Band:	:wumpscut:
Album:	Bunkertor 7 (Bunker Gate Seven)
Style:	Electro-Industrial
Release date:	September 01, 1995
A review by:	jupitreas

01. Open Gate
02. Torn Skin
03. Capital Punishment
04. Die In Winter
05. Bunker Gate Seven
06. Thorns
07. Mortal Highway
08. Bunker Gate Seven (Reprise)
09. Dying Culture
10. Corroded Breed
11. Tell Me Why
12. Close Gate

First of all, let me explain why I am reviewing this definitely non-metal release on a metal website. The reason is simple - this album is much heavier and more aggressive than most metal is. Even though it has almost no guitars in it, it is still one of the most abrasive recordings I have ever heard. I think its good to remain open-minded and check out alternative styles every now and again, and I'd like to provide such an opportunity for MetalStorm members by writing this review.

:wumpscut: is a very well known band amongst fans of real industrial music and EBM (Electronic Body Music - essentially the European version of industrial). This style is characterized by an extensive use of keyboards and samples to create impressive soundscapes driven by a thumping electronic beat and accented by heavily distorted vocals. And that is basically what Rudy Ratzinger (the only member of :wumpscut:) does. One will notice numerous similarities to bands like Front Line Assembly, Front242 and Skinny Puppy in Ratzinger's music; however, unlike other bands of this ilk, he mostly focuses on the distortion and noise aspects of the style, rarely reaching for subtlety as a means of artistic expression. Nonetheless, Ratzinger doesn't forget where his roots are (goth-tinged electro-industrial) and therefore, there is always an underlying level ambiance, harmony and beauty present beneath the white noise. The result is a record that is both intensely harsh and hauntingly beautiful, which is something that only the best bands are capable of achieving (Neurosis, Emperor, and Mayhem, to name but a few). It is also extremely dark, as the themes contained within the lyrics usually deal with death, hate and more death.

"Torn Skin" and "Capital Punishment", the first songs on the album, are perfect examples of what I have just described. After that, :wumpscut: goes ahead and experiments a bit more with the atmospheric "Die In Winter" and the only not directly confrontational track on the album, which is "Thorns". The track is actually a great piece of gothic electronica but I think this could just be a way of making "Mortal Highway's" destructive impact even more mind-numbing. "Mortal Highway" is without a doubt the heaviest industrial-metal track I have ever heard, adding sampled guitars into :wumpscut:'s already extremely frightening sound. Other notable tracks on the album include "Dying Culture", which uses spontaneous blasts of feedback to crush the listener, and "Tell Me Why", which is actually slightly more melodic and ends the album on a high note. While I am not going to mention the remaining tracks, I have to say that they are still all good.

Before I tell you to go and look for this album to expand your musical perception, let me give you a word of warning. There actually seem to be about 5 different versions of this album available in different countries around the world, some of them featuring the songs in a different order, while others contain alternative mixes. While I am sure all the versions are really good, I cannot take this responisibility and my review cannot apply to the other versions. Now, as promised, let me say this: Go and buy this album!