Sielwolf: Magnum Force Reviews

Heavy metal guitar, with harsh drum programming and sampling. The songs between the metal guitar songs, though, are the better ones, being metallic scraped soundscapes, that are terribly abrasive and very vicious. The intensity of the Mind Ripper mix of Beweglich Animalisch, but without the beat and guitar. - CKMS


Flashback...to "Land of Rape and Honey" era Ministry. "So What" and Thieves" captured every ounce of hate that any teenage body could muster. Flashforward...to Ministry now. Well, if anyone ever need more heavy metals in their audio diet, they'll provide the FDA suggested supplement. What if ministry had continued along as they were? What if big Al Jourgesensen hadn't decided more guitars, yeah...yeah...huh, more better? What if he had never lost that foppy fake british accent? Ok, there's no need to ask those kind of questions...no need to think about the creation of another EMF... Bands get bored of doing the same old thing. Most of the innovators get a brilliant album out and then move on to something else. Sometimes it's a good move, sometimes it makes you wonder why. In the musical genome project, certain combinations never get explored. Ministry didn't continue in the vain of "Rape and honey". Enter Sielwolf. They too must have wondered why Ministry never went on to complete the exploration of that phase of their music. Leaving them wanting more with no place to get it, the folks in Sielwolf decided to take matters into their own hands. Skip to track 3 or else get engulfed by standard, run of the mill guitar shredding industrial. "Das Neue Fleisch" marks the beginning of the engaging material.It's a touch of Ministry on a tribal day enhanced with magic mushrooms, the songs from here on out warrant attention. The pace slows down into a dark ambient noise piece with "Wuste Ruropa" and "Nautilus 2". The beast with forty eyes rises again with "Nihilon" and the blood starts to pour. For once, someone has actually answered a "What if?" question successfully and proved that room did exist for more "Land of Rape and Honey" material. - Bailen H., Fix
If you can't find some sort of connection with Sielwolf, well, I don't know what to tell you. I know a lot of you find them to be too metal, have too many guitars, yeh, yeh, I've heard this before. But there is so much creativity, intelligence and energy in this disk that I will hope you find it in your hearts to forgive Sielwolf their harshness. Magnum Force is positively brilliant. It's regrettable that it's too heinous for most trance/drums and bass fans, and the guitars will probably turn off many of your euro-disco industrial fans. The title cut of this mini CD (for which there is unfortunately only one version) pounds and thrusts like you can't believe, while subtly changing rhythms beat under repetitive guitar riffs. This is the Ministry single you wish Jourgensen had released. And oddly enough the guitars display a sense of playfulness that you'd never ever find with the typical cyber-core band. More experimental songs like Das Neue Fleisch, contain enough variety to hold most people's interest (and please listen to all 10 minutes because this cut gets very intense). Nautilus #1 is very Snog influenced. Even the very metal Feind Sein Allein displays such a sense of artistry that it transcends whatever genre you wish to lump it in. And if you can't find something to like about Nihilon, I don't know what to say to you. Sielwolf uses sounds and samples so well that it sometimes sends chills up my spine like a good chord progression would. This is definately not your typical metal/industrial disk. There's something about Magnum Force that screams genius. Unfortunately , it's alittle under 50 minutes long, but this oughta hold us until their second domestic full-length is released this fall. - Mel, Cyberia
Sielwolf Magnum Force German industrial band Sielwolf here presents material released on previous import CD's and two new songs. The brand of industrial on Magnum Force is slower than their track on the Van Richter compilation Mind Ripper, but no less dark and intense. Building songs from the basement up with layers of samples, guitar loops and factory like beats, Sielwolf constructs a lumbering juggernaut of sonic violence. Allowing some space to enter the music, Sielwolf also follows a more ambient path, laying down some haunting ethereal noises, like the music in hell's waiting room. Magnum Force doesn't break any ground in industrial music, but does do the important task of proving music can be industrial without dance beats or thrash guitar. - Don Smith Moorman, Indiescent
Sielwolf are the masters of blending guitar noise, heavy drums, industrial beats, and gargling vocals into one thick symphonic wall of fury. Milder than their incredible American debut, Metastasen, Magnum Force has the potency and charisma to win the hearts of many with its dance friendly beats and atmospheric noise. The first three tracks are infectious with accessible grooves, repetitive guitar force, and distorted thundering German vocals. Proving their skilled ability with a variety of styles, Sielwold also delve into intense noise that leads the listener on a voyage through looping nightmares, cold dark alleys, and alien landscapes. Magnum Force is an ingenious 47 minute excercise in brutality that magnificently unites the power of Godflesh with the creativity of Einsturzende Neubauten. - Octavia, Outburn Magazine
Hailing from Frankfurt, Germany, Sielwolf is a band that is hard to peg. One of its main members, Peter Tausendpfund, used to drum in a number a punk bands, belonged to an avant-garde/free-jazz enclave, and has now changed over to sampling. The band was discovered shortly after its inception in 1989 by the same agent who first found Einsturzende Neubauten. To cut to the chase, Sielwolf is an industrial noise metal band, but this is really a label that does not do this band justice. "Magnum Force" starts the album with a barage of industrial driven metal overlaid with samples galore. A few tracks later, the album takes a turn. "Nautilus #1" combines a mechanical throbbing with dark electronics, creating a sound that feels not unlike the endless hypnotic tracks for MYST, only better. "It's Killed Again" ventures more in the jazz direction. Sampled noise and synths as an industrial funk track fades in and out of the other. Strangely enough, this track feels very light and heavy at the same time. Sielwolf also has great crossover appeal -- it's industrial, it's metal, it's noise, it's ambient. All of these combine to make the Magnum Force album a master work of manipulation. Score: 7 out of 10. - Joe Kolk, 9m E-zine
Sielwolf is an industrial metal blend from Frankfurt Germany. The band has been around since 1989, with the US getting their first taste in 1995 with the release of "Metastasen". Their latest release, "Magnum Force", is a nine song, fifty minute collection of material plus two previously unreleased tracks. "Magnum Force" reminded me a bit of KMFDM in its style and usage of samples. Very clean, professional and intense! I liked the combination of German and English on this release, which made listening quite interesting. Overall, an excellant release that is definately worth checking out and hopefully, we'll be hearing more of Sielwolf in the future. - Miki Griesbauer, Ballbuster Magazine
In my second dose of Sielwolf I was once again completely satisfied by a palette of heavy guitar oriented mechanized brutality and strange dark ambience intertwined in a fine collection. Their first track "Magnum Force" kicks in like "Metastasen" hit you but with a familiar Slayer sample from "Skeletons of Society" that thrashes the dance floor with more sinister Sielwolf smaples. "Fein Sein Allien" takes a more grind Ministry-esque twist (prime Ministry though) and slower pace. Then track 3 "Das New Pleisch" is the standout track at 10:25 it is an epic core metallic masterpiece with eerie choral samples, great vocals with excellent overdrive and a very interesting arrangement. Next comes the first of the 3 "Nautilus" pieces which give a tripped ambient feel in-between the heavy tracks. "Waste Europa" is a thick spoken ambient factory piece. "Nihilon" is another metallic percussive banger which places them way ahead of Ministry and its clones. "It's Killed Again" then closes the CD (after a short Nautilus) with a very unique track for them. Kind of funky, slow rock groove and well placed samples, real atmospheric yet groovy. Overall another great disc from Van Richter who are successfully opening ears & minds to some of Germany's best bands. Sielwolf don't follow a typical crossover style, they innovate one! - Tommy T., Campus Circle Magazine
German industrial noise quintet Sielwolf was founded in 1989. Magnum Force is a compilation of previously released material, plus two new songs. The title track was a big hit on the European dance scene; it mixes heavy rhythm guitar and percussion, crating a progressively driven sound reminiscent of KMFDM. But Sielwolf is more than an industrial dance band; the CD shows a diversity of dark musical styles that mixes things up to avoid the boring repetition found in the average sample based band. There's an avant garde edge to Magnum Force that displays Siewolf's willingness to venture away from throwaway formulas and exercise a more enduring, artistic side of the craft. The 10 minute "Das Neue Fleisch" is a sharp, intense track with choral vocals that add a menacing goth edge. "Wuste Europa" is an excursion into a shadowy soundscape drawing a heavy influence from fellow countryman Karlheinz Stockhausen. "Its Killed Again" builds an ominous, full bodied ambient sound with medium speed drum rhythms, sultry bass notes and layers of minimal, sustained note Frippertonic guitar. Magnum Force starts off dancing and leaves you thinking. - Michael Hopkins, Magnet Magazine
When I listen to Industrial music what I don't like is the density of guitar department. As an extreme music listener, I want heavy guitarwork or related aggressiveness. "Magnum Force" is a reissued album through California's Industrial Label.Sielwolf provides programming that normal hard music listeners don't like in addition to the vocal effects. It feels something like Godflesh's debut 7" or really early Ministry, or the mighty German post industrial group Einsturzende Neubauten. I was anticipating the harsh guitars which were as good as what I was looking for. Atmospherically this band exhibits ambient darkness and evil vocals. Furthermore, lots of sequenced arrangements are made use; thus its more noisy and techno like, sometimes. That's what I like in this album. Including 2 unreleased tracks, this 48 minutes of Industrial would be your new experience. - DK, Shadows of Michelangelo Magazine
Originally released in 1992, this album has recently been reissued with extra tracks. Sielwolf plays sludgy industrial metal and recalls Godflesh. Sielwolf sounds like Black Sabbath if they owner a sampler but much more pretentious. But the album contains more subtle atmospheric moments which lifts Sielwolf above the thick morass or like minded bands. - Mark Kolmar, Ink 19 Magazine
Magnum Force is chugging dance floor crasher and some of the good soundscapes that appear on here later are worthwhile as they omit the metal guitars in favor of some more traditional industrial. It has appealing clagging aspects. - Shred, Damn Magazine
Being introduced to the noise/metal/ambient/dance of their U.S. debut Metastasen was an experience. It's good to see the use of industrial noise without overt annoyance; the great Einsturzende Neubauten once used it, now Sielwolf does with much added atmosphere of fear and darkness. For Sielwolf, it is inherent to change and mimic atmospheres so drastically. "Das Neue Fleisch" and "Nihilon" resemble the rude awakening of a well of souls. Similar to the debut, the title track of this EP and "Feind Sein Allein" are induced with metal guitar plus a mechanistic percussion racked to a dance beat -- explicit Dirty Harry material. - CJ, New Industrial Sounds
Industrial rock, songs competently written, guitar heavy sound. - Faqt Magazine
Sielwolf is a metal/industrial crossover band hailing from Germany. "Magnum Force" is a song with club it screaming from its every beat (think Chemlab). At times there is an indie/metal feel with dance beats thrown in. There is another side of Sielwolf. Half of "Magnum Fleisch" combines both of these into a 10 + minute composition of controlled mayhem flowing from quiet stillness into a boiling fury of noise blended with the slightest hint of a pulse. What is to be found with "Magnum Force" is intelligent. - Miles, Black Monday Magazine
One of the most intense acts we have discovered. Relentless, in their pursuit of the ultimate beat, aggressive guitars and samples allied with some of the harshest vocals ever! Highly original, no really comparable to anyone. These guys are a cut above the rest within their genre! - Isolation Tank
Here we have yet another European Industrial release licensed to the USA via Van Richter Records. This is guitar heavy, club oriented Industrial for the first third of the disc, and the remainder is primarily a collection of foreboding synthscapes with one slightly less metal beat monster. The guitar driven tracks are treacherous. The guitars compliment the good ideas flopping around, and the most commendable things about these tracks is the brimstone snarls from the throat and effects box of one P. Prochir. The more experimental side of this release is a really a pretty nice collection of creepy, horror smeared Ambient that was very enjoyable. Given their astuteness at creating such sinister moods, I commend them with their innovative guitar stuff. I guess to get the crossover appeal these days a such talented band as this has to do both as it's a lot easier to get club play. - Scott, Worm Gear Zine
Sielwolf "Nachtstrom" and "Magnum Force": both releases are originally copyrighted 1992, so I am imagining these are reissues, possibly available domestically for the first time. Each Sielfwolf release starts off with four or five industrial, distorted guitar tracks that recall KMFMD (while being better than any KMFDM release of the last five years) and Ministry's THE MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO TASTE. The Teutonic sturm turns disturbing and haunting for the last third of each disc. Especially effective is the title track on MAGNUM FORCE and it's sue of Kurtz/Brando's "I never want to forget" speech from Apocalypse Now. Together, these are among the best industrial recordings to reach my ears since Ministry's THE MIND. - Tom "Tearaway" Schulte, Outsight Magazine
A re-release of a 1992 album from this band. A suspect this was released prior to the "Nachtstrom" album (reviewed next), since it seems a bit more raw than that release. Basically, this is heavy industrial with a bit of a metal edge (thanks to both the usage of a live guitarist and a large number of guitar samples). The first few songs are pretty aggressive, while around the middle the CD descends into darker, more experimental territory with a strong old-school Einstrzende feel. There are 1-2 weaker songs towards the end, but the highlights of "magnum Force" make it definitely worth checking out. (7/10) - Corridor of Cells Webzine
Sielwolf's dark industrial sound comes out in Magnum Force. Their unique mix of industrial and electronic noises gives them a sound of their own. Tracks which I enjoyed were Magnum Force, Nihilon and It's Killed Again - LS, Blackmoon Magazine
Magnum Force comes with a cover artwork featuring a picture from the renowned movie Videodrome and represents Sielwolf's second and last but one album. Discovered by the same talent agent as Einsturzende Neubauten the german band Sielwolf formed back in 1989 by an ex-punk drummer and are members of M.A.C.O.S. Their previous and their following full length album on VR and their interesting maxi single have prepared and followed the path of this five piece noise metal outfit performing a kind of loud and raw industrial music mixed up with samples and non-stereotyped metal parts and with their passion for video art. Many would most likely file them under aggro-industrial or industrial-metal or something like that, and actually it is true in part, yet the Sielwolf perform it with a big dose of sinister anguish and distress, with a distant, lonely and desperate mood diguised by tons of harsh guitars and aggressive industrial music. - Marc Urselli-Scharer, Chain D.L.K.
Let's say you used to like Metal, and now you tired of such boring tripe, but still want to hear some heavy industrial (so heavy and fast that it's almost techno-like at times) but also wish to listen to something gothic, and something that is willing to experiment. I have the answer for you: Sielwolf. I think Isolation tank defines them as 'brutal techno' and that's a great way to define them, but obviously, Sielwolf doesn't always want to stay still. Magnum Force is an album for those who are tired of how wimpy sounding bands like Rammstein and Rob Zombie are. - Squid, Tentacles E-Zine
Originally copyrighted in 1992 this is a Van Richter domestic reissue. The previously released material is supplemented with two new songs. Like Nachtstrom the release starts off with four or five industrial, distorted guitar tracks that recall KMFDM (while being better than any KMFDM release from the same time period) and Ministry's The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste. The teutonic sturm und Drang turns disturbing and haunting for the last third of this disc, following the formula on Nachtstrom. Especially effective is the title track Magnum Force and its use of the Kurtz/ Brando I never want to forget speech from Apocalypse Now. This heavy industrial beat music relies on driving guitars and potent drumming. However these musicians are real stylists. A ten minute Das Neue Fleisch features choral vocals and a dark mysterious mood. - Itunes, All Music Guide

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