CONTRACULT collective’s New EP Is Everything You Love About Industrial Hard Rock

The-Pit-Filler-Image
Unsplash/Yvette de Wit
Published on:

It’s easy to understand why industrial hard rock lost its way. After bands like Rammstein and Marilyn Manson blew up, every other act tried to add “electronic elements” to their music, resulting in a lot of fuzz, some drum machine beats, and none of the substance to back it up. But when made with thought, enthusiasm, and a shitload of darkness, industrial rock is a beautiful thing — which is why Los Angeles’ CONTRACULT collective is so exciting. On their new album A Cult of Opposition, the band play hard-hitting, bought-and-paid-for industrial hard rock that reminds us why the genre once sunk its hooks into us.

Most important to A Cult of Opposition is its momentum. Though CONTRACULT collective are happy to play with empty spaces, they never let the beat drop out and devolve into a lot of druggy, ambient filler. This isn’t to say that the band don’t play with the empty spaces, with their banger rhythms and bounding riffs leaving ample room to jump and thrust. But though tracks like “Hogtied” and the absolutely slapping “WYDT” have a firmly mid-pace, they feel unstoppable in their steady march forward. On top of all of this is a delicious coating of sleaze, an overcaffeinated perversion and a sweaty sense of nihilism for the mainstream world and its silly, shallow needs. When you want to feel angry, sexy, and a little filthy, CONTRACULT collective are selling what you’re trying to buy.

Listen to A Cult of Opposition below:

And check out The Pit’s original documentary CONTRACULT collective: What Burns The Soul below:

CONTRACULT collective’s new album A Cult of Opposition is out now on Hogwasche music, and is available to stream and purchase wherever you get your tunes. Keep an eye on the band’s website for more new music and, hopefully soon, some live shows.

***

Words by Chris Krovatin