PIG
Risen
5/5
I was heartbroken when Raymond Watts left KMFDM after what I still consider to be their monument album, WWIII. In my opinion, the band only had hits and misses after that as Watts’ “creeping around in the dark” vocal approach was a big part of what the made the band so excellent back in those days. Yet time has moved forward, with Raymond Watts and PIG managing to release arguably some of the best electronic discs out there right now, more than just rivaling that of the band he left. Just a couple of years ago, he released The Gospel which has been considered something akin to gold in his discography. After that, he released several supplemental pieces in Swine and Punishment as well as Prey & Obey. Now we’re getting another new release from a man awash in a sea of musical creation right now, which I have to say is just as good as anything he’s already released. If Watts left KMFDM for anything, he left them to form a better band.
Aside from eight new songs on the disc, we also have remixes of “The Revelation”, “Rise & Repent”, “When I’m Done”, “Prey & Obey”, “Hard Machine” and “Ecstasy & Exorcism” which all sound well represented. Hell, “The Revelation” sounds like it would have if KMFDM had recorded it, reminding me of their heaviest moments. So in comparing this to the two or three tracks that I did like from Hell Yeah, I’d certainly say that Watts’ material is far superior at current.
The disc begins with “The Chosen Few” a guitar-thumping electronic number that features Watts’ famous “creeping in the dark” vocal style complete with a great chorus and even a rather fine solo effort. Moving on from that, an even creepier effort appears within the gothic blues and industrial rock of “Morphine Machine” which will sit right at home with fans of Marilyn Manson’s The Pale Emperor, a record that I don’t think gets as much respect as it deserves, especially considering the influences. Moving from that, we have “Loud, Lawless & Lost” which sounds like what I believe to be purposely similar to David Bowie’s “Fame” (and really, we have him to thank for this whole genre, give or take) albeit a couple of darker and heavier moments here and there for good measure. It almost sounds like a reinvention of “Fame” in that instance, but I can’t find it blasphemous for the life of me. It’s just far too catchy. As I’ve already covered the rocking remix of “The Revelation” we’ll be moving onto “Truth Is Sin” where envisioned is a dark alley with Watts in the background muttering about earthly pleasures. The piece also incorporates a slight bit of guitar melody, where an almost balladic chorus is uttered. Being one of the longer tracks on the album, he took a bit of time to flesh it out and you’ll have to experience that for yourself; though you have my word that it will not be disappointing. “The Vice Girls” comes in with a bit of a swagger not quite out of character for a strip club, I could definitely see a dancer performing her routine to this one and that works for me. Far better than Rob Zombie’s American Made Music To Strip By remix album. The hefty Goth rock approach of “Leather Pig” only further sweetens the deal, with “Cult Of Chaos” leaving us in a further haunted industrial rock affair. The last original cut here is “The Hangman’s Wooing” which takes a step back from the Goth rock material to offer up another eighties electronic rock revival.
All in all, I can’t find an issue with any of these cuts and they make a solid album even without the remixed bonus tracks scattered throughout. Fans of Goth rock, industrial music and even thumping metal will find something to like here, making Risen an absolute must-listen for 2018. It very well might be one of the best industrial rock releases of the year, so be sure to get your hands on it when it drops very soon!