Reviews For “Monsters”:
Darker Side Of Music:
TALENT ON A SCALE NOT OFTEN HEARD
ELEKTRIKILL – MONSTERS (ALBUM)
I had not heard of Elektrikill, but I will not forget them after hearing their new album “Monsters”.
This is an album that showcases what a great band they are.
The imaginative use of synths, melodies and deep, heavy beats is fantastic for one album.
The vocals are dark and angry but invoke incredible feelings of power.
The variations of artistic talent on this album are astonishing expect so many different variations of style but all perfectly fit with the institutional umbrella.
I have been so lucky to hear so many great albums this year, and this is definitely on my top ten list.
Track 1 – Ravenous is just fast-paced, deep beats and incredible melodies.
Track 7 – Requiem is a complete contrast, starting as an almost rock symphony with powerful drum beats and symphony accompanying it, then bang enters a beautifully crafted melody to die for.
This album is pure music art crafted with love and talent on a scale not often heard.
This is Industrial that has its own life out of the box.
The Noise Beneath The Snow:
Today we take you to New Jersey, USA for the debut release by Elektrikill, titled, ‘Monsters’. They present their 14 track album which is available on digital and CD platforms.
There’s not really any context about the album on Bandcamp. But we enjoy that. As we’ve said in numerous reviews, the positive of that is that it allows the mind to wander and interpret on its own for the listener.
Right from the beginning, there’s evidence of great mixing and mastering. One of the things we like to listen for is left/right panning and it’s definitely there in this case.
Overall, ‘Monsters’ takes us back to the late 80s/early 90s where there was a sense of purity in electro/industrial music that, for the most part, has since been lost. Think of bands like Skinny Puppy, Mentallo and the Fixer, Kevorkian Death Cycle and others. That’s kind of the feeling we get here.
The whole album is really solid. No frills. No over the top production. No layering simply for the sake of depth. ‘Monsters’ is straight to the point. It’s a pretty long release at 14 tracks and I feel the artist possibly could have told his story in half the amount of tracks and then created another album. But that’s not a bad thing. ‘Monsters’ is a good debut to show Elektrikill‘s offering.
For the most part, ‘Monsters’ remains in the ebm/industrial realm with some exception. But I love the occasional steep diversion like in “Requiem”. This is an amazing track with the string layers ands orchestral hits. This track could easily find itself in the end credits or climactic scene in a sci-fi or horror film. This is probably the perfect example of how Elektrikill can start off with something simple and then build upon that and without going over the top with too many unnecessary layers. I’d love to hear more tracks like this.
Easily the standout track for us is “The Fallen Angel” – a track that fuses darkwave with symphonic elements and sort of a dubstep hit. It’s a little challenging to explain so you’ll have to listen for yourself. But it’s an incredibly creative track. I’d love to hear more like it.
‘Monster’ is definitely a great starting point for this artist. It’s got pretty much everything fans of industrial, EBM, darkwave could want in it. I feel like going forward, Elektrikill could do wonders with a strategic plan for releases; singles, short videos, remixes, videos, lyric videos and the like. I could see them growing significantly with the right planning. They’ve got the music part covered so let’s see where they go from here. We’ll look forward to it.
Available on CD and digital platforms including Bandcamp. Go support!
NOTTHEAMP:
2023 Industrial Album Of The Year
Something wicked this way comes, and I mean that in the best way possible. Elektrikill, the one man project helmed by Steve Vil, takes us on a journey through the darkest side of the human condition. Spanning 14 songs and coming in just under an hour in length, “Monsters” delivers only the best aspects of Goth, Industrial, and Dark Electro, which is quite the feat, given the long play time of the album. Beginning with the opening track “Ravenous”, Elektrikill hits the ground running with this club-night banger. The manic energy continues with “I See Demons”. Steve Vil’s sneering vocals sit perfectly atop the gritty, buzzing electronics, and the pounding rhythms. “Requiem” sees the the beginning of a shift in tone and tempo for the second half of the album, going from energetic anthems to slower paced, dark dirges. Thematically, the lyrics become more introspective.”For example, “Witness To A Murder” delves into duality, with Steve Vil musing “I am Jesus on the cross/ And I’m the Roman pounding in the nails”. ‘Your Browser Is” brings the album to a satisfying close, leaving one wanting more. It is this writers opinion that, as mentioned earlier about the length of the album and the exceptional delivery being a feat, the best part of “Monsters” is that, given its long length, Elektrikill manages to have not a single song sound the same (or even remotely similar) to any other. The fact that so many influences are drawn upon, so many different sounds that are expertly executed, is a sign of deep musical innovation that has not been witnessed for the better part of a decade. “Monsters” is a must-listen, and a should be a strong contender for album of the year across the media that cover this scene.
Standout Tracks: “Ravenous” and “Requiem”. Both songs show each side of the wide spectrum that Elektrikill operates under. But really, the entire album is worth every second of the time spent listening to it.
ReGen Magazine:
Steve Vil is an experienced composer who has worked on several short film and TV soundtracks, including an episode of the recently debuted series Horror Shop Radio. Having formed Elektrikill in 2021, Monsters presents Vil’s commentary on man succumbing to the turning of the gears that drive society through mindlessness, addiction, and identification with obscene aspects of reality – what it means to be human in a numb society, but also, a call to break away from the aimless surrender to its demands. Monsters has a comfortably retro feel that can be compared to quite a range of artists from Gary Numan to Nitzer Ebb. The precise blend of elements is refreshing and unexpected, and Vil sets himself up to be someone you’ll always remember with his ingenious use of rough saw sounds to create energetic, danceable bass lines and choruses catchy enough to appeal to aficionados of genres besides industrial. Among the most remarkable tracks is the closing “Your Browser Is,” which opens with a darkly ambient sequence, his use of warehouse sounds dressing up and compensating for anything about the idea that might have otherwise seemed unoriginal. Other tracks like “Witness to a Murder,” “I Used to Be Human,” and “(This Side of) Parasite” showcase the artist’s ability to create beautiful dancefloor melodies and startling breakaways with little more than the sound of buzzing electricity and darkly volatile synth bass. You can’t listen to Monsters without picturing a scene from a ‘90s sci-fi film, but Vil has etched his own little corner out in that niche world with his careful execution.
Side-Line:
The industrial band Elektrikill, based in New Jersey, has just released their latest album called “Monsters.”
Elektrikill is the musical project of industrial musician Steve Vil, whose music has been featured in various film soundtracks, including “Grace And The Storm”, “Coma”, “The Pizza Man”, “No Clowning Around” and the theme music for the horror anthology series, “Horror Shop Radio”.
On “Monsters”, Vil explores the darker aspects of the human condition. He says, “We’re all monsters, one way or another. The album explores different ways people can hide their inner monsters, focusing on life in the age of the internet and social media. The song ‘Your Browser Is’ specifically comments on targeted information.”
The album “Monsters” is divided into two parts: the first six songs have a club-vibe, while the next eight songs draw inspiration from Vil’s experience as a soundtrack composer. For instance, the track “Requiem” originally started as an instrumental piece used in a pivotal overdose death scene in one of the films Vil worked on. The closing track, “Your Browser Is”, provides a glimpse of Elektrikill’s future sound, with its heavy beat, eerie synths, and powerful bursts of industrial noise.
Steve Vil’s musical influences range from early industrial pioneers like Cabaret Voltaire, Gary Numan, Skinny Puppy, and Ministry, to modern industrial sound-makers like KMFDM, Laibach, and Rammstein. These diverse influences contribute to the unique and captivating sound of Elektrikill’s “Monsters” album.