rest here?

If anything, I might actually enjoy these 3 more than the ones I previously covered. There’s the aged but clever Ana, who’s abilities were translated quite well into HotS. She can heal, she can sap health, and can even make people take a dirt nap almost as well as her FPS counterpart. Junkrat was also translated pretty well: his trait is funny when it kills somebody, all of his talents pay tribute to his love for explosions, and even his Riptire ultimate feels well in line with the character (The Rocket Ride option isn’t bad either). Hell, even Hanzo was a blast to play, and he’s one of my least favorite Overwatch characters! While his trait leaves something to be desired, it’s surprising as to how good his skills were implemented into the Nexus. With each arrow that leaves his bow, they always make their mark....even if you miss. All in all, 2017 was definitely the year of Overwatch in Heroes of the Storm, and I’m glad that happened!

3) Li Ming (Spotlight) & Malthael (Spotlight)

So the last 2 times I did these lists, the number 3 spot was dedicated to heroes from Diablo 2. 2016's list had Xul at no. 3, and last year’s had the valiant amazon Cassia on this spot. This year, I thought it might be fun to give a shout out to Diablo 3, and two candidates immediately stepped up to the plate. First up is the wild wizard Li-Ming, who first arrived during the 1st lunar new year event. Being an absolute powerhouse upon release, this ranged assassin would eventually get toned down a bit, but even then much of her strength remained. The character was a perfect embodiment of the D3 Wizard class, and to this day she’s a blast to play when I pick her.

Another character that’s a blast to play is the Angel Of Death himself, Malthael. Originally slated for a release during the Eternal Conflict event back in 2015 (His original trait went to Leoric instead), he instead would come out in the summer of last year instead, and he was definitely a treat. An in your face character, Malthael simultaneously required you to keep track of your foes, as his trait drains life from foes as long as it persists. Even with that in mind, it’s fun to see the Angel Of Death wade into combat, with sickles swinging all over the place, and draining the souls of those that he comes across. He a treat to play if you know what you’re doing.

2) Deckard Cain (Spotlight)

Like just about everybody that was a Pax & watched the livestream, I was shocked & surprised by the introduction of the last member of the Horadrim into the Nexus. Considering that the character had been dead for nearly 6 years when he came in, it seemed like he would never be mentioned again in any Blizzard product. Boy was I wrong!!!

Deckard Cain is just a huge burst of nostalgia in Heroes of the Storm. He heals his allies & himself with the classic Diablo healing potions, and has the power of the Horadric Cube as an offensive tool. Though it’s obvious he looks more like his Diablo 3 incarnation, there is not denying that they HotS team went with the D1 feel. I admit that my hearstrings were tugged a little when he was first shown off, and everytime I play him, they’re tugged just a little bit more. I bet most classic Blizzard fans feel the same way.

1) Blaze (Spotlight) & Fenix (Spotlight)

The cycle has been broken!

I was absolutely elated to learn that in 2018, the first debut character for Heroes of the Storm would not come from the Warcraft series, but would come from Starcraft instead. Given that the original Starcraft turned 20 this year (More on that below), it’s not exactly a surprise. Anyways, the first character introduced was the iconic firebat unit, and man did they hit it out of the park with Blaze! He embodies that classic character perfectly: badass, lots of fire puns, and is equal parts nostalgia & modern. I didn’t feel he was broken or overpowered in anyway upon his release, which is saying something. This veteran Firebat definitely earned being at the number one spot.....but he’s not alone.

Like I stated above, the original Starcraft turned 20 back in March, and Blizzard went all out across all of their games in celebration. Heroes of the Storm was no exception, but I don’t think fans were quite ready for the character who would be spearheading his way into the Nexus. Having been requested since the game’s launch, the valiant templar Fenix was more than worthy of being a combatant to play as. Like the fiery Blaze, Fenix is just dripping with nostalgia. Walking across the battlefield in his Dragoon, his surprising level of versatility makes him incredibly deadly. Whether he opts for rapid fire attacks, or goes for a stronger but slower style of combat, you can’t deny that this legendary warrior deserves to be number one.

So this was my 3rd top 10 list of my favorite HotS. As time goes on, more characters are going to get put in, and I’ll have more choices to put on future versions of this list. Hope you enjoyed, and once again I’ll see you all after next week for a little more Industrial Metal Insanity!



***
If you want to see who my top 10 characters were last year, then check out the link below:

My Top 10 Heroes Of The Storm Characters (2.0)

Album Review: Throbbing Gristle's The First Annual Report

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome......to Industrial Metal Insanity!!!

That’s right, the summer of 2018 is dedicated to the metal subgenre that simultaneously gets people to headbang & dance. Often misunderstood by first time listeners, and lambasted by metal elitists for not being like “Classic” metal, Industrial Metal is one of those styles of music that has a surprising amount of history behind it. First arising in the 1970s as Industrial, we wouldn’t get any actual metal in it until the late 1980s, but once it arrived it never left. In this inaugural month, I’m dedicating it to artists that helped create Industrial Metal, not to mention further push & reinvented Industrial as the years went by. Today we start in the UK, and check out what was originally supposed to be this group’s first album. So sit back, relax, and take a look at my review for Throbbing Gristle’s bootleg release, The First Annual Report. Let’s begin.

Background
Only in a place named Kingston upon Hull (Typically abbreviated to Hull) would a group like Throbbing Gristle form. Gathering together on September the 3rd, 1975, members Genesis P-Orridge (born Neil Andrew Megson), Cosey Fanni Tutti (born Christine Carol Newby), Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson and Chris Carter formed the iconic band, and in the process became the pioneers of Industrial music. The music that would eventually become The First Annual Report was a bootleg collection of song meant for 1975, but instead decided to release The Second Annual Report in 1977. The First Annual Report was first released unofficially in 1987 as Very Friendly through Spurt Records, before being issued prominently as The First Annual Report in 2001.

The First Annual Report is heralded as a important release for many future Industrial/Industrial Metal artists. Allmusic called the album “undeniably the most important advent in the roots of industrial music. Practically every act within industrial music and its offshoots – be it Merzbow, Whitehouse, Ministry, Big Black or Godflesh – owes an incredible debt to the groundbreaking music of Throbbing Gristle.” Pitchfork opined, “This record is essentially the birth of industrial music, packed with samples, abrasive, irregular beats, manipulated loops and Cosey Fanni Tutti's often unrecognizable guitar. Nurse with Wound, Cabaret Voltaire, Einstürzende Neubauten, Skinny Puppy, Controlled Bleeding and Acid Bath are just a few of the outfits that owe a huge debt to Throbbing Gristle's unrelenting assault.”

Basic Description
......this is Industrial?

I gotta confess, I was taken aback upon my first listen. I knew going in that it wasn’t going to be metal. I didn’t have a problem with that aspect. My issue is that The First Annual Report......doesn’t come across as music. It almost feels like Throbbing Gristle went on a huge LSD binge, hallucinated profusely, and somehow managed to transcribe the experience onto a record/cd. As I listened to this record, I felt as if I was in a daze, and didn’t know which way to go as it went on. Musicians like Devin Townsend have made albums like this, but there was always some sort of guidance. Here? It just feels like some weird arthouse project, and you have no idea what to do once the artist is done speaking. It’s incredibly frustrating, as there is something within that certainly pokes it’s head out, but only seems to do so on rare moments.

Best Track
Pretty difficult to answer. Due to my issues with the album, it was hard to picking anything. That being said, for whatever reason I seemed to like the tracks without vocals more than anything else. Maybe it was because Neil & Christine weren’t around as far as the singing is concerned, I’m not sure. The point is, songs like Dead Bait, Whorle Of Sound, and Final Muzak are definitely the highlights, & you shouldn’t skip over these.

Worst Track
The whole package to be honest is really bad. Despite it’s true release in 2001, the sound quality really isn’t all that great. It comes across as incredibly dated, the sound effects aren’t all that impressive, the vocal work is obnoxious, and if there was any remastering, I can’t tell. This record was also hard to listen to, as I could tell there was something special deep down inside, but is weighed down by so many faults. If Throbbing Gristle re-records The First Annual Report, complete with modern production value & technology, I might actually like it. Such as it is, I don’t think I’m listening to this record again for a very long time.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then check out the link below:

The First Annual Report

Overall Impression & Rating
The First Annual Report is a baffling record. On the one hand, there’s definitely something here. There’s definitely vision of some sort, and there’s a presence of artistic talent. On the other hand, everything is performed in such an artsy way, it can get really annoying. Coupled with the incredibly poor production value, not to mention the fact that the contents within have aged poorly, leads me to not really like this album much. Again, I can certainly see why some later Industrial artists would get inspiration for their own material, but for me.....this is one report I wouldn’t hand in.

The First Annual Report gets a 3 to 4 out of 10.

So this was the first offering during Industrial Metal Insanity, and I must confess that it wasn’t the greatest record to start on. Luckily, as things transition into the 80s, the Industrial style would greatly improve, and one group from Yugoslavia would give the genre some much needed further exposure. See you all after next week, but see you tomorrow for HotS 3rd birthday. Until then.....don’t read this report unless you want to.