Today's CD (which I actually bought yesterday) is Embryodead by :wumpscut:. :wumpscut: is the solo project of German producer/DJ Rudy Ratzinger, inspired largely by Leather Strip. By all reviews I've read, this particular album is regarded as a modern classic in the electro-industrial genre. It's style is very dark aggrotech/terror EBM, reminiscent of Suicide Commando (of course, SC was probably trying to emulate :wumpscut:, and not vice versa). The album is dedicated to "embryos that were smart enough to die in the womb" so they wouldn't have to suffer in a world without purpose. So thematically, it's very dark, touching on subjects like war, hopelessness, the death of Christ, and unwanted pregnancies. The song "Womb" scared the shit out of me. The vocals are sung from the point of view of an embryo in the womb, and he uses this weird, tinny, distorted "baby voice" which sounds creepy as hell. All the songs are great though, with enough variance between each of them to keep the album interesting without abandoning the core style.

Overall, I think this album lives up to it's storied reputation and stands the test of time quite well. Despite being originally released in 1997, it sounds like it could have been released last week. All the lyrics are in English, so it's accessible to American audiences. It seems like a very deep and disturbed album that will require multiple listening sessions to discern what the real subjects and themes of the songs are.

My exposure to :wumpscut: so far has been fairly erratic. I've heard a few odd songs on compilations and the Internet. This is the first real :wumpscut: album I've listened to, and I'm quite impressed. I've heard that his later (and current) work isn't as good as the older stuff - it lacks the dark edge and classic terror EBM style. He's also accused of straying too far from his original formula and going on weird stylistic side trips. But I'll definitely be picking up more of the older stuff, and I might even try out his latest, Cannibal Anthem, which I was reluctant to buy due to the all-German lyrics.

Bonus review: I downloaded a bunch of songs (legally) by a band called C/A/T. They play some really great power noize, with many of the songs having a strong political theme. Check them out on the Crunch Pod site.