I meant to post about this a couple months ago, after going down a rabbit hole looking for more like Militia. As you can tell, I did get sidetracked here and there. It started at live Test Dept, then went to Linija Mass and SAT Stoicizmo, then to early CMI with Mental Destruction, Memorandum, and early Maschinenzimmer 412. By then, I was looking to Einleitungszeit, Sistrenatus, Fleisch Macht Boese, early Deutsch Nepal, and then Soldnergeist. Then Hands/Winterkalte, Hymnen Records/Imminent Starvation and finally, The Steinklang Picture Years 1995-1996 4CD. The Steinklang set is the only reason I'm posting it now. It's still resonating.
Various - War Against Society 1997
Militia - New European Order
Militia - The Face Of God 2015 - while this isn't an in-your-face industrial percussion album, it is much better than I previously gave it credit - a lot of religious/ethereal feels to it, which are clearly criticisms of religion, faith, and politics; no surprise and no divergence from what they do - a solid, interesting album.
Test Dept - Live in Venlo 1989 -
https://youtu.be/69ws_KYjENw - one of those bands I find frustrating and not consistent - this is my go-to with them.
Mental Destruction - When Madness Strikes 1990 - this group doesn't get the respect it deserves - truly great industrialism, and each album is worthy - the cover art on the CD reissue is a little strange and potentially misleading; makes me think more of a local Marilyn Manson wannabe self-release than a quality industrial album.
Mental Destruction - Straw 1996 - really good album and a toss up with When Madness Strikes, though a little different, more evolved animal.
Mental Destruction - The Intensity of Darkness 1991 - could be my least favorite of the three, but it is still good.
VA-2/3 1996 - I believe these were all exclusive tracks at the time - before Ant-Zen became what it is today, there was the mighty Hands Productions - this compilation is a classic; Deutsch Nepal, Winterkalte, Mental Destruction, Dive, and Esplendor Geometrico all getting an EP's worth of material - the second Deutsch Nepal track, "Razor in Motion", is particularly mesmerizing and powerful; it probably deserves to be on a short list of all-time favorite heavy electronics tracks. The Esplendor Geometrico tracks are the weakness here.
Memorandum - Ars Moriendi 1994 - discography + unreleased - some of this is as close to Militia as I got.
Maschinenzimmer 412 - Malfeitor 1989
Maschinenzimmer 412 - Macht Durch Stimme 1988 - maintain this is a better album than Malfeitor, but the way they reissued it with a full live album before the original cassette tracks was a misstep.
MZ.412/Trepaneringsritualen - X Post Industriale Rituals 2015 - 2LP version - good live material from both, but the vocals on Trepaneringsritualen can get to be a distraction and annoying.
Sistrenatus - Wrought Iron Railings 2007 - industrial power-electronics and really the only album that I find in the same realm as Einleitungszeit's style - great album.
Sistrenatus - Division One 2007 - this is more subdued, less violent than Wrought Iron Railings, but it is still very, very good; much better than I remembered it - their artwork and presentation do them no justice; not that I'm advocating for some trite power-electronics graphics approach, but there is something sterile and unappealing about their choice in album design that reminds me of the quill font of Projekt.
Sistrenatus - Sensitive Disturbance 2009 - listened to this one on bandcamp, as I don't have it - more like Division One than Wrought, plus lots of vocal samples of unknown origins.
BT.HN And Sistrenatus - Exposing The Ribcage 2010 - one 66-minute track - some really nice industrial timbre hum/drone.
Deutsch Nepal - Vintage Musikk from Deutsch Nepal - some really great, simple, repetitive tracks - again, the two tracks for the 2/3 comp...fantastic DN.
Fleisch Macht Boese - Genmanipulierte Körper 1996 - "Schläge I" is a track.
Soldnergeist - Spur 2 1994
Soldnergeist - Global Media Control 1996
Soldnergeist - Terror 2001 - by this time, it was a slower, more subdued burn for them, and in this listen, I preferred the earlier work of Spur 2.
Soldnergeist - Der Rest Ist Schweigen
Einleitungszeit - Die Menschzerstörung 1995 - whether you're into what they did or not, there really is nothing like what they were doing.
VA-The Steinklang Picture Years 1995-1996 4CD - I always felt these early Steinklang picture discs were an interesting animal. From very bright, quasi comic book industrial images to oversimplified art that came in vinyl protective record sleeves rather than PVC sleeves; like wanting to be similar to early Ant-Zen, but lacking the budget and/or artistic vision. 2nd, or maybe even 3rd, tier power-electronics with appropriate graphic design to match. Simple rhythms and pre-set effects that were demo-like, or tool-like building blocks, rather than feeling fully realized work. If I remember correctly, they were also inexpensive and not difficult to find. An interesting label in general in those early days, and this odd series of picture discs epitomizes a vibe. I had most of them, but not all of them, so this collection was welcomed.
CD1 - Atrox - EKG PD7" + Time is Now PDLP - these have aged well - as I remembered, a more simple approach than most with a demo feel - if you like things streamlined to the point they can almost be considered background music, I'd recommend these early Atrox. They're nearly meditative. Good multi-tasking sounds that seep into your consciousness. I was messing with some other things, and I looked down at my fingers unknowingly tapping and following the pulse.
CD2 - DKF, aka Deutsch Katholische Feindschaft - Schmerzgrenze PD7" + PDLP + PD7" - I never owned this one, but I'd heard it via tape trading days (seem to remember people were really attracted to their name) - quality is all over the place; some interesting tracks, but many not so interesting; overall, better than I remembered.
CD3 - Viron - Rontgentopogramm PD10" + Irikarah - Kampf-Sequenzen PDLP - I would describe both of these in a similar way to the Atrox. This was just when rhythmic power noise was in its infancy, and much of it could still appropriately be considered power-electronics (because it is), though different elements and approach were in swing. You won't find techno, EBM, beats, or the like influences on these picture records. This was not Winterkalte/Hands Productions.
CD4 - Rasthof Dachau - In Der Strafkolonie PD7" + Andxesion - Terratorium PDLP - by the time you get to Andxesion, I think we're squarely in what's now known as rhythmic noise, and this album would be right at home in the nowadays Ant-Zen catalogue; this is a crunchy, pulsing, and power-electronicy version of that.
The winners here are CD1 and CD3, but CD4 is no slouch, either. I'd like to hear the earliest Atrox tapes, but only one has been reissued.
