L'Eau Rouge

Não é tanto do meu gosto, mas é bom

After really enjoying The Young Gods' T.V. Sky, I was excited to check out L'Eau Rouge. The music is fantastic, powerful, intense, and every bit as gripping as I'd hoped. That said, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed that most of the vocals are in French. Since I don't understand the language, it definitely made it harder to fully connect with the lyrics on the first listen, totally my issue, not the album's fault! I plan to keep coming back to it, and I have a strong feeling L'Eau Rouge will grow on me over time as I get more familiar with the sound and maybe even look up some translations. The music alone is already pretty incredible.

Well that went some places. Not totally opposed to some French Tom Waits growling.

Canções com um tom seco, obscuro. Não há muita melodia mas um som mais primal e direto. Gostei das influências francesas em algumas músicas. O encontro entre guitarras distorcidas, sintetizadores e cordas dá um efeito a mais, ajudando na amvientação.

Pretty decent early industrial album, I would have liked it more if it was heavier.

Wacky

What the HELL did I just listen to??! That was the weirdest album yet I think. It was like The Hu and Rob Zombie had a baby. It was super interesting. Kept my attention the whole time. Amazing transitions between almost classical to almost metal. Cool voice. Cool production. Cool guitar sound. I will never be able to get into foreign language music unfortunately.

Loved the lead singer’s voice

this is what smoking cigarettes feels like

This is like french death metal or heavy metal. Reminds me a bit of Rammstein, Du Hast but French.

Best Song: Rue des Tempetes Not bad but the shit's in French

I will probably never listen to this again but it was a real cool vibe with a unique sound that was their own.

I could hear their influence on bands like Nine Inch Nails, Ministry and Daughters. Also had vibe like Scott Walker's Drift at times.

Meh

The first track's too long, then they find their groove, and then lose it again about three tracks from the end? There's really cool stuff on here, but the inconsistency and vocals (which I'd find goofy in English, too) 2.5*

It’s like Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, and Tom Waits had an unholy French baby.

Not quite my tempo.

Wow! An album that leaves me gobsmacked! 😶 French nu metal ? Show tunes on the Seine? I need more

Definitely interesting. Dark, heavy, LOUD carnival music. Guttural. Some cool riffs but not a big fan of his voice (or French people). I'm going to go with 3 because I've never heard anything like this. Gonna pass on the bonus tracks though.

What a soundtrack to a Christmas shopping morning lol. The timing isn’t their fault but hmm. This was unique. I didn’t dislike it as much as I thought I would, but I’d also never choose to listen again. But there was also something likable enough in its ridiculousness that I can’t give it a 2.

It’s crazy, honestly it’s a tad like a french depeche mode, I can’t really immerse myself in it, but I realise the language barrier too, I don’t think it’s one of the worst albums on the list 3/5

Eerie, Cinematic, gives 80s black metal vibes.

French Tom Waits be like hon hon hon le chien de pleut

good

Some harsh reviews here. Look I get that an experimental Swiss cabaret industrial act is going to be a slightly harder sell for some people. But The Young Gods were incredibly influential in their time. They reached everyone from Bowie to Mike Patton, Nine Inch Nails to the Chemical Brothers. I suspect that this is one of those albums that was a lot more influential upon release than it feels now but credit where its due for pushing forward the genre. As the lyrics are in French, I have limited ability to break them down here. Except to say that the title track is apparently a song about menstruation, which is definitely not what I would have expected. Overall, an interesting piece of industrial history, if not the best example of it.

- onkohan ollu ihan viittä vailla että lähteekö tää vai rammstein lentoon - ihan väkevää musisointia, kyllä mä luulen et jos olisin tutustunut young godsiin jossain vähän eri elämänvaiheessani, esimerkiksi nuorempana kun industrial enempi kiinnosteli ni olisin saattanut kuunnella enemmänki - mielenkiintosia nää sirkusmusiikki vaikutteet mitä joissain biiseissä on selkeesti - longue route kunnon tykittelyä

Weird album, but I respect it! I don’t know French, but this had some cool sounds.

Not bad

6 / 10

French Industrial ... like it! Best album this week!

French heavy metal? Sure

I'm happy to borrow from another review because it reflects my feeling entirely... Sonically awesome. But I'm happy just to listen the once.

Standout Songs: Rue des tempêtes Crier les chiens Ville Notre L'Amourir

Nyt oli kyllä erikoista settiä, etenkin kun ottaa julkaisuvuoden huomioon. Ei nyt ensimmäisellä kerralla ehkä iskenyt, mutta harvemmin näin progressiivinen tekee. Tähän pitänee palata. 3/5.

The French Primus

*Interesting concept with the carnival music turning into the industrial sound. *Glad I listened once but probably won't return again.

fnã

Very angry. But I kinda dig it. It works.

Not a genre I'll be running back to, but it was an interesting listen anyway

I thought I was going to hate this for the first couple of minutes. It definitely grew on me, and it’s the first industrial metal album I’ve liked on this list. Interesting mix of carnival-like sounds, industrial, and traditional metal.

Bit weird, but I quite like it.

This was interesting — we went from French Rammstein to Chausson within the same song. I’m not sure what to say about that :) But it was definitely entertaining. Still, I’ll most likely never return to this album.

Someone on here stated via review that this album was like a mix between French Pink Floyd and Nine Inch Nails. Then, someone else acknowledged this review, and said this album deserved a four star rating based on the fact it's a combination of both bands listed. Well, I'm here to provide a middle ground; it's not quite like a Pink Floyd, and Nine Inch Nails combination, but it's also not nearly bad enough to be in the bottom 50 albums, let alone bottom 13(as it currently stands). It's...alright. If nothing else, each song sounds like it's from a different album; it's a surprise every time. Favorite Track: "Les enfants".

Gros son, un peu space, perché, mais belle découverte

Don't like the vocal and metal drum patterns

chaotic but into it. no idea how this industrial rock piece emerged from the least industrial and rock place on earth

OK but not for me

Enjoyable enough.

This is the soundtrack for the Amelie sequel: "Amelie Goes 2 Hell".

I mean, can you get a more French opening to an album?! It’s quite the opener, too, and intrigued to see where this album goes! Just an album I wouldn’t find if it weren’t for this list and I’m enjoying my head getting twisted a bit with this! It’s pretty cool. Enjoy the use of classical instruments alongside the industrial feel. Voice a bit deep at times for me, makes it a little closer to comical (cookie monster) but still very enjoyable. The switch up between track 4 and 5 pretty much capture the ends of the scale of this band! I actually got a bit tired of the sound about midway through the album. Maybe the novelty wore off. Got to respect the originality and uniqueness of this though. A valuable experience! (3.5)

This was... crazy.

5/10… industrial / rock

Good album, but not one I could see myself listening to again in full

French Rammstein. Sounded redundant at times, but that could be because I don't speak French.

I like the tracks where they pushed into Ministry style industrial grind core, like Longue Route, more than some of the more arty, orchestra stuff like the opening La fille de la mort. Rounding up, though.

That is a hardcore French album. It was good, just a little too frech

Bonnet de douche Rodney, bonne de douche...........

Reminds me of Nine Inch Nails, Killing Joke and Rammstein. I don't hate it, I don't love it. Is it essential? I'm not sure. It does sound newer than 1989, but outdated by now. Are there any more important Swiss rock bands? I'm not sure either. Favorite song: rue de tempêtes

Our own decisions

7/10

Did I love it? No. Did I hate it, like apparently most others? Also no. Seems like a pretty ambitious album for 1989. Does not sound 35+ years old.

I hate the first song. Sounds like some crazed French man (are there any other kind?) screaming-singing about something he is passionate about that likely means nothing unless you are French. The vocals are backed with circus music and Ben Hur soundtrack music played at the wrong speed. It sucks. Thankfully the album gets much better after the lousy opener & continues without any more stinkers. I liked it overall & exploring a little of their back catalog they seem to get better down the road. Vive la différence or something. I guess.

Heavy

Basically what I would imagine French Industrial music to sound like.

I was prepared to dislike it but sorta liked it

What the fuck is this. But in a good way

I don't know what's happening but it's fun. 2.5 stars

Way back in HS, a friend told me I should check out the Young Gods, and now I know why. My adolescent self was neck-deep in Ministry, Skinny Puppy, Nine Inch Nails, and the like, and this would've been right up his alley (except for the vocals). I still like that stuff though, and this definitely perked up my ears a few times (except for the vocals).

some enjoyable parts, but mostly pretty dry I can see why they named their band after Swans tho - 6/10

I had never heard of this band before, but this was an interesting album.

accordion metal should not be this good

Love me some industrial. +1 star for drawing a straight line to Nine Inch Nails and KMFDM, -1 star for being fr*nch and having the gall (gaul) to call themselves Young Gods.

okk

French metal

French rock

Started off thinking I would hate this but it took me on a musical rollercoaster.

Different. Sounded a bit too much like just noise to get a great review. I thought I would give it a two on my first listen, but I enjoyed it more my second time through.

Rating: 5.5/10 Sounds like a French Tom Waits and Ministry rolled into one. This industrial style is actually oftentimes pretty good and well executed, but I do not really enjoy it all that much. Still very memorable though.

Fav: Longue Route Least Fav: La Fille De La Mort It was enjoyable, but I wish it had more of a frantic energy ala Nine Inch Nails. Loved the guitars and orchestral samples but I needed more from them

I don’t speak French so the lyrics are inaccessible to me. That doesn’t bother me but his voice doesn’t transcend language barriers. Imagine listening to Primus without understanding English. There are some interesting musical moments. Some sweet harmonies up against dissonant ones. It’s probably a better album than I had time to give to it.

It's a trip

This was new to me. I enjoyed it.

Couldn’t find it

Cool. French Ministry when regular Ministry would've been better. 3/5

I didn’t dislike this. Some elements were good, others not so much. An odd mix of genres which I guess is probably the point. Love a bit of industrial but I wouldn’t ever choose to sit down and listen to this

Arthur H meets Nine Inch Nails. Not as good as either sadly. Grating in parts but original 3.1

3/5. I’ve never heard anything quite like it. On the surface, It’s weird but strangely compelling. Album becomes easier to listen to as it goes. Lots of interesting things happening in there. From samples overdrive guitars to big orchestra sounds, it’s a sampler of samples created in house. The drums are rich and driven, the vocals both growling and smooth…weird but it grew on me pretty quick

Wild! Really enjoyed from the start but it slightly wore thin towards the end. But the string sampling and technical effects were fantastic

An odd one to describe, perhaps avant-industrial? I know it was dark with an intensity more representing a creepy, insane, enveloping, bizarre darkness rather than solely anger and aggressiveness (though some of that is there too). Imagine a sinisterly quirkily evilTom Waits fronting a Swiss sampling industrial band who grew up doing musical theater before they got into goth clubs. Song structures aren’t always typical, instrumentation covers a wide range (apparently all samples, from harsh guitars to orchestras to accordions), peculiar vocals, and is musically all over the place. But it still all fits together. It was certainly a unique listen, which I can always appreciate and recommend - though I question if I’ll go back to it much (I had a similar experience with American Gothic by David Ackles).

Unexpectedly interesting. The grumbling in French was slightly off-putting (more for the grumbling than the actual language), but the sampling was more inventive and varied than a lot of dance music I’ve heard.

Didn't particularly enjoy it and glad when it ended. Didn't hate it, though. 2.5*

Definitely an interesting one, there were no standouts with this one but I thought as an album it was cool and interesting, nice riffs and some nice samples, I can also definitely see the influence it most likely had on industrial rock acts like mine inch nails and such. Vocals took a little bit of getting used to although I guess it didn’t help that I couldn’t understand the lyrics. Overall 5/10.

think this is the first album in another language i’ve gotten. the album is definitely quite insane sounding, and chunks of it are extremely horror. but it’s also really awesome. it’s a LOT but i’m adding it to my library. definitely something you have to be in the right state of mind. awesome that the band is still active too

Interesting music. Not sure what to make of it.

Is this just French Kollaps?? That gets my seal of approval. Definitely quite a bit worse not being German but I feel like they did a pretty good job at this.

Not my favorite kind of music but I can tell it is made well. Never knew this genre existed

I think I would appreciate this more if I knew what the lyrics meant. Overall it wasn't bad but nothing stood out to me. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 1/5

Really interesting, an unusual collage of prog rock, metal, pop music, and French vocals.

I don't love the croaky singing but it's pretty cool they made something like this with sampling/keyboards, the 'personnel' section on wikipedia doesn't even mention one of them playing guitar, which kinda blows my mind. It's very foreboding music and to be frank, a bit scary. One of those albums that's a real attack on the senses I probably won't listen again so won't go above 3 but this definitely made me feel something. And isn't what art is about?

Interesting French metal album. I will listen to this again.

I could have really hated this, but surprisingly I didn’t. Something interesting going on with the arrangements and instrumentation.

I got into it pretty quickly with that strong start; however, I lost interest just as quickly. Not because rest of the songs sucked, but because I am not as into the music I think compared to other genres. Overall it was a pleasant experience though. I can see myself revisiting it and perhaps ranking it higher in future.

It was not bad. Very noisy but that was the point I guess. I can see how it influenced Ministry and NIN.

Apesar de a estética não me agradar totalmente, não dá pra negar que a proposta do disco é interessante. A mistura do eletrônico com o rock e elementos da música erudita tornam "L'eau rouge" uma obra importante para a época, influenciando bandas que viriam a se estabelecer como grandes nomes do industrial na próxima década, como o Rammstein.

Man what a wild ride. Ministry + NIN + Tom Waits + French. Super interesting listen but won't likely revisit.

J - 3/5 Best Track - "Longue Route" F - 3/5

I think this album was very interesting, but there can't be any reasonable justification for its presence on this list. Seriously, what happened?

Interestingly weird. Somehow, I enjoyed it, but I also don't. Cool? Yeah, I think it is. Nice one!

I had a little trouble getting into this at first, but after a few song it wasn’t bad. Felt like there was quite a bit of variety between tracks and overall wasn’t a bad listen. I might have been inclined to rate it higher if I spoke french.

I liked this alot more than I thought I was going to -- like maybe a French Ministry ---

A bit more enjoyable and less challenging than listening to Swans, who gave the song title which inspired this groups nsme.

Interesting and different to me.

Not my jams

I don’t think I can come up with anything funnier than Trés Reznor. I liked it, I’ve never been faced with French industrial music but I found it enjoyable for the most part. I could do with some more, like, everything in every song. Very cool bones, needs the meat. High 3/5.

Nine Inch Nails with French Tom Waits - honestly not the worst, but also something I don't ever think I'll gravitate towards. Mid 3/5, worth the listen, but I'll take Mr Reznor instead

þetta er frekar skrýtið allt saman. iðnaðarskotið þungarokk með sömplum og söngvara sem syngur eins og raddlaus tom waits. en það einkennilegt að það fær aðra, 3,5.

Very experimental. 3/5

Bizar album eerlijk gezegd, Zwitsers Franse industriële rock met orkest samples. Toch heeft het me wel gepakt op bepaalde momenten, de viezigheid en het oncomfortabele gevoel dat sommige nummers je geven is erg uniek en waardeer ik zeker. Ik denk dat dit nog hoger uit zou kunnen komen met meer tijd. Ook moet ik zeggen dat de latere bands deze stijl echt perfectioneren, waardoor het moeilijker is om dit album te waarderen voor wat het is

Interesting start to the album. Kind of fizzled out and a bit annoying until the last two songs. Stand out songs - L'amourir and Pas Mal

Yeah this album's good and all but stop trying to touch me

Enjoyed this more than I expected considering I went into this blind, would probably listen again

I mean, at least this one isn't boring. It's probably not for me and i'm probably not gonna listen again but i certainly was not bored. Charlotte a stand out.

L'Eau Rouge is brooding industrial but I'm only catching half the story by not speaking French. I have a feeling I'd like it even more if I did, there's something compelling about The Young Gods.

I don't know what that was, but I made it through the album and caught myself nodding along and tapping my foot to the machine gun growling diabolical noise. Strangely, I hear the skeezy appeal. 2.5 very generously rounded up.

Didn't mind it..too bad I don't understand French.

It was somewhat interesting

What a wild ride that was. Bumped from 2 to 3 stars just for how unique it was.

This was... interesting. I kind of enjoyed it but it was a little unhinged. I'm glad I listened to it, but it won't be making it into my library.

Loved some parts of this, had some great ideas and concepts. But also a canny bit ‘meh’. Definitely got that NiN industrial vibe, and I preferred the less NiN’sy bits. Probably wont be back, but canny enough

Quite enjoyed that. Laibach-lite, with a lot more French. I preferred the more industrial tracks. Crier les chiens was my favourite track. Nice and noisy.

I enjoyed this overall. It's unique, I think, and that counts for an awful lot. I don't see me going back to listen to it, though, so it can't top 3 stars.

This really doesn’t deserve to be one of the lowest rated albums on here.

Remember seeing them on joolz and thought they had a lot of energy. Listening to this album it seems like 1 long track

That was ridiculous

Half way through the first track on this album I was expecting to give it a 2, maybe a one. But somehow, throughout the rest of the record, I started enjoying it a lot more. Now, I think this is losing a point for me because I don't really have the time for repeat listens for better lyrical understanding, because I don't speak enough French. It was worth a listen, and worth an inclusion on this list. 3/5

Not my cup of tea, but I can hear the influence of this on so many industrial bands who came after.

Don't care for the vocals, but I liked the rest after repeated listenings. The vocals just seemed too affected, a bit repetitive. I haven't translated the lyrics, so have no idea what they're singing about.

French metal

needs to be more focused!!!!!!!

You know, I always get a little worried when I get an album that's in the bottom 20 on this website. I thought this was my first of the year, but apparently Sulk by the Associates is also bottom 20? Really? I mean, I didn't care for the album at all, but it's not worse than something like Haunted Dancehall! You know what else isn't worst than Haunted Dancehall and is also quite a bit better than Sulk? This album! I actually kind of liked this one. Industrial as a genre is one that's proven to be very hit or miss for me. Stuff like Throbbing Gristle and Einstürzende Neubauten just don't really make much sense to me, but I can vibe with something like Nine Inch Nails or Ministry from time to time. Fortunately for me, I'd say this album leans closer to the latter than the former. There are some things that I'm not huge on with this album, but nothing that I actively hated. The singing is kind of weird, but it fits the vibe, so I can't be too upset. The writing (that I had to translate from French to English) seems to be somewhat interesting. It's not super complex, but it's kind of weird in a way that's also quite fitting. The style is definitely the most interesting thing about this album to me. It's definitely industrial, but it also has some metal and even symphonic elements to it. The album's on the noisier side, but I can definitely still feel the musical core, which is good. L'eau Rouge isn't a masterpiece or anything, but it's definitely an album that I'd say I enjoyed for the most part. Also it's short, so that's nice. 3/5.

L’Eau Rouge Swiss Industrial-Cabaret Synth-Rock. I suppose if Switzerland has no real culture of producing 20th century popular music it’s natural you’d end up with something as idiosyncratic as this. On one hand, this is bad. And on another hand it is also bad. But at the same time it’s interesting-bad, and there is somehow some degree of charm amongst the cabaret parts, the guitar samples and the pissed old French bloke in a tabac drinking red wine at 7am shouting axis. Like a Francophone Tom Waits, Tom Attend, if you will. It’s not my thing really, but I do get the sense that they are trying to make something different, or interesting, or at the least coming at this sort of thing from a different angle, rather than the performative ‘difficulty’ of a lot of metal, grunge and alternative music. Accordion and vocal style apart, I like the Bernard Hermann/Hitchcock string or brass arrangements, as on La Fille De La Mort, L’Eau Rouge and Les Enfants, which give it a slightly sinister melodrama, and some of the sampled and looped guitars serve their purpose well - more like they are designed to support the son’s intent, rather than designed to ‘go hard’ and impress teenage boys - as on Rue des Tempetes or Longue Route. And out of interest I listened to the CD bonus tracks, more of the same but I quite liked L’Amourir. I don’t think I’d listen again, which would put it at a 2. But to me it at least has an idea behind it and singularity that makes it a little more interesting than the majority of 2s, so I think I’ll just nudge it into a very low 3 🩸🩸🩸 Ville Notre

A curious mix of chanson musical, and industrial rock. Unfortunately they rarely combine the two. So they drop in 'La Filles De La Mort' (Death Fillets), and 'Charlotte' (French for Carol), which are both pretty much straight chansons, alongside the harder rock numbers. But overall, the heavier numbers started to really grow on me. I think its lack of pretension, alongside the interesting layering of sounds, driven by rock guitar spoke to me. Might also help I don't know what he's singing about, so the lyrics - which may be doom-laden bore-rock - are irrelevant. It currently shall reside at a strong three.

A little difficult to connect with but definetly some cool Reznor, Waits comparisons happening here.

Not sure if this doesn't hit because I only know about ten French words, or it's just mid. Like would I like Nine Inch Nails if I was not fluent in English?

This was one of the most interesting discoveries I made through this project. Idk what reason a Swiss person would have to sound this angry, but I support it. 7/10 Fave track: Longue route

Felt like French industrial metal meets NIN

Some fine moments!!!

Very cranky late ‘80s French-language big beat industrial! Fascinating? Certainly. Compelling? Largely. Enjoyable? Maybe wouldn’t go that far…

I have to agree with the Pink Floyd meets NIN comparison. It’s not terrible, but the way the guy sings doesn’t match the music.

Strange one this. Very industrial with metal vocals. Might need a repeat listen but while I enjoy some aspects of the sound, it takes some getting used to.

A few good songs - Longue route is pretty sick. Otherwise a bit too modern for me

Very interesting, lots going on. Liked 2nd half more than 1st. Standout songs: Crier les chiens Les Enfants L'Amourir

Saw some of the reviews before I listened so went into this braced. I think they were quite accurate because I recall saying to my partner during the first song "Oh no, I've reached the Wonka tunnel". I actually think not understanding a word of french made this easier to listen to and made me focus almost entirely on the sound rather thsn content. I thought the sound was pretty good. Once past the first songs Wonka weirdness, it was a bit more typical industrial. Another review said the high production (I agree) could be seen as con in terms of industrial sound. Sometimes I thought so, others I didn't. I imagine entirely unintentionally, I found the gravelly French sort of humorous. Again, I think I'd have a quite different view of this if I understood the lyrics. I was really prepared to rate this low but it was just weird, which doesn't mean bad.

Á meðan ég hlustaði á þetta gat ég ekki hugsað annað en að þetta væri Rammstein ef þeir hefðu komið frá Frakklandi (þetta band kemur reyndar frá Sviss). Rammstein-iðnaðarrokk blandað við listaspíruklassík. Furðurlega skemmtilegt að hluta á en ég gæti ekki hlustað mikið á þessa og mun pottþétt gleyma þeim með tíð og tíma.

Would be great for a Cirque Du Soliel show set in an abandoned construction site

I expected to hate it, but I didn’t. Guitar tone very cool. Standout track: - Rue de tempêtes

Drôle d’album avec tellement d’influences éclectiques. La voix nous rappelle, quand elle n’est pas trop heavy-méta, celle d’Alain Bashung. Il y a clairement du métal avec la grosse guitare à distorsion et le drum dans le tapis. Il y a aussi parfois des arrangements symphoniques avec violons. Je ne sais pas trop quoi penser de cet étrange objet.

A pretty strong start that mellows out quick in the middle and end. Not bad at all, but certainly inconsistent. 3/5

Good variety of musical styles

I feel like if I know French I would rate it more fairly but

Liked this more than I should have

De Schlagzüger isch vo "The Needles". Vo dänne hani na ä LP😂. Hilfe än Wäspi-Schwarm.. Die junge Götter händ glaub Pink Floyd gärn und d Charlotte de Zirkus. Die lang Route isch für Rocker bowt. Musig, produziert mit Freud am Chaos. Nüd würkli äs Album zum gmüetlich näbedbii lose. Wells Schwizer sind und definitiv öppis anders äs 3

Interesting.

Considering their singing in French, this wasn't at all bad. I wasn't quite sure what it was about, but the lack of understanding didn't seem to be a deal breaker here. I'm going with 3 stars.

Another album that I liked way more than the average. Solid French rock music. Although I admittedly only know a couple of bands who sing in French. 3.5/5

I struggled to get into a groove with this album. I can objectively hear the influence this will have had on those that cite them, but I couldn't quite get on with it.

Swiss factory carny polka techno horror. Kind of great, kind of appalling. Small doses were enough for me. Impossible to rate.

Interesting. The singer, who sings in French, has a gravelly voice similar to Tom Waits.

For the year this album came out (1989), I'm very impressed by the variety and the hard-hitting industrial sound of some songs like "Longue route." However, many of the other songs, such as the first song, have a cabaret style that I just really don't ever like. I do like the singer's voice, and I could see myself liking some of their music more, if it stuck to more of the KMFDM style industrial rock.

OK

I loved it, but would not listen again, despite its brilliance

The vocalist sounds like the guy in Rammstein

Even though this is not my genre, kind of hard rock verging on metal, the Euro vibe made it refreshing and much of their songs diverted from this formula anyhow. I found this easy to listen to and even my Youtube matrix put on some more songs from them after the album played and I just kept listening. Yeah, this is cool.

French industrial rock? Kind of strange but I like it

Mixed bag of some brilliant and some bang average stuff. However considering this album was made in 1989 you can see how it's influenced other bands and sounds for years.

This one creeped me out the most and I don’t even know what he was saying. The music is unsettling on its own but the vocal delivery makes me picture some leather clad Frenchman (I know he isn’t French but it’s what I see)with a mustache grumbling into the mic. Scared to see what they really look like.

Kind of feels like I've just listened to Roxanne from Moulin Rouge eight times in a row.

Confusing album. Some of it was very, very French and in no way rock, let alone industrial rock. However, every second track was a banger of industrial rock. No idea what they were saying though.

Pretty cool stuff. I love the accordion and the fact that it doesn’t forsake traditional music. It’s loud, rough and ripping at times. Not a daily album, but certainly one to steal from when you need that quirky playlist track.

Pink Floyd, Nine Inch Nails with French cabaret and Les Miserables thrown in for good measure. Certainly interesting and different.

Interesting and not without its charm. May revisit.

Very French. Even the drums sound like they are straight out of Les Miserables. True, as it goes on it gets more pedestrian punk but therer is no denying what a euphoric start tyhis album sweeps in on.

first listen very strange and forgettable

I've never heard of The Young Gods before, but based on these reviews, I have no idea what I'm in for. I guess there's no better way to tackle post-election dread than to jump right into this album. Well, this was certainly a unique experience. I didn’t care much for the calliope sound of the first track, and its eight-minute runtime certainly didn’t help it either, but after that, the album was much more enjoyable. Infusing hard rock with sampling created a dense and textured sound that I enjoyed. It was really easy to turn off my brain and get lost in the wild melodies of these songs. The drum machines were used really well, especially in conjunction with the guitars, like on “Ville Norte” and “Crier les chiens.” I’m a fan of a big sound, and The Young Gods delivered on that with this album. Outside of some cool arrangements though, this album didn’t offer me much. I was able to look up English translations of some of the lyrics, and I thought they were fine, but not particularly earth-shattering. I’m not really into industrial metal, but I don’t think it’s a reach to say that this album had a massive influence on the genre, and probably other branches of hard rock as well. This wasn’t completely my cup of tea, but it was worth my time to listen to this today, and I appreciate the unique experience.

This got me really excited at first but there are way too many weak points throughout the album

I did not have french metal on my bingo card for this series, but there it is. And quite experimental, too, from the sound of it.

Swiss industrial rock, sung in french. It sounds like if Tom Waits was French and got really into Nine Inch Nails and Rammstein. Quite interesting if nothing else, and not nearly as bad as I was expecting. I actually didn't mind it. Favourite songs: Longue Route, Pas Mal, Ville Notre, Rue Des Tempetes, L'Eau Rouge Least favourite songs: Les Enfants 3/5

I don’t speak French so I’ll assume what they’re saying is profound

I'm not real sure what to think about this, but I kind of enjoyed it in a way that I did not expect.

Si Derek se partait un band, ça sonnerait comme ça

Nyt oli taas oikeesti mielenkiintoinen levy. Aika kokeellista ranskalaista rokkia, mutta ei ärsyttävällä tavalla. Laulaja ranskan Pate Mustajärvi ja vittuakaan en ymmärtänyt. Parhaat: La fille de la mort, Charlotte, Longue route

This first song sounds like Lumière from Beauty and the Beast on acid. This middle section is fucking scary in the best way. Some of these songs are bangers. They remind me a little bit of the music in XXX with Vin Diesel. Not really my jam was found myself headbanging to whatever language they were at times. Think it's one of those right album at the right time.

Lord knows I ain’t got no clue what they’re saying, but hell if it don’t go hard as fuck. Not completely impressed, though. 3/5

Yup, seems to be pretty much as advertised. Don't love it, but don't hate it.

This was interesting. I didn’t like it at first, and it took a while to get onboard, but it wasn’t bad. It’s industrial music with a singer who sounds like a French Tom Waits. It’s atmospherically consistent, though there was a surprising amount of variety from track to track.

The circus/carnival music is an interesting direction. It doesn't blend terribly well, though most of the time they keep the track either focused on industrial or carnival. It's solid-enough industrial when it's not, but it's nothing to write home about. There are much, much worse records on this list. Favorite tracks: "Longue Route", "L'amourir"

I enjoyed this but more because of its uniqueness and unexpected factor than the music itself. I can't say I've ever been exposed to Swiss industrial rock before. The album was good for a single listen but don't think I'd venture back to these corners of Spotify in a hurry.

Metal? Proto industrial? Strange French-language cabaret / circus music? I have to give it three stars because I can't decide if I hate it, or haven't yet appreciated how brilliant this might be. Needs more listens for sure.

This album certainly isn't bad, but it just seems like it could be better. The accordion (?) in a few songs is especially odd, and totally throws the whole album off.

Very odd album. Not bad though.

Quite liked this one. Especially considering it's from 1989, it doesn't sound dated. Most other reviews can't get past it being in French without realising it's Swiss.

Weird album I've heard worse on here, and to be honest I quite enjoyed the guitar parts 3 ⭐️

Mixed bag. Some of this was pretty solid while other songs fell a bit flat. Say what you will but I'm just going to be honest: the fact that this was performed in French made it hilarious to me in some places. I'm not sure why, but it was.

some are good

French Rammstein meets NIN. Liked it more than I thought I would.

What’s not to love about an album whose first track sounds like “In the Flesh?”, if Pink Floyd were French Tom Waits impersonators? Or so I thought. After a little more mad carnival, we had a track that sounded like it tested off a copy of Ministry’s Twitch. Ok, some genre-jumping and stuck in the 80’s, still weird enough to keep me intrigued. And then some growly metal. And more, and more. Of all the genres to settle on. Maybe if I understood enough French to follow the lyrics, there was a unifying thread to this. As it was, the album felt disjointed and i lost interest. Glad I had the chance to hear it, but not a band I’ll be exploring.

I liked it more than I expected to.

Listened to this while driving from Escondido to Palm Springs. There were aspects of this that I really enjoyed! I loved all the orchestral interplay that came into the songs. It kept the music vibrant. The more metal elements to the music were less my cup of tea...but all in all, I enjoyed this more than I was expecting to!

La tete comme un trou.

je porte cette couronne de merde

For me, 1989 is always the year of Guns N' Roses; not that I'm a mega-fan, but just as a reminder of the what was going on at the time. That makes The Young Gods' "L'Eau Rouge" even that more impressive. This is not the pre-grunge hair metal that was carrying the airwaves of 1989. This is heavy guitars mixed with industrial sounds, released a month before Nine Inch Nails' first album. "La fille de la mort" and "Charolette" are a cinematic traveling gypsy show of sound, predating Gogol Bordello and Devotchka. "Les enfants" merge both of these styles; I can image the music on this one easily alongside any of the tracks on The Cure's Pornography album. The vocal range is pretty small; he won't be asked to duet with Celine Dion anytime soon. The low singing/talking/grunting and occasional screams adds more heaviness and . . . what's the word? Satan! It adds more Satan to these tunes. And I mean that in a good way. This music is leather, fire, sex, and torture, equally at home as the soundtrack to a hardcore orgy as it is to a Manson family murder spree. It's multi-layered cerebral Satan. I imagine they were a big influence for Fantômas. If there were a single, "Crier Les Chiens" would be the one. After this played on YouTube, some of their live stuff popped up which sounded ENTIRELY different. They were playing acoustically, the singer was actually singing a melody, the lyrics were in English. Curious if that style was a one-off or if this album was the one-off. Anyways, not entirely my thing but I can hear talent and innovation regardless.

The vocals remind me of the diabolic guy in the Enigma song "Sadeness" in vibe and subject matter (from what I could tell with my basic French)... But maybe mixed with a hint of James Hatfield in the phrasing at times? Maybe I'm biased because we just got Metallica, but I swear I heard him say something like "Crierrrrr les chiennnns-hyeah!" So yeah, this is francophone Metallica mixed with the diabolic guy from Enigma, mixed with some industrial music? And I don't know, theatrical circus music? And traditional European elements? Quite different, that's for sure. I don't foresee me listening to this much if ever again, but I imagine it could have made us flash in Europe at the time it came out. 3.5

distinct and not uninteresting. would probably listen again, but would struggle to get through an entire album

Pass unless you speak French.

I was just thinking I needed more French industrial in my life. But still, I’ll take something unique any day. This is like Tom Waits meets Ministry crossed with Gogol Bordello. And hey, if you really want to alienate your family, play this album on a road trip like I did.

I'm not sure if I enjoyed this or not.

Have you ever wondered what a Rain Dogs era Tom Waits Beauty and the Beast musical set in a traveling French circus would sound like? Well dear reader, half of this record is the answer to that question. The other half is terrible Industrial. Can’t win them all.

Synes aldrig albummet når samme højder som åbningsnummeret efter det. Fransk er et dårligt sprog til den her slags musik! Når det så er sagt var det en positiv overraskelse, jeg forventede ikke rigtigt noget

Spøjst! Lyder ondt på en ret fed måde! Rasmus ville have elsket det her i 9. klasse

Starter rimelig industrielt, noget som Marilyn Manson godt kunne have hørt.. Men bare mere poppet. Produktionen lyder stadig rigtig godt, så jeg synes egentlig fint at det holder her 35 år efter sin udgivelse.

Oof. Super noisy

Kind of a strange French metal band. The songs were okay, but it was a little hard to get into. It's not just the language, since Rammstein seems to make it work.

this album was rather intense! and i'm surprising myself that i enjoyed it. the young gods' sound is completely unique from anything i've heard before. the industrial sound, metal, dark cabaret, orchestral. this album never went where i anticipated. orchestra backing or a carnival tone would pop up when i least expected it, but either the young gods made a lot of happy accidents or they planned this album out well. i can understand why the lead singer's voice can be grating or not even enjoyable, but i love how he (and the rest of the band) hold exactly nothing back and i found myself getting sucked in. i sure hope he took care of his voice since 1989, though. 3.5

It's definitely weird, but it's still more interesting than a lot of albums. The riffs are actually pretty good on some songs. Its a solid 3.8. I wouldn't listen to it on my own but I think the hate is overblown.

Really not my thing, but not so bad for metal (?!) I liked the carousel sounds, and I did save the song Charlotte as I thought that was very good

1 Stern weil es Schweizer sind, 1 Stern weil irgendwo noch eine Maxi bei mir rumliegt, 1 Stern weil es eigentlich nicht mehr ist

I... respect this. But this genre, Industrial Electronic Rock, I need very little of in my life. Same goes for cabaret. And so those 33:40 of the original album seemed very long.

dings spanische band ich mag die orchestralen elemente

I didn’t hate it for some weird reason

"L'eau rouge" is a really interesting album. By the Swiss industrial rock band, The Young Gods, this album opens with the intensity and grandeur of a symphony. While not encumbered with power tools and deafening grinding, the vocals hit the industrial vibe, but the beats and musicality are quite good. The group's use of samples opened a new realm of how music could be produced.

pretty weird, pretty cool

Favourite tracks: l'eau rouge; la fille de la mort

I haven't known this band before and it is the first industrial/dark cabaret album I've listened to it. I liked the angsty feel throughout the album, though the singing was distracting at most points. Overall it is quite a weird album but also interesting. Not sure if I could listen to it again but it was good to listen to something different.

It was interesting, and for that I am grateful. I’d rather listen to an interesting misfire than a too-safe nothingburger. I don’t know how to feel about this album. It did not entrance me like one of the great albums, but I am relistening to Les Enfants right now. There’s maybe something to this album, maybe even something special, but I don’t think I caught it in my first listen and I don’t know if I care enough to search for it. I think this album probably deserves a deeper review after it has time to digest, rather than a review on first-taste.

Very interesting stuff! The fact that all the instrumentation besides drums is sampled really lends a unique air to it. It sounds like metal, but somehow off in a really neat way. I'm not as huge on the vocals but they aren't unlistenable either.

Under usual circumstances, this seems like the kind of album I would really enjoy. However, I’ve been exhausted today after spending a lot of time recently travelling and socialising, result in today being a wipeout. I think this possibly led to less enjoyment here than it deserves. My commitment has been to listen to a different album every day so I still have, and I’ll still write a review, but this is the first time I feel like I’ve not really been fair. I’ll need to listen again in the future. The over distortion and gravelly vocals should be right up my alley.

After 952 albums, I had still never heard weird French Ramnstein industrial music until now so this album has that going for it if nothing else. I couldn’t tell if I was entranced by this because I actually enjoyed the music or if I was just trying to process what the fuck I was listening to. I think I mildly enjoyed it at the very least but still not sure.

Another unheard of genre - industrial. And after listening to this loud, fast, French growl, I can agree the appelation is appropriate. Not bad - I didn't hate it. Would not choose to listen, though - could fit in a Peaky Blinders sound track.

What a strange album. I've never heard of this group so I had very few expectations going into it, I'll say it was certainly an interesting listen. It's a very weird album. I think I can easily categorize it as industrial, but sonically it jumps around all over the place (which I guess is common within the genre already). The vocals were pretty over the top, raspy, spoken word, and sung all in French. There were moments where he flat-out reminded me of a French Tom Waits (especially on the song "Charlotte" which sounds like "Rain Dogs" era Waits). It's a cacophonous album and it's filled to the brim with seemingly abrupt switch-ups instrumentally. The opener "La fille de la mort" is the most evident of these, starting with a very light, almost waltz-type sound, before exploding into a sea of chaotic, dissonant strings as a wall of noise. My favorite part of the song is right after that when the strings brighten up and synchronize to form this gorgeous atmospheric melody over these spaced-out drum hits. The vocals are equally as spaced out in this part, I love it. I think this opener is easily the best song here. "Les Enfants" may be the most unsettling song here, especially the weird frantic string section with the simple drum pattern closing the track out. It sounded like something that would soundtrack a very old monster flick. I love the noiser layering on the closing parts of "L'Amourir", it's probably the most overtly industrial-punk moment on this album. I think that's really what I mainly got out of this album; quite a few of these songs have some standout moments that are noisy, crushing, and enjoyable to that degree, but only when looking at them in isolation. As an album though, I only got mild enjoyment out of it and don't see myself revisiting it very often. This was more of a one-and-done "wow" type deal. One thing I can say is that it's surely ahead of its time in many ways and I can see how it could've been influential in the more direct and in-your-face facets of the industrial-punk scene.

interesting 2.5/5

At first I was going to be a bitch and roast this – and to be fair, it does start off on a very unappealing and difficult foot – but as it went on and with a few more listens, I warmed up to it a lot. It’s far from the most interesting no wave/industrial music ever, and I think a lot of the ideas for its strange, dark cabaret elements work better on paper than on wax, but it’s ambitious and animalistic and chaotic, which was 100% the goal and they definitely achieved it. Personally preferred the more straight-forward metal tracks, but I still respect the weird musique concrète tracks a lot. With a little bit of an open-mind, this is pretty enjoyable, especially if you like heavy music, experimental music, or both. It’s not going into instant heavy rotation if only because I have some semblance of sanity, but it’s a cool discovery that I wouldn’t have found without this challenge, which is pretty cool I think!!

Franz Treichler, Young Gods' mastermind is not French, he's Swiss. And he's a *German-speaking* Swiss, mind you. Even if he's perfectly fluent in French, as this album proves, he's still got a German accent that's unmistakable for a French native (such as your humble servant). Which gives an extra layer to the "Dark Cabaret" shenanigans in *L'Eau Rouge*. Those specific shenanigans (as exemplified by the strikingly ominous, waltzy opener "La fille de la mort") are pretty evocative and cinematic, and they aged quite well. Which is not exactly the case for some of the Industrial / Metal flourishes found in other parts of this record. In that realm, how cheesy, hackneyed and stilted do "Rue des tempêtes" and "Longue route" sound in 2024. You know, Belgian "neighbors" Front 242 did that sort of thing better around 1989 / 1990. Not to mention later "Industrial" acts going from NIN to Daughters. The title-track's rhythms and loops are interestingly "restrained" AND groovy, though--unwittingly foretelling drum'n'bass patterns. "Charlotte" goes to convincing middle-career-Tom Waits Brechtian territories--obviously off-kilter, but oddly charming as well. And some tracks on the second side explore early Swans-adjacent punishing soundscapes in quite a convincing manner (the album was produced by their drummer at the time by the way). All in all, not the utter debacle that the global score for this record on this app would have you believe. General audiences are probably way too narrow-minded for this sort of "extreme music" anyway. But does that mean that this album is a reasonable candidate for an "essential album" list? Hard to believe, in spite of its reputation as the band's magnum opus. Seems to me that the subsequent Young Gods albums displaying gems such as "Skinflowers", "Kissing the Sun" and "Moon Revolutions" are way more listenable than *L'Eau Rouge*, for instance. The investigation is still ongoing, as far as I'm concerned. But *L'Eau rouge* is pretty much a closed case as of now. 2.5/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential records" (rounded up to 3). Which translates to a 7.5/10 grade for more general purposes. Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 251 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 326 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 187 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 241 (including this one)

Áhugavert. Kom mér á óvart.

Kinda cool. I'm not huge into industrial rock, but given it's age it holds up, and I'm sure influenced a lot of later acts. pretty good. 3.4.

Jag har aldrig tidigare lyssnat på fransk goth-metal men det var förvånansvärt bra!! Skulle lätt kunna lyssna när jag pluggar matte. Rösten var väldigt bra och även instrumenten i bakgrunden. DOCK inte riktigt min musiksmak då de var lite väl mycket ibland. Min favoritlåt från albumet var Longue Route. Albumet får 3/5 stjärnor

3.75

Crazy. 3.5

Not bad. When I saw that it was industrial rock, I wasn't expecting a lot, and the first song didn't grab me. But the second song is very likeable and got me primed for the rest of the album. I enjoyed it. I don't expect to ever listen again though. Not that it's bad; just not great. 3 stars.

A promising start ends in a rather self-absorbed show of a certain style.

Ein bisschen zu französisch

Het klinkt een beetje gelijk Arno (TC matic)

Huhm

The Young Gods do their own thing and I like it. Bolshy, brash and heavy industry.

THIS is what I am here for. An album that I have never seen by an artist I have never heard of? And its a crazy orchestral french bad acid trip reminiscent of tom waits but better? Yeah thats some decent shit. I probably wont listen to it again any time soon (I dont really "like" tom waits) but I was more happy than unhappy to discover this. 3/5

As a huge fan of Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein and other industrial music artists, this album was rough. On one hand I did like where some of the tracks were going, but the vocals turned me off many times. I am used to lyrics that I don't understand (I can always look them up), so the language barrier is not an issue. I recommend at least a listen from those that enjoy industrial music. Favorite Song(s): "Longue route", "Rue des Tempêtes"

Kinda cool.

French metal is interesting, unique sound I've never really heard before. L'Amourir is particularly nice.

Did I enjoy listening to this? Mostly not, but I am rating it higher simply for being released in ‘89 and sounding considerably ahead of its time. This came out around the same time as NIN’s Pretty Hate Machine, and some of the gritty industrial sounds on this album sound more modern than PHM.

Interesting

A track or two of this is interesting. A full album is a lot.

Never heard a full album by The Young Gods before and I thought I’d like it more, since there’s a couple of songs by them I really enjoy. [0114/1001]

Hell yeah. 3.4

Don’t know why, but I get some Coldplay Vibes.

Started strong but then it got really repetitive. Probably would’ve helped if I could understand French.

I found this album really interesting but I wasn’t quite sure. I was feeling pretty anxious when I listened to it which probably didn’t help. Would definitely like to listen again to fully make up my mind.

A group and album Iv never heard of, this was interesting both in soundscape and French vocals. Glad I listened and deserves its place on the list, but not sure I’ll be rushing back.

dude what in the hell? Rue des Tempetes rocks. The title track is cool. It oscillated between like motorhead style metal and french cafe music in a post apocalyptic steampunk universe. I can see this music scratching a very very specific itch.

Interesting but a bit much for me...

Not an east listen - had to put it on a few times to 'get it' - rewarding though. Lots of interesting tricks in the music, didn't love the vocals though and my French isn't good enough to understand it anyway.

Wow, pretty intense and creative and recalcitrant. Great in your face recording. Consider me a fan!

As a fan of Nine Inch Nails, this kept my interest well enough. Longue Route is a pretty good one. I can hear the echoes of this influence in NIN, Mike Patton’s various groups, Trans Am, Rammstein, Meat Beat Manifesto. Inventive use of samples, and pads, I think.

Not sure what to think of this. Someone wrote nine inch nails meets punk Floyd. Yes true, but I would add some Foetus to it. I am a big fan of all three artists/groups but somehow this did not blew me away.

I have never heard of this band or album at all. Wikipedia says they're a Swiss Industrial Rock group - sounds like a good soundtrack for greeting my visiting family the day before Thanksgiving! I wrote a very long breakdown of each song and then didn't save it. But this was a cool listen, tracks vary from horror cabaret to Industrial metal and yet weirdly go together. The use of sampling and production effects had cool results when listening through headphones.

69/100

I liked it. Couldn't understand what they were saying but pretty good album.

One of the few albums of the 1001 I’m not familiar with at all from a band I’ve only seen in writing. This was pretty cool. Nothing I’ll go back to a bunch but it was a fun rainy day listen

I like industrial music a good bit, but this has very little that I like about industrial music. Not bad, just not my thing at all.

Not exactly my cup of tea, but respect.

1980s French industrial metal? What’s not to like?

Rock!!! Didn't understand a word. Good album tho! 3/5

This feels like it was made when people were still working out how to use samples. It's interesting and I'm sure it pushed things forward a bit, but it's just not always that listenable.

I listened to this a couple of times, and it's definitely an experience. Not something I'd go out of my way to listen to again.

Yeah weird angry rock in french, Jaime.

Like Killing Joke doing cabaret in French. Fun idea, didn't quite work as well as it could've though.

french classical industrial metal scream? its fine for a one time listen. live drum tracks on drum triggers and electronic drums is a nice aesthetic. gets the blood pumping and the anxious nerves a crawling! yeeeek!

I liked a few songs but golly gee is it hard to after the third day in a row of Industrial music, but this is by far the better of the three I have had so far.

Fine I guess? I still struggle with albums that aren't in English. I wish the Wikipedia article included more context or information about why this was an important record other than just "it is usually referred to as their masterpiece and was included on the 1,001 albums to listen to before you die"

Verrassend toegankelijke industrial.

I don't know The Young Gods and all of the music on L'Eau Rouge was new to me. I had a hard time getting in to this album. The opening track is a good example of the album as a whole. The music started out slow and unremarkable, devolving into noise, but finds some energy at the end. The growl (not quite) singing is part of what's holding me back. There are vocalists who aren't great singers that I appreciate, but the surrounding music has to be at a certain level to capture my attention. Is this music metal or art rock? I finally started to settle in with the sixth track ("Crier les chiens") where the energy of the music got me past the growl of the vocals. I'm rounding up to 3 stars, because I can't say that disliked the listening experience. It took me a while to figure out how to enjoy what I was listening to.

These guys really liked the loop machine and noise, would listen again

Like a French proto-Nine Inch Nails pretty interesting but not my style

Some of the songs are actually good, well I'll say decent. Will I listen to again? Probably not. French industrial is something I never heard, though somehow it doesn't sound as "industrial" in French as in German, ie KMFDM.

I didn’t like a lot of this, but I definitely liked some of it. I was hearing some Ministry here (Longue Route, Crier les chiens) and it piqued my interest through several songs. Interesting stuff.

By no means great, but at least it tries something.

This was an odd album for sure, but it was interesting. They definitely forged a unique rock/techno/metal kinda sound. I think the fact that it was in French is biasing my review - not sure I would have liked it as much if he was singing in English.

The French Pink Floyd and Nine Inch Nails having a baby review might be the most accurate review on this whole website. Difference is I liked it a bit more. Favorite track: L'Amourir

Good listen.

This was strange. All over the place.

The best track on the album is contained in the bonus material, L'Amourir (The Love Beat). It simply rocks! Next favorite is Pas Mal (Not Bad) and that says it, not bad at all. The rest of the album in interesting. I think I need more time to get to know it better. 3/5

Please stay as sober as possible while listening to this album, otherwise you might lose your mind. When the first track devolved into utter chaos, I wasn't sure I was still on planet earth. And as an American who's only language is English, it was even more unsettling not having any clue what the vocalist was shouting at me. But he sounded mad. I think this record is a fun, unexpected turn, even if it suffers from the 80s production a bit too much. The macabre, synthetic swells and circus music make this feel like a Tom Waits record in a few spots, and that's where I had the most fun. The industrial metal side of things turned me off for the most part.