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DERISION CULT “Mercenary Notes Pt. 2”
DERISION CULT “Mercenary Notes Pt. 2”
By Dr. Abner Mality
My first run in with these Chicago industrial metalists. I’ve not heard “Mercenary Notes Pt. 1” so I can’t say if they’ve grown, regressed or stayed the same. What I can say is that this generously sized EP lays down some pretty good industrial metal in the vein of MINISTRY...the apple did not fall far from the tree here.
The MINISTRY influence is not hidden and is immediately apparent. “Where Are You Now?” has that thrash-tinged heavy-beat sound that Uncle Al and his boys have been doing since “The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste”. The lead vocals here have a bit of a hillbilly twang to them and indeed, there’s a faint touch of rockabilly/alt-country that clings to songs like “Radiation Blues” and “Influence”...it’s not overwhelming, but there. Lots of processed vocal samples and bleeps and bloops pepper the music. The heaviness is apparent on “Warning Signs”, “Joker’s Wild” and “Abdication Day”...especially “Warning Signs”, which crushes. “Influence” and “Radiation Blues” are a bit of a slower grind with an almost bluesy feel, but still plenty chunky and glitchy...shades of KMFDM here.
We also get two “remixed” tracks. “Warning Signs” gets the Justin Broadrick treatment, which means the track gets converted to a GODFLESH cut of blown-out bass and pitch black darkness. “Radiation Blues” gets reworked by CYANOTIC, with the emphasis on electro-beats and danceability…nothing special there.
This is a fun listen if you like the industrial bands mentioned above. DERISION CULT know their territory well and stay in their lane. I’ve had a soft spot for this type of metal and this hits that spot.
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