Dawn Of Ashes / Falling Skies - Hollywood Made In Gehenna

Released just three months after Dawn of Ashes re-ignited their flare for Industrial with their Black Metal approach, and called it "Farewell To The Flesh", Kristof Bathory (Dawn of Ashes is now his solo project) has undergone a paradigm shift with "Hollywood Made In Gehenna". DOA, on this release, combine Shock Rock (very, very loosely) with Industrial Metal, and at times continue to acknowledge their roots.

They're accompanied by an upcoming Industrial Drum and Bass act (Yes, you read that right) called Falling Skies - a name you may recognise as they actually remixed a track on the previous EP.

The concept of this album is quite simple : Fuck Hollywood. Kristof has compared it to a barren, hellish location, having drawn upon his experiences in living there. It's textbook Dawn Of Ashes, but once again, not as you've ever heard them before.

Dawn Of Ashes

The Dawn of Ashes (Reincarnation In Blood) :- Starting with the more established act, Kristof wastes no time in introducing the familiar violent and uneasy sounds that he excels ever so well at. This track starts off in a Dark Ambient pigeonhole, and utilises a slow drum beat that builds up over the top of some male chanting. It's met with some eerie keys and the occasional bit of synth. At 1:22, the spoken vocals begin; the narrative talks about how the protagonist creates and destroys, marking both intent and concept quite venomously.

Hollywood Made In Gehenna :- Intended, as with all title tracks, to be the pinnacle of this era of Dawn of Ashes, Kristof hatefully sings about the falsity of Hollywood, whores, and everything he despises about it. It's performed with whispering vocals reminiscent of Mr Manson, accompanied by Metal Guitars.
It reminds me heavily of Antichrist Superstar era-work, but if you think Dawn of Ashes can be compared to Marilyn Manson any further than this, you're offensively wrong.
The track is excellently written, and in the aftershock of Kristof's move to Metal, one simple fact has been overlooked. His music is equally as talented and well written as anything was pre-2006. My sole criticism at this point is that some of the lyrics appear a bit pedestrian, but it goes with the musical style that he's taken.

Fuck Like You're In Hell :- The intro to this track is truly blissful. It's a really distorted guitar riff, slowed down to infinity and reminds me of Coil's "Are you Shivering?" - It's got that edge to it. His vocals have that knack for really sounding vile and scornful, and the backing samples during the instrumental section both reinforce the message, and keep the song interesting.

Further into the Abyss :- Likely the one you've been waiting for, this is the second song from Kristof's aggrotech era to be re-written in the new style. It starts off as the original track, and as soon as the infamous "What's in fucking side me?" sample starts, the goosebumps appear. Genuinelly talented musicians have the ability to turn a solely electronic song into something of a metal anthem. To hear this played out on Guitars is mesmerising, and the track pays plenty of allusion to its history, pleasing both sets of fans - I'd dearly love to see Flat-Line done in this style.

Synthetic 341 B (Dawn of Ashes - MIX) : - It's very rare to see a remix before the original, but the contrast between the artists makes it work. This track borrows heavily from Dubstep, a genre fast becoming a staple part of modern Industrial. Kristof has opened new wounds here and done a job worthy of significant praise.


Falling Skies

Synthetic 341 B :- Drum and Bass from the very first second, but what's this? It's met with Dark Electro samples, and I wonder if I'm right to be getting this excited? This is dangerous territory - it's largely risky and unchartered, but you know what? I'm liking this a LOT. I'd never imagine Drum and Bass to work with Industrial, but there's something addictive about this song. When the Dubstep kicks in and you get the familiar "wub wub" (This term really dis-credits the genre), you veer between 'what the fuck just happened' and ' why did it happen?', but both generate an air of positivity. Impressive.

The Creature : - You can tell by the title, can't you? This is gonna be awesome. No idea what's going on, my knowledge of the style that Falling Skies perform is limited, but this song is sublime. An absolute honour to hear time and time again, and more involved than an angry mother-in-law. It's Dubstep, Drum and Bass, Industrial, and it's right in your face. DOA may have set the foundations with Kristof's hostile vocals, powerful riffs, and bile-laden lyrics, but Falling Skies are happy to return blows in a riveting second side.

I fucking hate you (Featuring Kristof Bathory) : - Kristof's never been subtle, and this isn't going to change now. Straight away, heavy synth with a mini bass drops (yes!), and then the D'n'B kicks in. Who would have ever thought of combining Industrial Black Metal with a mainstream genre and made a success out of it? When Kristof's vocals start, the song becomes truly hateful, and his shriek of "I Fucking Hate You" provides the oddest of companions to a genre more renowed for chilling out.

Ending with "Hollywood made in Gehenna (Falling Skies - MIX)", the only real thought process remaining is something akin to falling onto my keyboard and hitting the enter button. There's some evil, deeply concerning alliance here. This should NEVER have worked, but it's possibly the surprise of the year. Two unsigned artists, brimming with talent, working together as well as Steak and Chips. The albums production is faultless, and Zila's artwork is brilliant.

Buy it. It's as good as free, and the bandcamp link is above. Well done guys. May 30 2012