HYLI Vol. LXIV - Fear Factory and DRAIN
Andy sends Patrick some 90's industrial-influenced death metal and Andy sends Patrick some brand new Californian hardcore
Hello. Ya’ll like Playoff basketball? I do. It is the best part of basketball. Patrick thinks a week 3 Kings vs Cavs game is exciting but that just seems psychotic (Patrick: I like all basketball, I agree playoff basketball is the best, what are you trying to pull here?). I wish I could watch playoff basketball this year. My oldest daughter is “done” with pacifiers so this week has been a lot of laying in her bed and basically being like “please please go to bed I want to watch basketball” but it isn’t quite working. Oh well! Good thing this is a newsletter about music and not about basketball cause I have plenty of time to listen! Hope You Like It!
Fear Factory - Demanufacture
Andy: Do any of our dear readers enjoy events like Emo Nite and such? Not specifically emo-focused but like… genre-specific DJ nights? I feel like some folks turn their noses up at these events but they are so much fun (Patrick: I agree with Andy, friend of the newsletter Thomas Nassiff can get shit on). Get a few bevvies and just sing along with your friends. I went to a Nu-Metal night last week and had an absolute blast headbanging to “Break Stuff” by Limp Bizkit (an actual great song). Now, this is not Nu-Metal but it is close enough to help ease my comedown from the show.
Demanufacture is a concept album (those are fun, Y’all like Kezia?) that depicts the fight of a man against a government operated by machines. I enjoy this album but I can’t say I “love” it or spin it as often as some of the other classics we’ve highlighted here but it is an album that Patrick probably needs to know for his Advanced Placement History of Metal Exam (Patrick: I was going to respond in my normal way here when you say this wild stuff but I really just have nothing for you)(Andy: its call having fun).
That was a lot of words about nothing (Patrick: no kidding). This album is good. Riffs here are A+. Honestly, it always reminded me of a mature, evolved Static-X (Patrick: I didn’t think of this while listening but this makes a lot of sense, yeah). The industrial components are there, the riffs are there, the electronic components are there, it’s all there - just put together in a more refined package. Loads of metal and industrial bands that popped up in the late 90s and early 2000s took a page or two from Demanufacture's book. Slipknot, Rammstein, Marilyn Manson, Korn - all the big boys. You’ll hear it.
Hope You Like It!
Patrick: This fully ruled lol. So many good rippers here. Last year, I would really tear into Andy when he’d send metal with the super-quantized and fake-sounding drums. It turns out that I am totally cool with drums that sound fake like that when the general vibe of the album is industrial rock. This totally reminds me of the same lane as the Rammstein album from the end of last year and a Ministry/heavier Nine Inch Nails vibe.
The guy here isn’t an A+ clean singer but he doesn’t need to be since the instrumentation kinda carries the songs during those parts and since he is an A+ scream guy. I wasn’t aware there was a concept and that is generally less interesting to me, especially when the theme seems to just be the plot of Wall-E (Andy: jesus man lol), but I will simply just ignore the lyrics every time I listen to this and get taken away by the screams and the riffs. Man, there are a lot of great riffs. I love the playing on “Replica.”
My only issue with this one is the length. I’m not sure I needed a 9-minute closer to an album that was already 45 minutes long before reaching the closer. Over half the songs are over 5 minutes long and a lot of the shorter ones feel less necessary (with the exception of “Flashpoint,” which rips). I think I’ll come back to about half these songs on some playlist a lot but I’m not sure how often I’ll slog through the whole album, as much as I enjoyed it. Fun time! Fake drums can be fun too! I learned so much this week!
DRAIN - Living Proof
Patrick: Andy spent the last two weeks sending me 2023 releases so I figured I would send him a 2023 release. Of course on the week I decide to do this he sends me one of the oldest albums he has selected, but I digress.
A lot has been made lately in the more “mainstream” music media of hardcore having “a moment” right now. I think that’s great and fun. Sometimes the people come off a bit like dorks gawking through a window at something that isn’t really theirs, but spotlight is spotlight and a rising tide lifts all boats, or whatever. DRAIN seems like a band that has benefitted more from the rising tide than pretty much anyone else, with a few exceptions. Their monthlies on Spotify are well over 100K at this point (Andy: wild to me), which is fucking sick for a band that almost immediately lets an “EAGH” rip in the vocals. I haven’t loved their previous stuff, which is still fun but maybe not great, but I fully love Living Proof.
“FTS (KYS)” has suuuuch a fun riff. Great thrashy stuff that still feels like hardcore. The drums go absolutely insane during the verses here too. “Imposter” is one of my favorite tracks of the year so far - just an absolutely insane vocal performance from Sammy Ciaramitaro. I predict Andy might not like the intermission (Andy: wow, you mind reader, you) because he’s weird about rap but I find it to be fun and charming. The Descendents cover is so fun and more convincing pop-punk than pretty much any original band doing it right now. The title track closes the album out and is the longest song here at over 3 minutes, which feels like “Stairway to Heaven” compared to the rest of the tracks on the album. Such a fun, groovy riff. Such a fun, sick album. I love it. Hope You Like It.
Andy: Patrick swapped records on me on Friday and I would like the record to show I did not complain once (Patrick: the album was released on Friday, relax). I love that he is out here recommending some hardcore punk albums instead of singer-songwriters (Patrick: don’t test me). You only have to wait 43 seconds into the first song to get the first “EAGH”.
This is some great thrashy, metallic hardcore from the boys in DRAIN. Very, very much my speed. Feels heavier than their previous record and the breakdowns are slower (which is better). Engaging, entertaining, and mosh-pit rallying riffs here. Sammy Ciaramitaro loves to make a fun noise on vocals.
We do not need the intermission in any capacity (Patrick: terrible take from you). Talk about a momentum killer. “Good Good Things” is good because, as we know, All Covers Are Good (Patrick: great take). 10 songs in 25 minutes is what we live for (Patrick: I am taking note that you sent me an 11 song, 56 minute album but okay). Your songs either need to be 10 minutes or 2 minutes. Take me on a journey or get me in and out.
I’m okay if you keep recommending hardcore Patrick. I liked the last album and I like this one (Patrick: coming up next week, it’s Bobby Dylan!) (Andy: *darth vader nooooooooo*).