Customer Reviews

Implements of Hell

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am a fairly a new fan to Suicide Commando. I didn't get into SC's music until a few years ago with Bind, Torture, and Kill. I recently bought the new Suicide Commmando album when I saw the video for Die MutherF***** Die!" on youtube and just fell in love with Johan's vocals and hard hitting dance beats. While I did like Bind, Torture and Kill, I felt the album could have been used a bit more editing, not with Implements. I felt the length of the album to be just perfect. It wasn't too long, nor too short. I love this type of music. Both the lyrics and music is caustic and abrasive. I find Johan's music very conducive when I am at work and is a great way to motivate me to work. There is not one single track on the album I did not enjoy. I can listen to the entire album without skipping a single track.

About the Band:
Fronted by Belgian Johan Van Roy, Suicide Commando is the seminal example of an industrial sub-genre known as terror electronic body music (EBM). Like most terror EBM acts, Suicide Commando can be characterized by the use of distorted and twisted vocals over an intense and pounding militaristic beat. As the name of the band might suggest, the lyrics take on an extremely dark subjects, focusing on death and murder. In general, this genre of music isn't seriously promoting or glorifying anything, but is audio art designed to convey an emotional sense of fear and terror.

Note:
There are at least two editions of IoH available here on amazon. A regular 11 track album and a 2-disc limited edition. My review is focused on the first track, as I have a separate review of the remix disc included in the limited edition. I actually own the limited edition.

About the Album:
Aptly named, Implements of Hell (IoH) is a solid follow-up Van Roy's Bind, Torture, Kill. Though I personally hold BTK and his Cause of Death: Suicide / One Nation Under God Double EP to be Suicide Commando's finest offerings, IoH reminds me more of his breakthrough album Mind Strip. The pace of the songs is faster, more aggressive, and a bit more dynamic than in BTK. While most people may like this, I have always felt that the strength of Suicide Commando lies in how Van Roy blended the style of the Klinik with the more modern terror EBM themes and faster tempo. The question then is how does IoH weigh in relative to Mind Strip in my mind, and the answer is I like IoH more because enough of the BTK and pre-Mind Strip sound is also featured in IoH.

The first track "Intro" is a 1950s styled movie crawl theme, and I quickly took it off my iTunes shuffle. Not that it is bad, it is short and just an intro. But it does not really do anything for me, and the tracks on IoH do not tell a running story (at least I couldn't find a progression). When I suggested that IoH is closer to Mind Strip than BTK, I specifically had tracks such as "Death Cures All Pain", "God Is In the Rain", and "DMD" (abbreviated due to the explicit nature of the track name) in mind. They are fine tracks and will make fine additions to a dance club mix, though my favorite tracks "Severed Head", and "Until We Die" were generally slower (Van Roy included the BPM for each track in the liner notes). And though I lumped "God Is In the Rain" in the category of faster, Mind Strip-era, songs, it is hands down my favorite IoH offering. Featuring compelling lyrics and a fairly simple and straight-forward melody, it really represents the best blend of late 1980s minimalist EBM with early 2000s influenced terror EBM.

It is worth noting that the track "Hate Me" is a remix of an exclusive track originally released in 2007. Personally I prefer the original track (as well as the Leaether Strip remix), as the lyrics of the original version are easier to understand. This is particularly important to me as this track makes a statement easily applied to people's perceptions of terror EBM. In the song the protagonist basically is declaring that he knows people are judging him based on his music and appearance, but he does not care. The good news is the other two "Hate Me" versions are included in the limited edition IoH release.

Summary:
Though I've rated this album higher than the limited edition, the price at the time of writing this review makes it worth buying the limited edition. All the tracks on the regular release are Suicide Commando tracks, whereas the limited edition is largely remixes of tracks from the regular release by other industrial artists and this may not appeal to as many people. Bottom-line: IoH is a strong, fun album that will appeal to terror EBM fans.

[NOTE: This review is for the limited edition of Suicide Commando's Implements of Hell. Tracks included on the regular album will be discussed in my (and other people's) reviews of the regular album. The lyrics on this album are explicit.]

The Limited Edition basically includes a second bonus disc featuring 11 remixes of a couple of the songs on the regular edition and one new remix from the One Nation Under God / Cause of Death: Suicide double EP released back in 2004. (BTW the ONUG/CoD:S double EP is arguably one of the best examples of terror ebm and worth getting.) The bands Xotox and Leaether Strip are the most prominent of the remix artists, and both effectively blended their style with Johan Van Roy's. The song "DMD" (abbreviated due to its explicit song title) is remixed three times, but each remix is different enough that it is not like listening to the same song over and over. A video clip of "DMD" is also included as the 12th track (for PC use).

Sadly two of my favorite tracks on the regular album, God Is In the Rain and Come Down with Me, didn't make the remix list for the bonus disc. Fortunately, a God Is In the Rain EP was released, which included a GSItR remix by EBM giant Wumpscut. This EP can be bought separately or with the Implements of Hell boxed set.

As for the remixes on IoH CD2, some of them I liked ... others less so. The Komor Kommando Severed Head remix is an example of a remix that I enjoyed much less than the original. Severed Head was originally a Belgian styled minimalist EBM (think early Klinik), while the Komor Kommando remix is more aggressive, busier, and cartoon-like. It would be more fitting within a mid-200s or current era cyber goth club or late-1990s rave and works well with ray guns and glow sticks. It isn't a bad track, but the original really was one of the better tracks on the regular edition album (I'd argue that the original track is a good Belgian beer, while the remix is some overpriced, over engineered cocktail - it will get you somewhere faster, but you'll likely miss out on the point of the drink).

Sticking with the Severed Head track discussion, I liked the Beheaded remix by Schattenschlag better, but still preferred the original. The Schattenschlag version has a powernoise style similar to the music from bands like C/A/T or Noisex, defined by a steady beat.

Overall:
Without going into a lengthier track by track analysis, my overall impression of the remix CD is it is worth a shelling out a few extra bucks to purchase, especially if you'll end up playing the tracks in random sets / playlists. The remix disc takes the basic Suicide Commando sound and blends it with various electronic / industrial sounds that you might associate with many of your own favorite artists ... and ultimately that makes it fun to try and describe what and who you hear within each remix.

There are a handful of acts which comprise the top tier of the contemporary dark electro/ebm/industrial field: Tactical Sekt, Hocico, Grendel, Dawn of Ashes, and without a doubt Suicide Commando. This guy practically invented the "hellektro"/terror ebm genre, and if he didn't invent it, he played a major role in the evolution of the sound.

Implements of Hell is another masterpiece recording from SC. There is no slackening of the energy and power that distinguishes Suicide Commando's music, and the songs are more layered, complex, and yet melodic and incredibly stompy as well. One of the nice things about the album is there is no filler at all- each song is fully realized - there isn't a weak moment on the disc. Just about every song on the disc could easily be a single and be played in a club.

Almost all of the songs are in English, which is too bad for us fans of German industrial. The content of the songs is no departure from the usual concerns: loss of faith/hope etc., murder, mayhem, serial killings, and general bad feelings. While it is tempting to wonder if dark ebm could ever find a few more topics to address, it is easy to appreciate yet another take on these familiar themes, when it is done with such polish, craftsmanship, and energy, as it is on Implements of Hell.

This is really just a standout album that would appeal equally to existing fans of SC, as well as those who haven't heard him before.

Implements of Hell was not as good as some of the earlier releases especially axis of evil. This is too aggro-tech for my taste. If the lastest trend in ebm is your thing, then you will enjoy this album. If you want your techno with a little political sarcasm and some highly infectious beats, you may be disappointed with his new approach for this album.

I own all the SC albums and love their music. I was a little disappointed as of late. The song "God Is In The Rain" is a prime example, it had many possibilities but ultimately fell a little short. The last great song they made was "Hate Me". This album seems too cluttered with too many effects that just don't do the job. The bands evolution until this point was amazing and well worth listening to. But this last release with the exception of a few songs is not very good IMO. Tracks 8, 9 and 10 are pretty good. I'm sorry but I don't feel the sheer terror when listening to this album, as I felt on their previous albums. It feels a little ripe, and as you know we SC fans love it raw.

Johan Van Roy is simply amazing when it comes to Terror EBM. This album is no exception, one of his best works yet. For those who are familiar with his and other similar artists work will definitely appreciate it. From the harsh melodic beats to distorted vocals, everything is as perfect as it gets. This album gets Five stars from me.

The second album, the remixes, it was not to my expectation, they are simply so so. I give three stars for the remixes.

Lyrics are in english, music is basicly techno-industrial. If you like aggressive industrial based electronica than Suicide Commando is exactly the artist for you. This album (implements of hell) is in many ways a follow up album to the previous album (bind, torture, kill). Lots of cussing, lots of violence! As far as the whole "terror EBM" genre goes...Suicide Commando makes the short list of the most important bands to know. Evil electronic dance music for fans of WUMPSCUT, HOCICO, COMBICHRIST, and PSYCLON NINE.

Love this album by Suicide command especially the first 5 tracks. If you are a fan of Suicide Commando and horror ebm get this immediately.