Komor Kommando- Oil, Steel and Rhythm

Arist: Komor Kommando

CD Title: "Oil, Steel & Rhythm"

Label: Alfa-Matrix

Genre: Industrial/ EBM

Website: https://www.myspace.com/komorkommando

Reviewer: Stephen Fearon

Date: 01-18-11

The name Sebastian Komor already carries a lot of weight in the Industrial scene, due to the work he has done with artists such as Icon Of Coil, Apoptygma Bezerk and Zombie Girl, as well as his success as a Solo artist in his own right.

The inspiration for Komor Kommando is aptly summarized by Komor himself when he said "I want to make club music that people will lose their minds to and basically scream, stomp and go absolutely insane! Losing it while testing the sound systems, you know?"

(Taken from https://www.alfa-matrix.com/bio-komor-kommando.php)

This however is a modest description of the complex musical journey that Komor Kommando takes you on. The aptly named "Oil, Steel & Rhythm" paints a sonic picture dominated by machine like rhythms and strange samples that evoke a very old school Industrial feel at times.

"Mambo Nr.808" for example is a dizzying collection of modulations and strange metallic noises that reverberate around a deliberately low tech digital beat, slowly building to a wonderfully chaotic groove that will insist on you tapping your foot.

On the other side of the coin is the deliciously tongue in cheek "Das Oontz", which is a masterclass in club track construction, with Komor Kommando playing up to the clichés and norms of the Industrial scene and managing to create a definitive floor filler all the while.

There is no doubting that this album has the highest of production values, with each sound perfectly placed to leap out or sink into the background at Komor Kommando's beck and call, with metallic clangs and echoes cutting through the atmosphere to wonderful effect (As demonstrated on "Slaves Of Machines" in particular).

Atmosphere is certainly strength of "Oil, Steel and Rhythm", as it lays on a veritable bounty of texture and tension, paired with huge beats that take you on something of a journey, without necessarily providing too many memorable moments. That is not to say that there are no obvious singles or club tracks on the album.

However, anyone expecting a Combichrist/VNV style collection of catchy choruses may equally be pleasantly surprised or disappointed by what they find.

Personally, I found "Oil, Steel & Rhythm" to be equal parts challenging and Intriguing, offering something different to a lot of the mainstream industrial acts of the moment, without resorting to shock tactics or dissonance.

7/10 - Recommended tracks - "Das Oontz" and "Mambo Nr.808"