RECOIL - FAITH HEALER

Recoil is the project Alan Wilder from Depeche Mode started on the side.  Eventually, he left Depeche Mode and dedicated himself to Recoil.  This CD is the single for the track 'Faith Healer' from the "Bloodline" album.  The cut is a cover by a band from the 70's called The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.  I don't know anything about them and I haven't heard the original version.  This single is a typical UK release coming in a slim case.  If this single had a multiple release, I'm not aware of it.  To date, this is the only version of the single I've run across.  It includes 7 tracks, six of which are mixes.

Douglas McCarthy of Nitzer Ebb fame steps in to take lead vocals on this track.  He's performed on later Recoil tracks as well, making himself the one vocalist who seems to be a regular on the band's releases.

The first track is the album version of the song and from there the disc launches you into a weird collection of odd religious chanting and bizarre samples.  It reminds me heavily of Recoil's first release and the strange fanatical worship they sampled and included on there.  The mixes sometimes seem manic and rushed.  There are certain ones I quite like.  The Disbeliever Mix is deep and funky.  It starts off with a heavy beat and pulsing synth sounds vibrating all around.  It eventually breaks down into some odd sounding drum beats with old Atari computer game blips and bleeps sounding in the background.  I really like it.

The Barracuda Mix is the other mix I find groovy.  It mixes some piano over a slower mix that would feel right at home in a Vegas lounge late on a Friday night.  The mix is punctuated by a female vocalist who moans and grunts her way through the song.

Quite honestly, these mixes and the song itself create a marvelous tension in the listener.  It's sometimes hard to listen to just because everything seems to be going at once.  But in a way, that's the mania Wilder intended to create with the track.  He sees the music as an expression of the subject matter and takes special care to use sound to augment or create feelings you don't expect to have.  I think he's rather genius.  My final words:  A RARE SINGLE FROM AN UNDER-RATED AND MISUNDERSTOOD BAND.

RECOIL - FAITH HEALER
01. Faith Healer (LP Version)
02. Faith Healer (Trance Mix)
03. Faith Healer (Conspiracy Theory)
04. Faith Healer (Disbeliever Mix)
05. Faith Healer (Deformity)
06. Faith Healer (Barracuda Mix)
07. Faith Healer (Conspiracy 'Double Bullet' Theory)

NITZER EBB - BELIEF

Although this is Nitzer Ebb's second album, it was actually the first one I bought.  I picked it up at the Tower Records Superstore in Vegas while it was still around.  Man, I loved that store.  During the 90's, lots of electronic bands were following in the footsteps of Depeche Mode by exploring heavier industrial sounds.  And Nitzer Ebb seems to be the band who led the charge.  Where DM were inspired by German industrial bands like Einstürzende Neubauten and Kraftwerk, subsequent artists like Nine Inch Nails and Rammstein were influenced by DM.

Independent of Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb nonetheless embraced a similar respect for the avant-garde movement and represented it in their own music through a combination of pounding beats and half-spoken, half-sung Tantric lyrics that drone in your ear with the precision of a military marching band.

One of the biggest differences between this and the previous record can be found in the sound.  It was produced by Flood who had been working with Depeche Mode.  He brought the unique sound catalog they'd engineered over the years.  This allowed Nitzer Ebb to sound similar enough to DM for them to attract the later's fanbase while at the same time sounding completely different.

Their songs rely heavily on simple arrangements and aggressive beats and covered subjects as varied as Hezbollah airplane hijacking and faith crisis'.  In some ways, the more simple song writing and intense music fit the industrial label much better than other bands at the time who fit into the genre.

Industrial music would transition into a form of metal in the 90's thanks to the efforts of bands like NE.  But while that change occurred, NE stayed the same and became an electronic band.  This record can fit in either category and although it's a strong record from start to finish, I do have my favorite tracks.  'Shame' is easily my favorite on the album followed closely by 'Without Belief'.  I also think this is the strongest of the NE albums I've heard.  It's one weak moment is 'T.W.A.' which tends to meander a bit.

Overall, I recommend this record to people considering giving NE a try.  You won't regret this decision even if you never buy another record from the band.  This is the one that defines them even if "Ebbhead" is more well known and famous.  My final words:  THE ADVANCEMENT OF INDUSTRIAL MUSIC IN THE 80'S.  AND POUNDING BEATS TO BOOT.

NITZER EBB - BELIEF
01. Hearts And Minds
02. For Fun
03. Control I'm Here
04. Captivate
05. T.W.A.
06. Blood Money
07. Shame
08. Drive
09. Without Belief

NITZER EBB - AS IS

Industrial rockers, Nitzer Ebb dropped this EP in 1991.  They'd supported Depeche Mode on some tour dates and I assume it's because of this exposure, they worked with the people they did on this release.

'Family Man' would appear on the subsequent release, "Ebbhead" and it's a great number.  The version appearing here was mixed by Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke.  Since the same/similar version appears on "Ebbhead" I won't go into much detail here.  'Lovesick' features production and mixing by Flood.  He was popular during the 90's and worked with everyone from U2 to Depeche Mode.  I think this guy was everywhere.  And this track sounds like a stripped down DM number.

Douglas McCarthy's vocals are always slightly grinding.  He kinda assaults your senses with his sound.  They sound evil!  And that's part of the reason he's so effective as a front man.  He oozes creepy.  But in a cool way.  The industrial sound they've created is a hybrid mash-up of traditional industrial sounds from bands like Einsturzende Neubautin and the bands they later inspired like DM and NIN.

'Come Alive' is produced by ex DM member, Alan Wilder.  He went on to work with McCarthy on his solo Recoil project.  And 'Come Alive' sounds like it belongs on one of these records.  It features McCarthy's flat expressionless vocal delivery with the sinister sounds Wilder loved to use with Recoil.  It's easily my favorite track on the disc.  'Higher' is produced and mixed by Barry Adamson and PK.  Adamson is probably best known for his part with Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds.  Of the four tracks on this EP, I think 'Higher' is my least favorite.  It doesn't really escape from a drone and the musical progressions only increase the sound or intensity of the droning.  Sadly, I just don't think this track gets over.  Still, it's not a bad song.

Nitzer Ebb are a band I think have a lot of potential and I find them fascinating.  They have strange subject material and they cross over effectively from one sound style to another.  Even though most of the time, they stick firmly in the industrial category.  A smart producer would harness this energy and channel it toward a more pop friendly record.  But in a way, it's a good thing they don't.  My final words:  A NICE EP!  IT'S GOOD FOR TAPPING YOUR SHOES AND ROCKING OUT.

NITZER EBB - AS IT
01. Family Man
02. Lovesick
03. Come Alive
04. Higher

NITZER EBB - THAT TOTAL AGE

Nitzer Ebb is a band I discovered listening to Depeche Mode. They released this album on Mute in 1987 and opened for Depeche Mode in 1988 during the European leg of their "Music For The Masses" tour. They weren't able to open on the US leg from what I hear, but I was aware of them because of this. But it wasn't until much later that I actually bought some of their material. Lead singer, Douglas McCarthy, performed on Recoil's second album and that's where I actually heard him for the first time. I then picked up some of their records because Alan Wilder was producing their stuff. Depeche Mode are well known for embracing the industrial element of German electronic music. They were able to create a melodic sound incorporating this often heavy electronica. Nitzer Ebb goes a completely different direction. They don't develop melodies. The electronic beats are heavy and McCarthy delivers his vocals as a shouting chant. His raspy vocals certainly compliment the industrial sound of the music, but it also serves to make the songs sound incredibly similar. The repetition of the musical motifs make each track a drone with very little variation or progression. Still, they are enjoyable enough that I keep going back for more.

There's re-occurring themes in the music. This album continually pushes themes of physical strength, youth, bodily pleasure and hard work. There's a militant look and feel to the album; another reason Nitzer Ebb are considered industrial. The first track hits like a brick. The simple arrangement frames the shouted vocals describing a very physical coupling between two people. He doesn't specify gender in any way, just the drive to mate and how overpowering it is. Very intense. 'Violent Playground' picks up where 'Fitness To Purpose' leaves off; with a frenzied beat and a sinister invitation to join them on their "violent playground" where everyone plays for power. 'Murderous' asks the question, "where is the youth?" and then kicks a funky beat while we ponder the question. 'Smear Body' is another track in the same vein. It's got a fairly aggressive drum beat with some shouted lyrics over minimal instrumentation. 'Join In The Chant' is the first song that starts off with the instrumentation playing before the beat kicks in and pummels you. Here's another song that equates muscle with machine. Can you say, "Arbeit macht frei?" 'Alarm' starts off sounding like a rousing game of laser tag. McCarthy really gives this one a shouting treatment by literally screaming the lyric. The punching laser sounds are backed with percussion sounding similar to an assembly line in a factory with bells ringing and drills screwing things in. 'Let Your Body Learn' is the closest track to something you would consider a traditional pop song. It has a definite chorus with verses. This is one of the best tracks on the album. 'Let Beauty Loose' starts off with a heavy synth line that reminds me of Juno Reactor. It follows the standard make-up of Nitzer Ebb material on the album thus far. 'Into The Large Air' features the most lyrics of all the tracks. McCarthy really branches out from his usual shouted repetitious delivery to an almost rap-like hollering. This track ends the track list for the record.

The last three tracks are made up of two mixes and an instrumental version. The first is 'Join In The Chant (Metal Mix)'. It features heavy industrial clanging like hammers hitting steel. It's an almost literal description of the sound engineered for the mix. Instead of the screaming guitars you would associate with the word "metal" you get the Einstürzende Neubauten aggressiveness through unusual percussion sounds. 'Fitness To Purpose (Mix Two)' uses some live drum sampling to round out the rhythm on this mix and they minimize the synth sounds by using softer less harsh sounding sound patches. Personally, I quite like this mix and in ways find it superior to the original version. 'Murderous (Instrumental)' is just that... The instrumental backing track of the song without McCarthy's vocals.

Nitzer Ebb were in many ways, the anti-heroes to the sound Depeche Mode were creating at the time. The downside is the lack of poetry in the lyrics and the philosophical, more complex themes explored in the subject matter of their songs. They would later develop more in this area but for the start, their music was aggressive and easy to dance to. They were an alternative to the light fluffy pop of the 80's. My final word: HIGH ENERGY INDUSTRIAL DANCE ALBUM. 

NITZER EBB - THAT TOTAL AGE
01. Fitness To Purpose
02. Violent Playground
03. Murderous
04. Smear Body
05. Join In The Chant
06. Alarm
07. Let Your Body Learn
08. Let Beauty Loose
09. Into The Large Air
10. Join In The Chant (Metal Mix)
11. Fitness To Purpose (Mix Two)
12. Murderous (Instrumental)

RECOIL - UNSOUND METHODS

It's virtually impossible to say the name Alan Wilder and not mention Depeche Mode. Yet Recoil is as different from Depeche Mode as Depeche Mode is from Barbara Streisand. Alan may have been a member during the band's more formidable years, but he's now something distantly removed from that former glory.

Alan approaches the writing process somewhat differently than other bands. He composes songs with singers/lyricists giving the entire disc a rather eclectic feeling. Douglas McCarthy of Nitzer Ebb fame contributes to two of the discs more memorable songs, 'Incubus' and 'Stalker'. Both tracks are rather unorthodox viewpoints. 'Stalker' being the more controversial of the two. He assumes the character of a murderous stalker using his terrorizing methods to give his targets the identity and special social status of being a victim. It's rather disturbing. "You are nothing, you are nothing without me".

American poet Maggie Estep takes the reigns for a couple songs, 'Luscious Apparatus' and 'Control Freak'. 'Luscious Apparatus' is the story of two co-workers who through an odd flirtation end up having sex. The connection takes a dark turn when the guy decides to cut the girl. It's a strange tale and for some reason makes me think of Aeon Flux. It seems like an episode of that bizarre show. Character Trevor Goodchild actually says, "What doesn't kill us, makes us stranger" and that line aptly describes Maggie's lyrics to on both of these tracks. 'Control Freak' is another strange tale of stalking and desire. There's a reoccurring theme of emotional and physical violence throughout this disc. And the musical arrangements are created in such a fashion as to heighten the anxiety of the listener. There's an urgency filled with an underlying intensity through minor chord progressions.

The two other vocalists on the disc are Hildia Cambell; who toured with Depeche Mode on their Devotional Tour, and Siobhan Lynch; who I know literally nothing about beyond her work on this disc. None of the featured vocalists are remotely similar to the others. Each offers a unique ingredient to the formula of 'Unsound Methods'.

My overall view of the album is favorable though somewhat mixed. I personally love the disc, but I find it intellectually challenging and musically complex. It's not for the casual listener or even fans of Depeche Mode. It's unorthodox subject matter and bizarre arrangements are specifically geared towards creating an emotional response in the listener. Unless you're open to such experiences, 'Unsound Methods' will leave you confused, bored and disappointed. If you are willing to go the distance, this album will have you re-evaluating yourself and the way you view dark subject matter for a long time to come.

The disc ends with the haunting and exhilarating 'Shunt'. There's a trance quality in the fast paced rhythm. Hypnotic in its layers. But it's the spoken vocal towards the end of the tune that really grabs your attention. Recalling Recoil's Sophmore effort "Bloodline" a female voice declares, "There's blood on the line"... Beware faint of heart... There really is. My final words: DISTURBINGLY EXCELLENT!

RECOIL - UNSOUND METHODS
01. Incubus
02. Drifting
03. Luscious Apparatus
04. Stalker
05. Red River Cargo
06. Control Freak
07. Missing Piece
08. Last Breath
09. Shunt