The Austrian group Allerseelen have been active and innovative in the industrial and apocalyptic folk genre for many years. Their CDs and 7″ editions have been issued on Aorta and :retortae: and their double-LP editions on Ahnstern. Allerseelen is a unique combination of industrial, folklore and rock elements, and «Industrial Folklore» might be an appropriate expression to embrace these seemingly contradictory qualities. The dynamic stage presence of drummer Christien H, bass player Marcel P., and the two vocalists AimA and Gerhard Hallstatt all contribute toward a unique mood of «Apocalyptic Krautfolk» for these live performances.
Himukalt – Knife Through The Spine Label: Cold Spring – CSR289CD Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered Country: UK Released: 12 Mar 2021 Style: Power Electronics, Noise
Primitive, old school industrial, with an obsessive, post-mortem feel. This is the first CD edition of Himukalt’s cult 2018 LP (originally released on Malignant Records), remastered and including bonus material from the same recording sessions. «There’s something uniquely old school and primitive at work here, capturing the claustrophobic, unsettled and fragmented sound of early Illusion of Safety or mid-late ‘80s industrial on a whole, contemporising it, and filling it in with an obsessive, post-mortem feel. Knife Through the Spine delivers a steady cascade of abstract sounds, festering with grinding pneumatic throb, coarse frequency blasts and sputtering electronic oscillations, with spliced snippets of processed, flanged vocals and a general sense of social anxiety and disaffection. A unique and challenging take on heavy electronics for fans of Puce Mary, She Spread Sorrow, Atrax Morgue». Himukalt is the Nevada-based project of the enigmatic Ester Kärkkäinen. Presented in a 6-panel digipak. «For her first vinyl album, Knife Through the Spine, [Himukalt] has fully embraced the early 1990s power electronic scene, creating a dark, disturbing, and at times extremely aggressive record that has a tighter, more specific focus in its sound» (Brainwashed) Recorded at Rommel, in pain and without Marie, in the wet and the dry of 2017, except for The American Redhead which was completed in 2020 out of source material from 2017. Ester Kärkkäinen: noise, voice, electronics, xerox Artwork by Ester Kärkkäinen
Spiritual Front – Amour Braque Label: Prophecy Productions – AB 082 Format: CD, Album Country: Germany Released: 23 Mar 2018 Style: Alternative Rock
Five years after the compilation album “Open Wounds”, Italian ‘suicide pop’ trio Spiritual Front will release its new album, “Amour Braque” via Auerbach Tonträger / Prophecy Productions. French for ‘Mad Love’, “Amour Braque” is conceptually described as “a sincere and cruel analysis of what love/sex relations are, a path that switches between tenderness and rot”.
Five years after the compilation album “Open Wounds”, Italian ‘suicide pop’ trio Spiritual Front will release its new album, “Amour Braque” via Auerbach Tonträger / Prophecy Productions. French for ‘Mad Love’, “Amour Braque” is conceptually described as “a sincere and cruel analysis of what love/sex relations are, a path that switches between tenderness and rot”.
Formed in 1999 as the solo project of Simone H. Salvatori, Spiritual Front dubs its sound “catchy ballads for heartbreaker nihilist youth”; its Morricone-inspired neofolk channels art rock, tango, new wave and country influences through a modern lens. Spiritual Front’s unique musical identity is a reflection of Salvatori’s savoir-faire which sees the frontman as a sort of Machiavellian playboy, merging Las Vegas-esque pomp and stomp with a surly suggestiveness, lending the band’s sound a hedonistic flair. The lyrical themes shared by Salvatori deal with issues such as searching for self-identity, sexuality, harsh realities and angry break-ups, each tinted with sarcasm, nihilism and biting humor. In its time as a band, Spiritual Front has contributed to the soundtracks of the TV series “Las Vegas” and the motion picture “Saw 2” as well as independent films, theatre productions and modern ballets.
“Amour Braque” is Spiritual Front’s sixth full-length album. The record combines gloomy alternative rock, dark folk and chamber pop with standout 60’s blues rock vibes. Featuring striking cover art by cult surrealist artist Saturno Buttò, “Amour Braque” features guest musicians Matt Howden, King Dude, Client and more.
