Reviews
Observer: May 31st, 2017
Capsule reviews of releases by XLV and Plack Blague.
Ghost Twin, “Plastic Heart”
Dionysian darkwave from Ghost Twin bridges some older and newer styles.
In Conversation: 3Teeth, “shutdown.exe”
The Senior Staff takes up 3Teeth’s sophomore LP and consider how it wields and weathers both the history of industrial metal and the band’s rising profile.
Cubanate, “Brutalism”
A remastered compilation of songs from Cubanate’s first three LPs is a testament to their lasting impact.
Stars Crusaders, “Welcome To Hydra”
Stars Crusaders’ second record fuses italo and futurepop sounds to mixed ends.
Atonalist feat. Gavin Friday, “Atonalism”
Jazz, breaks, and noise are fused on the eclectic debut from multi-instrumentalist outfit Atonalist, with excellent vocal turns from art/goth legend Gavin Friday.
Statiqbloom, “Blue Moon Blood”
Statiqbloom’s sophomore LP of electro-industrial has surprising depth hidden beneath its twitching, pounding surface.
Dread, “In Dub”
The new dub project of Brian Williams (Lustmord) heads to the subtler side of low end.
Dive, “Underneath”
Dirk Ivens returns to the storied Dive project, casting one look back at his long-standing legacy and another at the future of dark electronics.
Crisis Actor, “Slave New World”
David Thrussell and Tony D’Oporto team-up for a conspiracy-minded electro record.
Broken Thoughts, “Realign”
Broken Thoughts’ near-flawless technique and sound design yields a stunning suite of themes and atmospheres.
Clan Of Xymox, “Days Of Black”
The latest Clan Of Xymox holds some rewards for the darkwave legends’ faithful.
