Music
Press
Baltimore's White Shadow are still unknown, but with their second album, they demonstrate a propensity for hard-hitting industrial rock that is sure to take them far in a scene ready to embrace the style once again. From the opening synth line of "System Overhaul," one might think them yet another EBM/electro band, but once the pounding percussion and Nytro's thunderous guitars enter into the mix, we're immediately reminded of the likes of Rammstein and Megahertz. The same can be said of the waltzing tribal rhythms of "Phobia" or even the juxtaposition of ambient pads and caustic guitars in "PDM." The rest of the album follows suit, as each song incorporates different elements to create a varied but cohesive sound. Such is the case with the thrashing rhythms of "Lust," in which vocalist/programmer DX Nero and live percussionist Sinnocent act out a fractured play of unrequited love, or in "Deviant" where Crawford's bassmanship recalls the funkier elements of Charles Levi in My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult. Interestingly enough, DX Nero's vocals seem to improve throughout the course of the album, at least in his inclusion of actual melody; beginning somewhat monotone in "System Overhaul," by the time we get to “Phobia,” we hear that he can actually sing beyond the standard industrial rock cliché of low dissonance. Sinnocent takes the lead as her mournful voice resonates through "A Side of Me," which is made all the more mysterious by cloudy ambiences akin to an approaching storm or a broken down factory – the listener is never quite sure which it is. “All Has Fallen” proves to be the most malevolent track on the album, as the interplay between DX Nero's and Sinnocent's voices combined with the sparse atmospheres creates a wave of evil fright, though hardly as cheesy as such a description would indicate. Rounded out by keyboardist Wahkeen, and complemented by less than perfect, but still more than adequate production, White Shadow's Deus Destroyed is proof positive that industrial rock is in an exciting state of resurgence and that this band has the potential to go far. - ReGen Magazine
Discography
Mindbreak - 2007
Sinister Music Volume 42, 2007. Compilation album featuring "PDM"
Deus Destroyed, 2008.
Lunar Sea, 2009. Compilation released by Shinto Records featuring "Deviant"
Machine Single, 2009. To be released in Fall.
Photos
Bio
White Shadow is an industrial rock band originally from Huntingtown, MD, that has relocated to Baltimore, MD. The band has a well established fan base in Calvert County, and seeks to foster one in its new hometown. The band blends dance-oriented electronic music with hard rock and metal to create a sound unique in the area. Heavy use of melodic synthesizers and sung rather than screamed vocals sets White Shadow apart from the normal trends seen in many bands. Pulsing electronic drums and emphasis on bass lines make the music prime for a club. However, the music played by the band is as much at home on the dance floor as it is in a mosh pit. Crunching, distorted guitars combined with the throbbing drums drive many of the songs into a frenetic, energy-filled peak. White Shadow has been compared to the likes of Rammstein, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, and KMFDM. While these comparisons are valid, the band maintains its own unique idiosyncrasies not seen in any other industrial band. The band released their first album, Mindbreak in 2007 and released their second, Deus Destroyed in Semptember of 2008. The band has been performing for nearly three and a half years, and has been pressing on with no signs of slowing. They are currently in the mixing and mastering phase of their third album, entitled, "The Wastelands."
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