{"id":2591,"date":"2020-04-11T15:38:59","date_gmt":"2020-04-11T15:38:59","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-11-21T20:23:50","modified_gmt":"2020-11-21T20:23:50","slug":"generation-brutal-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/heavensmetalmagazine.com\/index.php\/2020\/04\/11\/generation-brutal-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"GENERATION: Brutal Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Industrial Strength Metal. Built to Last<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the many attributes of the Limited Run Vinyl<\/a> series so far has been the diversity of the titles which have been released. And one of the joys of reviewing these titles has been that it gives us the chance to not only revisit these vital contributions to the music scene, but also has enabled us to experience the music in a new light. Not only are we now able to enjoy these songs on the vinyl format, but more importantly, we are now able to listen to them within the context of the current world situation. As we know, COVID-19 (I keep wondering who will be the first metal band to write a song about this) has hit the human race with unrelenting ferocity, and the world in which we live has changed forever as a result. I keep thinking about all the prophetic metal music I\u2019ve listened to for decades \u2013 all the warnings right there within our favorite music. Listening to an album like this one \u2013 Brutal Reality<\/em> \u2013 in 2020 is an entirely different experience than it was in 1993 when it was originally released on Wonderland\/Word and Metal Blade Records (1994). Its right there in the name, folks \u2013 Brutal. Reality. We are living it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cEverything I once thought important, has crumbled into nothing, taking me with it\u201d<\/span><\/em> \u2013 Hunger<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Music<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1993, there was quite a lot of change going on in the metal world. As grunge came to the forefront of what was more \u201cpopular\u201d and traditional heavy metal moved into the underground scene, all kinds of metal hybrids were appearing as many experienced artists were looking for ways to stay relevant and many budding artists were looking for a \u201cbreakthrough\u201d style or sound. The metal industrial revolution was one such movement which spawned the likes of Ministry, NIN and Prong on the secular side, and Mortal, Under Midnight, Chatterbox, Circle Of Dust\/Brainchild and Generation on the Christian side. The article depicted below from Heaven\u2019s Metal <\/span>#41 nicely summarizes the scene circa 1993, and the article similarly introduced us to the band Generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Heaven’s Metal<\/em> #41<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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And here is my original review (never previously published) of Brutal Reality:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cProduced by Caesar Kalinowski and friends, this experimental and highly industrial mix of songs is very original. Industrial music is a bit trying on the patience of even the heartiest and most open-minded metal maniac but the heavy use of guitars here gives this an interesting twist. Trouble guitarist Bruce Franklin guests here, but I am not sure to what extent he is playing on each song. Nevertheless, the big crunchy guitar loops here sound great and there is even a semblance of a solo in track 6. The opening track \u201cAlive\u201d is pretty happening and along with the instrumental track \u201cRevolutionism\u201d these songs could easily be used in any dance club that favors heavier styles of music. \u201cNothing to Give\u201d is really the best vocal piece with the clearest message, but \u201cStill You Died\u201d is another great song, even though the underlying grating machine noise in the beginning will make you cringe. Interestingly, there is a fair amount of diversity here from song to song which keeps this disc moving in the right direction. While I find that most of this genre of music is too repetitive and annoying, these guys have created something worth listening to for the duration of the disc. Along with Brainchild\u2019s Mindwarp, this is a worthy entry level disc for metal heads looking to expand into the industrial genre.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Without a doubt, the music of Generation was cutting edge at the time. It was abrasive, yet embraceable because it retained some of the familiar elements of traditional metal. And even though Caesar Kalinowski\u2019s prediction (see the article above) didn\u2019t exactly pan out and most metal never completely morphed into an electronic\/steel amalgamation, remnants of the industrial era do remain in much of the modern\/contemporary metal world in one way, shape or form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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