v/a - Zyklus 1

Steinklang Industries has now compiled the A sides of their Zyklus series of limited edition vinyl seven inch releases onto one CD. This CD is an impressive collection of raw, gritty and brutal industrial/power electronics from such acts as Cold Flesh Colony, A Challenge of Honour, Rasthof Dachau and more. Composed mostly of artists whose work I am not familiar with, but wish I was, Zyklus 1 is an exciting compilation for me.

The sound is a mixture of oppressive distortion, epic soundscapes, and tortured screams, all powered by the brutality of machinery. It is the type of Industrial that will scare, horrify or just downright disturb most people. It is not the clean sound of easy listening, and for that I'm Thankful.

Steinklang Industries have compiled an excellent assortment of this genre, for within the overall sound, there is a fair amount of variety, with a combination of instrumental tracks and those with vocals.

Some highlights are: Rasthof Dachau/Stahlwerk 9's "Blood Soil" (track 1) beat sounds like the churning of blood, where as A Challenge of Honour/ Krieger's "Freie Revolution" (track 2) has a more subdued gothic sound. Cold Flesh Colony's heavily distorted low beat drones combine with tortured screams for two tracks (Sanatorium I & II (tracks 3&4)). Totensonntag's "Alles wird gut!" mixes a slow steady sound with that of a tortured scream. #define pull off an extremely cool, almost funky growling beat that cascades off static and glitches with their track {blowOUT} (track 9).

Squid @ May 2004