Monster Moves

Interview by Ada Guerin


The industrial scene has spawned a monster, at least according to Myk Jung it has, lead screamer for the hardcore German industrial metal band Testify, describes the techno scene as a movement void of emotion. He further theorizes that the insolent of spring has taken away from what was once a promising following in the pure adrenaline surging aggro music experience. "It's a very hollow scene" explains Jung, in his West Berlin accent. "The music, I find, does not have life. The youths here go to the after-hour raves to dance - it is very popular. But you shall dance yourself hollow - into a trance". One thing can be said about Testify's music is that it is anything but void of emotion. In fact the band's most recent release "Mmmyaoooo", sounds like Ministry's Psalm 69 on steroids(if you can imagine that). But these guys haven't always had their hardcore sound. Much like Ministry, their sound had to be perfected through stages of aggro - metamorphosis to become the roaring sociopathic rockers they are today. Testify formed into 1992 as a side project and was known as The Fair Sex prior to their official transformation. Sort of a poppy electronic dance band (Sounds familiar? Think early KROQ when Ministry was singing "You got to work for love."), The Fair Sex was a nice idea but didn't really satify their true desire to rock. Testify made their first debut with their album 01 which sounded alot like Nine Inch Nails. Their second release, Ballroom Killer/Blitzkrieg Mixes, a remix album which includes a caustic cataclysmic cover of Sweets "Ballroom Blitz". This little ditty was engineered by Keith "Fluffy" Auerbach and Howie Beno, who are mostly known for their engineering work with Ministry and NIN. "People compare us to Ministry and Nine Inch Nails alot, so I stopped listening", Jung says. "We started our music before those sounds ever made it to Germany". Jung says that they are the best at what they do in Germany but admits that Testify could never make it big with the German youths. At least not like other German industrial band types like Rammstein who Jung says is very big, despite them being the sort of like the German version of Spinal Tap. This is primarily because their lyrics are not German, they are in English. However Jung doesn't like to call what they do industrial, he'd rather people refer to them as "computerized metal". Jung says he would love to make it big in America and has great admiration for "that American industrial sound." With songs that have titles like "Block in the Eye" (which can be sampled on Van Richter Records fun web site /vrichter@netcom.com), "Lethal Viper," and "Under Queen Whores's Grim Protection," they should have no problem fitting right in. In fact, bands like Front 242 and KMFDM could take a couple lessons from these German industrial demi-gods.


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