THIRTEEN YEARS LATER, MR. TIM SKOLD REVIVES SKOLD
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 3:00pm by Gary Suarez
Back in 1996, I was an angst-ridden young buck, and the only kind of music I truly cared about was industrial rock. Indeed, it was at the tail of a gilded age for the subgenre, the door to commercial success having been opened a few years earlier by major-label breakthrough artists like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry as well as notable independent label acts like long-slogging innovators KMFDM. If you have ever owned music from bands like God Lives Underwater or Gravity Kills, you know exactly what I’m talking about, brother.
That same year also saw the major release of a self-titled debut from SKOLD, a dark electronic project from a former member of glammy metal act Shotgun Messiah, a group that had toyed with industrial rock on their final album Violent New Breed. Though there wasn’t a bad song in the bunch, the highlights included machinist’s slog “Dust To Dust” and soaring dystopian anthem “Neverland.” Though mastermind Mr. Tim Skold would move on to lengthy stints with Marilyn Manson (refer to: The Golden Age Of Grotesque, arguably the band’s finest record) and the aforementioned KMFDM, this now woefully out-of-print album–and occasionally accompanying promo VHS cassette–has always held a special plate in my withered heart. This is is why I am so pleased to report that after thirteen (13!) long years, Mr. Skold has revived this long dormant solo act.
Previews of three brand new SKOLD songs–”I Will Not Forget”, “A Dark Star”, and “Bullets Richochet”–are currently available to stream at this website. All three can also be purchased directly from digital download services such as Amazon. As expected, these new tracks are informed by his work with those other bands, though still retain that Skoldian je ne sais quoi. A full length is expected sometime in 2010.
If anyone can resurrect the glory of industrial rock, that man is Mr. Tim Skold.
-GS
[Gary Suarez knows Major Tom's a junky. He usually manages the consistently off-topic No Yoko No. Say, why don't you follow him on Twitter?]
The golden age the finest album by Manson ??…
mmmmmmmmmhhhhh….. I don`t think so.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. “Eat Me, Drink Me” and “The High End of Low” are by far the worst Marilyn Manson records of the modern era, otherwise known as the time when Manson has lost all credibility as an artist and anything he releases is pure garbge (not to mention, he’s a total fat-ass now); however, pretending those two albums don’t exist, “The Golden Age…” is by far the worst record Manson released while still relevant.
The only Manson albums that matter are the first four; for me, they go in this order:
1. Antichrist Superstar
2. Holy Wood
3. Portrait of an American Family
4. Mechanial Animals
I’d switch numbers 2 and 4, and then agree with your Manson list.
My beef with Mechanical Animals is it’s too electronica for me; I absolutely hated it when it first came out back in ‘98, but my musical taste has greatly expanded and developed since then so I can accept the album for what it is, part of a larger concept that made up the trilogy. I also love some of the tracks, though some of them I can do without. Holding “Antichrist” in such high regard, I think “Holy Wood” is the closest Manson will ever get to that high point again.
I agree that “Animals” was probably the least Manson-like, and if you are into the heavier, industrial rock/metal that was “Antichrist,” I can see why you wouldn’t be into “Animals” as much. For me, I think “Animals” contains some of the best songs Manson has ever done, and I think Manson is often at his best when his stuff is NOT heavy. Many would disagree with me, but since I don’t go to Manson for my “heavy” fix (I go to real metal for that), I like his best quality songs, hard or not, often prefering his singing to screaming. Maybe that’s why I enjoy “Portait” as well; less screaming, generally less noisy. I liked “Antichrist” for what it was, but haven’t really dug much of what Manson did after that album that fell on the heavier, noisy, industrial, “metal” side of things. Since he isn’t heavy enough to be relevant on that side of the spectrum, his “harder” efforts have seemed really poor.
Ok, enough of the semi off-topic Manson babble..
is someone forgetting smells like children?
the only manson albums that matter are….
antichrist superstar
smells like children
fuck anything else he did….ever….
Tottally agree with your list sir !
by that I mean the msv81 list ….
Yeah, definitely not his finest hour.
My buddy’s boss was in Gravity Kills. He’s into technical sales. Weird
I am a huge KMFDM lifer, and have always dug Skold, even his cheesy little solo album. I’m glad you brought this to my attention; definitely going to check out those new tracks. And yes, I’ll admit I have owned a Gravity Kills album as well.
Ugh, the “song preview edits” on that site are just plain annoying. The stuff sounds like Skold for sure; not exactly breaking any new ground, but decent. I have always liked Skold’s odd voice for some reason.
Violent New Breed still sounds kickass to this day. Tim Tim needs to reunite with Mr. Cody and make some more of that stuff.
KMFDM hasn’t changed since day 1, they bore the hell out of me. Best industrial band of all time by far goes to Skinny Puppy.
Manson had only 1 good album, the first one. Portrait of American family which was heavily influenced by Slayer was an incredible experience when I first heard it. Sadly, everything else fell by the waste side.
Manson heavily influenced by Slayer? Can I get a source for that info, because it sure as hell isn’t evident in the music of “Portrait.”
KMFDM is excellent. I agree that they don’t exactly reinvent the wheel with each new album, but listen to UAIOE then listen to BLITZ (or ANGST, NIHIL or “Symbols”) and I don’t think you could seriously think that they “haven’t changed since Day 1.” I also agree that Skinny Puppy is amazing.
Goddamnit, Gary.
Supposedly the “Skold vs KMFDM” album that came out about 8 months ago (I have yet to pick it up) is really good; a quality collaboration between Skold and Sascha K.
Skold was the worst thing to ever happen to KMFDM…you suck sooo much Suarez. You were also wayyy late to get on the industrial bandwagon. 1996?! wtf
I think some of the girls that did vocal parts screwed up KMFDM worse than SKOLD, especially Lucia…she’s on waaay too many songs on the last few albums…