Search - Skrew :: Burning in Water Drowning in Flame

Classic Industrial Nihilism

Joel Israel | Cedar City, UT United States | 02/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"NIN, Godflesh, Ministry...all of these late '80s to mid '90s industrial projects have received much more fame and notoriety than my personal favorites from that era and their uber-classic milestone in the genre, "Burning In Water, Drowning In Flame". Skrew was the first industrial band that really set themselves apart from the rest and appealed to me as a metalhead-mostly because of their addition of super-heavy, Slayer-esque guitar riffs to the programmed drums, samples and sound effects of their peers. I recently picked this one up again after some 15 years, and it seems even better than I remember....this band, along with Chemlab, was underappreciated, for sure.



Abrasive, machine-like, and heavy as hell, this album is a churning maelstrom of cybernetic post-modern angst. Robotic, distorted, static-like vocals, absolutely crushing metal guitar and propulsive beats lay the foundation. Riddled with bizarre voice-over narrative, the requisite industrial electronica and effects, and some disturbing samples from cult movies and topped off with the coolest cover of a Rolling Stones tune EVER, this one is such an overlooked gem. Skrew would never rise to this level again, but this album is a one-of-a-kind must own industrial/metal tour de force."