Review: Combichrist – 'This Is Where Death Begins'

COMBICHRIST
'This Is Where Death Begins'
OUT OF LINE

Love 'em or hate 'em it is undeniable that Combichrist – the one-time solo project of Icon Of Coil vocalist And LaPlegua – has become a true force of nature. The bands evolution from harsh ebm through to raucous industrial metal has seen equal praise and ire from everyone with an opinion to give. But the truth is Combichrist is here to stay.

The band's eighth album, 'This Is Where Death Begins' sees a new line-up and builds upon the commercial appeal of the band's last outing 'We Love You' to further refine the industrial metal influences that have continued to build in the band over recent years. The end result is a far more metal-based sound that doesn't omit the electronic elements entirely but is a substantial leap from their older dance-flavours. Though they might be more comparable to Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein and Rob Zombie rather than the likes of Suicide Commando these days, open-minded long time fans will still find plenty to enjoy.

Tracks like 'Glitchteeth', 'Exit Eternity', 'Don't Care How You Feel About It', 'Blackened Heart', and 'Homeward' marry the catchiness of Combichrist's electronic prowess while remaining firmly driven by heavy and hard guitar leads. While songs like 'We Are The Plague', 'Skullcrusher', 'Destroy Everything', 'Slakt', and 'Black Tar Dove Part 2' go all out with the metal elements at the forefront of the tracks.

It's a varied track list that effortlessly shifts the emphasis from the guitars, to the drums, to the synths and back again as the album progresses. Their might not be that dance-floor hit anywhere to be found. But as seen by their live performances recently, like Ministry before them, Combichrist has evolved beyond that and it isn't a bad thing.

But if you do still crave that old-school Combichrist sound the band have included a bonus CD – 'History Of Madness' – recorded live at Complex, LA which sees the band tear through sixteen classic cuts such as 'Brain Bypass', 'Adult Content', 'The Kill', 'Industrial Strength', and 'Bullet Fuck' in all their crunchy, nasty and pulsing glory. While the three disc/DVD version includes a more recent live set from last year's performance at Summer Breeze festival. Two very different performances of two very different sides to the band, but both great.

In terms of production the main album is probably the best the band have sounded since the introduction of the guitars with a product that feels like it could compete with the top bands in industrial metal. The live discs are a bit rougher due to the nature of trying to perform, capture and mix a band live. But they're full of energy and passionate and that makes up for the lack of polish.

Fans of Combichrist's earlier sounds may find the more metal direction hard to take, but those who have stuck with their evolution thus far will not be too shocked by this move and will undoubtedly embrace the blend of hard metal and gritty electronics. Either way, Combichrist have crafted a monster here and it will undoubtedly prove to be a notable release in an already enviable discography.  

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Review: Combichrist – 'We Love You'

COMBICHRIST
'We Love You'
OUT OF LINE

For last year's guitar-orientated album 'No Redemption' for the DMC: Devil May Cry soundtrack, the gloves came off and Combichrist exposed a far more metal / hardcore influenced side to their sound that they'd been threatening since their tours with German metallers Rammstein. The aftermath left many long-term fans scratching their heads and wondering whether the band on their next full-length album proper would continue down the same route or bring the electronics back to the fore. Well, Combichrist being Combichrist have given us both.

It's no surprise really as their live act has featured the guitar work of Abbey Nex for the past few years, so in that respect the six-string aspect is already integrated into their sound. What 'No Redemption' ultimately did was place it higher in the mix. The album kicks off with the demented mix of stuttering synths, heavy guitars and raw death vocals of 'We Were Made To Love You' for a simply huge way to open the album. 'Everyday Is War' returns to more familiar Combichrist fare with it's 'Get Your Body Beat' style hard dance pace and searing melodies that seamlessly integrate that guitars once again. 'Can't Control' perhaps gives the album it's biggest slice of the older Combichrist sound with it's near instrumental construction focussing on sheer dance ferocity.

'Maggots At The Party' opens with a huge, dirty hardcore punk riff reminiscent of last year's 'No Redemption' and proceeds to headbang its way through what has to be one of the most unashamedly fun songs Andy LaPlegua has ever written. 'Denial' slows things down for a more stripped-back sing-a-longtrack that makes good use of the quiet-loud formula to prepare listeners for the shock of 'The Evil In Me'. Acoustic guitars, piano, quiet, clean vocals and a more Nick Cave vibe that erupts into a huge finale marks the biggest departure for the band yet.

'Fuck Unicorns' revives the irreverent Combichrist instrumental to reassure long-time fans, before the frantic hardcore riff of 'Love Is A Razorblade' charges through the speakers to bludgeon your ears. The lead single 'From My Cold Dead Hands' is another recognisable hard and heavy Combichrist crowd-pleaser with its strong dance pace, vocoded VS shouting vocals and stuttering synths that will no doubt be a must have for the live shows. The album is then rounded off by 'Retreat Hell Part 1' and '… Part 2'. With part one taking the slow, bassy and heavy metal path while that acoustic guitar comes out again for a spooky down beat ballad that fades into a classic answer-phone message.

LaPlegua and co. have honestly outdone themselves here. 'We Love You' is bold and new, while classic and recognisable. The band can still make you dance with a click of their fingers, but the ferocious guitar elements blend perfectly with their heavy style of writing. It's not as big of a shock to the system as 'No Redemption', but Combichrist are evolving their sound and experimenting with new ideas. Some elements of their fanbase may have trouble growing with the band, but this blend of nasty industrial and even nastier hardcore influenced metal will definitely attract new fans as well.

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Combichrist announce 'We Love You'

Aggrotech outfit Combichrist have announced a brand new album for 2013. 'We Love You', follows on from their last release, the guitar orientated 'No Redemption' commissioned for the Devil May Cry computer game, with main man Andy LaPlegua saying; “One of my best friends said it the best - ‘listening to this album sums up everything I know about you and music”, he laughs, “only bigger, more bombastic and even louder!”

‘We Love You’ will be released in the UK on 24th March 2014 as a jewel case CD, a limited deluxe double disc containing an exclusive Dark Ambient bonus album and as a limited double 12” vinyl.

Track List:

01. We Were Made To Love You

02. Every Day Is War
03. Can't Control
04. Satan's Propaganda
05. Maggots at the Party
06. Denial
07. The Evil In Me
08. Fuck Unicorns
09. Love Is A Razorblade
10. From My Cold Dead Hands
11. We Rule The World Motherfuckers
12. Retreat Hell Part 1
13. Retreat Hell Part 2

The band will also embark on a US tour in order to support the album starting on the 3^rd April 2014 and finishing 11^th May. The band will also be hitting the UK before Christmas this year on the dates below.


Tour Dates:

Old School Electronic Show

18.12.2013 Hamburg (D), Kaiserkeller

19.12.2013 Duisburg (D), Pulp

20.12.2013 Amstelveen (NL), P 60

21.12.2013 London (UK), Electrowerkz

22.12.2013 Glasgow (UK), Classic Grand

'We Love You' is available to pre-order via Out Of Line. For more information on the band, please visit their official website.

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Review: Combichrist - 'No Redemption'

COMBICHRIST 
'No Redemtion' 
OUT OF LINE 

Never one to pull his punches, Andy LaPlegua has released perhaps his most controversial recording under the Combichrist name in the form of this soundtrack to the new episode in the popular Devil May Cry video game series. LaPlegua is well known for his various side projects which all feature vastly different styles, so it is strange to have so many mixed together under the Combichrist name. But to quote the press release from last August “... this is the direction the game's producers wanted Andy to take”, and while it is a significant departure for the band, it is nonetheless a very solid offering.

Approaching this as a new album rather than a soundtrack, long-time fans may very well be turned off by a stronger guitar orientated approach. But anyone who has been following the band since their worldwide support slots with Rammstein will know that guitars have slowly been making their way into the band's sound anyway. However 'No Redemption' sees LaPlegua going hell for leather with the instrument channelling the likes of Fear Factory, Rob Zombie and even the recent Morbid Angel output. But scratch the surface and there is a lot that those well versed in the Combichrist sound will feel at home with; hard electro beats and scathing synthesizers all held together with Andy's trademark vocal style which all perfectly compliment the searing guitar work.

While they’re not the usual dance-floor anthems, songs such as 'Age Of Mutation', 'Clouds Of War', 'No Redemption', and 'Pull The Pin' are perhaps the most approachable for long-time fans with their more overt use of recognisable Combichrist elements which would see them easily incorporated into the band's live set. However songs such as 'Zombie Fistfight', 'Gimme Deathrace', 'Empty', and 'How Old Is Your Soul?' are fantastic slices of industrial metal that would make a lot of bands re-evaluate their recent output.

With the double-CD edition featuring a selection of Combichrist's best known tracks it stands to reason that this will be a great introduction to the band for those who perhaps would have otherwise been introduced to them vis the afore mentioned Rammstein support tours. What will be interesting to see is whether LaPlegua leaves this as a standalone project, or incorporates some of these songs into the band's live set and perhaps elements into future recordings. Whatever happens it is undeniable that the band is on the rise and with the Gothic Meets Klassik performance round the corner as well, it has never been a more interesting time for the fans.

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