Industrial metal — of a recognisably early 90s style — lives on in 2022 in the form of Body Prophecy (20 Buck Spin) by Oklahoma’s Black Magnet. Following up Hallucination Scene — the project’s debut album — this latest release arrives with more than a casual nod to Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, and Godflesh (from which Justin K. Broadrick even lends his mixing talents on the album’s closing track).
Essentially the solo endeavour of one James Hammontree, Black Magnet wears its influences on its sleeve with Hammontree right from the first track demonstrating his love for seedy, aggressive industrial metal. ‘A History Of Drowning’ starts the album much as it goes on with a heavy, slamming, mechanised rhythm that brings to mind Pure era Godflesh.
On tracks such as ‘Incubate’ and ‘Body World’, Hammonstree’s vocal delivery brings to mind Marilyn Manson — whether raging, whispering or ghoulishly crooning. From a musical and textural point of view it’s Manson’s 1997 album Mechanical Animals that seems to have been the biggest inspiration. Take for instance the whispered build towards the end of stomping techno/metal number ‘Violent Mechanix’, or the gloomy, sparse, guitar-driven ‘Sold Me Sad’.
‘Incubate’ offers some enjoyably sleazy synth textures, behind a slow, stomping beat and a track that’s ripe for darkly lit bondage club stereos — very much in the Downward Spiral mould. The following track ‘Heretix’ fits the same approach, with creepy, spidery electronic beats and ominous rumblings. In an underground Berlin club with a lady in full-black latex grinding against you it could be just the ticket. If that’s the kind of thing you’re into.
The album alternates between slower, throbbing beats and slightly faster numbers like ‘Wolverine Dreams’ and ‘Last Curse’ — the former employing atmospheric, echoing vocals and the latter the notable addition of a slithering, ascending guitar line.
With many of the tracks around or just below the three minute mark nothing sticks around so long as to really drag, nonetheless every track is so soaked in references to the band’s already mentioned that any genuinely novel elements are few and far between. Though The Downward Spiral, Mechanical Animals and Prong’s Cleansing are great albums to be influenced by, it would be cool to hear them channelled into something a bit more distinctive.
To that point, it’s the final track funnily enough — Justin K. Broadrick’s remix of ‘Incubate’ — that delivers possibly the most satisfying experience, sounding more genuinely ominous and murky than anywhere else on the album. Maybe if Broadrick had lent his talents to more of the album he could have teased out some of the more distinctive aspects of other tracks.
For anyone pining after the dark, danceable, misanthropic sounds of industrial metal in its nineties heyday, Body Prophecy absolutely showcases that musical world, but does it bring anything new to the table? Not to these ears.
Buy the album here: https://blckmgnt.bandcamp.com/
6 / 10
TOM OSMAN