The actual impact of this compilation of bush-league Industrial bands, while not exactly "negative," more accurately strikes somewhere between "positive" and "ridiculous." Six of the ten artists on this 18-song sampler come from the Chicago area, all presumably under the Third Wave Collective umbrella, and are or were participants in the Chicago "Dark Gathering" events that this CD commemorates.

There are many plusses: track two, "ROSB" by N.U.T.E. rocks good and hard. Two cuts later, "Retinal Fetish" by Infinity Interrupt has a great, dream-like extended finish that includes creepy whispering and samples that recall Front Line Assembly's "Lethal Compound." A moment of nocturnal pastoral splendor erupts from track 11, CEOXiME's "One:15" -- which is exactly how long it lasts, sadly enough. Soon afterwards there follows a short, sharp, scathing attack on the Bush Administration by Things Outside the Skin ("American Way"), and a passably slick and slippery "World of Morphine" by the Off World Kick Murder Squad. Am22 turn in a sweet and slinky new-wave/old-rave flavored "Secrets," yet their bizarrely comical vocal deliveries on "Greed" and "Virus" only end up as laughable parodies of menace. BioCarbon13's vocals amount to a poor impression of Joy Division's Ian Curtis on "You Shook Me Cold" (no relation or resemblance to Bowie's "She Shook Me Cold"), and remain hilariously limp and unconvincing on the last track, "Shut Up." Jilt and GBX sound suspiciously like they have the same Rob Zombie-sounding singer, but their more rocking songs ("Release" and "Rocket") work well. However, Jilt's programming craftsmanship comes completely unglued in "Night-Blind."

Negative Impact v0.1 is, to say the least, not likely to be the pinnacle of your listening experience, but be advised -- it's got songs worth checking out (about half of these artists are on MySpace). Positive OR negative, the only guarantee is that there's no way to stay neutral upon hearing it.

With more than ten years of activity, BooT-SectoR-ViruZ release for Invasion Wreck Chords his latest album titled ANTI MATTER. The CD contains 13 tracks of high rated blend of industrial noise, break beat and ambient with a certain danceable vein (check tracks like "Disco daddy" or the following "Oppression – equal shit"). Each track someway sounds different one from the other because if "Trigger" is more based on rhythm and a melodic line (the female vocal sample is so catchy), "Cruel intentions" is more ambient/break beat, while "Carnivore" is an ambient distorted rhythm freak. Based on samples, rhythms madness and dark atmospheres, the album sounds great. Erik Schleicher did a magnificent job and I suggest you to check this 37th Invasion Wreck Chords release!

After changing the project name from Rasputin to Rasputeen, the unknown man behind that moniker released finally a new album (the second) for Invasion Wreck Chords, titled GEGEN DIE WAND. Produced by Philipp Muench (Synapscape) the new album contains 19 tracks of which 12 new, as the remaining ones have been released on the "2 hemden & 2 hosen" 7" ("Schaufensterpuppe") and on "Pmünch" 3" CD ("Kontamination", "Tunnelblick", "Konsum", "Schleudergang", "Supermarkt" and "Neue menschen"). As for the first release you can track down so many influences that is amazing to see how well Rasputeen mixed them together. After the initial warning (an industrial version of the sound of an alarm) of "Epidemie", get ready for the industrial dance of "Paradies" or "Konsument" (this one remembered me the early Pankow), the retro electro distorsions of "Drei detektive", "Monotonie", "Komm' kack' die wand an!" (a pop industrial version of Pyrolator?), "Plastikboogie" or "Baustelle bielefeld" the minimal industrialism of "Maedchen und pferde" or the tracks coming from "Pmünch". Rasputeen took the sounds of old German electronic bands and blended it with industrial new wave adding a touch of the characteristic Ant Zen sound. If you loved the first album "Das leberwurstbrot", you’ll die for this one!

Recorded live at Club Depo in Riga, Latvia, HEARD FLAYINGS is the second release by Hæretici 7074, project formed by Niko Skorpio and Ovro. The 23 minutes concert develops into six different movements that will please the lovers of early Current 93 as the sound and the themes treated by the duo are really similar to releases like the LaShtal 12". The opening track "Israel and the broken bell" contains samples of Israel Regardie voice (he was one of the members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and he also wrote some books containing order’s documents). Also the closing "Vive oncle AL" basically contains the recordings of Aleister Crowley singing "Vive la France". The track originally was recorded (along different Enochian Calls) on a wax cylinder and a decade ago it has been releasing on vinyl and CD on various bootlegs. Anyway... The six tracks create a good ritualistic ambience with echoed sounds, manipulated sources and if you loved bands like early Current 93, Anti Group and Lustmord you’ll want to check this one!

For anyone looking for an entry-level introduction to the classic Industrial "sound" by newer bands -- without having to slog through the requisite war horses of the past -- this is where to start. The opener, v01d's "Revolutions" and track 7, Cyanotic's "Suspension of Disbelief," are both great, chugging and churning industrial/metal contributions. The third track, PTI's "iDentify," mixes a Download-style menace with Depeche Mode hummability in its hook-y chorus, a very winning blend. Deadliner's soundtrackish, instrumental epic "Aurelander," track 8, is just begging for some vocals to better set off its cinematic mood. The refrain to Dichotomy Incarnate's "Defiant Majesty" is awesome: "She's gonna straighten my spine and wrinkle my mind...." Anyone is hard-pressed (pun intended) to find much lyrical originality such as this, anymore. But the extraordinary twist about this compilation is that it actually has a centerpiece: the amazing track 5, "Seems to Be" by CEOXiME. Female vocals fronting a jazzy, swinging cabaret torch-song of sorts make for the most intriguing and infectious spot on the entire disc. If it sounds the slightest bit out of place, it merely goes to show how much new ground can be broken for Industrial/EBM/etc. if people will only look around.

This compliation is clearly dependent on its various Industrial/EBM genre-roots, yet shows an exceptionally broad range of imagination. If this is not the perfect way for a newbie to get acquainted with the Industrial beast, this is the closest you can come. Pick it up now, if you still can....