Music Exile - CD Reviews

NOXIOUS EMOTION


	Album: “Elements” (2000) Label: ADSR Musicwerks Style: Electro-industrial Songs: 10	A
Reviewed by: Darklight I was not too impressed with Noxious Emotion’s previous CD "Symbols" as it offered fairly generic and boring electro-industrial music. However, this album is a lot better delivering very high quality music. This band has really improved in every area from the vocals to the song structures. On "Symbols" the singer talked out the lyrics in a dull fashion on every song. However, here he not only talks out the lyrics, but sings with melody as well. Also, his deep slightly growling word speaking has improved and includes a lot more variety from song to song. The music on "Symbols" was simplistic and empty featuring repetitive electronic sounds and drum beats that never drew you in. But on this CD the music blends a lot of great diversity with creative electronic programming, dramatic synth melodies and dance floor caliber beats. There are a lot of layers to the music so the listener gets treated to many different and interesting sounds and harmonies. Some tracks are dark, angry and aggressive while others are more relaxed and harmonic. So there’s definitely a lot of variety to be found here. Another thing that brought "Symbols" down were the many out of place instrumentals. This CD only features two instrumentals, and they’re both good and fit well on the album. While the vocals and music are top notch here, the lyrics are also well written. This is good for the fact that you can understand what is being said quite clearly. What is most impressive about the songs on this CD is that they’re all equally compelling. When one song ends you look forward to the next knowing it’s going to be just as enjoyable. I like a CD that I don’t have to skip past any mediocre tracks to get to the desirable ones. There are a lot of varying moods and emotions in these songs making them an experience to listen to. This is the type of album that you can enjoy listening to a lot. While at first the songs might sound similar to each other, after a few listens you will really hear the diversity in them. Noxious Emotion have proven with this release that they’re one of the best American electro-industrial bands making music today.
	Album: "Symbols" (1999) Label: ADSR Musicwerks Style: Electro industrial Songs: 14	C
Reviewed by: Darklight I expected this CD to be really good considering how excellent Noxious Emotion's previous release "Count Zero" was. However, this CD is a disappointment. This is pretty standard electro industrial music that is fairly generic and repetitive without a lot happening in it. Most of the tracks here play at a medium pace and feature light techno style textures that keep anything from sounding too dark. The music plays along at a rather drab pace while the vocals just read the lyrics over it. The singer has a rough voice that is rather dreary and never does much more than just shout out the words. The lyrics are not that well written for the most part. Listen to the song "The Unknown" and you'll know what I mean. Some are more interesting than others, but never seem too creative or come from a true personal level. For the most part the music on this CD is created with basic electronic programming, light synths and repetitive drum beats. The vocals just speak in a drone tone over everything. Nothing ever gets that exciting. This CD just never pulled me in. On top of all this, there are four out of place ambient instrumental fillers. There is one song "Entropy" that shows the band still has it in them to create some quality music. It's just too bad that they don't do it more often here. This CD sounds like it came out before "Count Zero", since that release seems so much more creative and polished. I hope that their next release is more like it.
	Album: "Count Zero" (1996) Label: ADSR Musicwerks Style: Electro industrial Songs: 12	B
Reviewed by: Darklight The songs presented on this album deliver dark, moody, and emotional electronic rhythms and beats combined with harmonic synth melodies and slighty distorted growling male vocals. The overall sound of the music is very clean and polished with interesting layering of sci-fi electro sound effects, haunting synths, and samples. Each song will grab your attention right from the start, and take you on an enjoyable ride through a twisting electronic maze. It's good to see a band such as this one really experiment with electronics, but still make rather structured music that draws you in and could also work on the dance floor. The feeling of the songs are rather dramatic as well as harsh and energetic with a touch of anger and aggression for good measure. This band seems very passionate with the music that they create, and appear to know what they are doing. There are three instrumentals found here that I could have done without. But the nine songs with vocals are excellent, and do make this album stand out. This is a must for fans of electro industrial music.

NOXIOUS EMOTION

Album: “Elements” (2000)
Label: ADSR Musicwerks
Style: Electro-industrial
Songs: 10

Reviewed by: Darklight

I was not too impressed with Noxious Emotion’s previous CD "Symbols" as it offered fairly generic and boring electro-industrial music. However, this album is a lot better delivering very high quality music. This band has really improved in every area from the vocals to the song structures.
       On "Symbols" the singer talked out the lyrics in a dull fashion on every song. However, here he not only talks out the lyrics, but sings with melody as well. Also, his deep slightly growling word speaking has improved and includes a lot more variety from song to song.
       The music on "Symbols" was simplistic and empty featuring repetitive electronic sounds and drum beats that never drew you in. But on this CD the music blends a lot of great diversity with creative electronic programming, dramatic synth melodies and dance floor caliber beats. There are a lot of layers to the music so the listener gets treated to many different and interesting sounds and harmonies. Some tracks are dark, angry and aggressive while others are more relaxed and harmonic. So there’s definitely a lot of variety to be found here.
       Another thing that brought "Symbols" down were the many out of place instrumentals. This CD only features two instrumentals, and they’re both good and fit well on the album. While the vocals and music are top notch here, the lyrics are also well written. This is good for the fact that you can understand what is being said quite clearly.
       What is most impressive about the songs on this CD is that they’re all equally compelling. When one song ends you look forward to the next knowing it’s going to be just as enjoyable. I like a CD that I don’t have to skip past any mediocre tracks to get to the desirable ones.
There are a lot of varying moods and emotions in these songs making them an experience to listen to. This is the type of album that you can enjoy listening to a lot. While at first the songs might sound similar to each other, after a few listens you will really hear the diversity in them.

Noxious Emotion have proven with this release that they’re one of the best American electro-industrial bands making music today.

Album: "Symbols" (1999)
Label: ADSR Musicwerks
Style: Electro industrial
Songs: 14

Reviewed by: Darklight

I expected this CD to be really good considering how excellent Noxious Emotion's previous release "Count Zero" was. However, this CD is a disappointment. This is pretty standard electro industrial music that is fairly generic and repetitive without a lot happening in it. Most of the tracks here play at a medium pace and feature light techno style textures that keep anything from sounding too dark. The music plays along at a rather drab pace while the vocals just read the lyrics over it. The singer has a rough voice that is rather dreary and never does much more than just shout out the words. The lyrics are not that well written for the most part. Listen to the song "The Unknown" and you'll know what I mean. Some are more interesting than others, but never seem too creative or come from a true personal level. For the most part the music on this CD is created with basic electronic programming, light synths and repetitive drum beats. The vocals just speak in a drone tone over everything. Nothing ever gets that exciting. This CD just never pulled me in. On top of all this, there are four out of place ambient instrumental fillers. There is one song "Entropy" that shows the band still has it in them to create some quality music. It's just too bad that they don't do it more often here. This CD sounds like it came out before "Count Zero", since that release seems so much more creative and polished. I hope that their next release is more like it.

Album: "Count Zero" (1996)
Label: ADSR Musicwerks
Style: Electro industrial
Songs: 12

Reviewed by: Darklight

The songs presented on this album deliver dark, moody, and emotional electronic rhythms and beats combined with harmonic synth melodies and slighty distorted growling male vocals. The overall sound of the music is very clean and polished with interesting layering of sci-fi electro sound effects, haunting synths, and samples. Each song will grab your attention right from the start, and take you on an enjoyable ride through a twisting electronic maze. It's good to see a band such as this one really experiment with electronics, but still make rather structured music that draws you in and could also work on the dance floor. The feeling of the songs are rather dramatic as well as harsh and energetic with a touch of anger and aggression for good measure. This band seems very passionate with the music that they create, and appear to know what they are doing. There are three instrumentals found here that I could have done without. But the nine songs with vocals are excellent, and do make this album stand out. This is a must for fans of electro industrial music.