The Crucifix ‘Psychopunk 2165’ is out now on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Could AV’s Synth-blackgaze be on the verge of a new trend that further binds the ties between metal and retrowave? One thing is for sure; the mere idea would sound utterly ridiculous had we not heard what this producer is capable of.

Favorite tracks : Forward to the past, Impermanence

Abstract Void ‘Wishdream’ is out now on Bandcamp and Spotify!

Acryl Madness’ Kaidan is available via Bandcamp and Spotify via Neon Retro Records.

Vile, twisted and incredibly abrasive, Microchip Terror has served yet another polarizing classic that switches up comfort with unapologetic subversion. Fans of pure Japanese cyberpunk mayhem (think Shinya Tsukamoto and Shozin Fukui), your prayers have been answered.

Microchip Terror ‘Illegal Experiments 2’ is out now on Bandcamp and Spotify.

For those new to the Polish duo’s strain of Riff-heavy darksynth, the graphic album art to their sophomore album Death Trap (done by Daniel Shai) should tell you all about what’s to expect from this 43-minute sonic splatterfest, and the mere fact that you clicked on this article gives me a good hunch that you’re about to enjoy it.

With its eight tracks of dialogue to guide you through the album’s rich ambience and narrative, Death Trap tells the story of a twisted mind named Teddy on the prowl in a dark city where technology has overrun mankind’s last glimmering contact with humanity.

“Death Trap” LP by UltraKiller

Carpenter enthusiasts and riff-junkies, welcome home.

UltraKiller ‘Death Trap’ is now available via JST Records for streaming via Bandcamp and Spotify

“FLOPPY DISK OVERDRIVE” is an exercise in sheer brilliance, providing an evolution of the MBR sound into a more robust and well rounded aesthetic than ever before.

By combining MBR’s signature synth guitar and crunched chiptune sound with new clean synth guitars, a mixture of baroque, romantic, and bay area thrash influences, “FLOPPY DISK OVERDRIVE” has achieved a truly fantastic and innovative sound that is pushing the envelope of the metal genre and simultaneously darksynth and cyberpunk genres to their limit. This combination of influences makes for a very hard listen that never becomes tedious or grating.

With more variation in track length and progressive composition, MBR has also shattered the circuit board ceiling he had been pressing against with his previous, shorter but also amazing release “INTERNET PROTOCOL.”

In short, “FLOPPY DISK OVERDRIVE” is one of those rare albums which acts to permanently change the state current musical achievement – setting the bar a little higher than ever before in truly grandiose fashion.

Listen here now!

It is also worth noting that MBR has another project coming up in the form of the soundtrack to a retro-futuristic cyberpunk point-and-click adventure game entitled “VirtuaVerse.” Out May 12th! 

*** “A resident of Italy, MBR has recently been in the midst of one of the most severe outbreaks of COVID-19.  With this terrible situation as a backdrop, “FLOPPY DISK OVERDRIVE” was released, adding another certain historical context for this record we would be remiss overlook. While we at NRW do not endorse any particular charity, if it within your power to do so, please try to find a way you’re personally comfortable with to donate to the victims of this ongoing crisis.”  – Andrew Zistler

The mix of cyperpunk darksynth and blast beat syncopation really gives this gem an interesting dynamic that most metal influenced synth acts haven’t yet touched upon. Throw in some hard vocals and you have a truly fantastic release.

This single has also been given a work-over by the likes of Volkor X, Gör FLsh, and Hollywood Burns – each with a unique take that builds upon the original.

If you’re a fan of metal and synth – you do not want to miss this track and it’s remixes. Check it out below – and try not to headbang yourself into whiplash!

Bandcamp link: "Violence Suppressor" by Irving Force

The devilish duo Dance With The Dead are being resurrected back into the spotlight with the release of “B-Sides: Volume 1.” Although this album is comprised of various unreleased and compilation tracks, it is quickly shaping up to be a truly fiendish fan favorite.  

On a twitter post, the Orange County based producers simply promoted the album as “Tons of music that never made it onto our records!” However, “B-Sides” is transcending it’s own title. B-sides are usually known for content not good enough to make the A-side cut, but here we have a collection of excellent tracks blended expertly together to form a cohesive whole – something not usually seen in a collection of unreleased material. Were talking grade A premium zombie killing music folks!

In spite of the album’s cohesiveness, the mix of songs still leans towards eclectic. “B-Sides: Volume 1” ranges from tracks comprised of an odd mix of power and speed metal (sans the big hair) to the more familiar mix of diabolic, always surprisingly danceable synthwave. 

“B-Sides: Volume 1” feels like it’s melodies were ripped straight from the head spinning original Exorcist and piped through a duo of synthesizer and electric guitar. Tracks like this would be just as fit as the soundtrack to Castlevania as to a dancefloor – an odd combination where it’s easy to miss the mark, and Dance With The Dead nails it. The crisp production on this album will have metalheads and darksynth fans rising from their graves to rave together.

The standout tracks on this album seem to be “Banshee,” “Entity,” “Blood Moon,” “Venom,” “The Man Who Made A Monster” and of course the bangin’ climax at the end of “The Awakening.” That’s over a third of the album that are must-listens for any fans of darkwave. With tracks like this hiding in the attic, we can only wonder with excitement whats coming next from Dance With The Dead!

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]]> https://newretrowave.com/2017/01/30/dance-with-the-dead-b-sides-vol-1/feed/ 0 https://newretrowave.com/2016/10/28/scandroid-self-titled/ https://newretrowave.com/2016/10/28/scandroid-self-titled/#respond Fri, 28 Oct 2016 14:22:51 +0000 http://new-retro-wave.com/2016/11/04/20161028scandroid-self-titled/ It's obvious within the first few minutes of Scandroid's eponymous debut to realize that this album is from a higher league.

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It’s obvious within the first few minutes of Scandroid’s eponymous debut to realize that this album is from a higher league. The John Carpenter-esque commitment to atmosphere combines effortlessly with strong melodies, squelching bass synths, and vocoder vocal lines that are equal parts cool and camp. “2517” works as a solid blueprint for the rest of the album, albeit one that is not followed to a T.  The significantly more upbeat “Salvation Code” follows, and this is where the Detroit-based artist truly hits his stride. This is a song constructed almost entirely of hooks, with every element seemingly designed to be an earworm. The vocoder-laced vocals work even better on this track, as the intensity of the effect fluctuates throughout the song. Overall, it is a definite highlight of the album and is certainly a contender for the best vocal synthwave track of the year. The female backing vocals mixing with the primary vocal track and the occasional glitch-effect push this song to the level that resides. 

Scandroid’s cover of Tears For Fear’s seminal hit “Shout” is another high point. It doesn’t deviate much from the original, and the vocals even sound uncannily similar to Roland Orzabal’s vocals on the original. The percussion at various points in the song is interesting enough to warrant the song’s appearance on the album. The following song, “Destination Unknown”, is the second best track on the album. It is one of the rare occasions where a song uses a traditional 4/4 time signature but sounds like it doesn’t. I listened to the intro melody about a dozen times before listening to the entire song through just to try to make sense of it. It has the arcane quality of Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells pt. 1” (the Exorcist film theme) without actually resorting to 15/8. It’s a very progressive song. 

There is a wealth of campiness in many of these songs – especially the vocal tracks. Some of this comes from the lyrics, which play heavily into the science-fiction fringes of the scene, but there is also some found in the music. Nothing ever sounds hokey, and the songs are stuffed with melody, but some listeners may be turned off by the tongue-in-cheek feel that some parts of the album have. Those that like it will love it, as there is rarely a moment that isn’t fun or interesting in some way. 

There is also a real sense of urgency permeating through the album. There may be a focus on the atmosphere in many of the intros and bridges, but the songs refuse to sit in the background of anything. They are mixed well and hit hard throughout. The vocal tracks generally are stronger than the instrumentals, and when they really click it makes the entire track that much more intense. Effects on the vocals will often increase in intensity as the emotional delivery increases, leading to some great instances of controlled chaos. The instrumentals are not bad by any stretch of the imagination, no matter what moniker he produces under, Scandroid / Klayton / Celldweller is an accomplished producer who is clearly at the top of his game. It plays within the genre enough to seem familiar and not off-putting but has a true wealth of idiosyncrasies that push the album into the realm of being something special. 

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