Customer Reviews

Embryodead

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For those of you being recomended for this CD or for those of your just getting into the music of Wumpscut, it's a winner. It seems to cover every base touchable through Dark Wave. It's complex diversity is a sure thing from the moment you pop the CD in, to the moment the last song ends. I would recomend this to any fan of Industrial. EmbryoDead is one of the two good cds to start off with. Many fans say it's the best album ever created, and I even agree in cases. If you find morbid interests in bad taste, then you can obviously tell from the title of this CD, the band is not for you altogether.

Hmmmm.. how Rudy has changed since his early days of Mesner Tracks, Gommorah, and Bunker Gate 7. With all Wumpscut albums you have your share of great songs and annoyingly bad ones. This album is compiled of better ones rather then bad ones, almost all the songs on Embryodead range from good(War) to excellent (Angel, Embryodead, Golgotha). This album is much harsher in tone then any of Rudys other works, and thus it is unique. If you didnt like EEVIL YOUNG FLESH, then you will probably like this better, as it was made in an era when Rudy wasnt as popular so he was forced to make better albums. If you like this album, pick up Mesner Tracks, Dried Blood of Gommorah, Bunker Gate 7, and Born Again. But remember, Wumpscut isnt NSYNC, and thus you will be subjected to apathy, loathing, hatred, and depression... wait a second maybe that is NSYNC.

Of all the albums in my CD collection, Embryodead is the one I most cherish. From beginning to end, it is wonderful, excepting perhaps "Pest," which isn't too remarkable from any perspective. Of the ten tracks, three meditate directly on the theme/question of whether the stillbirth of a baby is a disaster or a blessing. Rudy Ratzinger, mastermind of :Wumpscut:, evokes empathy, sympathy, and fright, for unborn foetuses via this triumvirate of songs. "Embryodead" is primarily about the (terrible) world a foetus will be born into, and the horror the child will be exposed to if he fails to refuse to die pre-parturition. Thus we are to feel empathic, as we too know "how hard it is to live/in this world full of hate". What's interesting is that the prenatal individual Rudy speaks to and admonishes is presumably still alive; therefore, "Embryodead" refers not to what one might initially think, but rather the condemnation such an individual is about to face. "Stillbirth" is rather sparse and depressing, but instead of celebrating stillbirth, as one might expect Rudy to do after studying the lyrics to "Embryodead," he mourns, as it is sad that one must die terribly prematurely to avoid the otherwise inevitable suffering this world confers upon the living. "Stillbirth" concludes with a delicate music box melody, the type that seems designed to put a child to sleep, and the frightful sounds of vital signs fading away. Any one somewhat familiar with the genre should not expect such an emotional moment to exist on an industrial release. "Womb" is a disturbing creation, and one that seems to contradict the sentiments behind "Stillbirth" and "Embryodead"; Rudy manipulates his voice to sound at once young and evil. The lyric, "I do not care about anything else but me," as delivered by the "evil" unborn child is surely an ironic counterpart to the aforementioned pair of songs, because it suggests! , correctly, that WE are the reasons our world is so undesirable a home, and that we were once foetuses. Which is to say, though one commiserates for the foetus and his future, he will likely, once grown, contribute to the misery. When is the last time an industrial release has been so emotionally complex? The music that complements the themes is totally appropriate: "Embryodead" is mostly harsh, as it reveals the brutal truth; "Stillbirth"'s synths are superbly melancholy; and aural menace backs "Womb". The remaining efforts on the album, ostensibly, might seem impertinent, yet some way all ten pieces manage to interlock and form a richly thematic whole. "Golgotha" is a twist on Christ's suffering on the cross; through Rudy's eyes, Jesus was unknowingly condemned by his Father to die. "Slave to Evil" could possibly be interpreted as a complement to "Womb", the narrator of track being the womb as an adult. ...........Running out of time here. To finish, permit me to make a confident suggestion: If you're not too interested in Industrial music, but haven't given it a fair shot, this album might be your best choice; it's not all impenetrable noise; some of it decidedly accessible; there's even a love song here; buy it! :)

This has to be one of my favorite dark industrial albums ever.

Wumpscut seems to me to be above and beyond nearly any industrial act... at least in one category: Sheer aggressive, deviant, adrenaline music that will scare the living hell out of your normal, everyday pedestrian.

Musically, :W: has a rather generic synth base, with some interesting noises and sounds here and there, and some colorful samples... the usual of the genre. He seems to be one of the best, however, at taking these sounds and giving them a massive amount of raw energy and power... especially with the aid of super-distorted, twisted, disgustingly ear-shattering vocals. (even though the lyrics are sometimes a little out of whack.) His talent of force, so to speak, shows itself over and over again, but especially in the tracks Embryodead and War, which I highly recommend.

I have tended to find myself attracted the most to Rudy's most aggressive and forceful songs... since on most of his albums they are (IMO) the only ones that really give him an identity in the Industrial world (i.e. Soylent Green, Ich Will Dich, On the Run, etc...). Embryodead changes that a little, with tracks like "Angel" and "Is it You"... the first mellower, more melodic tracks he's made that I find genuinely interesting.

This CD marks an improvement in Wumpscut's art, and a solid addition to his brilliant discography. Only problem is the title track, which is so damn addictive I hardly listen to the rest of the CD anymore. It has to be one of the harshest, most brutal industrial tracks I've ever known.

Don't attempt to exist in this world full of hate...

OK, I know I am going to be slaughtered for this but Wumpscut's morbid opus is not as perfect as everyone says.

First, its good points: Morbid, dark, creepy and atmospheric beyond anything ever written before or since. This album sounds like pure evil and truly freaks you out, is absolutely twisted and is more likely to make you kill yourself than anything I have ever heard before. Trust me, this is a dark record. As for the sounds, the programming manages to sound so incredibly unique that it matches FLA's Epitaph for sounding so unique. The bass synth on Embryodead (title track) sounds somewhere in between a demented carnival organ on acid and a death metal guitar. In fact, the sound is so inimitable that Rudy himself hasnt been able to replicate it (Hes tried).

The bad here is that it has a bipolar tendency. The music is either really slow and ponderously 'dark-n-evil-oh-Im-an-aborted-fetus-demon' ("Is It You?" and later tracks) or it is really fast/noisy/grating/pounding/repetitive/chaotic to the point it loses its melody. Embryodead, War, Slave To Evil fall into this category. The third song, "Down Where We Belong" is so close to suceeding but fails because its so short.

That leaves one song I love (although I like DWWB and Embryodead as well, just not as much)... Golgotha. Yes, I have ripped the album to shreds but this song is perfect all the way through and an absolute Goth/Industrial Anthem that absolutely blows me away. Emotions almost tortured, atmosphere as black as hell and perfect pacing, lush melody, growled vox, beat after seething beat pounding you into submission.... This song is one of the best pieces of Industrial ever written and is absolutely beautiful on all counts.

After getting back into the goth/indust/techno scene after a few years, I went out and bought a few choice CDs (from Amazon, no less). :Wumpscut: was one of them, and aside from a select few songs on -Embryodead-, this CD is mind-blowing. The title track never fails to send shivers down my spine... the growling, almost creature-like German lyrics followed by the fast English bridge is unbelievable. Rudy follows an entire theme in this CD that is at once thought-provoking and frightening. The first track, -Golgotha-, is about as goth-anthem as you can get, while -War- is an unbridled scream of anger. It ranges from the slightly sentimental vibes of -Is It You- to the insanely evil -Womb-... it's amazing. Almost all the songs are impossible to listen to without some kind of tapping, shifting movement on your part.. indeed, dancing to -Embryodead- is exhilirating. The few songs on this CD that I tend to skip over hardly detract from the overall value. If you want a :Wumpscut: album, you could do a lot worse than buying this musical creation.

For the longest time, I wasn't really a fan of Wumpscut. A few years ago, I was at a local CD store and spotted a copy of Evoke sitting on the shelf. I was very excited and quickly bought it, only to find myself disappointed in the end. About a month ago, I decided I'd give :W: another chance after hearing so many great things about Embryodead. I decided to finally go out and pick up a copy. Let me start by saying this...Embryodead is so good, it has single-handedly turned me into a crazed Wumpscut fan. If you are looking at all of the other five star reviews on this page, it really is that good! The album kicks off with the explosive goth anthem "Golgotha," a song that was born to be a dancefloor favorite. Immediately following this comes the true masterpiece of the album, "Embryodead." There are no words to describe just how amazing this song is and it is easily my favorite song on the album. "War" is by far the most industrial song and is also the most brutal track due to the insane tribal breakdown near the end (make sure to turn down your bass first!) "Womb" is pure evil and will leave you wondering what you just listened to by the time it's over. It is disturbing, unsettling, and brilliant all at the same time. The two oddball tracks on here are "Is It You" and "Angel," both of which are melodic and absolutely beautiful to listen to; definitely a change from the more aggressive side of :W: we all know and love. "Pest" and "Stillbirth" are very dark and are almost ambient at times, while "Down Where We Belong" and "Slave To Evil" could easily become dancefloor classics. This album is a wild ride through hell from beginning to end. If you only buy one album by Wumpscut, make it Embryodead. This album is easily worth every one of those five stars.

Of all CD's in the :wumpscut: discography, this was the one that cornered me most effectively. And as I listened and understood, A-ffectively.

Where the legendary industrial duo (and then some) Skinny Puppy succeeded in enlightening us to the ugliness of humanity and living in it, Rudy of :W: would give it to us with ease of understanding, not to mention rhythm to boot. Between the horrors of war (no secret which song that is), Christ's martyrdom for a race of sinners and the touchy theme of abortion/stillbirth, this is a collection of (mostly) dance tunes to excercise the mind as much as the body in clubs.

In categorizing, Embryodead just misses the general 'Industrial' label. Not by much, especially with songs like "War" and "Golgotha" present. But to be blunt, this is dance music by base, and industrial by effect. My preferred term would be Electronic Body Music (EBM), mayhap post-Industrial works as well. In any case, Rudy had definitely found himself in the vein of synth industrial by the time this fine album hit stores. And being a DJ before a songwriter, this album only seems natural evolution.

In all respects, this album is just as fun as it is eerie. It's also very pattern-based, which is no surprise from a DJ. But this makes some aspects repetetive, so listening in moderation is key. Just the same, there's no mistaking it: Where certain aspects fail in stand-alone songwriting, the dancefloor would be a paradise with virtually any of these songs playing. It's an essential for any fan of synth Industrial and electro-pop veins. Just don't play it to death.

Probably one of the most essential albums a person can own who is interrested in dark electro/indutrial music. This is an album that reflects a rather bazaar take on the issues of religion, war, and primarily abortion. Certainly a nihlistic album to say the least. .....though, verry, verry, verry well done. It's the absolute best Wumpscut album ever made.

This album is definitely one of my favorite albums of all time. I bought it about 3.5 years ago, and though I listen to it all the time, I'm far from being sick of it. The entire album is so dark and atmospheric, it feels as if you're being engulfed within a dark yet inviting world that is Wumpscut. I would highly reccoment this to anyone who likes any type of industrial or EBM.