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Sweden's J. (a.k.a. Jonny/Jhonny) Bergman is a man of many talents . . . and many bands. Under the umbrella of H.T.M.D., Hi-Tech Music Design, which he describes as his "personal empire of sound," are several bands and projects (of varying genres) in which he is engaged. Man.Machine.Industry (MMI), though, is his main focus. Originally "MMI" stood for Me, Myself & I, reflecting the band's initial status as a one-man project with Bergman playing all instruments, producing, recording, and mixing. This new release, MMI's fourth, is only the second featuring any additional musicians, with Björn Gustavsson, part of MMI's stage line-up, contributing some bass as he did on the previous cd, This Time We're Dead For Sure, and backing vocals from Pelle Stocke of Baby Shiva and Bonefied, another H.T.M.D band, in which Bergman plays guitar.
Numerous industrial/crossover artists are listed as influences for MMI's music, including Ministry, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and Killing Joke. Rammstein and Oomph are also mentioned, but the only real similarity there is in the blending of rock/metal with industrial. MMI doesn't create the kind of full orchestration those bands do, and Bergman's dry, distorted, monotone vocals are one of the "mechanical" elements of the music, nothing like the more humanized, soulful singing of Rammstein's Till Lindemann or, especially, Oomph's Dero. The influence of Ministry et al, however, is noticeable in MMI's sound and lyrical themes, but in MMI I also hear more classic rock and blues elements. The main riff of the supremely catchy "My Empire," for instance, is distinctly Stooges-like, and there's an overall old-school-garage feel to this cd. Described by Bergman as "the heaviest blues song ever written," "To Hell and Back" is reminiscent of the kind of bluesy material bands such as The Animals performed in the '60s. The cover of Iron Maiden's "Running Free" should prove intriguing for many listeners. Although I love the percussion on this track, the monotone vocal accentuates the song's repetetiveness. On "A.V." and "Who I Am Is How I Kill," the emphasis is more on the industrial side of MMI, in the rhythms and in the extra distortion on the vocals, but they're still guitar-driven.
Also included on To Hell and Back Again is a live video track from a 2004 MMI show in Stockholm. Shot extremely well, expertly edited by Bergman, it features the band performing "Why Heroes Fade Away," from the This Time We're Dead For Sure cd. I'm not crazy about this particular song, but the video is great. In the studio MMI might still be essentially a one-man outfit, but this live performance demonstrates that they're also a riveting five-piece stage act.
MMI's form of industrial metal isn't vastly original, but neither is it clonish. Fans of more wildly experimental varieties might not be satisfied with MMI, and I'd like to see them go for a fuller, less trebly sound and less sterile feel. But if you like industrial music that really rocks, you definitely should check out Man.Machine.Industry.
| Tracklist |
| 1. My Empire |
| 2. Song For Freedom |
| 3. Running Free |
| 4. To Hell And Back |
| 5. A.V. (authorized version) |
| 6. Who I Am Is How I Kill |
| Bonus: Why Heroes Fade Away (video track) |
: 21.28
| Buy other Man.Machine.Industry albums |
