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Artist: HYDRA
Album: Worship Your Diseases
Year: 2008
Hydra from the London plays so-called 'Post-Industrial Punk'. It includes ex-members of bands such as Third Door From The Left and Birth Complex. According to the no nonsense press-sheet, their music has to lay inbetween Skinny Puppy, early Consolidated and Discharge - which sounds like an extremely weird combination to me. Punk without guitars, industrial without the crypto-fascist bullshit. Lets have a listen to their new release, 'Worship Your Diseases', for a while.
'Slain of the Hydra' opens this release. It's an ambient influenced electronic intro, which is followed by 'Consumed'. It contains wicked electronic sampling, recogniseable raw vocal lines and midtempo, danceable programming. 'Resurrection' is a more sinister and atmospheric track. It includes dark modern sampling, idem dito vocal lines and wellfitting programming. This song reminds me a bit to acts such as Krell and Depeche Mode. 'Prey' is a bit more uptempo again. It contains exprimental, hyperactive programming, violently preaching vocal lines and wicked electronic sampling - all together delivering an open invitation to dance. 'Race Apart' is a slowly driven old school track, which lays inbetween ambient and synthpop. The sensitive and sometimes despair tone of the vocals fit the song very well, and its surprising to see how a slow song like this that takes over seven minutes never gets bored. 'Waking Up Drunk' is again more experimental and harsh, with strong industrial sampling and recogniseable vocal lines. The wicked programming stays a bit at the background on this track, resulting in a more sick sound. 'Wormwood' comes up next. Its the first track on the release that includes some guitar riffing, which fits the pumping and uptempo programming works quite well. It's one of the most powerful tracks on the release, with dark modern sampling and sensitive vocal lines. 'Mano Blanca' lays inbetween old school electronic stuff and modern dark electro, brought to you with a punk attitude. This track will probably have the most appeal on a dancefloor with cybergoths. 'Labyrinth' is again a little more atmospheric and uptempo. It includes modern and wicked electronic sampling, vocal lines that carefully invites you to sing along with and strong, bashing programming works. The synthlines give it a certain dark atmosphere. 'Sleep of Reason' is a dark ambient track, with vocals that are mixed in to cause some despair. 'The Sound of Free Speech' is ironically a track that exists out of nothing but silence, which gets followed by a bonus (?) track called 'Forbidden Fruit'. It's a dark ambient outro, which includes electro influences.
The so-called 'Post-Industrial Punk' turned out to be something completely different than I was expecting. There were VERY few guitars, and no programming that even slightly reminded me to punk music. On the other hand, the raw punk vocals surprisingly suited the electronic/industrial musical works. I as well like the fact that this band has something to say with their lyrics. No matter if it's the anti-consumerism in 'Consumed', the critics on racism in 'Race Apart' or the slightly blasphemous touch of 'Mano Blanca' - Hydra manages to clear out their views in an excellent and straight to the point way. A clear advantage of their punk influences.
'Worship Your Diseases' turns out to be an extravagant album, which some metal purists might probably dislike - but can turn out to be a total blessing for the open minded soul (like me - cough cough). Go give this a try anyways, because even if you don't end up liking it, I'm sure this is something you've never heard before.
Vote: 85 / 100
Review by: Gerardo
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1. Slain of the Hydra
2. Consumed
3. Resurrection
4. Prey
5. Race Apart
6. Waking Up Drunk
7. Wormwood
8. Mano Blanca
9. Labyrinth
10. Sleep of Reason
11. The Sound of Free Speech
12. Forbidden Fruit
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