Track Listing: Still Burn, Catastrophic Error, The Death of Truth, Gods & Idiots, Futility, Wasteland, Marked for Deletion, In the Shadow, Elemental, Mind Prison, Empty Space, Drowned.

Although this is a flawed effort, there’s a raw, unrefined energy to this CD that makes it quite engaging. Flawed only in the production mind you, and the reason I say this is because Doomsday Virus have some potent layers in their tracks that unfortunately get muddied down in the mix. Despite this, N. Dru and John, have forged a vigorous and intrepid hybrid of industrial and electro-clash, and Post-Goth. No, I cannot dismiss this CD because there’s some real incendiary tracks that move this effort right along. “Futility” eloquently expresses the frustration any artist on the outside experiences. While “Gods & Idiots” is a high-octane, existentialist manifesto!

These lads get full props for an indomitable effort. And for a measly five bucks it’s sure bet! (Review by KM)

For more information, check out www.doomsdayvirus.com

Track Listing: Between the Wave, Time Turned New, Hollow Ascension, The Infinite Deep, Complex Refraction, Once and Future World.

Quasi-classical; sometimes dreamy, sometimes brooding dark ambient electronic compositions, sans vocals. Hits the solar-plexus as well as the brain to produce an effect like being inside the purr of Baudelaire’s cat. Also visionary, as vectored by the titles, of the notion we currently exist more or less in the negative phase of a great waveform which rose to extraordianry civilization in ages past and will again with the cresting of the next positive rising edge. I am wholeheartedly, or at least harmonically, in tune with this sentiment. I long for eternity and escape from the drudgery of this little dog-run planetoid. This music would probably make a great film score ala “Tales From A Parallel Universe”. (Review by AF)

For more information, check out www.mingosphere.com

Track Listing: Remora - I told Jesus Christ how much I love her, First Call, Built, Joy Division, Oblivion, Hope is Gone
Pale Horse and Rider - Bruises Like Badges, You’ve Been Keepin‘ Secrets Again, Open Letter to an Empty Bar, Pincushion Hands
Rivulets - Anaconda, Gimme Excess, Shakes, Your Light & How it Shined.

A collection of songs by three different bands, all either about drinking or written under the influence of demon alky (and probably performed while inebriated in most cases). Very lo-tech basement recording techniques are used here. I thought the opener was actually some new Leonard Cohen material till I did a little research. Melancholic, moody, and downright depressing for the most part. This is music for smoky, three A.M., choking on your sorrow and wishing the world would just crawl off and vomit itself into the void. The sadness and beauty is almost too much at times, since it is so obviously “real” misery and grief... or maybe more like “keepin’ it un-real”. God help me I love this stuff, especially the minmalist, sometimes Cohenesque Remora. Some of Rivulets is actually terrible untill you realize the guy is drunk out of his gourd and pouring out his grief to the heavens. Michael Gira and Swans it isn’t, but the sentiment and depression are there and palpable. (Review by AF)

For more information, check out www.silbermedia.com

Track Listing: Al Principio, Timerunner (Original Version), Experiment I, Experiment II, Children of the Night (Resident Evil Mix), Experiment III, Timerunner (Radio Edit), Timerunner (Quantum State Remix by Koito).

After a Diamanda Galas-like spoken word intro we have a lineup of dance-your-buns-into-dust drum ‘n’ bass electronica, some instrumental, some with gothfop/intellectual/romantic male vocals of an ingratiating character. You could probably laugh, weep, and otherwise converse with these people into the wee hours at the club (Review by AF)

For more information, check out www.stateoftheunion.biz

Track Listing: UrSOcool, The Age Of Industry, And I Bleed, Hardwired, A Game Of You, Undone, Consume Or Die, Don Juan Returns, Good Intentions

A searing, rockin’ rocket-propelled-grenade! Division Six deliver the goods with this one. This Power duo is bound to attract some attention! David Kizzia and John Seput have skilfully constructed a sound that fuses explosive guitar work, keyboards and arresting, aural textures. The songs are a dark sonic assault of Rock no’ Roll nihilism, tempered with the incisive edge of Post-Industrial aesthetic. A sleek, slick, flawless work that is intense, hypnotic and sexy. Some of the infectious grooves that grab you include “UrSOcool”, “Hardwired”, and “Consumer Or Die”. Five out Five Skulls for this one! (Review by KM)

For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/divisionsix

Track Listing: Frakture, Cold Heaven, Expiry Date, Unsafe, Insignificance, Still, Lux, Spine, Shelter, Shell, Separation Anxiety.

Jean Paul Braghin of Italy is the brooding soul of Architect’s Eye. His whispering/growling vocals sometimes creep close to influences like early Skinny Puppy/Front Line Assembly, especially in “Cold Heaven”. The first track exemplifies the organic, yet carefully constructed quality of this gothic-industrial music with rhythms that maintain exotic and tribal undertones. The use of vocals is interesting, presenting his distorted voice as another layer in this lush, gloomy soundscape, and not simply as the front for an instrumental construct. “Unsafe” wanders into harsh realms with metal, grinding chorus vocals. The structures and rhythms are very reminiscent of the way NIN builds to chaotic and aggressive guitars, but it&#$146;s done well and has the same infectious quality.

At times, Braghin creeps even deeper into his influences, with Joy Division-like, raw rhythms, but with a unique industrial grown twist. The vocals on “Lux” (track 07) serpentine in emotional sweeps alongside bits of piano that creep in occassionally throughout decline. The muted ambiance of “Shelter” (track 09) provides intergrity to a great potential dance track and includes that melodic undertow that drives many of AE’s songs. “Shell” (track 10) and “Separation Anxiety” (track 11) are instrumentals comlimenting the recurring piano. This collection fades, then ends abrutly, in a final track of dark, instrumental atmosphere. Rumor has it Braghin does a decent cover of The Cure’s “Lullaby“ on a previous recording. I’ve read that they are a studio band – if the future, finances and means provide, I would hope to see rich music like this in a live setting.

Stand out tracks: “insignifigance“ (track 03) , “still“ (track 04), “spine“ (track 06) (Review by KT)

For more information, check out www.architectseye.com

Track Listing: Cage, Is a Cage..., Bone Drone, In the Shade, Downontheslab, 2 Tears in a Bucket, Prelude to Death, Meet Death, Bad Dream, Perfect Criminal, Velvet Shroud, Sing, Sinner, Sing!, Case Study #107/Rec. Room 3A, Benediction #2

Elvis and Jim Morrison got tangled in the underworld in some kind of unholy hellfuck, producing dark offspring that sing. Malevolent bitter aloes and hemlock as a treatment for spiritual cancer perhaps. Charnel house music; kind of like a slow, syrupy side to goth-a-billy. A little too mean for yours truly maybe, but I don’t blame him a bit. This guy’s credentials include bass duty with Danzig and Samhain, by the way. (Review by AF)

For more information, check out http://www.ghastlyrecords.com

Track Listing: Dementia, Theme for Department, Detached, Cure for the World, Pulchrify, The Chronological Display, Ethereal Beauty, Gap Access, Breast Feeding, Levitate, We Live on Tension Avenue, Everything’s a Blur.

This collection of soundscapes starts off with something grating but doesn’t seek to aggravate the listener. Instead, it violently clears the musical palate for a journey into atmospheres, distortions, and rich horizons of layers. The music here definitely falls into the realms of darkwave experimental electronics and creates a similar aural journey through each track.

“Detached” is an eight minute wave with depths of sound that are just barely there, but haunting in their presence. “Cure for the World” features skewed, despondent vocals briefly to add to the spooky tension of the air. An ugly word for beauty is expressed with an almost saccharine flutter in “Pulchrify.” Wisps of “Ethereal Beauty” revisits the same theme with more layered results. “The Chronological Display” and “Gap Access” are amongst the most melodic tracks, the latter adding electric guitar to the mix. “We Live on Tension Avenue” uses fading and rising electric guitar buzz to effectively convey the droning atmosphere. Needle hits vinyl to start the haunting final track, “Everything’s a Blur.” This track gently glides on piano keys over background layers of what sounds to me like a chilling, repetitive child’s toy. The only disappointment is that shorter tracks leave you wanting more. lengthened explorations. Info on this “band” is sparse, but the music is interesting and thoughtfully crafted. (Review by KT)