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.
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