Customer Reviews

Bloodchild

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i bought BloodChild for the simple reason that i have all of the other :Wumpscut: discs and consider Rudy Ratzinger one of the brighter lights in the current industrial music scene. it was obvious after one listen that this double-disc set was intended for those fans that want to get their hands on each piece of music that :W: puts out. disc one is actually the better of the two discs as the tracks sounded a little more fleshed out than those on disc two. but don't be fooled, these tracks were unreleased for a reason...they seem to be more "idea" tracks than complete tracks, but the new song "Hang Him Higher" is a very impressive track and shows Rudy growing stronger and more solid in his production as well as his songwriting.

disc two seemed to me to be much more erratic than the first disc and appeared to be a bunch of even older tracks that weren't quite good enough for the discs they were written for the first time around. this second disc was less cohesive than the first and sort of rambled for the most part.

take this offering as nothing more than Rudy giving fans a glimpse into the creative process of :Wumpscut: while bridging the gap between full-length discs. if you're new to :W: you're better off going with Embryodead or Eevil Young Flesh to get your feet wet. don't jump on BloodChild until you've ingested the rest of the catalog before hand. if you're already a fan of :W: then this disc will hold some interest but i doubt you'll be reaching for it more than the others.

:wumpscut: is something dark and chaotic, brooding and sometimes hideous in form, and it always brings interesting tracks to the table. Sitting at the end of the EBM rainbow, it offers a mix of highly charged and somber songs rolling into one stockyard, recording both the slaughterhouse of emotive responses and the horrors that have engulfed millions. And its always an interesting experience when listened to. From the voxing wilderness where many a good vocal performance lies, Rudy Ratzinger has been perfecting his art, honing it into something that isn't afraid to throw public opinion to the side. He vocalizes range and wantonness, hatred and the dark spots that call out from our fears, and it doesn't pull its punches. Within a medium that oftentimes suppresses expression, that is beautiful to behold.

Before I begin, let me say this beforehand because there seems to be alot of confusion on the topic. For anyone that hasn't listened to :wumpscut: and is looking to see exactly what the band offers, then Blood Child is not for you because it ISN"T NEW MATERIAL. It houses two discs, 34 tracks, two NEW songs, and 17 unreleased pieces and has a lot of tracks, but almost all of these are older pieces. It has tracks from Small Chambermusicians (that was pressed into only 70 copies, is a European release, and impossible to find) Defcon (pressed into only 50 copies), and other albums that are nice to try to go back and reclaim. So, this would be more like something for the :wumpscut: collector than someone thinking 34 tracks is a bargain. Now, to the music:

The two "new tracks on the album are worth picking up the album for in my mind, with Hang Him Higher and Praise Your Fears actually both amounting to nice pieces of work. "High Him Higher" is possibly one of my favorite :wumpscut: tracks anyhow, with the beat something odd for the band and for EBM as a whole. It minimally begins with the electronic version of piano, building to the beat, and then kicks into the vocals that I've always found impressive because of their emotional charge and yet darkly somber sounds. "Praise Your Fears" is less of a vocal track and more of an energetic beat denouncing those who don't find "evil" something tangible. It begins with the clip "if you don't believe in the existence of evil, you have a lot to learn" and then dots the catchy beat with cries of "praise your fears."

Then there are the unreleased tracks; "Anaesthetics," "Time Ticks Away," "Flangegod," "IrakI," "Logic of War," Run Like Hell Part 1 and 2," "The Dark Chamber," "Frozen Images,""Clinics," "K-u-t-t," "Equal Eye," Slovakian Hell," "March of the Crying," Irak2," "To the Sky," and "Lamandier."
I personally like a lot of these tracks, although you have to know going into them that many aren't composed to lyrics. Instead, many of these tracks are electronic anthems with hooks that are vocalized and nothing more. "Anaesthetics" is nice, with a few lyric lines, a somewhat electro-spooky beat, and some pretty dark distortion going on with some of the loops. It has a few redundant places in it that keep it from being a perfect song, however, but its still pretty nice. "Logic of War" is a nice track, with a nice beat, an interesting composition of vocals, and the loop "the logic of war seems to be that if a belligerent can fight, he will fight." "The Dark Chamber" is also pretty catchy, the lyrics sounding quite evil when displayed and quite dark because of the voxing style used. The beat could have been done a little better, perfected a little more, but the song is still an overall piece to praise. "To the Sky" is also a nice musical piece, as is "March of the Crying" and "Lamandier," with them all setting moods uniquely their own.

Besides the tracks mentions, there are also the ones gathered form other places. Mfast deposits three here ("Koslow," "Soylent Green," and "Default"), Small Chambermusicians a staggering seven of the ten it originally contained ("Stomp," "IrakI - second take," "Crucified," "Neolith," "Eternal," "Tsuchusch Domos," and "Zech Groove"), and Defcon lends four to the cause as well ("Pornograpghy," "The Hellion," "Phase Shifter," and "Throbberstalk"). These take from a variety of themes and a variety of beats, some really aggressive and some, like "Throbberstalk," really minimal and almost removed in a really dark sort of way. I was happy to see them collected this way, too, because a lot of these are tracks that have been elusive in the past and that are appreciated as a whole when showcased here.

:wumpscut: changes quite a bit sometimes, and many of the themes done are often the type that some don't want to hear. Still, that doesn't make them any less relevant or any less real because these are the things powering the really real world. While our mainstreamed airwaves don't reflect it, the lands in which we live and the statistics that we compile every day say that this is quite possibly much more real that the reality that we look at all the time. And that, in a frightening way, is interesting, frightening, and sad to taste when rolled out in a montage of sound. And that's why I buy everything, and why I'm glad to see the collected sounds showcased here.

I had bought The Remix Wars, and I've heard "Angel," and I was expecting the same sound in this album. I was mistaken. It's very repetitive music, and the only hint of vocals comes from excerpts that are spliced in. I enjoyed "Hang Him Higher," which has lyrics, "Soylent Green," and "Frozen Images," which has a haunting repetitive sound. There are a few other songs that I liked. I was impressed by the darkness of the album. Overall I would have liked the album more if it wasn't so repetitive.

I will have to disagree with the previous review, as I think that this CD truly shows Rudy's musical ability and genious. The songs are different that the ones on his commercially released albums, but I find the demos and other tracks to be totally inspiring. My favorite track is "Hang him Higher", one of the two new songs on the Double CD. "Praise your Fears", the other new song, also is a favorite.

I was wondering what happened to Rudy there for a while,Then bought this cd and first of all it has cute little Kuthulu kids all over it,then I was impressed with 34 songs on the discs. I was kinda shocked to hear a current 93 clip in the song crucified,but it's cool it blends in and fits the song.The whole thing Is very good. I was most impressed with his talent to go from harder stuff to light and almost soothing stuff on some of the songs. He displays great talent on this album.I am always impressed with his work.

This album is filled with previously unreleased songs from the beginning of Rudy's musical apocalypse. Two new tracks and lotsa ones from Defcon and Small Chambermusicians (his 2 first (and rare rare rare) releases. Also including a booklet with Ratzinger's discography and a review of his amazing career. The whole feeling of this gothic masterpiece is absolutely astonishing. From haunting darkwave to violent electronic beats, a huge trip into the twisted mind of a modern genius.

If you aren't already a fan go pick up some other CD's before this one. To truly appreciate the genius of this release you have to be initiated. Otherwise just pick this up if you want raw, unadultated sonic mayhem in your head.

Be forewarned, this collection does not have much in the way of new material. Rather it is a collection of b-sides and rarities. Let me say this simply, Wumpscut does not have great b-sides; the best songs are on the albums. Let me clarify further, the best songs are on the earlier albums. Rudy is one of the industrial scenes great purveyors of rage and overwhelming angst... and obviously there are innumerable contenders. Still there is no arguing the fact that he is losing steam rapidly. Well this release doesn't help any. I own this disc but I honestly don't play it much. There are some good tracks but you already have them on better albums. The truly new material is not essential.

People looking to break in to Wumpscut should buy the following discs in this order: 'Bunkertor 7' (or Bunker Gate 7 in English), 'Embryodead' and 'Music for a Slaughtering Tribe' (aka MFAST). Also necessary are the EPs 'Dried Blood' and 'Gomorra'... they even have a combination of the 2 now ('Dried Blood of Gomorra').

I think it's funny, that my favorite works are on this compilation...a b-side filled album, with a kind of a shady feel to it. It really is for real wumpscut fans. Perhaps, I'm no execption, eh!

Just when you thought :wumpscut: couldn't possibly get anymore inane and mindless. along comes a collection of rarities and b-sides. Yes folks, :wumpscut: is truly one of the worst "industrial" bands to have ever existed. I could list of the many, many ways this collection fails. But people who know :wumpscut: already know the drill.