Scream Machine - Zero

There's generally an Instinct with Industrial and Hell-Rock that means you know within 30 seconds of learning about a bands existence whether or not they are any good.

Scream Machine is a two part Male/Female project that have been joined together in love and great, great tragedy. The details are on the band's website, but I wish not to draw from this review with personal details.

Marketing themselves as "Suicide Commando meets Genitorturers", Scream Machine have made several releases since 2008, and despite not being signed, a quick scour of the Internet shows a rising interest in this couplet.

The album opens with "Guilty", which is very much a Genitorturers-cum Kidney Thieves style track (Hehe, I said "cum" - which incidentally fits in with the Fetish Market and appeal that this band has). Having never really heard more than 10 minutes of Hell-Rock, I don't strictly feel qualified to review this - but I know enough to give this a fair airing. firstly, it is genuine, bona-fide firty, gritty, filthy and catchy - If you're for some reason expecting something like Murderdolls, then you need to get off this website, and learn about Genres. (Complaints, as always, to info@brutalresonance.com).

"Euthanasia" is built around a menacing Guitar riff, and SinDelle's vocals are both gentle and attractive, and menacing and dominating. There's very much a "Snow White / Wicked Witch" thing going on here, which is meant to be nothing but the greatest of compliments. Diversity is something that I've always thought this genre needs, and it's nice to see both sides of a musical persona.

Other highlights include the kick ass Intro to "Down", which reminds me strangely of Rob Zombie's "Living Dead Girl", and some simple, but effective lyrics. This is the obligatory song about getting that one asshole out of your life. "Bad Motherfucker" is the stand out "Anthem" of the genre that you'd expect to find on compilation albums.

"The Dark" is a little more mellow and acoustic, retaining its edge, yet also providing a reprieve. I give full credit to the extra special guitar work on here.

It's unfair to mention SinDelle without mentioning Cosmo - the other half of Scream Machine, the Ying to SinDelle's Yang. I often look at "Couple" projects with an air of Skepticism. At best, they often strike me as being amateur, but I'm delighted that this isn't the case here. There's only one other project in the scene I can think of that pulls this off, but I'm sworn to secrecy.

Now, my problems with this album - and they don't lie with the band at all, but with my own lack of experience and familiarity. Towards the end of the album, a lot of the guitar work sounds very similar - not to a "this is the same song" degree, but to a point which could almost lose my interest. Fortunately, the instrumentation is good enough to not do this, and there's something almost...seductive about the way that SinDelle bursts out her vocals.

Looking at the website, 'Zero' is possibly the 9th or 10th offering, and listening to other releases also gives a refreshing nod to other genres. Some songs are pure synth masterpieces, and others give a nod to Goth, Metal, Punk, and Gabber.

As a starting point to Hell-Rock, I recommend this - as transcribed above, it works for me. As someone already a fan, I cannot say whether to make an investment here, but I'm pretty confident it's worth your time. Most of the stuff is even free, and you can make a donation to the band if you wish to. Jan 17 2011