Customer Reviews

Hardcore Vanilla

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In the beginning of December I saw Jared Louche perform a brief solo show, on top of a pub in London's Camden. Despite being backed only by a DAT and having an audience of a mere 30 people or so, the enigmatic former Chemlab front man did a performance that should make most bands envious. During the first song, the room was all dark, with Louche in prime showman mode swinging two lamps to the music, a new track that sounded like an odd but strangely catchy mixture of Autechre's harshness and the minimalistic vein of very early Front 242. The song was called "Heliophobic" and also opens the new H3llb3nt album "Hardcore Vanilla" (except for a brief intro), and it sounds just as good on record. With Bryan Black of Haloblack and Eric Powell of 16 Volt as main members, H3llb3nt manage to fuse the sound of contemporary electronic music with some much needed pop sensibility, and the raw edge of the best industrial music. It's an album filled with electronic dub, junkyard funk and digital noise, but its rough edges are perfectly contrasted by powerful song structures. "Hardcore Vanilla" features loads of brilliant programming - despite the minimalistic feel, there is a myriad of details. Chopped up trip hop loops, subtle samples and harsh rhythms fight for the attention. And although involving some ten different people, the album never feels sloppy or confused. Jared Louche show up on a few of the songs. "Switching off" sounds like a vocal cousin to 2nd Gen's "And/or" single, with hammering beats and a drill penetrating the chorus. "Jet Boy Machine" on the other hand takes the worn out quiet verse/loud chorus formula to new heights, with Bryan Black whispering over an ace bass line, and Louche screaming the chorus over waves of noise. Elsewhere, Raymond Watts moans and grunts his way through "Rubber Girls with Knives". But the biggest moment is without a doubt "Blo". Over a heavily erotic atmosphere, Anna Wildsmith of Sow whispers about "muscles of iron" in French. It's one of her best songs ever, and the perfect ending of an album that impressively manages to be both diverse and focused at the same time. http://www.releasemagazine.net/

this cd is mind blowing. the sound is so innovative and fresh. experimental, yet poppy if that makes sense. quirky, edgy, inspiring.... to be honest I don't like industrial music that much, but this album is great.

do you find yourself missing some of the magic that made dark, aggressive, electronic music some of the best music in existence? well then people listen up. this is a damn good cd. haloblack (bryan black) fans will recognize the deep bass lines and whispering darkness of foreboding excellence. chemlab fans will succumb to jared's vocals and find themselves feeling just a little bit sutured. there are other big hitters on this album as well...martin atkins the king of harshness, raymond watts of pig and kmfdm fame. nonetheless, this is worth owning and will end up in your stereo speakers taking you to the darkness that you so desire and of course being hellbent in the process.

This is the best album i've heard in years. It kinda nice to hear jared in action again!

I first decided to buy this CD when I downloaded some Haloblack from thesickcity.com. They were talking about this album that was coming out, and I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed, for the most part. It drags in a few places, but it is bascially AUTECHRe put to words in some parts, in others a more traditional techno-gone-vocal, and for the most part, it is just good abstract industrial. It has its low points, though, but they can be easily overlooked in favor of the good ones.

If you're an experienced Hellbent listener, this album might be your cup of tea, but if you're just getting this album because Raymond Watts is on it, you might want to think it over a little before buying it. A lot of the songs seem off beat and structured in a weird way. The vocals, especially the harmony on one song, can be a bit annoying too. Hellbent incorporates a theme of pretty much not utilizing any guitars...making it more spacey and more electronic than industrial and I think that maybe if they had a really great guitarist, it would bring a lot of subdued songs out of a relatively low key rut. Oddly enough, as I normally can't stomach Sow, on the track Blo, she gives one of her best perfomances yet...reminiscent of Cry Baby. If you like Haloblack, this might be the album you're looking for.

Don't miss this record !!! H3LLB3NT' Hardcore Vanilla is for the cyberpunk culture what NIN' Pretty Hate Machine is for the 90' industrial music. A masterpiece. Just check the songs 'Forget You', 'Heliophobic' or 'Jet Boy Machine'. You will see. Jared Louche is back and, with Eric Powell and Brian Black, he does some real damage - noises, sex and shaking beats ! "This is the sound of the final record." This is the sound of the future.

The song "jet boy machine" is the only cool track on this whole album. Hellbent is a side project from the frontman of the great Chicago industrial metal band Chemlab. This album, is not anything even close to being as good as a Chemlab album. I was quite dissapointed with this. Oh well.

Invisible Records put out 'Regurgitator'. The band DOES know that it exists, Bryan Black and Eric Powell were talking about it last year in IRC and on the 16volt.com message board.

This is a great great electronic album you can shake your bootay to!!! And Tom Servo is sooooooooo cute!!