FABRYKA INDUSTRIAL ROCK & METAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

Katarzyna NINa Górnisiewicz | Detailed or mini-review submissions: song, EP/album | Suggest an artist

In_zekT - Industrial-Scale Murder |self-released, single, 2015|

After their successful release of the ARTIFEX album in 2013, In_zekT had come up with another idea. The newest, over 20 minutes long extended single is made up of various compositional parts. It's an avant-garde suite, which technically could be compared to those better known from classical or progressive tracks, though In_zekT's music is definitely much more 'bratty' yet disciplined than these.

The first five minutes of the suite is built upon all-engaging dynamics. Ferocious arrangements were written for vocals, guitars, bass, drums and synths. All sounds are digitally altered however, which gives them a cybernetic-quality. The mood is aggressive, raging yet haunting and the inclusion of an EBM-like rhythm mixed with chunky guitar riffs will easily turn you into a headbanger in this pat.

Since it's also industrial, you should expect machines - their silent or very loud sounds such as clicking, buzzing, whizzing, hissing, humming etc. are a significant ingredient of In_zekT's music. These, along with saturated, dark ambient backgrounds become welcomed breaks between more turbulent arrangements. And so, the next few minutes of the single will turn your imagination on.

Then again, around 11th minute of the single, hell breaks loose again with uttermost intensity. Dense arrangements are expressed through a collaboration of heavy screams, digitalized drums, bass and chopped guitars. There's no place for spontaneity here, only discipline and order. Metal/djent fans will go crazy about the ultra fast tempo, atonal rhythm and violent formula which this part of Industrial-Scale Murder is made of.
Don't be fooled though when the follow-up comes out softer, melodious and even sentimental, thus letting the heart slightly drop its heightened beat. In_zekT knows how to shock a listener with a sound, therefore you'll definitely witness it while listening what's next.

The final portion of the single is 'the music of a vehicle', probably a bulldozer or excavator. If you enjoy environmental sounds so called 'field recordings' which are not synchronous, harmonic or pleasant for the ear, then you won't skip this part.

Technically speaking, the sound quality, the mastering and production of Industrial-Scale Murder are all brilliant - the bass is deep, the riffs are scalpel-sharp and omnipresent industrial samples are crystal clear. The separate parts link very smoothly. Yet, the arrival of a new arrangement is usually unexpected, so this should keep your ears and brain fully attentive.

The band members - Kjetil Ottersen (vocals, guitars, bass, synth, programming and sampling) and Peter Vindel (lead vocals, guitars, bass, synth, programming and sampling) admit to be inspired by works of Merzbow and other extreme noise-experimental artists, as well as hybrid metal bands such as Meshuggah.
To me, fans of djent style, or the likes of Strapping Young Lad, Devin Townsend, and Fear Factory may find Industrial-Scale Murder a must-have release. In addition, there are scarcely any new genres being coined these days but with this single, In_zekT is undoubtedly stepping into something new. Should it become mainstream? This is up to you, the listeners, to make it more known through your support.
Finally, according to the musicians, the concept of the single is based on a contemplation of events that unfolded throughout 2014 - a divide caused by conflicts between scarcely compatible societal models and civilizations.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Music Magazine, January 21st, 2015. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)

Katarzyna NINa Górnisiewicz | Detailed or mini-review submissions: song, EP/album | Suggest an artist

In_zekT - Artifex |self-released, 2013|

01. Strain Reactor, 02. ARTIFEX, 03. Sub-Humanist, 04. Overman, 05. Dialling the North Code, 06. Ionize, 07. Termination Sequence, 08. No Fate But What We Make, 09. This is Not an Exit, 10. [0]

Norwegian metal is best known for its straight-forward, merciless sound. It's no different here. This is one terrific album that takes what's best in industrial/cyber metal (raw anger, repetitions, sampling, SFX) and djent (atonal, down-tuned, stretched, syncopated guitar riffs) to a new level, creating a fresh, yet to be named genre.

In_zekT was founded in Norway in 2002. They started with a slightly different line-up, and their music initially sounded differently, too. A chance to meet Ministry's founder Al Jourgensen in 2003 had resulted in having Luc Van Acker (his mate from Revolting Cocks) produce In_zekT's debut release back then. Also Chris Vrenna (Tweaker) was involved in mixing one of the band's albums. Artifex however, begins a new, more extreme chapter in the band's career with two musicians in the line-up: Peter Vindel (lead vocals, guitars, synth, programming, sampling) and Kjetil Ottersen (vocals, guitars, synth, programming, sampling).

The first song leaves no space for guessing how the new chapter is being developed. "Strain Reactor" is a deeply guitar driven track, but the riffs are distorted by various effects and modifications making them sound industrial. Also vocals, delivered by guest vocalist Secthdamon, are slightly altered. The arrangements change and build up a solid, tight composition without overwhelming the listener.

"Artifex" starts with alarming, howling sirens. Then, electrifying guitar riffs along with drums and distorted vocals jump to the fore. The density of riffs, but also the combo of drumbeats and synths resemble motifs better known from newer Ministry and older Nine Inch Nails songs (the latter is specifically audible in the final part). The arrangements vary throughout the track, and the composition method makes it possible to avoid excessive repetitions. The bands operates with anger, tension, turmoil and silence very well.

"Sub-Humanist" erupts with no pause between the tracks. In fact, the rhythm keeps pumping so dynamically, that you'll probably begin headbanging right away. There are elements of thrash metal and a very little bit of electro, stimulated with modified, screamed vocals as well. The whole set is energizing and memorable, therefore I personally vote for "Sub-Humanist" as the best song on Artifex - at least when speaking of its 'metal' flavour.

After such a big dose of aggression, you may think that the musicians reached their limits and the next track can't be performed even more fiercely. Wrong. Each following song seems to sound angrier. "Overman" takes you on the first excursion into the world of dark tunes on this album - only at the beginning though, because wicked ferocity quickly breaks through the cinematic atmosphere. Buzzing, feedbacky, noisy industrial effects are sampled into the song, matching the other arrangements perfectly. Technically, some themes were gently borrowed from Fear Factory, but spiced up with In_zekT's own flavour.

Possibly to avoid a further escalation of mad energy, "Dialling the North Code" suddenly appears in a strangely fitting place on the tracklist. It's a dark ambient soundscape partly kept in vein of Mark Morgan's music (think of soundtracks to such classical video games as Fallout or Planescape: Torment). The cinematic, cold mood is enriched with deep thumping drones and undoubtedly reflects a story - one your mind may create when inspired by these dark sounds. Test your imagination. It's also an excellent track for a science-fiction movie or an artistic installation.

After the dour break, buzzing guitars make a return. "Ionize" begins with a shattered wave of mechanical drumbeats (there is no human drummer present in the band) followed by distorted vocals, guitars and minimally present synths. The beginning of the song sounds rather monotonous, regardless of its expressive fury. However, the track grows in time thanks to tempo changes, arrangement placements and guitars that occupy increasingly more space within the composition. There are powerful riffs in the middle of the song, while its ending is marked with significant fade out and silence.

Now, it's time for the apogee. A composition of "Termination Sequence" is long, for a reason. At first, it reflects what's labeled as cyber metal or futuristic metal thanks to specific sound effects mixed into the guitar driven arrangements (with a guest solo by Archaon) and a fiery performance. It then falls into an intriguing abyss of dark ambient soundscapes - drones, tiny buzzing, haunting passages, motifs of ocean and outer space, etc. - the mood changes drastically. The musicians deserve a standing ovation for the way they morph the end of the dark ambient part with the arrangement that follows, seamlessly leading through industrial tunes into metal again. The band accumulates all the features present in previous songs - diversified arrangements, a murky atmosphere and an explosive blast in the darkness. Not many metal artists can do it skillfully but In-zekT prove themselves. "Termination Sequence" is the other best track on the album, in terms of its overall value.

"No Fate But What We Make" begins with a healthy heartbeat, followed by sampling and altered, piercing guitar riffs as heard in some djent compositions. Vocals are slightly modified with distortions and SFX. The overall dynamics resembles a thunderstorm, yet changes throughout the track, including ambient passages. The middle of the song is melodic and memorable, with soft and gentle vocals. Yet another excellent conjunction between this and the return of guitars calls for respecting the musicians' skills.

The final two compositions, "This is Not an Exit" and "[0]" include a fair share of electronic and experimental sounds with additional samples provided by Vegard Dølerud. Guitars and metal arrangements appear throughout both compositions.

"[0]" is a noisy limbo, as experienced by someone attached to a rotary drill digging a corridor in a coal mine. The noise however slowly loses its dirty, confusing power to gain a dark ambient atmosphere in the end. It's a 22-minute long composition (that's how professional noise composers do it - check out i.e. the maestro known as Merzbow) - it may sound tiresome for most, but fans of experimental music should appreciate it.

In_zekT's artistic need for expression forged into Artifex resulted in a powerful, yelling blast and cold furious sounds penetrating deep enough to re-program your DNA - all that to make you remember their songs for a long time. Artifex keeps a perfect balance. The trick here is that both passionate and dark sounds build up a contrast which makes arrangements/songs emphasize one another. Moreover, this creates an acceptable tension, a method commonly used in classical music compositions.

This release is available in both digital and physical formats (digipack). Don't steal it, buy it. Support the band, because they turn their brainstorming into innovative music, successfully. The high quality of mastering and production (done by Peter and Kjetil with an additional engineering of Ronny Furuseth Kaasa) should help the album climb high in alternative music rankings.

(Katarzyna 'NINa' Górnisiewicz, Fabryka Magazine, February 18th, 2014. Proofreading: Mike 'Vesper' Dziewoński)