Jax M's Reviews

A tight album that pivots from industrial snarl to hypnotic bounce. "Alarm" and "Cenotaph at Cheops" are favorites of mine. This California-based indie electronic project was mostly active from 1995-2011. Their sound evokes a dark neon future unshackled to any of the "-wave" bandwagons.
Review Date: 2/26/2023

"Let's Live for Today" is a beautiful song, but there's more lovin' where that came from! "Bella Linda" is another cute one, and there are plenty of other toe-tappers and heartwarmers here.
Review Date: 5/1/2007

Don't miss Meg Lee Chin's "Just One Fix"--she's so cool. Original Ministry is unbeatable, but this is fun for fans.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

Ah-nuld starred in some of the best action movies of the '80s and early '90s. Some of them had equally entertaining soundtracks, especially the choir-laden epic Conan the Barbarian. The music from Running Man is simple, futuristic and unforgettable. This disc is a great way to sample music from movies you know and love, instead of buying 8 different soundtracks off the bat!
Review Date: 4/1/2007

In 2002, the state of metal was pretty sorry. Overplayed Top 40 hits had edged out true rock on the radio, and everything was starting to sound the same. Then one day, Audioslave released "Cochise". And everything changed. For the first time in a long time, I actually turned up a song I'd never heard before and thrashed along. In the wake of Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine, members combined to create this awesome new sound.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

Great glimpse into the early years of Numan's career, during his rapid rise to fame and the development of several signature hits. Hear some of his best songs from Replicas and Pleasure Principle: not only stripped down for live performance, but halfway out of the demo process.
Review Date: 12/14/2007

huh-huh-huh-huh, huh-huh-huh Beavis you suck. Some of the MTV icons' favorite rock songs, with their "special" brand of commentary.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

After delivering her heaviest material on Dangerous Curves, Lita Ford went right off the road into Melissa Etheridge-4 Non Blondes territory. She even adopted some whiskey-soaked blues, with harmonicas wailing all over the place. Lita can't resist shredding here and there, and really brings the metal on "Boilin' Point", but overall it's a mature departure from the sound that made her famous. One can't blame her for chilling out and going alternative, as she'd been partying nonstop for 20 years.
Review Date: 3/20/2008

What's cooler than Metallica? How about Metallica covers by scary industrial groups! They're not all dark and punishing; Tennis's cover of "Low Man's Lyric" is quite pretty. But mostly you're in for awesome beats, exactly the hyperloud reign of terror you would expect from something bearing the names "Metallica" and "Apoptygma Berzerk".
Review Date: 4/1/2007

Doom-laden lo-fi, indie industrial instrumental with just a hint of metal and even a free jazz piece...could do well as an anime soundtrack
Review Date: 11/7/2008

Dark & moody, for an aching heart
Review Date: 4/1/2007

What craziness! This is a very diverse compilation, even for Invisible Records. I've never even heard of some of these acts--they go beyond industrial into Talking Heads & Joan Jett territory.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

All the geeky charm of a Jonathan Coulton, a bit more fanciful and lo-fi electronic.
Review Date: 3/7/2008

A dark, growling groove that seems socially relevant under all the noise.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

may contain bonus DVD
Review Date: 5/2/2007

Keydragon is firmly fantasy metal, but flirts with Ministry here and there. The unusual choice of a saxophone to supplement some songs is interesting. Do you know someone obsessed with dragons? Keydragon worships them.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

A radical departure from most Invisible Records fare finds Mr. Pounder evoking Blade Runner and certain darker animes. Instruments both conventional and unconventional (theremin!) in unconventional, sometimes minimalist compositions. Not so much for relaxing as reflecting.
Review Date: 12/12/2007

The back cover says it is a collection of electro artists with a spiritual theme to their music. What this means is you get the sounds of Delerium, a little Deep Forest, some Information Society, and even a rollicking folk-jam (Round and Round). So if you like ebm and ambience, this is a relaxing, upbeat collection for all occasions.
Review Date: 2/24/2008

Junkyphunk is the ultimate in DIY industrial. I've never heard an album sound this good that claims to have been recorded in a Texas bedroom. He's not just a button-pusher, Phil is a skilled songwriter and plays a mean guitar. You won't regret giving it a try.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

Even a casual fan of James O'Barr's The Crow will want this experience. Epic darkwave cowritten by O'Barr and John Bergin (Trust Obey), w/guest from Paved in Skin. This album was originally a rare exclusive packaged with a limited deluxe hardcover Crow collection, but was re-released on its own with a limited poster print of O'Barr's first ever Crow drawing.
And as for the music itself? Dark industrial at times resembling Nine Inch Nails, Cubanate and any number of coldwave/doom metal bands. The last 2 tracks re atmospheric soundtrack-type pieces. I only wish the vocals were a bit louder in the mix--when he's calm, Bergin sounds like Curse Mackey of Evil Mothers. My favorite track of the bunch is "Blessing of the Pig" with its midpoint meltdown and subsequent revenge of resurrected guitars.
Review Date: 12/3/2007

There's so much going on here...from progressive metal to light rock a la "Brown Eyed Girl"...this is one man's spiritual journey, facing the crises of his life and searching for meaning. You can feel the pain of his loss, and the hope he discovers.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

The inexorable approach of something as oblivious as it is massive. Half-heard thoughts from half-remembered dreams, not your own. Machinery that rattles and pumps without cease, though rusting, untended under skies that have never seen a sun.

Amazingly, all recorded live to tape.
Review Date: 8/21/2018

Science fiction-infused rock, paying tribute to Michael Moorcock, Elfquest, Lord of the Rings, and more. This album also features an impressive multi-song pirate epic. Zakas works with a variety of musicians, incorporating dub, surf and metal into an eclectic musical adventure not easily forgotten or classified.
Review Date: 10/29/2008

Some of the best tracks and mixes from Invisible Records in 1997. Evil Mothers, Test Dept, Lick, and of course Pigface all contribute among others.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

3 CDs of bizarre electronica
Review Date: 5/11/2007

Mad Finnish sound artist! From fun to haunting, but mostly fun. I assume it was done with editing software and freakishly programmed sampling keyboards. Do you make music on your computer? Check it out.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

It's pure metal, the way you never hear it on the radio! Angry? Had your fill of weak, whiny mallcore that sounds more like rap or emo? Take a bite out of some real man's metal (and woman's). Horifixion does it hard.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

Some of the guitar queen's hardest rockin' tunes, but wait! Hellraiser is a previously unavailable track from the "lost" Bride Wore Black sessions! Did Sharon Osbourne make a mistake when she passed on this one? Would it have been as big a mainstream hit as Kiss Me Deadly?
This was the first Lita Ford CD I bought, and it got me hooked! Lita has that special quality to her voice that says "I'm gonna wipe the floor with you".
Review Date: 2/23/2008

Live Through This is that rare album that grabs you by the shoulders and rocks in your face for 40 minutes. Certainly Hole sounded similar to Nirvana at this point, but that didn't automatically translate into fans: Courtney was shunned by many Kurt fans for riding his coattails, allowing him to die, or for being just plain scary. Anyone denying themselves the listen of this album for the above reasons is not only missing out on one of the decade's finest records, but also a piece of rock history. Every song has great hooks and defiantly powerful lyrics. Courtney's voice does it all: the agonized croon of broken-hearted Heart, the instant-gratification-demanding swagger of Wendy O. Williams, and the "gonna wipe the floor with your face" roar a la Lita Ford. Small wonder that she's such an accomplished actress.
Review Date: 2/2/2009

A superior techno-industrial act. I especially recommend tracks 1 & 6. There is also live concert footage of DF's Relic on this disc.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

Rad!
Review Date: 5/23/2007

This was very hard to find when I was looking to buy it. More ADD/hyperactive raver techno in the mold of the movie hit "Techno Syndrome". Each playable fighter from the original MK game, + Goro, gets a song praising his/her prowess. The ones I remembered best were Kano and Sonya Blade: "--it's me, the lady with the energy, can't you see, the power in me, Go go go"
Review Date: 4/1/2007

MORTAL KOMBAAAAT! If you loved this movie as much as I did, you didn't care how silly you looked "dancing" and mock-fighting your friends to this theme song. Now enjoy 4 remixes plus the original "Techno Syndrome"! Test your might.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

Cool! Any Black Sabbath/Ozzy fan should appreciate it, and if you're not familiar with Black Sabbath's classics, then shame on you for calling yourself a metalhead! Perhaps you've heard of Megadeth? or Godsmack? or the cybermetal groove machine known as Static-X? Even rapper Busta Rhymes pays tribute to the groundbreaking sounds of Black Sabbath. Even the cover illustration is evil.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

If you're looking at a 2-disc version, Disc 1 is the actual album "A New High in Low" and Disc 2 is a more experimental recording, mainly an audio story narrated by Genesis P-Orridge with percussion backing. In the 3-disc 2007 re-issue version, the Genesis disc is gone and you get:
"A New High in Low" album with a few bonus tracks
"Below the Belt" remix album of A New High in Low
"Eat Sh*t You F***ing Redneck" the live album of the period
The original tracks are ok, but the remixes on Below the Belt are a level up. Below the Belt is my favorite Pigface album to date (a close contest with the Crackhead remix album). YMMV for live albums.
Review Date: 8/18/2018

Henry Rollins seems happier this time out, but he still pulls no punches. There's some memorable tunes here, including the jazzy "Let That Devil Out".
Review Date: 4/1/2007

In the vein of 311, Crazy Town, and Everlast, Scapegoat has a direct but melodic rapping style as well as proto-Maroon 5 sound. Feel-good urban production. He also dares to use the sitar, rhyme with "orange", and disclose what an "Okeeblow" actually is.
Review Date: 9/18/2008

Fresh!
Review Date: 5/23/2007

A split CD of both the Panchroma and Colors*Sparks*Signals projects. Panchroma clearly evokes Delerium and such New Age electronica. The other part of the CD seems to be shorter experiments in sound texture. Relaxing, sometimes very pretty.
Review Date: 12/12/2007

Gary Numan fans rejoice! This is a very diverse collection, with several cool covers of classic Numan hits and lesser-known gems. There's techno, pop, rock & rap from chart-toppers and obscure acts alike.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

I've heard J.O. compared to Janis Joplin. J.O. lives up to this comparison. Don't let the big single fool you; "One of Us" is a fine song but doesn't show off her raw blues, her true vocal range, her clever, heartfelt lyrics. This is a trip and a half!
Review Date: 6/30/2008

This is a lot of fun, but the stand-out tracks are the Utah Saints' mix of "Dreaming" and Armand's take on "Atomic". If you can picture Pink Floyd's hammers marching around in a fortress, discovering a radiation leak, and fleeing to a rave, that is the musical journey of Armand's Short Circuit mix of Atomic.
Blondie fans who like to dance, don't miss it.
Review Date: 4/28/2007

This CD is very hard to find these days. Norman Orenstein gave the Robocop TV movies almost a western theme in some parts of the score. You know Murphy's one of your favorite heroes.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

Toadies tunes vary between grunge and post-grunge. Some songs closely resemble Nirvana material, others sound more like the radio hit Possum Kingdom, lyrics are often unsettling, and vocals are often delivered in a John Fogerty shrill...good all around, but firmly fixed in its time period.
Review Date: 9/11/2008

Scary industrial from a queen of a distant planet! Sex, violence and ray guns bombard the listener. The best track is the anti-drug (?) anthem "Needle". The art on this album deserves special mention for recalling pulp scifi and space opera comics.
Review Date: 4/1/2007

Where CTRL's indispensable follow-up "Is Burning" pulsates, this one glitters. On "Is Burning", they amped up their beats, samples, melancholy, anger, and everything, but all those elements are here in the more raw and sharp-edged first record. Varied enough for the introspective goth loner and dance-crazed raver and everyone in between. Wordless track "Xor Process" combines a bunch of sounds that in other hands would amount to chaos and ugliness, and comes up with something wonderful. "Olos" is upbeat and pretty, while doom-laden "Test Department" sends its vox processing for the jugular. Get some CTRL and your boredom is cured!
Review Date: 1/25/2013

Static-X steps in a new direction on Shadow Zone, their 3rd album. More melodic and singable than any previous release or the 4th album "Start a War", Shadow Zone is an album to listen to over and over again. The "crunch" is still there, their distinctive brand of cybermetal. Kicks the crap out of Spineshank.
Review Date: 4/28/2007

When you want to show off your new sound system, THIS is the cd to put on. Friendly drum n bass with a New Age atmosphere.
Review Date: 5/13/2008

You will appreciate this cd set if you have really BIG subwoofers and want to make some noise. This is mostly ambient drum 'n bass, some more energetic than others.
Review Date: 11/16/2007

Running time about 66 min. Not "hardcore/punk" as the system would have you believe, but rather a psychedelic-inspired jam session. Split-channel guitars are always cool (one guy is playing on your right speaker and one guy is on the left). The vocals are a weird sort of spoken word poetry. I used to put this on while I was playing Doom II.
Review Date: 3/17/2008

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