REVIEWS > ABSOLUTE ZERO

Industrial Rock (USA) 

This is an Electro-IDM project of Doug Sudia and John Monette with their debut album Absolute Zero which includes both original songs and versions remixed by Deadliner and Cyanotic. The whole album cannot be considered as an industrial rock one, but remixes made by bands mentioned above are good examples of how industrial rock bands can make them sound edgy. There are mostly songs aimed to dance floors because of rhythmic, pumping beats (Sea of Sorrow, Absolute Zero, Black Index) but also ambient tracks (Absence and Presence). Sea of Sorrow is a cover for Alice in Chains track and the performance reminds me a lot Chemlab's way of making things mechanical and noisy. I loved remixes by Cyanotic, with tight guitar riffs and pulsing rhythm, and that one by Deadliner, who has shown his best so far on a few remix compilations to mention his works for Chemlab, Acumen Nation or Cyanotic, everytime leaving a masteriece there. UCNX seems to have some bright future if follows the door already opened and I hope to hear more cool stuff from them soon. 

NINa (4/5) 

Chain DLk (Italy)

Coming from the U.S. UCNX are presenting their first full length titled ABSOLUTE ZERO which has been printed into an initial limited edition of 100 copies (but it's available as digital download also) by the English label MOMT Records. The album features five original songs, a cover of Alice In Chains' "Sea of sorrow" as well as three remixes (by Cyanotic, Deadliner and the third by the band itself which give to the main title an Old School e.b.m. mix). This album since the first listening sounded to me like a blast because it mixes electronic industrial power with melody and freshness. With influences of bands like Chemlab, Front Line Assembly or Front 242, UCNX will become for the lovers of the genre a valid alternative to the most known names of the scene. You can check their CDbaby page where you can preview all the tracks as well purchasing the CD.

Maurizio Pustianaz (4/5)

Backlash (USA)

UCNX sneaked quietly onto the industrial music scene in 2006 with the song "Desperation", featured on the h0rd3z ov thee el33t! compilation put out by the boys in the Cyanotic/Glitch Mode camp. Soon after, UCNX released their own rendition of Chemlab's "21st Century" for the Chemlab tribute album Songs from the Hydrogenbar. At the time of each disc's release, I thought both tracks were neat but I didn't really expect a whole lot to come from UCNX overall.

So, here we are in 2008, and UCNX has just released their debut EP, Absolute Zero. Released on the nascent UK label MOMT, Absolute Zero is for me one of the most exciting releases of the past year. Not since 16Volt's FullBlackHabit have I been this pleased with a new release in the industrial music world. The disc features 5 really strong and powerful original tunes, a very rocking cover of Alice in Chain's "Sea of Sorrow", production from Jared Louche of Chemlab, a remix from Cyanotic, and an absolutely superb remix from Deadliner, electronic musician extraordinaire whose remixes have graced Chemlab's Rock Whore Vs. Dancefloor and Acumen Nation's What the Fuck? among others. Including him was a good choice, as this latest work is among some of his best. There's just too much to like about this disc, and hasn't got a thing going against it. It's similar in a number of ways to Cyanotic's debut EP, Mutual Bonding Through Violation, only a lot better. Which really makes me keen to find out what kind of full length these boys can produce.

The disc's title track, "Absolute Zero", is definitely the key track here, and has more underground anthem potential than I've heard in a long time. I can definitely seeing this becoming a dancefloor staple over the next few years, assuming UCNX can keep it together and continue to record and release music. Cheers, and a warm welcome, to the newest members of the third wave of industrial music: UCNX.

Dark Enteries (Belgium)

A duo from the USA on an obscure English label. Doomed to remain anonymous if it wasn't for organisations like Dark Entries. I was suspicious when I started listening to the debut album `Absolute Zero' but this album manages to convince me. Industrial? Yes, but the enjoyable accessible type with influences from cold wave, ambient, electro etc turned into an enjoyable claustrophobic listening trip. There's even space for a few frills in the dark threatening `absolute zero'. There are 9 songs on this ep, including 2 remixes of the title track (I prefer the old school mix) and Desperation has also been remixed by the unkown act Deadliner. The EP is limited to 100 (!) physical cd's which can be exclusively bought from the label but you can also download it legally. If you buy the cd you get a code to download the ep `Eckstrahschitt' but our promo copy did not have a code. Dark Entries recommends the psysical version. 10 to 15 years ago this would have been a cult dark electronica release. One negative point: the vocals which are not necessary for my liking. The music is strong enough, even in the poppy Sea of Sorrow, the only redundant song.