Death & Horror,Inc.: Bitter Alloys/Pressures Collide Reviews

I know what you all must be saying right about now, "Why the hell is he reviewing a record that's almost 2 years old?!" Well, the reason is that this band has just signed two new deals to distribute this album domestically in the USA (through Van Richter Records) and in Europe (through Kk Records). The record itself proves to be a very catchy, danceable industrial recording relying more on synthesizers and samples than on guitar riffs. Some songs here are very radio friendly such as the lead track, 'Pain and Courage' for which the band shot a video. As well, this outing includes two ambient soundscapes, 'Undercurrent' and 'Black Hour,' which I think only add to the length of this CD without introducing any significant content. My favorite track was 'The Aftershock' which was by far the "heaviest" track on the record because it incorporated some noticeable guitar riffs. I also liked the slower, hypnotic, trance-inducing tracks like 'Any Power.' I always find songs like that to be a good escape from all the worries in my head. All in all, a more than half-decent effort which I just might put in my CD player one or maybe two more times (gasp!) :) - Gino Filicetti, Chronicles of Chaos


DHI pound home brutal grinding industrial technology just screaming to be played on a dance club's mega watt sound system. The massive battering beats of these songs pummel the listener with scathing samples and violent programmed beats. By the time that churning metal guitar kicked in at the end of the opening track 'Pain and Courage' I was hooked. Song titles like 'Catastrophe','Rage' and 'Black Hour' paint a realistic picture of the sounds emanating from Bitter Alloys/Pressures Collide. 'Ninety - Nine Realities' is a pick of the litter with a killer mechanical beat that brings to mind some wacked - out mechanical matching band with a groove. Quite a collection of mayhem. - Gear Magazine
Van Richter records has added DHI's second release, Pressures Collide to the 1993 Bitter Alloys limited edition extended play disc. Both KK and Van Richter released the Pressures Collide disc but only the US Van Richter version has the limited edition release. DHI produces a heavy atmosphere of metallic noises, harsh grinding beats and aggressive lyrics from vocalist Vicar. - TERRA INDUSTRIA Magazine

DHI have always used guitar, but there are lots of metal riffs on this, which is something they have never done before. The programming is still quite good and quite upfront and the songwriting has even improved. - Culture Shock Magazine


Dark and brooding tho it is, as if a couple of Metallica fans were forced into using drum machines & sequencers out of desparation of not finding a skin hitter. Possibly for fans of Stabbing Westward. File under Corporate Industrial or heavy rock. - Damn Magazine
DHI's latest CD is more like a soundtrack than merely a collection of industrial songs. The band utilizes a myriad of samples in conjunction with synths, guitars and violins to create these minature scores. "Pain and Courage" creates an early SF theremin/horror film backdrop with growling guitars and undistorted raspily shouted vocals taking up the forefront "Any Power" places a deeply fuzzed and decided irratable bass in the front, creating a classic sense of suspense with its clattering metallic beat and eerie synths chords. 'Aftershock" is a murky blend of horn like sounds and sustained guitar wails - an evil combination if ever there was one, and then backs it with slow ponderous beat and a gravelly modified voice.Also of note are the small number of instrumental tracks. "Undercurrent" is centered around a tribal beat made from hollow log drumming and metal bars being struck, with a foggy electronic backdrop to complete the imagery. "Exanthem" is likewise primative tribal in nature, only here with more overt Gothic darkness and industrial sequencing. DHI are not in the mainstream of industrial music, but seem quite content to lurk around its darker edges. - Michael Mahan, Alternative Press
This Canadian band has much in common with bands Godflesh and Sielwolf when it displays its power. It is with frightening force. The songs are put together well using conventional instruments like bute guitar, fuzzed bass, violins and keyboards. Very rare is this band's ability to send chills down the spine through use of eerie synthesizer sustains and string sections in "Any Power" and "Rage". For DHI, the release point is reserved for vocalist Vicar who is largely responsible for such a lasting impression. His non irritable screams are raw and clenched teeth strained. Admiration goes to the use of effects in the 4th instrumental track where a drum march is heard via underwater. 'Rage" effectively combines all of DHI's good qualities although progressing downward in mood and pace - Chris Jagasits, New Industrial Sounds
DEATH AND HORROR INC's Bitter Alloys/Pressures Collide is yet another hard edged industrial offering from the Van Richter label. They draw from many aspects of this genre, spit out the cliches and create a unique sound for themselves. I would describe it as Guitar Industrial meets Cyber Punk minus the Blipcore dancey-ness. The production is cold, but maybe intentionally so. The vocals are blunt, hardcore sounding shout, using no distortion and little in the way of effects. Lyrically, DHI are in no way typical either. They deal with internal strife in a subtle and seemingly personal way. All in all, this DHI release is excellent and highly recommended. I might even go as far as to refer to it as an Industrial masterpiece. - Bob, Worm Gear
Started in Toronto in 1987, and named partially for a classic '70s BBC sound effects album, DHI went on to open for such bands as Alien Sex Fiend, Front Line Assembly, and A Split Second. DHI released Pressure Collide - their second CD - in 1994. And now Van Richter Records in California and KK Records in Belgium both license the disc making it DHI's debut release in the U.S. and Europe. The unconventional sampling techniques make each track stand on its own. Only lightly incorporating the overused cyberpunk/electro elements, the industrial flavor - deep,gravelly vocals pleading with us about life - predominates. Pressures Collide starts off with "Pain and Courage" - a hard driving Nitzer-Ebb like industrial with intense beating vocals. But my favorite is "Rage": a seamless transition brings you into a factory of robots and mechanized acid rain. The dense, thick industrial has no vocals; instead the blurry, muffled samples work perfectly. It's intense and energetic. This is KMFDM with Wire sensibilities- and just enough electronics to make it mod without becoming techno muzak fit for the frozen food aisle. It's recommended to anyone craving well produced industrial. - Lisa Crosby, Eye Magazine
This is industrial music you won't be seeing on MTV. Slower, more factory like beats combine with samples, deathly guitar riffs and eerie keyboard melodies to create a grim album. DHI creates ambient evil soundscapes of a post - apocalyptic wasteland. In the needle tracked vein of the earlier work by Canadian brethren Skinny Puppy. DHI is sure to create a Halloween mood anytime of the year. - Don Smith Moorman, IndieScent Magazine
The Van Richter release is heavy industrial music with some great dark overtones. I like Pain and Courage, Rage, and The Aftershock. Some really good samplings on this one. - Lou Sorrentino, Black Moon Magazine
Superb blend of electronics and guitars, intense and danceable with the occasional soundscape. - Isolation Tank
Canadian four piece Death and Horror Inc latest release is this CD which represents both their lp Bitter Alloys and their ep Pressures Collide. Musically it is a very good band combining a number of influences and a number of sonorities into a unique blend of heterogeneous dynamic creative and ever changing evolving sequences of various moods... Several songs feature usage of metal guitars, yet many songs are deeply industrial and quite hard anyway; also they do delight creating extremely indust-feeling slow soundscapes made of cold atmospheres and warm sounds. Even if it is actually three years old it is most likely the latest issue of the band. - Marc Urselli-Scharer, Chain D.L.K.
Where's the love for this band? Along with Sielwolf and The Fair Sex, I'd vote them some of the most underrated of bands. Really in a class of their own actually. On Bitter Alloys/ pressures collide, DHI sounds much more confident and fleshed out. This is actually some pretty freaky stuff. I can't even begin to describe their sound or compare them to anyone, maybe a little similar to early Frontline Assembly, maybe not. All I know is, 'Afterschock' is one kick-ass song and one of the scariest eletro songs ever. These guys were onto something here, its a shame they didn't keep it. Fans of Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, or any of the other Van Richter labelmates will probably enjoy this. - harsh_stone_white, Discogs
Another band discovered by Van Richter, and seriously, in my opinion, one of the best industrial bands ever. The production quality on this CD is great, and I always have to up the volume on it when DJ ing. Bitter Alloys/Pressures Collide would probably go in my top 10 industrial recordings of all time. I prefer Bitter Alloys / Pressures Collide over the standard Pressures Collide because it contains the amazing remixes of the Bitter Alloys EP. Most remixes are usually garbage but these are actually top notch and in some ways surpass the originals. This is a must own for fans of the godfathers of industrial such as Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly. There are similarities to the aforementioned bands, as this will undoubtedly happen in electronic genres, but this band excels beyond even where those bands went. There are some amazing tracks on this disc, and really not a single track I can say I dislike, a true rarity. For an industrial CD chock full of dance floor killers, look no further than this incredible and often times overlooked release. Because it was released by Van Richter most long time fans of the genre know they are in for something special. .Bitter Alloys/Pressures Collide is an industrial masterpiece. DJ Deathwish
I don't think there's any real good comparison to Death and Horror Inc (DHI), except maybe Front Line Assembly. Their sound is pretty unique. DHI's first release(album and EP compiled and remastered by Van Richter) was great, but they sound much more fleshed out and diabolical on Bitter Alloys/Pressures Collide. What we have here is some of the most menacing electro industrial I've ever heard. And I don't mean Skinny Puppy or NIN menacing but totally in a class of their own. Bitter Alloys/Pressures Collide really taps into some frightening atmospheres but would also work well on the dance floor. Its great for club play at night or just a night walk. High quality guitar riffs are present, especially on Ninety Nine Realities, but it never really dominates any song. It merely adds an essential buzz to the pounding electro/beat experience. Highlights include 'Any Power' which is a good sampling of what DHI does best. The ominous deep bass notes lurking in the background with the buzzing bass and its catchy beat, and an occasional wash of eerie strings. The vocals are harsh or deadpan which are in perfect compliment. 'The Aftershock' is the crown gem track on this release. It gets my vote for one of the most frightening electronic songs ever with its menacing bass lines, brutal march beats, demonic whispers and shouts and high pitched bursts of a pneumatic drill that shake the senses. There are quite a few unsettling instrumentals, the standout track being 'Exanthem' which is haunting and lovely featuring tribal percussion, ominous machine like beats, and beautiful synth lines. In summary Death and Horror Inc is a highly underrated industrial band. Every electro industrial fan owes it to themselves to purchase this release right now or else you're missing out big time. Amazon.com
On the thirteen track Bitter Alloys Pressure Collide, cyber- kinetic Toronto trio Death and Horror Inc. construct another mechanical mosaic. Transforming spiky beats, distorted guitars, Luciferous vocals and found sounds through the use of samplers, sequencers and synthesizers. DHI turn out nuts and bolts dance music, from the grinding cyclone maze of "Pain And Courage" to the blipping steel thrusts of "Red Carnival". Available on Van Richter Records. Karen Bliss, Impact Magazine

Back to DHI page