Nilbog - Exorcise of Lechery

Nilbog came as quite a surprise to me. This is the solo project of Jude Mac (also of the industrial project Encrypted) but is was a sneaky one. It slipped right past my radar and it was not until a month after release that I did get an email telling me of this wonderful new electro-industrial adventure. The project combines Jude Mac's entire influence from goth to industrial to synthwave and combines them under one roof. His debut album under Nilbog is 'Exorcise of Lechery' - and what a wonderful debut album it is. 

The album starts off with a combined introductory and title track in one shot. After a sample of religious text as well as very experimental noises (that of which reminded me of old school science fiction films) I was thrust into the midst of an addicting and thumping rhythmic track. It's backed by one hell of a percussive kick and other wonderful synthetic touches. Jude's vocals offer a feeling of clean but growling industrial chords. With exceptional use of echoes as well as Jude's mastery of glitchy textures and samples, his voice became a powerhouse in its own right on this song. 

If the first track was meant to be the crazy opener that drags the audience right in then 'Sins Seeds' is meant to be the more straightforward electro-industrial anthem that appeals to those with a taste for the old-school. It's a solid track with great backing synths and drawing analogue sounds. 'Fallen Lamb' is the more relaxed song of its previous brethren. Whereas the previous two songs had a real bang to them, 'Fallen Lamb' finds itself having a more melancholic and chilling atmosphere. 



I can easily see '44TH' becoming a turning point in the album for some listeners. It is an oddball among the batch of songs heard already as it's purely a cinematic and experimental piece. Filled with whirling noises like that from a extraterrestrial void, it is a cohesive and trippy piece to say the very least. The added robotic vocals were also a nice touch and made the track feel complete.

That being said, 'Come Alive' brought back the fast paced stompy overtone of the entire album. The anger and punk aesthetic of this electronic sub-genre was brought alive in this song. I don't often enjoy comparing projects to one another, but I could find myself no other way than describing the next song. 'Thirst' sounded off as if it were a long lost song that should have belonged on Skinny Puppy's classic album 'Assimilate'. Wonderfully in tune with both the essence and time of that album, Nilbog managed to resonate classic industrial to a T. 

'Affliction' presented itself as the toughest and grittiest song on the entire album due in part to its EBM flavored rhythm, but mostly thanks to the somewhat growling vocals presented on the song. Wonderfully minimal in some senses, the song packed a big punch. 'Kalte Kalres Wasser' is the final song on the album and is sung entirely in German (as the title would suggest). Fantastic work all around once more and a beautiful closure to the album. 

This is a solid eight track debut from an already respected name in the scene. Stompy, crushing, and unrelenting, 'Exorcise of Lechery' is a perfect way to vent frustrations, to dance, or get ready for your next set in the gym. Massively recommended and one of the year's best releases so far. 
Apr 05 2019