OFF industrial was Re: NIK: Past or Future?

bart bart at AEOLIANS.BT.CO.UK
Tue Apr 23 09:24:23 EDT 1996


OK, this is none of my business, but I'll jump in here-

> > What is this band's stuff like? I was very tempted to buy it...I like
> > their sound on Nik's stuff...but I think I read somewhere that they are more
> > industrial...and I usually don't go that way.
>
> They are more intustrial, but the guys at Cleopatra like to call them
> "the first crossover between industrial and psychedelic", whatever that
> means.  Apparently it's one way of saying that I like it.

Since these days industrial is such a broad catchall for styles generally
employing electronics/samples/foundsound + conventional instruments,
Pressurehed fits in pretty well. The mechanical nature of some songs on
Infadrone due to the drum machine along with the guitar riffing is typical
of a buncha industrial type groups (eg. some Skinny Puppy fer starters).
The industrial tag has also been stapled predominantly to 'heavy' bands of
late,
(Skrew, Misery Loves Co., Godflesh) yet more pop rock industrial groups
(Course of empire, Filter, Sister Machine Gun, Machines of Loving Grace)
exhibit similar trends in different ways. Then there's the industrial-dance
crowd (too numerous to mention, but say, like FLA). Pressurehed seems to land
somewhere in the midst of all, yet with more than a nod and a wink to space
rock ontop.

Then again, others say industrial is purely an attitude, like cyberpunk (yeah,
whatever mate). Under those auspices, whether Pressurehed fits in is anybodys
guess.

> If the word "industrial" conjures up bands like Ministry, NIN, etc.,
> that's the wrong impression and not much of a comparison.  While
> Pressurehed do have industrial elements (plenny o' synths and electronic
> drumming... their first album doesn't have a real "drummer", purr-say),
> the music simply isn't as much torture for the ears as, say, most of the
> songs on _Broken_ by NIN.

_Broken_ stands as a pinnacle of guitar-driven industrial/metal crossover. I'll
agree to disagree here :-)

Where Trent really does start to lose it are his remix efforts, particularly
_Fixed_ (remixing Broken) and _Further Down the Spiral_. Both contain some
serious challenges to listenability, even for a pretty devout NINnie like me.
And listening to them in anything but a positive balanced state of mind *not*
recommended ;-)

> BTW, in case you didn't know before, I *HATE*
> industrial bands such as Ministry and NIN (at least the NIN songs that
> lend themselves to that categorization).

If you do ever decide to give 'industrial' music another chance, run don't walk
to the store and get something by the Young Gods ( _TV Sky_ or _Only Heaven_
if you want english vocals). Excellent use of sequencers and guitar loops in
a much lighter vein than say, Ministry.

> This is an incomplete view of the music of Pressurehed, though, so
> opinions other than mine ought to be posted as well.


Tim


ObCD: Stevie Ray Vaughan:  _Couldn't Stand the Weather_



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