Brain-pounding, plodding Hardcore Industrial Techno, this 5-track feeler sent out by Slayv Axis betrays little in the way of subtlety, nuance, and imagination. Nurturing nothing but a distorted, burning hunger for the dancefloor, this one-man Gabber/Trance/PowerNoise act (name of Damien Lohr) bludgeons you with cuts from his prior releases Empyrie and Remixez V.1. The last, "Suicide," is from his newest CD slated for release this very month, and it is the best of the bunch: a verse is lightly sung by a waif-sounding female (name of Jeska), and the track's beat pattern changes up a couple of times before drowning in a sea of static. Otherwise, Slayv Axis, whose MySpace manifesto bills itself as "the HateCrime SuperHero here to save you from Flower Power pascifist [sic] hippies," subjects you to questionable taste (yes, as a matter of fact "Zieg Heil" is bracketed by samples of Nazi salutes), all the goofy, intentional misspellings ("Vampyrie," "Vuxnut," "Axis of Eevil"), and relentless distortion. But the new disc, Suicide Faktory, could be just what you miserable "slayv" worms need. This is your only warning.

The Tophet Prophet label is a window onto the flourishing industrial/noise scene in Israel and this Noise.il compilation documents the Tel Aviv Noise Festival 2005.Nine tracks ranging from Mortalmanifest's more experimental approach to moments of sheer sonic massacre in the Gedem and Wreck & Drool tracks, with some highlights in the hypnotic industrial mantra by Barzel (the only artist here that I knew before listening to this compilation, check out his awesome 'A Shield Of Defense And The Word Of The Son Of Blood') and the astonishing Drone Lebanon (!!) that melts religious chants into complex noisy backgrounds, I'm really looking forward to hear something more from this project. So if you're into those genres or if you're just curious of what's going on in Israel, this is a perfect place to start.

At first we have to realize that the term "Industrial" for this new Out Of Line compilation is meant as a pretty European description for the more US-based terms Powernoise/Powerelectronics. Like the same formula presented on the second edition of this compilation series, this new one features a rhythmically "Toxic Electronic Dancefloor Assault". The term Powernoise and so my understanding of this music is almost sparse filled in here, the Out Of Line act KIEW in collaboration with AMBRASSADOR 23 is the one and only act falling into this kind. The further acts depend between Harsh Electro/EBM, TBM, IDM and some Techno/Trance styles as well. Best pieces I’ve noticed by the Out Of Line acts COMBICHRIST (wow, what a fine kind of vocal fx...), UNTERART (bombastic arranged... nice done!) and DULCE LIQUIDO (I wish to hear Erk’s screams on this straight and fast-forward arranged track – this would be a nice HOCICO tune...), while some licensed acts (BASTEROID, MOTOR) can’t offer any interesting sound or composition and simply bore me like hell. Too weak for a Powernoise comp at all, but I think it’s more dedicated to the usually label program. Out Of Line’s new signing NORTHBORNE (signed to the side-label Masterhit, www.masterhit.com) make here on the second CD their first steps, but also for them I have to say, that the presented stuff doesn’t feature ingredients to fill them under the Powernoise moniker. It is instrumentally arranged Harsh EBM, but this with nice sounds and some good ideas. Two different pieces with "The Pill" and "Trucks" plus three remix works on "The Pill" done by some famous names like UNTERART, Mark Jackson of VNV NATION and DISKONNEKTED offer a good quality. But it’s for sure too early to give a final judgement on this act, they have to prove their talent more on an own full length CD. Further worth to mention is the exellent done artwork which hides these both CD’s under a beautiful digi-pack.

Tracklist:

CD1

1. Combichrist - ElectroHead
2. Basteroid - Rabimmel
3. Unter Art - Der Morgen
4. Dulce Liquido - Serial Killer
5. Chris Liebing/Speedy J - Tunox
6. Motor - Punkture
7. Kiew - Mr. 29 (feat. Ambassador 21)
8. Terence Fixmer - The Calling
9. Ada - I Love Asphalt
10. The Horrorist - Body to body (DJ Stampa mix)
11. Esplendor Geometrico - Moscu Esta Helado (The Hacker)
12. Maelstrom Inc - Afraid Of Us
13. 13th Monkey -Tremor
14. Edelstahl - Drehstrom

CD 2
1. NorthBorne - The Pill (Radio Edith)
2. NorthBorne - Trucks (v. onepointzero)
3. NorthBorne - The Pill (Remix by UnterART)
4. NorthBorne - The Pill (GBH mix by Mark S Jackson)
5. NorthBorne - The Pill (Diskonnekted mix)

Another new output of the German SkullLine Mail order service, this release was done by one half of the project TT, which lately brought out a first CD "Opfer:Einheit". The already presented musical elements are also listenable on this new output "Kunzt!-Gaz?", maybe with a stronger dedication to harsh minimal and rhythmically Powernoise efforts. This well done release takes already known elements like pregnant German voice samples and combines them with pounding Electro-like bass line and of course the tormenting distorted drum patterns. "Terrorgefahr" features this element well, it is dedicated to some bombing attacks against trail stations of Berlin. Another heart-felting piece has to be named with "Terror Pakt" featuring the news content of the tragic happening of the terror attack in Beslan. "Hell-Sound" sounds like a cliché and reminds a bit on some OBZÖN GESCHÖPF works. "Warum" and "Lebensberechtigung" continue the more EBM than Powernoise style in a decent way, but then this release turns more and more into the Powernoise/Powerelectronics genre. Still very rhythmically arranged, TRITON 83 offer with the best pieces here, "Seelenfresser" or "Bestie Mensch" a perfect alternative to some known acts like NOISUF-X, XOTOX, FABRIKC or CONTROL-SYSTEM. The dark but still hefty tune "Ozonhole" gets my favorite vote here by offering some well done layers and well set in voice samples. Although not providing anything really new, this mysterious does well in this minimal harsh EBM/Powernoise style. And as usually, also this release is strictly limited to 100 pieces. Also a special edition of only 20 pieces packaged in a special steel box is in preparation. Act up soon and get it!

This is a new DCD release set out and produced by the German underground mail order service SkullLine. It provides a mutual team work by both German projects musically based into dark and minimal Ritual Electronica, which takes here some influences out of different music styles. BLEIBURG is leaded by Stefan R. who’s very active not only with his various music projects, under the "Dark Transmission" website he publishes also a small online zine. MANMACHINE is A. Schwarz, an experienced musician since 23 years based in various styles. So you don’t have to wonder also to hear some classic Electro tunes ("Deep Down In My Heart" – provided with a "classic" inspired vocal performance) besides further styles like Powernoise ("99 Percent Noise", "About The Nights" or the very chaotic "Hekate Song"), slowly Ambient tunes and - oh wonder – an acoustic Neo-Folk tune ("Fall Apart", a cover version originally done by DEATH IN JUNE) only arranged with a guitar! Some vocals are included as well, but mostly they rather act here like a dramatic news reporter rambling down some lines. This can’t be called a real singing. In all you got a DCD set focusing on dark, minimal programmings and sounds, where it at times wouldn’t be wrong to fill in some more maturity. To lengthen this stuff on two CD’s is also a bit too much, a limitation and concentration of the best tracks placed on one full-length would do better. Designed for genre fans only. Of course, also this item is a special limited and numbered release of about 45 pieces, packed in a carton box with a pin and a t-shirt.