MASS MARKET MISERY ALBUM REVIEWS
REGEN magazine, Lola S. Batling
“Like evil uncles who play doctor? How about murderous robots? Then you'll want to check out Freudstein's latest because we all need some Mass Market Misery. Freudstein's Mass Market Misery is a nightmarish sideshow showcasing the strange and the macabre. In their usual fashion, the band gives listeners more horror film sounds mixed with electronic beats that's exquisitely put together in this horrific soundscape.
This UK based band is trying to do something entirely literate yet scary with their second album. Pulling from Germanic sounds, they set to music a psychotic story (or several) that echoes of some classic gothic novels. Starting with "Return to the Old Forest," a carnival-esque track, you can almost see possessed killer clowns creeping out of your speakers, setting the stage for the rest of the album. In true carnival fashion, the beats remain bouncy while couching some especially dark lyrics on "Robots Pt 2: Murder Spate." It really makes you wonder what robots are up to.
Mass Market Mistery comes back hard from their debut, Mondo Freudo, carrying over the story of "Filthy Little Whore Pt. 1" from that album, and continued here with "Filthy Little Whore Pt. 2." The "Intro to Filthy Little Whore Pt.2." is a spoken word track, eerie and disturbingly reminiscent of King Diamond's Abigail; over two minutes of torturous talk that befalls a pretty maiden.
Not all is dark and gloomy, for "Sister Sleaze" is an instant stripper classic with a hypnotic rhythm and sultry lyrics. The album culminates in "Laura," a slow and mournful song that feels like the natural end to this dark anthology of stories. Interesting to note is that the two singers, David Else and Andrew Bridge, sound like Marilyn Manson at times and Chris Barnes of Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under at others.
As a whole, the band seems to have a mission to be as creepy as possible with this new, harder, darker, and more twisted set of tracks, which they accomplish beautifully. If you wish everyday could be Halloween, then you'll want to pick up Mass Market Misery.’ (5/5)”
UNCLE NEMESIS, Nemesis To Go E-zine
“Maverick electronicists Freudstein are back, with an album of impressive variety and scope. Quite what the industrio-techno heads and dancefloor bangers will make of it is another thing, mind, for there's much here that doesn't come close to the slammin' club beats which have driven Freudstein's previous work. This is cinematic, cerebral avant-electro, polished to an electric blue sheen, shot through with abrasive guitar, stacked on rhythmic scaffolding, and interrupted with strange interludes of spoken word narrative which hint at a story unfolding, a tale being told.
All of which might ring alarm bells - don't tell me Freudstein have gone and made a concept album? Well, it looks like it, folks, although the concept is a little obscure to me thus far. But there's certainly a story stretching itself out here, amid the effects and the atmospheres and the songs. Reference points? Sometimes, on the poppier numbers, when the vocals come in, untreated by effects, Freudsten sound like an introspective Human League. There's even a potential floorfiller in 'Robots Part 2: Murder Spate', possibly the closest thing here to the kind of forceful dance number Freudstein are known for. There's also a kind of Extreme Noise Terror go techno moment, in the shape of 'Wings Of Death', which features a big guitar riff and one of those devil-in-my-underpants heavy metal vocals that goes 'Huuurrghh!'. Freudstein go (a bit) metal - who'd have predicted that?
Influences and tangents a-go-go, this is intriguing album, even if I suspect the ideas behind the music only really coalesce in the minds of Freudstein themselves. But one thing is for sure - Freudstein have made exactly the album they wanted to make, unrestricted by any notions of appealing to a genre, or a niche audience. That in itself is worth a cheer. ”
LEGENDS MAGAZINE, MARCUS PAN
“Freudstein surprised people with their eclectic blend of ambient horror and funky techno on their Mondo Freudo release. Still moving along, Wasp Factory Records in the UK bring us the latest from the Brighton UK based duo of David Else and Andrew Bridge.
Freudstein try very hard to remain unidentifiable. Their music will be ambient at times, metal-like, techno, trippy and delve into horror movies, over the top silliness and slap-happy melodies. It's like Looney Tunes Chuck Jones dosed too much XtC and then decided to become a horror director. Return to the Old Forest mixes up female sighing vocals, trippy synth melodies and slides in Sneaky Bat Machine rhythms.
Misadventure starts deep and bubbly and brings in a wonderful bass lick that's funky and moving. After this we are dripped into the Filthy Little Whore Pt 2 two-track series, consisting of an Intro and the song itself on tracks 3 and 4 of Mass Market Misery. The near two minute intro tells us a story in spoken word with dripping accoutrements and dark melodies sneaking up from behind. Seamlessly come beats into the fray, completing the story with the help of a metal guitar riff combined with electro-slicings of weirdness.
Come With Me is a heavier, almost thrash song, shredded by electronic melodies and rhythm to nice effect. Once this track is done we're moved into what Wasp Factory says is Freudstein's magnum opus - the three part Robots series that covers three tracks, 6-8, here on Mass Market Misery. It tells the story of man's enslavement to industrial machinery and destruction of human culture at its hands. It all starts, of course, with Conflict In Dollars - sometimes people forget that money is merely an invention of humankind. Instead the world seems to think that humankind is defined by its money’s sad indeed.
Wings of Death is an industrial track with heavy guitar riffs and vox-touched vocals. This tune will actually get deep and blargy, with fast moving percussion and angry vocals even nearing the black metal growl style. Sister Sleaze gets trancey with its bright melodies and bass bubble rhythms. It's the mandatory sex song of the album. Laura will lightly trance us smoothly down to Mass Market Misery's close.
Freudstein tend to pop about a bit, and I find it hard to tell you to pick them up if you like this music or that music. They certainly push the bar of creativity, especially with the well done Robots trilogy here, and they'll continue to do so I'm sure mixing in trance, trip-hop, industrial and metal into a strange but interesting concoction.”
HARD-WIRED.ORG.UK, Anya HastwELL
“With a CD cover that prepares me for the worst, the tunes on this offering are pleasantly surprising. The tuneful "Return To The Old Forest" could easily be worth a dance; with Depeche Mode style synths, Pat Morrisson Floodland-style female vocals over the top, you'd be forgiven for enjoying this tune. I can taste the cheap alcohol and the creak of my leather trousers right now as I attempt to shake my thing..oops.
"Misadventure" is another well-constructed, dancy number. And you should know by now that I don't give compliments easily. The vocals are slightly tuneless in the lower register, but as the chorus kicks in, there's a bit of Bono in there, a slightly nasal twang.
There's a slight dip in the standard at around "Intro to Filthy Little Whore Pt 2" and "Filthy Little Whore", a bleak narrative set over scary synth sounds and a dripping tap noise.
"Sister Sleaze" is a real highlight though'; this could be a hit in the dodgiest of places. 'I want see her shake like Bettie Page/My high heeled lover is taking to the stage.'It's sleazy for sure, but listen to that Soft Cell influence. It wouldn't sound amiss in a burlesque show, or if you're feeling forward enough, to dance with your chosen date with. "I want see her crawl across the stage/dressed in stillettoes, hold ups nothing more". Yes, but don't play it to your Gran. (8.5/10)”
THE BRIGHTON SOURCE MAGAZINE, MEATBREAK
“Electronic body music made by lovers of Italo-horror and Killing Joke. No tongues in cheeks here 'cos they've already been chewed off by zombies. They hold off the hordes with freezing synths and jack-booted drums, waiting for the Flying-Vs to bomb shit out of them. Metaphorically speaking.”
MICK MERCER, DAILY REVIEWS / LIVE JOURNAL
“What a strange pair David Else and Andrew Bridge are, breathing weird life into various electronically-marshalled areas, and yet making much of it sound quite edgy, and bizarrely varied. From the jolly ‘Return To The Old Forest’ with its uncredited, bright female vocals rising like plumes around the busy, polite synth you sit back and it glides over you.
‘Misadventure’ may start like an old Visage song but this has a natural warmth and dignified build, despite a rather chintzy synth sound. Nicely buoyant, the graceful song adheres to the old school principles of solid melody instead of layered in mystery and cranky twists. Then, weirdly, they move to a small drama in ‘Intro To Filthy Little Whore Pt 2’, where a clipped narrator lets a modern horror unfold, developed in the gross ‘Filthy Little Whore Pt 2’ with lightly whipping guitar and easy disquiet. ‘Come With Me’ sees some guitar romp tincture upturn and it''s a deliriously catchy thing despite the bland lyrical sentiment, with a very firm, gritty development, creating pacey excitement, And then change again.
‘Robots Pt 1: Conflict In Dollars’ is an inconsequential but attractive start to this well trippytych, where the synths potter but a woozy wrath unfolds, with superbly perverse lyrics when ‘Robots Pt 2: Murder Spate’ gets going. Some great spaced out stabby moments, and a smooth bassy sensation pushes it all on as they give us more reason to believe they’re several bands in one. ‘Robots Pt 3: Face The Truth’ makes it all the more compelling with a grand defiance.‘Wings Of Death’ is more austere with the gravelled vocals rustling alongside morose riffing and distant, sighing synthwork. It’s actually a bit dull, comparatively, and yet still curiously persuasive. ‘Sister Sleaze’ is a definite let down with embarrassingly lyrics in cahoots with suppurating pop, but ‘Laura’ is a beautifully light, sumptuous closer, and the album overall is a true triumph.
A strange but seductive success.”
MUSIC NONSTOP
“Freudstein's Brand New album ( following from their intriguing 2001 debut ‘Mondo Freudo’ ) continues their pursuit of sonic horror soundscapes through an innovative and refreshing mixture of EBM, Industrial, pure Electronics and a host of different influences ( including Depeche Mode, the movies of Dario Argento and esoteric Italians Goblin to name a few ). ‘Mass Market Misery’ is a finely crafted and expertly produced slice of Dark Electronic Music that will appeal to Metal / Industrial fans, followers of dark ambient and to movie / horror soundtrack fans too. There are brooding songs, metal and Electro excursions and industrial embellishments adding up to a rewarding and refreshing release for all followers of dark music.”
CHAIN DLK, Maurizio Pustianaz
“After their first album ‘Mondo Freudo’ released back in 2001 David Else and Andrew Bridge started to prepare their come back which arrived after five years from their first release. MASS MARKET MISERY is the new chapter of their industrial/electro/horror saga and since the first listening it convinced me.
The different tracks have always something distinctive and the blend of the different influences (they name Goblin as well as Depeche Mode and Slayer but I’m sure they also have been influenced by the master of Italian thriller/horror movies Dario Argento) make of MASS MARKET MISERY a very inspired album that will thrill the lovers of industrial metal as well as e.b.m. or Killing Joke lovers (sometimes they also remind me Velvet Acid Christ). Also tracks like ‘Intro to filthy little whore Pt.2’ or ‘Robots Pt1:Conflict in dollars’ which sounds like horror movie soundtracks are really functional into creating a disturbing atmosphere that enrich the album. Electronic dark ballads team up with electro metal rides and industrial moments creating thirty nine minutes of breath taking dark music.
Check it, MASS MARKET MISERY has no low points! (5/5)”
THE FLY MAGAZINE, BEN GRAHAM
“Industrial duo Freudstein's second album is deeper and more adventurous than its predecessor, ranging from dark, Depeche Mode electro-pop ('Misadventure'), to consumer baiting, Font 242-style hardbeat ('Robots Pt 2') and Teutonic techno-metal ('wings Of Death'). But it's the ominous, atmospheric sound collage of 'Laura,' rooted in the electronic horror scores of John Carpenter or Dario Argento's Goblin, that points the way forward into bold, uncharted territory.
This nightmare is just beginning.”
BIZARRE MAGAZINE, Stephen Daultrey
“Mass Market Misery ping pongs around the darker side like a little round thing possessed...The '80s 'electro' revivalism wagon rumbles on down its misty path. Where goth synthsters Freudstein raise the bar is by stirring those ideas into a mash-up of genre-related fare. Synth-focused horror doodles clash swords with clunky Killing Joke industrialisms. Schlock rocking is sliced with arch spoken word mutterings set to dripping taps (like an uneasy Jackanory), and it even seems the BBC effects library has been raided for some of the howls and throbs lurking in the background.
The overall mood is enjoyably haunting; when they get it right, it's bang on the witch's nail. Instrumentals 'Return To The Old Forest' and 'Laura', especially, could effectively score the lead into any barbed-axe-in-the-eye Argento moment. The downside for me is the straightforward electro goth that the band seems insistent on. Tracks 'Filthy Little Whore Pt 2' and 'Sister Sleaze' are the chief culprits, standing nigh-on guilty of sounding like a sub White Rose Movement.
Still, this remains a compelling little slab of theatrical misery. Rather like a low-budgeted Hammer gem on record.”
TWF MAGAZINE, KEVIN MORRIS
“It's been a while, a long while, since I last heard anything from Freudstein. And you know what? I wasn't that mind blown by them whenever that was. This time around, I did have a 3-track sampler of this album a while ago. Those tracks did whet(sic) the appetite – one of those tracks you also heard on last issues TWFCD. But how does the album on the whole work?
Opening track ‘Return the Old Forest ’ is a nifty electronic instrumental arrangement. Eerie keyboard effects help to set the scene with harmonic chant-like vocals really help create a very strong atmospheric opening to the album. So far so good. This is followed up by ‘Misadventure ’, an extremely dark, low-tempo number. The chorus hits a twisted nerve as the vocals "All your lovers' dream of others…in the end" creeps right through you. A little bit of (sic) track analysis demonstrates an effective use of multi-layers of sound and samples, without going overboard for the sake of it. What you are left with is tracks pleasing on the ears, cleverly hand crafted to perfection. OK. So far I'm impressed.
After a lengthy intro (which is on a track of it's own, ideal for skipping past for DJ play, or listening to for home listeners) the almost psychotic ‘Filthy Little Whore Pt2’ staggers in. Probably not a key selling point for the album, but indeed a good twisting number. ‘Come with me ’ seems to stutter a bit at verses, but once it launches into the huge chorus, it really gets going. If nothing else it does significantly up the pace a bit on the album. Following that is the 3 part ‘Robots ’ epic. ‘Part 1 ’ builds up to set the scene, ‘Part 3 ’ is the inevitable wind down, but ‘Part 2 ’ is the real beef (or Vegan alternative, depending on your dietary preferences). What we have is a strong electronic anthem striking against corporations and media control – and the people who serve blind loyalty to them.
‘Wings of Death ’ is a real surprise track. An electronic track accompanied with growling vocals. Reminds me a bit of The Kovenant except without the heavy guitars. ‘Sister Sleaze ’ is another gem in here. A down n dirty and erm'sleazy track, "I want to see her crawl across the floor/ dressed in stilettos, hold-up's, nothing more ", packed with some jaw-dropping synth effects to help forge this number into a one guaranteed to cause serious grooving on the dancefloor. ‘Laura ’ closes the album. I'd half hoped this would be a cover of the Fields of the Nephlim classic, but, instead, is another well crafted instruments track. Piercing synth effects help to craft this low-key number and provide a mellow, but awesome, finale to the album.
So, am I mind blown this time around? Dunno, but each time I listen to the album, it does take quite a while to pick my jaw back up off the floor. It might have a couple of weak spots, but overall this is an album too good to ignore. (9/10)”
UNSEEN MAGAZINE, MARK SMITH
“This is an album packed full of well crafted dark electronic music. It is hard to describe Freudstein's sound as it is so varied, except to say that an air of darkness and horror pervades the majority of their songs. When they are trying to convey horror through their music in the case of 'Filthy Little Whore' you get chills, when they are angry as in the case of 'Robots part 2' you can feel their rage, and when they want to get down n dirty in the case of 'Sister Sleaze', you can easily picture the scene they have set.
An album with tracks that you can dance to, tracks that you can chill to, and tracks for when you're feeling pissed off. One of the best CDs I've heard in a while and I only hope I don't have to wait as long to hear their next offering.”
ZILLO MAGAZINE
Altogether Mass Market Misery is a more successful poison gift-cocktail from electronic sounds, hard guitars and horror soundtracks, Goblin, Killing Joke meets velvet Acid Christ...Mass Market Misery is an excellent album!
GOTHTRONIC, ERIK
Horror, sex, politics and zombies. Not quite every band’s repertoire, but then again Freudstein acclaim not to be an ordinary band. This is already the second album, after Mondo Freudo Freudstein proudly presents Mass Market Misery. Band members Andrew Bridge and David Else draw inspiration from the above mentioned topic as well as music with a great diversity: Goblin, Depeche Mode, Slayer, Isao Tomita, Boards Of Canada and other modern electronic artists. However, the instrumentation is not just limited to electronic sources; both members play guitar and sing in a range of styles (from grunt to clean voice) with lyrics of emotional and political depth.
You might have guessed, Mass Market Misery has become a diverse album. It’s a well balanced mix between gothic, ambient, EBM and metal. It sometimes reminds me of a darker version Wolfsheim and at other times they sound like a less aggressive version of cyber-metal acts similar to the Kovenant. Although it is a mixture of different styles it all blends together nicely which makes this album very playable. All together Freudstein managed to release a diverse album which should attract a large public. If you want to dance, bang your head or just enjoy the beautiful ambient introductions it’s all in Mass Market Misery!