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A Self Portrait At The Stage Of Totalitarian Domination Of All Aspects Of Human Life is the debut album from international band Industry who are currently based in Berlin. Industry are a band that live and breath the UK anarcho punk era and especially the Mortarhate catalogue of Exit Stance (who they cover on the album), Vex and Icons of Filth. The sound is impassioned, desperate and honest. The vocals are spat with frustration, the rhythm section locked in with the bass taking centre stage and the guitar work has that slight flanged but powerhouse tone. It’s immense.
Industry are made up of Nico from Lux, Jake from Stinkhole, Sebas from UZI / Desintegracion Violenta and Will from Mörpheme but Industry sounds nothing like any of these band. Along with Subdued, Industry hark back to a time long gone of classic Anarcho punk, but somehow make it feel current and essential. (Sean Forbes / Rough Trade)
Our take: The full title of this debut record from Berlin’s industry is A Self Portrait At The Stage Of Totalitarian Domination Of All Aspects Of Human Life, which gives you an indication of where this group is coming from both politically and aesthetically. Industry has a lot to say about why the world is fucked up, and their songs take the ranting vocal style of Crass and meld it to a mid-paced, churning sound in the vein of Exit Stance or early Amebix. While the sound is heavy and chunky, Industry doesn’t sound like metal, but instead like a new shoot from the Killing Joke branch of punk’s family tree. “Industry” is a great name for the band, as their music sounds a bit industrial, particularly given the cold, slightly shrill recording, which makes the songs sound like they’re echoing through the rubble of a bombed-out factory. A Self Portrait... seethes for its entire 20-minute runtime, and like the society it critiques, it constantly threatens to boil over, yet remains in a tense, uneasy equilibrium. A gripping listen.