REVIEWS

Combichrist
Today We Are All Demons

Metropolis Records

Posted: Friday, January 09, 2009
By: John Galope
Contributing Columnist

Unless you have been completely out of the industrial scene for the past few years, you have at some point heard or heard of Combichrist. The brainchild of Andy LaPlegua, who first gained notoriety as the lead singer for futurepop act Icon of Coil, Combichrist has enjoyed a fair amount of success since its first release, The Joy of Gunz in 2004. Collectively, the group has released three full albums, five EPs, contributed to countless compilations, and toured vigorously in the past four years. Many people in the industrial scene put them in the top of the class of newer industrial acts, seeing the band's brutal noise/industrial meets danceable EBM style of music as the direction the scene should take, moving away from the dying genres of terror EBM and futurepop. I and a quiet minority have seen Combichrist as an adequately talented, but hardly innovative act, whose popularity stems more from LaPlegua's previous fame with Icon of Coil and lack of new material in the scene. Not that Combichrist produces bad material; they do a good job of blending power noise and sampling tracks with more danceable EBM based tracks, and LaPlegua's vocals have evolved to fit the harder sound of his newer act. Up until now, to put them on the same tier with lead bands in the industrial scene (i.e. 16volt, KMFDM, Acumen Nation) would be unjustified. They have released solid albums, but not a seminal record to put them up with the giants of industrial. But with their latest record, Today We Are All Demons, they get one step closer to being mentioned in the same breath as those bands. This record really brings together all of the elements they have been working on with their previous records, mixing in some retro elements without being cliché, and delivering one hell of a good album. The retro elements are one of the most intriguing parts of the record as track three, "Kickstart the Fight" sounds in some ways like the sleazy '90s industrial of My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, blending male and female vocals into an energetic, punch-you-in-the-mouth track, but it is clearly a Combichrist song and not a TKK rip off. The same effect occurs in track five, "Cant Change the Beat," which sounds like a classic Nitzer Ebb song, but not done in a cheesy or over the top "we really like Nitzer Ebb" way, but instead comes off as well done homage to a band that Combichrist is clearly influenced by. But this record is not totally composed of songs that are throwbacks. The first single off the record, "Sent to Destroy" is a powerful, danceable, mosh-ready song that is just the type of track that people have come to know and love from the band - this song has club super hit written all over it. Additionally, the songs "All Pain is Gone," "The Kill V2," and "I Want Your Blood" all have the potential to be standout club hits, each one exhibiting the bass driven hard beat formula that make this record in many ways more of a club record then one you would put on to chill out to at home, unless of course you enjoy slam dancing in your living room. There is only one noticeable drawback to the album. The title track is a slow paced song that awkwardly stands out from the rest of the album. The vocals blend poorly with the music and a song that different from the rest of the album seems to make an odd choice to make the title track. There are purists of Combichrist that may find this record to be a "sellout" from the earlier Everybody Hates You era of the band, but most will find this to be a well put together, great sounding album full of club ready, bone crunching songs that will make you want to stomp.