System Syn: Once Upon a Second Act...

(System Syn "Once Upon a Second Act...")

We were surprised and excited to receive this in the mail not too long ago! We did a bit of an unboxing video here! Yes, we like System Syn! When this album was announced to be released... there was a video teaser of all the tracks on the album... so I took a listen to that. It sounded great! So, I decided to hold off for a little bit to actually pick it up. After it had been released online (Bandcamp) in digital format, I took a closer listen... still sounds great! So... after ordering the Chris Connelly CD's from Wax Trax! Records, that same night I ordered the this System Syn album! Being that we are in a pandemic, it took a bit for it to get here, but... it arrived a few day's ago, and I'm currently listening to it!

(CD Artwork)

This album certainly does not disappoint!! It was actually better than what I thought it was gonna be! The production, the mixing, the mastering... all excellent, and very pristine, if I say so! Everything is fairly clear in the mixes, and is audible! System Syn's main songwriter is Clint Carney, and as with past releases (if I'm not mistaken, all of them), his production partner is Ted Phelps of the electro-industrial project Imperative Reaction! I'm not sure to what level Ted contributes to the System Syn releases, but he does do some production, as well as some programming on the releases as well!

(Tray card artwork)

I do think Clint has found his producer life partner... every System Syn release has always been solid, and the production, mixing and mastering are always excellent! There is definitely a consistent mix on all the tracks... and there is a certain production quality to each track... 

...As far as the tracks go... I would say the ones that stand out to me are: "The Wreckage", "Promise", "Once Upon a Second Act..", "We Had Time", and "Weightless"! And, my favorite track being "We Had Time"... As I stated above, the album is solid all the way through!

(Back cover artwork)

Clint has done something different this time around, rather than having the support from a record label behind him, he's gone totally independent, and has put this release out himself! From what I can tell he's started to self-release under the label name of Second Act Records! So, on that note... I would highly recommend checking this album out, and consider supporting them directly, by either purchasing this album, or any of their past albums on their site here! Or, purchasing digital copy of the album on Bandcamp here!

Hope you folks are well!

Chris Connelly - "Phenobarb Bambalam" and "July"

(Chris Connelly's "Phenobarb Bambalam")

If you saw our video here, you would know recently we received in the mail from Wax Trax! Records, two Chris Connelly releases, the first one being "July", and the second one being the album "Phenobarb Bambalam". I used to have both of these in my CD collection waaaaay back in the day, when I was 19 or 20 or something like that. I got rid of them when I was trying to build extra cash for my move to Calgary. I don't regret getting rid of them, but after all these years I realized I missed having them in my collection, and I'm trying to grab stuff from the recently brought back to life Wax Trax! Records label.

(Chris Connelly's "July")

So, a little bit about these releases: when I originally received these when I was 19 or 20 from a friend, he had passed them on from a local goth/industrial DJ in Saskatoon at the time. Then I eventually sold them... I didn't want to, but I had to get rid of things that weren't essential in my collection at the time... and I needed to raise some funds (I sold a lot of stuff that I'm in the process of recollecting now).

("Phenobarb Bambalam" disc)

("July" disc)

My initial thoughts about the releases when I originally received them were, I enjoyed them... it was a little different from the stuff I was normally used to, but I thought they were still good! I also felt a little bit of a connection to Mr. Connelly, cause in the album artwork he has dreads, and at the time I had dreads as well.

(Back of "Phenobarb Bambalam")

(Back of "July")

Listening to them now... I remember what I thought when I had heard them for the first time... On these releases, Chris Connelly definitely has a Bowie vibe going on. I'm not sure if that was what he was going for, but he certainly sounds like Mr.Bowie... nothing wrong with that! I would say at least on these albums Chris Connelly sounds like a industrialized David Bowie. I still am enjoying this stuff! I would say the production values on the album, as well as the mixing and mastering are quite different from the regular Wax Trax! stuff... and I think that that might be because Al Jourgensen had nothing to do with these releases. The mixing and mastering is solid though... very clear... nothing seems buried in the mix. Listening to them again, I don't think I had the same appreciation for the music back then that I do today... I'm glad I purchased them again, and supported the label directly! I'm glad they are back in my collection, and I will say, if you are interested in industrial music history... Wax Trax! Records played a very large role in the American goth/industrial scene and were pioneers when it came to bringing European bands like KMFDM and Front 242 to the American scene as well as played a large role in the industrial metal movement (Ministry being one of the first acts to incorporate metal elements with industrial music), so head over to their website here! and order some industrial music history!!

I hope you folks are doing well!!

(Your Canadian Goth/Rivethead)

Shayne "Daemon_w60" Lawrence / Twitch

Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records CD

("Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records" Compilation)

Well, I went and purchased a new CD at a store here in Calgary called SAN K JTURI BUKS! Great little spot for books, comics, industrial music (If I'm not mistaken, they are official Wax Trax! Records dealers), all kinds of movies... and just rare stuff (they are in Eau Claire Mall, if you a curious to go check them out)! I initially went to this store to hang out with a friend who works there and just chat for a little bit, but I ended up picking up this "Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records" compilation CD! I had already ordered the Documentary, and I figured being that I had done that, I might as well pick up the compilation CD that goes along with the film! So, what is on this CD... My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Revolting Cocks, Ministry, KMFDM, Front 242, Chris Connelly... and a bunch of other stuff!

(Interior)

Being that I wasn't old enough to really appreciate what was on the Wax Trax! roster when I was younger and when these songs and bands were coming out (I was waaaay too young, and industrial music wasn't really on my periphery at this point in time), I will say for what is on this compilation, and knowing the bands now, I would say this is an excellent collection of songs and definitely displays the major bands and some of their pioneering and most iconic sounds that were on the label!! This also reminds me of my baby bat or young years as a goth... and being at events in my young adult years in my home city, and being exposed to these bands for the first time... and really loving this stuff!

(Tray Art)

It wasn't until many, many years later that I really started to appreciate what came off this label, and even really start to dig into some of the music off this label! If you watched this video here, you would know that... I would say, yes all the bands definitely sound different, but I will also say, a lot of the bands that came off this label... there was a similarity in the sound quality of the music, maybe not so much in sound design, but definitely in the way it was mixed and mastered! I also think another reason why there was a similarity in that aspect, was because Al Jourgensen had a big hand in a lot of the bands that rolled off that label, and quite frankly, a lot of the bands were side-projects of Al (Revolting Cocks, Pailhead, 1000 Homo DJ's, etc)...

(Back Cover)

So, yeah... listening to this CD, there is definitely almost a nostalgia, when hearing this kind of stuff in my early baby bat days and being at goth/industrial events in my home city, but there's also appreciation for this stuff that I hadn't had in the past, because I was too young to really appreciate it! There's also a lot of inspiration, and a lot of almost "wonder", as too be honest, some of this stuff... this is the first time hearing it! So, yes!! If you are into industrial music and don't know who Wax Trax! Records is or know of the bands on this label, or just haven't heard these particular tracks that are on this compilation... pick it up! There is a lot of history here... and if you have watched my video regarding the documentary "Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records" I will say it again here... watch the documentary!! You will not regret it, you will learn more about this transgressive genre and where it came from, and you will learn about this pioneering record label that spawned the careers of many of today's well known industrial bands!!

I keep coming back to Wax Trax! Records!

(INVA//ID; modern dark electro-industrial reminiscent of Wax Trax! era bands)

I keep coming back to the Wax Trax! Records back-catalogue. There are modern bands that are inspired by the Wax Trax! roster of bands and ultimately hearing these bands brings me back to the record label's catalog. Once again I will say, for some reason the bands on the Wax Trax! roster, not only do I keep coming back to, but feel inspired by! Out of all honesty, I'm not really sure why, I just really enjoying stuff that has come off that roster, and once again, feeling really inspired by. I guess there is a certain sound to the bands that were on that label, like you can hear the mixing and mastering and just general sound that came off that label for the bands, and at least I find there is a similarity. It may have been the fact that Al Jourgensen played a very important role there. It could also be the fact that almost everything that came off that label, was done in an in house recording studio... and the bands and side-projects, they were all hanging around when other bands on the label were recording their music, so there would be this, cross-pollination between the bands. It's funny cause, it's actually a lot of the modern bands that I'm listening to these days that are actually drawing me back to the Wax Trax! roster. Like, the bands INVA//ID or Cocksure... the style and sound design is very reminiscent of the Wax Trax! sound (granted Cocksure is an obvious one, as Chris Connelly was in the band Revolting Cocks and that influence is definitely there), Malekko is another one (once again, fairly obvious why... Paul Barker is the main songwriter for Malekko, he also was Ministry's bassist for, well a loooong time, as well as vocalist for his other project Lead Into Gold), but I find it interesting that there are these modern bands that when they are writing their albums, the sound design is specifically and intentionally done in a way that is reminiscent of the bands that were on Wax Trax! Records... and quite frankly, I'm glad there are people/bands/artists that are doing that, cause A) I like their music, and B) It reminds me of the Wax Trax! roster and I find it highly inspiring!

(Revolting Cocks)

I just love the history, I love the stories, I love the sound, the bands... all that, and just listening to the music from that time and trying to decipher how they went about in creating those songs, and the sound design... yeah inspiring! And, when hearing modern bands do that, it's like hearing a piece of history, but a modern take on it, which is also inspiring!!

What is keeping you inspired these days?

Record Labels That I'm a Big Fan of:

There are a lot of record labels that I'm fan of, but are my three top labels that I'm a really big fan of... So, let's just get to it... here are three labels I'm a really big fan of:

1. Metropolis Records:

Now I've been a fan of Metropolis since the early 2000's I think my first purchase of a band on their roster was Covenant "Dreams of A Cryotank"... now there is sooo many memories associated with this particular album (I first saw them when I was living in London, England), and after I had returned to Canada from England, it was shortly afterward that I picked up their album! Love that album, it's probably one of my favorite Covenant albums! After Covenant it was, if I'm not mistaken Assemblage 23 "[contempt]" still love that album, then Wumpscut's "The Dried Blood of Gomorrah"... and then it just spiraled after that... first of all, there are sooo many great bands on Metropolis... and Metropolis broke a lot of new bands or picked up bands right when they were breaking into the scene! Metropolis's roster is massive... not only do they have a lot of the major modern electro/industrial/ebm bands on their roster, they also had or still have some of the major bands that pioneered the scene way back in the day, that they eventually signed to their label, including: KMFDM, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly... and countless other acts! 

If you'd like to know more about the history of Metropolis Records, here's the Wikipedia article!

Here's Covenant's "Theremin":

 2. Wax Trax! Records:

If you've read any of my blogs lately, you would know, I'm a huge fan of Wax Trax! Records, simply for the fact that sooo many industrial bands that were pioneers in the industrial scene came off this label; KMFDM, Revolting Cocks (and countless other side-projects of Al Jourgensen), Chris Connelly, Front 242, VNV Nation, Front Line Assembly, Chris & Cosey, Lead Into Gold... sooo fuckin many bands! Now, Wax Trax! Records sort of has an afterlife, Julia Nash (daughter of Jim Nash), has made a documentary about the label and her father (Jim Nash) and fathers partner (Dannie Flesher), and they've had a couple of one off releases (Cocksure 12-inch single, as well as a Front 242 7-inch), and they've done a pop-up store and such... but as far as activity goes, not a whole lot... but that is ok, I still expect there to be stuff coming in the future, just kinda... here or there!

If you'd like to know more about the history of Wax Trax! Records... here is the Wikipedia article!

Here's is 1000 Homo DJ's "Supernaut":

3. Null Corporation:

Now this isn't a label per se, but it is what Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails has been releasing stuff under for his various endeavors. As far as I know, he hasn't released any other bands on this new imprint, but it's Nine Inch Nails...soo, being that they are my favorite band of all time... that's why it makes it on this list!

If you would like to know a little bit more about the Null Corporation... here is the NINWiki!

Here's Nine Inch Nails "Less Than":

That's it... these are the three core labels that I'm a fan of... obviously there's a lot of other labels that I do enjoy, but I thought I would list the top three, what are your folks favorite labels? Leave them in the comments, and maybe a little bit as to why they are your favorite label!

My Favorite Bands that were on NOTHING Records:

Well, if you haven't read my blog post about record labels that I wish were still around, you can find that here! If you have read that, you would have noticed a record label called NOTHING Records that I mentioned that I wish was still around, well today's blog is about NOTHING Records and my favorite bands that were signed to that label, other than Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails. So, here's my favorite bands that were signed to that label:

1. This one is pretty obvious, their mix of pop, hiphop, and electronics I find highly inspirational and may not have influenced Twitch in the early years, but definitely in the recent years is: Pop Will Eat Itself! I remember when I first came across this band... I remember listening to them in a music store for the first time from one of their earlier albums (before they were signed to NOTHING), and they didn't really jump out at me, and I thought it was kinda funny that they were called Pop Will Eat Itself, and their music was kind of poppy and catchy... it wasn't until many years later (sometime in the early 2000's) that a DJ at one of the local clubs here played "Ich Bin Ein Auslander" and after hearing that for the first time I loved it! It was such a good song... so eventually I went and purchased the album "Dos Dedos Mis Amigos"... It's too bad they dissolved after this album, I felt like this was probably their strongest album. I would have liked to see them produce more stuff, with Clint Mansell as their lead vocalist. I know the other vocalist Graham Crabb eventually restarted the project... and released a new album (I haven't heard it yet), but yeah... this was one of my favorites off the NOTHING Records label. If it wasn't for "Dos Dedos Mis Amigos", I wouldn't have started to pick up what's in their back-catalogue, even though initially it didn't seem to stick out to me, and kinda was more poppy than their NOTHING release. If you haven't checked them out, I would highly suggest picking up "Dos Dedos Mis Amigos" and take a listen! Here's "Ich Bin Ein Auslander":

2. Here's another band that was a favorite off the NOTHING roster; Prick! Now, I had seen their music video for "Animal" when I was younger, probably on a late night show on Much Music or something like that. Initially, I thought it was good, but at the time I felt the video was a little weak, and didn't really fit the NOTHING roster... then a few years ago, I was searching for stuff on Youtube, and I came across a playlist containing their full first "self-titled" album. I took a listen to it, and I realized I actually really liked them. I think what turned me off initially with the video for "Animal" was that I felt like everyone was jumping on the Industrial Rock bandwagon (it was getting very popular at the time), and I felt like it wasn't dark and angsty enough... but after listening to the full album a few years ago (probably 5 or 6), I realized they were actually pretty good, and I think I was too young to really appreciate the music and videos for what they were, when I initially heard them. If you haven't checked Prick out, here's "Animal", I suggest taking a really good listen to their stuff, especially their first "Self-titled" album:

3. Ok, the third band off the NOTHING roster might be a surprise to you folks, they didn't actually stick around for too long, but the music is excellent... it is Rob Halford's 2wo. Loooooong time ago (1998 sometime), I first heard 2wo, after my girlfriend at the time had returned from Germany, and she popped it into the CD player, I had no idea that it was Mr. Halford, and once again thought it was another artist jumping on the industrial rock bandwagon, because that what was popular at the time... but I quickly learnt, that it was Rob Halford, and that a lot of the production on the album was actually Reznor and Dave "Rave" Ogilvie adding elements after the songs were actually completed, and they kinda rebuilt the tracks... and that is why the tracks had that industrial element to them. Even though I initially thought it was another artist jumping on the industrial rock bandwagon, I actually thought, at the time, it wasn't all that bad. After all these years listening to this again, it really isn't all that bad, and it was kinda cool that Rob Halford did this, it was so different from Judas Priest, and really strayed off the path for most of his artistic output, but yeah this was definitely a favorite! Here is "I am a Pig":

These were my favorite bands off the label besides Mr. Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) himself, and Marilyn Manson. What are your favorite bands off NOTHING Records?

Record Labels I Wish Still Existed...

There is so much good music out there these days! Some of it independent, some of it signed to labels. As in the present, the same holds true for past music releases, but some of those excellent record labels that existed in the past, don't exist today... today's blog is all about past, now defunct record labels that I wish were still around... the first one is:



Gashed! Records:

Gashed! Records started in 1998, as a way for Eric Deegan to promote quality electro-industrial bands that were often overlooked and unappreciated by larger industrial labels... some of the bands that were signed to Gashed! were: Assemblage 23, Aghast View, Negative Format, Abscess, NCC, . I really liked Gashed! They had some pretty cool bands signed to the label... and they helped in the success of some of the more well known bands in the scene now, specifically Assemblage 23. The other thing about Gashed! is that they were a local label out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada... and it was really cool having a label of their status based out of this city! I found sooo many cool bands because of them! My first purchase from the label was a budget compilation called "Virion Sequences", there were a whole shitload of cool bands on that compilation... I still have it actually... the artwork for that release was pretty cool too! I think it's amazing that the local scene here had such an amazing label, and I think it really put Calgary on the map as far as the industrial scene in Canada goes. You know, now that I think about it, I guess it's not so much that I miss the label, it's that the city had enough of a scene that it could support a label like that!


The second label I wish still existed is:

Wax Trax! Records:

We all know why I wish this label was still around, I'm sure a lot of you folks feel the same way! Wax Trax! was an iconic and pioneering label when it comes to industrial music... if it wasn't for them, EBM band Front 242 would not have made the impact it did, KMFDM wouldn't have made the impact they did, Al Jourgensen wouldn't be as successful as he was, I mean Front Line Assembly wouldn't be where they are today without Wax Trax!, fuck... VNV Nation, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Meat Beat Manifesto, Revolting Cocks, Chris Connelly, sooo many bands and artists in the goth/industrial scene would not be where they are today without this label... It's really too bad the way things ended (TVT takeover)... I mean it would be awesome to see more bands pour out of this label, if it could carry on! I'm glad that Julie Nash is keeping the memory of her father Jim Nash and his partner Dannie Flesher alive with the recent documentary "Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records" as well as the pop-up shop she did... I'm hoping there'll be more of that kind of stuff in the near and into the far future as well!


The third label I wish still existed is:

NOTHING Records:

Now this label was Trent Reznor's (Nine Inch Nails) personal label... and there were sooo many bands that came off this, first of all Marilyn Manson was signed to it for I do think three albums ("Portrait of An American Family", "Antichrist Superstar", and "Mechanical Animals"), he is a shock rock icon now... Pop Will Eat Itself was also signed to it for their most popular release in the States "Dos Dedos Mis Amigos" (as well as several singles off the album), which was probably one of their most popular records of all time, and the track that kind of made it for them was "Ich Bin Ein Auslander". Another band signed to the label was Prick... sooo many good bands were a part of NOTHING Records... I kinda wish Trent didn't dissolve the label after he ended up suing his business partner for hoarding profits or whatever... Granted NOTHING was a vanity label, but it did very well, and broke some awesome bands... Trent started NOTHING Records so that he could keep the artistic vision of Nine Inch Nails out of the control of major labels... and he could do whatever the fuck he wanted to artistically speaking! Granted even though NOTHING Records is gone now, he still retains control of his releases, and if I'm not mistaken, he releases NIN stuff under The Null Corporation banner now... and I think it is strictly reserved for his projects and not for any other band. Although, I would say, despite the NOTHING banner being gone now, his various musical endeavors are still high-quality, and none of his artistic vision is being compromised! I guess I felt like that NOTHING Records was him, and bands he believed in and helped get them out there in the world, and I felt like it was a very strong label... and anything that was associated with it, tended to be very good... and now we don't get to see, or discover bands like the ones he supported with his label. Also, I always thought that NOTHING Records was Trent and when it came out that he was dissolving the label, I felt like we lost a major part of the whole identity of Trent and Nine Inch Nails. I mean... I run a personal underground label, currently releasing my own stuff... and a large part of the inspiration for doing that was the same reason Trent ran NOTHING... creative control.

I think these are the three top labels I wish were still around! What are your thoughts? Are there goth/industrial labels that are non-existent that you wish were still around..? Let me know in the comments!!