Funeral Rain Press Corps

Genres: Industrial, Industrial Rock, Industrial Metal
Label: SPV/Synthetic Symphony

Starting off with a solid industrial rock song “Beyond”, a collaboration between Die Krupps and Chili’s Vigilante, Als wären wir für immer is promising to be one of the biggest releases Die Krupps have ever put out, and it’s not just because they’ve been so quiet with new material of late. It’s because of how awesome this EP is.
“Chameleon Man” is going to slaughter dance floors for a long time to come, with it’s catchy beat, straight industrial pulses, and of course the voice of a god coming from the speakers telling me he wants “…to spend a day inside my head…”.
“Die Macht” reminds me a little bit of old Marilyn Manson and Rammstein, with a sing-along chorus and perfect stomping beat. The old school fans of Die Krupps are going to love this track, and I’m sure it will help to bring in some new fans too.
Propaganda’s “Dr. Mabuse” is redone and not just done justice, but made into a Die Krupps song as well. It’s rare for a band to take a cover and make it completely their own thing, but it’s just more proof that Die Krupps can do anything.
The title track of this mini-album, “Als wären wir für immer”, starts off nice and slow, a headbobber beat that reminds me a little bit of Massive Attack. That soon switches up to add more industrial and it reminds me of KMFDM and Rammstein, keeping a bit of the Massive Attack feel during non-vocal parts. Really awesome.

The next three tracks are all remixes of “Beyond”, “Chameleon Man”, and “Dr. Mabuse”.  The Unheilig remix of “Beyond” slows the original down and turns it into a more melancholic, gothic version with some gorgeous keyboard work. I can see this version still kicking ass on dance floors, but with a definite different flavor. Vigilante’s “Chameleon Man” remix, however, takes an upbeat song and keeps it there, but with a totally different sound. The final track, Memphis’ remix of “Dr. Mabuse” again takes a song and changes it drastically. Truthfully, I think I like the remix more than the original.
At the end of the eight tracks, this EP broke my eardrums a little more, and my dancing may have pissed off my downstairs neighbors. This is a perfect way to spend forty minutes or so, and I don’t see any of these songs getting old any time soon.
10 out of 10.

Die Krupps on MySpace.

Genre: Industrial
Label: Alfa-Matrix

Sebastian Komor has been doing this shit for years, and the debut from his eponymous project proves it. This is some of the freshest industrial I’ve heard in awhile, and it’s perfect for either the club or the car.
It reminds me of Skinny Puppy, especially the fourth track “Atrapado”, while also bringing to mind iVardensphere (who are inspired by Komor’s other projects), The Prodigy, and the fathers of industrial rock KMFDM.
Oh wait, did you just say that Sascha from KMFDM is on this record? Well fuck. It goes to prove just how similar to black metal industrial really is: everyone is on everyone’s record and everyone is in everyone’s band.
At the end of the disc, with album closer “Blues ‘N’ Tubes” showcasing some really odd and fun shit, I find myself waiting for it to spin again. It’s definitely something that can be played twice or three times in a row without getting tiring.
If you’re a fan of industrial in general, or Komor’s other projects Icon of Coil, Zombiegirl, Moonitor, and others, you need to get this album when it drops in February 2011.
8.5 out of 10.

Komor Kommando on MySpace.

Genre: Electronic Rock, Gothic Rock, New Wave
Label: Projekt

I am in so much love with this album, it’s retarded. It’s the perfect wet dream for new wave/goth fans, the one album everyone wishes would come out.
Picture Robert Smith singing for Depeche Mode with the occasional input from Siouxie Sioux and Sascha Konietzko. It’s that awesome.
For those that don’t know a thing about The Twilight Garden, the man behind the band is Todd Loomis, who some may remember from working with Bryan Erickson on the Lust for Blood and The Art of Falling Apart albums from Velvet Acid Christ. This album, however, is very much not Velvet Acid Christ. It is it’s own animal, a genre defining album that you should get your hands on. It’s perfect.
10 out of 10.

The Twilight Garden on MySpace.