Music to Warzone To, Vol. 1

RAT WARS ULTRA EDITION – HEALTH

You want some cyberpunk goodness? Well HEALTH has got you covered. Thes LA rockers, are truly experimental and straddle the line between industrial and calming soundscapes better than many other bands that have tried in the past, give “CHILDREN OF SORROW” a listen if you don’t believe me.

The droning vocals paired with the peppy drums and earsplitting guitar effects on CRACK METAL are a highlight for me. The percussion in “HATEFUL” feel particularly nostalgic to me, reminding me of Stabbing Westward’s work in the mid aughts, just in case you were worried that HEALTH didn’t have any diversity in their sound. “DSM-V” is also a treat, but that might be because I’ve had to reference that damn book more than once. The ways that the whole album builds and releases tension is the perfect encapsulation of WZ:E, taking your chances and watching carnage unfold at every corner.

METAWAR – 3TEETH

Industrial metal styled group “3TEETH” put out this aggressive, cyberpunk af album back in 2019, and it still hits well even today. It’s not hard to see the connections between it and life under a megacorp. It even starts off with a series of news reports and advertisements overlaid with white noise, quiet drums, and synth, just to really bring the point home.

This album will especially hit well with fans of old Marylin Manson (especially the Holy Wood album cycle). It’s industrial, gritty, and wants to be smooth and prickly at the same time. The songs also feel like a packaging together of intricate sounds, to unravel it all each chorus.

“SELL YOUR FACE 2.0” is my personal favorite on the album, it hits that corporate hellscape feeling perfectly, and explores the ways that our identities are being given up to the machine. The album closes with a cover of “PUMPED UP KICKS,” which trades in the poppy polish of the original to really explore the dark themes of that song (the original still slaps tho!)

Cyber Warfare – Ho99o9

Keeping up with the cyberpunk inspired playlist (for now!) comes a fusion of hiphop, punk, and metal that I have never been able to put down for more than a few weeks since first hearing it. A duo from New Jersey, ho99o9 (pronounced “Horror”) have hit on something really unique. While they are still releasing killer albums, something about this EP has some serious lingering power.

The opening track, “Master of Pain (Error)” sets the scene perfectly, with a monologue from a serial killer all moody and plodding until resolving into a mess a blast beats and screaming from the duo. It doesn’t stop there however, “Plexiglass” comes rights after, going back and forth between melodic singing for the verses and punk speed and aggression for the chorus. There’s also something quite entertaining about the way the line “I lost all my drugs” is delivered.

And of course, I have to mention that they have a song called, “Shadowrun” in case you really need to be convinced that they fit into this list.

The Maze to Nowhere – Lorn

A low-key album compared to everything else on this list, starting with a synth string heavy soundscape, and moving through hypnotic tracks that never speed up. Don’t mistake that for a lack of interest or texture though. “Oxbow B” starts with some amazing chunky sounding synth work and winds up into itself, inviting you along at every step. “Acid Rain,” which comes right in the middle of the album, is a gem of a song, even if you don’t listen to the whole album, listen to this one.

This album is sinister, a chilling, slow pinch of an icepick into your heart. It’s the soundtrack of Doomtroopers making a slow sweep through a dark citadel, with the Dark Legion’s forces watching, waiting for the right time to ambush. The slow beats create impatience, you’re waiting for the method to untangle itself into the chaos of a firefight at any time. Of course, this impatience and lack of resolution is the point, the album is, after all, “The Maze to Nowhere.”

Endless Torment – Dead Heat

Now this is where the Dark Symmetry (and Algeroth!) truly shine: Metal!

Not only does the cover of this album scream Algeroth, but the music you’ll find inside has all those old school sensibilities of thrash metal that you could want. You’ve got the driving guitars, strong bass, and the vocal mixing that transports you a dark basement somewhere to what them play. The album isn’t all aggression though, with some “Tears of the Wolf” being an oddly emotional ballad (as much a ballad as thrash can get) about losing a close friend. This feeds right into the calm and rejuvenating intro of “Hard Reset” until they come back and finish out strong with three solid minutes showcasing their metal chops.

If you’re not sure how you would feel about something this hard, I would ask if you ever enjoyed a DOOM soundtrack. If the answer is yes, then you need to listen to this EP immediately.

DeadHeat is a west coast group that was recently on tour with Cavalera, which is how I discovered them. So far the editors have not given me a credit card to do research like this for all of you, but I think we have a game scheduled that has it on the line.