Reviews

Combichrist Tour: 

@ The Palladium - Upstairs [Worcester, MA (USA)]

Unsound Festival New York 2011: 

@ Abrons Arts Center [New York City, NY (USA)]

Millipede Show: 

@ Darkroom [Chicago, IL (USA)]

Combichrist Tour: 

@ Webster Theater [Hartford, CT (USA)]

The Swans Tour: 

@ The Middle Cafe - Downstairs [Cambridge, MA (USA)]

Tragedy For Us Tour: 

@ Champions Cafe [Everett, MA (USA)]

Steel Hook Prostheses Tour: 

@ Club Choices [Somerville, MA (USA)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 4 [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 4: 

@ Volkspalast: Kuppelhalle [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 4: 

@ Volkspalast: Kuppelhalle [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 4: 

@ Volkspalast: Kuppelhalle [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 4: 

@ Volkspalast: Kuppelhalle [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 3 [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 3: 

@ Werk II [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 3: 

@ Werk II [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 3: 

@ Werk II [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 3: 

@ Schauspielhaus [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 3: 

@ Schauspielhaus [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 3: 

@ Schauspielhaus [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 2 [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 2: 

@ Volkspalast: Kuppelhalle [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 2: 

@ Volkspalast: Kantine [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 2: 

@ Volkspalast: Kuppelhalle [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 2: 

@ Kohlrabizirkus [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 1 [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 1: 

@ Agra Hall [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Wave-Gotik Treffen 2010 - Day 1: 

@ Agra Hall [Leipzig, Saxony (Germany)]

Kinetik Festival 2010 - Phase 5: 

@ Usine C [Montreal, Quebec (Canada)]

Kinetik Festival 2010 - Phase 4: 

@ Usine C [Montreal, Quebec (Canada)]

Kinetik Festival 2010 - Phase 3: 

@ Usine C [Montreal, Quebec (Canada)]

I got up early so I could finish up work as soon as possible to make it for Iszoloscope. I arrived during the last song. Good thing I've seen them perform many times. I cannot really comment on a set I saw for three minutes.

I listened to an album from Komor Kommando before the festival and liked a few of the hard tracks. None of them were played during the set. It was really boring, generic EBM. It was as if Sebastian Komor took the most repetitive, lifeless sounds and beats from all the popular EBM bands he produced and mashed them together. I am not sure why I stayed for the entire set, but I did.

Synapscape did a fine job of not sucking unlike most of the acts I saw thus far. Their hard powernoise with distorted vocals brought the festival up a notch. Much of the set resembled what they played at Maschinenfest 2009 so it was less exciting for me; however, it was still a great performance and song selection - my favorite being "The 7th Sect".

I was up for some ironic flag-waving from FGFC 820 and decided to go in a little bit after their set should have started. I guess they were a no-show because SAM was on!!!

The number one reason I went to Kinetik 2010 was to see SAM. Thankfully I only missed part of their song. The two guys wore bandannas that made everything below their eyes look like a skull. They ran around the stage like maniacs, dancing and singing. This is a great way to get an audience excited about a show. They blazed through almost their entire Destruction Unit album, which was more than fine with me. The festival truly began with SAM. They pulled no punches with their techno-industrial-powernoise. It was the first time I saw the audience move as one under the relentless beats. These boys delivered. Fuck yeah!

I have always been a huge fan of Decoded Feedback's studio works. I was excited to see them at a festival many years ago, but did not think the live show was as good as it could have been. This was mostly due to Marco's live vocals. I am not sure if it is because of different effects on stage or maybe a different singing style or something other factor. This performance suffered similarly. The music was clear and beautiful, but when the vocals came in, they just did not sound the way they do on the albums, and not always in a good way. They did play many of my favorite songs and a new one where Marco plays guitar. It was ok. I hope they do not go guitar crazy on the next album.

Electro/synthpop pioneers Absolute Body Control took the stage next. It was weird to see Dirk Ivens wear a white jacket. I have seen all his other projects and it has always been black only. He did an awkward dance around stage while singing some old 80s songs. They played most of their hits, though writing this five months later, I do not remember which ones. What I do remember is enjoying the nostalgia of listening to songs I liked twenty years ago.

It did not matter that Combichrist was missing a few members due to denial of entry at the border. They kicked some serious ass. Sure I make fun of them and bitch every time a new album comes out when it does not resemble "The Joy Of Gunz", but they know how to put on a great show. The whole band is extremely animated. Andy runs back and forth on stage to engage the audience. The drummer on stage left kept getting on top of his drums to hit the symbols and throwing his high hat (with stand) at the other drummer across the stage. It was a wild show with equipment thrown all around the stage. They mostly played their hits and the packed hall loved every second of it.

When I saw the name Alien Vampires on the bill, I thought CHEESE! I looked them up and to my surprise, I found them to be pretty good if a little generic. I expected a decent performance following Combichrist. Most of the venue cleared out after the headliner. When Alien Vampires started, I was able to stand anywhere I wanted in front of the stage to take pictures. They definitely delivered in the cheese department. The singer had fake blood all over him and a shirt with an LED upside-down cross. Another guy also had fake blood and a chain with an inverted cross. The androgynous guy with the big hair needed to ham it up more to fit in with his bandmates. The singer acted like a douche. He kept screaming at the audience to put their hands in the air and was indignant when they did not. He did this almost every song. Honestly, no one really cared. I was sort of embarrassed that I made my posse stay after Combichrist because I wanted to see these guys. I had to call it quits most of the way through their set. I grabbed everyone and went home.

[Close Review]

Kinetik Festival 2010 - Phase 2: 

@ Usine C [Montreal, Quebec (Canada)]