Godflesh

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: BLACK MAGNET- MEGAMANTRA

Over the last couple of years, Black Magnet has been a band I’ve become quite fond of. Each album has upped the ante of not just creating great industrial music but, has breathed new life into the genre. Which brings me to the album of the week, Black Magnet’s new record, Megamantra. If you are a fan of classic industrial a la Ministry, Godflesh, Broken/Downward era Nine Inch Nails then you will absolutely love Megamantra.

Black Magnet’s Megamantra is an album not for the faint of heart. This album is a hard charging, pummeling piece of work. The dark yet lush dynamics found on this record really captivate the listener. While the subject matter on the album is chock full of heavy and harsh realities, the songs are layered with an anthemic sensibility that packs obscene amounts of energy into each track. The guitars are razor sharp and the riffs hit you like a ton of bricks. The synth work on this album is on par with the likes of Nine Inch Nails and it creates an additional mood that compliments the hard driving riffs and thunderous drums (which are live- thank you Noah!!!). Throughout the 9 songs on the album, you can most definitely sense that this is a “complete album.” The whole album is a standout track. I implore you to listen to this album from start to finish.

James Hammontree, the bands founder, guitarist, and vocalist has put together a lineup for this album that truly explodes upon first listen. Compelling is a great way to describe this record. After listening to this album, one, you’ll more than likely want to start it over, because it’s that good, and two, you’ll really want to go see Black Magnet live. The way these songs flow into one another as well as the very direct approach in writing makes Megamantra one of the best albums of 2025. Black Magnet is a band for now and the future so make sure you connect with this one!

Overall Rating: A

Standout Tracks: The Whole Album

Black Magnet- Megamantra:

Unsung Masterpieces: Black Magnet- Body Prophecy

One of the most fun things about discovering new bands is when you hear even just one song and it comes together, it’s almost like this cosmic force of meant to be. A little while back I was introduced to the band Black Magnet and they really knocked my socks off. Upon hearing the record it was as though Nine Inch Nails Pretty Hate Machine/Broken era and Godflesh Streetcleaner/Pure era came together with bits of Ministry and Skinny Puppy to make the album that brought industrial music back. Formed by James Hammontree in 2018, Black Magnet has set the underground industrial scene a blaze with a ferocious force that will get under your skin and give you chills in the way you’d want a horror film to. Not only does Black Magnet posses an industrial sound there is also a post-punk sensibility within that also coincides with metal that drives it all home with harsh precision and tinges of a melodic pulse. On the latest offering Body Prophecy, the onslaught continues with even more depth and tenacity. One of the things I love most about this album is that it is cohesive and full of life. Each song feels like it’s own revelation but keeps you focus and transfixed on everything that is going on. This is one of those albums that you feel compelled to start over once it reaches the end. I’m completely enthralled by the magnitude and intensity on this album. The production, engineering and mixing by Sanford Parker is exquisite and should be a masterclass on how to make proper industrial albums in today’s world. I’m looking at all you wannabe lame “laptop rock” bands. Black Magnet is a band not just for now but for the future! Also I’m just putting this out in the aether, BLACK MAGNET NEEDS TO OPEN FOR NINE INCH NAILS!!!!

Black Magnet- Body Prophecy:

The Videos:

Floating In Nothing:

Hermetix:

Violent Mechanix:

By: Brian Lacy

Underrated and Influential: Prong

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As a music enthusiast since a very young age, I’ve been able to see the power and effect specific bands from a point in time have on genres and on their peers. It’s truly a remarkable thing to see and hear. There is one band in particular that never really got their due and that is a bit unsettling in my mind. That band is Prong.

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Band Of The Week: Khost

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Industrial music is one of my favorite genres. There is something about the darkness, and mechanical feelings that it emits, that really intrigues me. When done right, industrial music a la Nine Inch Nails, Godflesh, (old) Ministry, etc, grabs you and sucks you in to the deepest parts of darkness. I’d like to take a moment and focus on an up and coming band out of Birmingham, England, KHOST. This two piece is explosive dissonance has really made something special. Their sound has a Godflesh type feel to it without copying what they did. They are an inspired duo, making music that hits you like a box of nails all sharp side down but, in a good way. The impact of the heaviness is astounding and their use of dynamics and space, really adds another dimension to their music. Their latest album Governance, is the next step for a band on the verge of taking the industrial scene by storm.

 

Khost- Governance:

Top Ten Bands: G

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We continue the alphabet with the letter G. Again these are in no particular order. And I’m always looking to add to the list so feel free to leave suggestions!

 

1) Guns N Roses
2) Germs
3) Gojira
4) Green Day
5) Peter Gabriel
6) Genesis
7) Garbage
8) Godflesh
9) Marvin Gaye
10) David Gilmour

 

 

Bands That Should Come Back: Isis

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There is a saying that it’s best to go out on top, and in 2010, Isis did just that. Having released a great album Wavering Radiant, the guys in Isis decided to go their separate ways. Over the course of their career they released quite a few albums, EP’s, and splits. Two of their albums 2002’s Oceanic and 2004’s Panopticon are genre defining albums and regarded as classics in heavy music circles. Isis was a band that helped to expand the genre in which Neurosis and Godflesh made. Their use of conceptual themes in their lyrics made the albums stand out even more especially Panopticon. During their live shows the use of lights mixed with the rhythmic nature of the songs and the use of ambient sounds made their live show a truly intriguing experience. I was lucky enough to have seen Isis on their final tour. All the members have since gone on to other projects. One of the most prominent of those project is Palms which features 3 of the members of Isis and Chino Moreno of Deftones. All in all Isis was truly a great band that still had so much left to share with the world musically. Only time will tell if there will ever come a time when they will reconvene and form again.

 

Oceanic:

 

Panopticon:

 

By: Brian Lacy