A true industrial gem - Maybe one of the best ever
Christopher | Denver, Colorado, USA | 07/14/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I cannot stress strongly enough how totally overlooked this album was... certainly because SM dropped its metal edge and went straight to their (genuine) industrial core. This now two-some beats the HELL out of any work put forth by Filter, KMFDM, Stabbing Westward, and maybe even NIN (a hard comparison of brilliance, but Trent Reznor never rocked this hard or well). This may be the strongest industrial effort of all time... a work of pure raw genius, a snapshot of the last furious collaboration between Skold and Harry Cody.Every track is beyond description or compare. Just give this one a shot. I rarely ever give a 5-star review to anything, but this work deserves it. If you're disappointed, write me, and I'll find some way to make it up to you. That's how confident I am that this is an objective classic."
Brilliant Anger-Fueled Industrial Experimentation
Joel Israel | Cedar City, UT United States | 02/13/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I should start by pointing out that I was a child of the '80s, and a diehard guitar freak, so I went through every rock music trend there was...I knew this band both before and after this album, and I must say, this is the only Shotgun Messiah album that matters, and an industrial milestone that should have mattered, but didn't.
Let's face it kids, hard rock (especially glam rock and hair metal) pretty much sucked. Sure, it had hooks, but it was basically cheesy. When the nineties hit, they really did pop music a favor in a lot of ways....Shotgun took a drastic step in the right direction, dropped the "Oooh baby" schtick of their previous efforts, got pissed and put out a NIN-meets-hard-rock and metal album. Does it work? I'll tell you what, this disc is a permanent fixture in my CD collection, and I have worn out 3 copies. KMFDM and Ministry only wish they could have grooved like this...it is much better than a lot of the popular industrial bands of the '90s. A forgotten classic, mixing elements of rock, industrial and electronica, metal and good-old fashioned American anti-establishment angst. I'll always love this album on those days when you just want to be mad about something....classic!"
Lost Genius Album
J. Vaughn | 03/31/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I snagged this disc as soon as it came out. Let me tell you. I am going to give this five(wish I could give it 500)stars for several reasons. First the Quality of this disc is so far above anthing I have ever heard. I have had my copy for almost 15 years and it is old and scratched to hell. It plays louder and better than any new release out there. Bet my life on it. Second. This is the fourth disc by these guys. Yes Kingpin was a little on the sissie side, but this is a sound that should not have been ignored. I do not like industrial music. I think Sampling sucks. I hate bands like NIN and all those other no count screwheads that cant play so they push the button. But Skold and company had clearly proven themselves by releasing this monster. I Love this disc and try as I may I can not find anything that comes close to it. As far as the snotwad that says Tim Skold sounds like he is singing in a bottle or from a well. Well let me see, there is a such thing as sound effects and I honestly believe that is what he was going for. HEHE What a dork!
This disc is without a doubt the musical lost city of Atlantis. Along with Spread Eagle who why for the life of me did not get a break either. Well Messiah did, but they self destructed in the end.
This is the disc to have, this is where it is at and this is the core of raw and creative purity. A GEM"
Listen 5 or 6 times
blackfalcon | colorado United States | 02/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are a fan of rock/metal listen to this cd several times before you decide if you like it. If you are a fan of Rammstien, Rob Zombie, or Dope you should be head over heals with the first listen!! This is a true bridge between industrial, and straight forward rock. These songs gallop and flow like a herd of wild horses on stampede. If you listen in your car watch your speedometer."
Better with Age
Don C | Albany, NY | 01/08/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Not usually the case with a lot of music, but this sounds better and fresher that it did when first released. I had this and remember being disappointed in it because I liked their album 'Second Coming' with its energy and party type anthems. It sounded tired to me then.
Listening to this now, it really sounds good. Granted everyone uses effects and loops in songs but they were pretty 'Industrial' on this disc before there was even a term for it. Personal Faves are 'Enemy In Me', 'Revolution', 'Rain', 'Overkill' and the excellent 'I Come In Peace', which has a great vibe to it. The songs are energetic and slightly melodic in the choruses. The vocalist sounds good with his snotty / punkish style. The tracks are a heavy blend of Metal and effects, and at the time it may have seemed like too much for their fans to comprehend (myself included).
The other tracks are pretty good as well. This Album (disc) really went nowhere back in the day. "Second Coming' did OK and got some play but this was totally overlooked. They were a decent band that turned into a 2 man vision on this disc and the experiment went well. Worth a second listen if you have it and worth the money if you like this industrial rock stuff. They were onto something with this, unfortunately the sales slumped and they bailed. I credit them for trying something different for its time."