Dark Machine Nation - Noise & Pestilence

Since abandoning his old name The Takeover Project, Matthew Adams has pushed forward with Dark Machine Nation. Prior to the release of "Noise & Pestilence", his debut album under the new moniker, several singles were made available such as 'Leviathan' as a way to show his newfound excitement and direction with the project. After some clamor and hype surrounded the album, it released in June of this year. And while some of the preview songs did give away the sounds that would be found on "Noise & Pestilence", I don't think a good many people were expecting such ferocious powernoise beatdowns.

DMN does describe his genre as industrial hardcore, doomcore, rhythmic noise, and ambient noise. However, I will have to disagree based on this showcase (except for with rhythmic noise). I am more or less finding his tunes to correlate with powernoise and rhythmic noise structures. Perhaps those genres listed are venues that will be visited later in his career. In "Noise & Pestilence", I have yet to really find any traces of industrial hardcore or doomcore, and even then ambient noise is sparse. 

However, disregarding the social constructs of genre boundaries and the like, "Noise & Pestilence" is a damned good album. Most musicians sound off anger through harsh screams, distortion, or some kind of alienating scream that otherwise makes them not understandable. However, DMN is able to thrust an extremely angry, kick ass shouting voice in his music without heavy use of digital effects. To say that I hear his emotion more than most other screamo bands should embarrass them and make them want to quit their career. Shame on you, you Emo fucks. 

This angry shouting comes out right off the bat with the first song, 'Mandatory Alienation Protocol'. The mechanically charged rhythmic/powernoise that shoots through my headphones each time I press the play button makes me want to stomp around and punch a metal wall. If this is not the desired effect DMN is looking for, well, I'll be damned. 

From there on out, "Noise & Pestilence" becomes a nearly non-stop freakshow of industrial terror and factory sounds. The previously mentioned 'Leviathan' comes next, and it serves as a giant middle finger to anyone trying to make DMN anything that he isn't. After that, 'To Purge A Violent System' sounded off with this introductory line that reflected a dark, 8-bit remix of a Pokemon games soundtrack. As the main body of the song came in, pulsating, slamming rhythms hit, and they hit hard. 

After 'Blade of Hate' struck a blow, a remix by DMN of Virtual Terrorist's 'Source Code' landed itself in the middle of the album. I did find this a bit odd, as remixes in standard album playthroughs normally come at the end, but I accepted it. The same occurrence would come down the line as two other remixes wound up in the middle of the album, rather than at the end. 

However, DMN was able to change up the tracks enough to make them come out as his own child. The remix he did for Virtual Terrorist was instrumental, save for a few samples, and went to show that DMN doesn't need vocals mixed with music to create a great song. No, he's perfectly fine with just electronics. 

'Wrath of the Serpent' was the first song where I really noticed a form of ambiance in the mix. As the harsh beats and rage filled vocals continued to stream, streaking, higher pitched synthetic waves painted the background with a ghostly coat. The title track, which came next in line, was actually one of the simpler songs on the album. Noise did stroke well with this song, coming in many forms and taking control of many different portions. However, I will admit that this track didn't really catch my attention quite like everything else that came along so far. 

DMN then placed a remix of Silent Heretic's 'No Rest, No Failure' as the eighth song. The track came about as punchy, and had a sort of tribal vibe to it. I liked it, as it was really different from a lot of the other music that I've heard from him so far, and it makes me wonder what else he would be able to do with a more percussive based playlist. 

Lights Out, God Help Me's remix of 'Leviathan' hit in next. And, as usual, it's quite hard to really describe his work; it's a general mix of odd electronics and industrial. The more mechanical side of DMN was brought to life, and a down tempo bass rhythm played off nicely. The last and final song, 'Battlemech', brought forth an experimental sound. Less rhythmic than the rest, the track played well with plain old noise and powernoise. This track really sounded like a bunch of powertools from a construction were recorded in a musical fashion. The result is both phenomenal and lovely. 

Coming from The Takeover Project, Adams has really bolstered himself. He claimed that he was aiming for a new vision and a new self in his transformation, and his fans expected as such. However, to say that they were aware just how much, and how good his transformation would be is a lie. I don't think anyone was really prepared for "Noise & Pestilence" and the shocking blend of rhythmic and powernoise that he brought with it. 

Adams deserves more than just praise for his work. I'm hoping that this album will help his name get further out in the industrial field, and that he will be picked up by a label one way or another. He certainly deserves it. And, as a final phrase, as was proclaimed in "Noise & Pestilence"'s title track, "Dark Machine Nation rise!".
Aug 10 2015