On this day, 14 years ago, Belgian Nu-EBM band The Juggernauts made a powerful debut with their track "Phoenix" on the 2011 compilation album Awake The Machines Vol. 7, released by Out Of Line (July 15 2011). Embodying a potent mix of harsh EBM and industrial beats, "Phoenix" stands out with its aggressive rhythm, dark melodies, and commanding vocals. The track's relentless energy and pulsating electronic soundscapes mark it as a standout entry, showcasing The Juggernauts' talent for crafting intense, danceable tracks. This release not only established The Juggernauts as a force within the EBM/industrial scene but also set the stage for their future contributions to the genre. "Phoenix" remains a definitive track, capturing the raw essence of the EBM genre.

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Ministry's "Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs," released 33 years ago, on July 14, 1992, by Sire Records, is a seminal industrial metal album that stands as a defining work in the genre. Also known as "ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ," the album showcases a powerful blend of aggressive guitar riffs, pounding drums, and electronic elements, solidifying Ministry's influence and legacy in industrial metal. Produced by band members Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker, "Psalm 69" features iconic tracks like "Jesus Built My Hotrod," with a memorable guest appearance by Gibby Haynes of the Butthole Surfers, and "N.W.O.," which offers a scathing critique of the Gulf War and U.S. foreign policy.

The title of the album is linked to chapter 69 of The Book of Lies, a written work of Aleister Crowley, where he uses the expression "The way to succeed and the way to suck eggs" as a pun for the 69 sex position ("suck seed" and "suck eggs"). Moreover, Crowley titled the chapter ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ (which translates literally as "shrugged" and contains the sound ΛΗΞ "licks") but has a second meaning as a compound of Greek κεφαλη ("head") and Ξ Θ (an encoded alphabetic reference to "69") which both have slang meanings in English for sexual acts.

"Psalm 69" achieved significant commercial success, reaching No. 27 on the Billboard 200 and earning a platinum certification from the RIAA, marking it as Ministry's most commercially successful album. The album's raw intensity, dark themes, and innovative soundscapes have made it a critical and fan favorite, influencing countless artists in both the industrial and metal scenes. Tracks like "Just One Fix" and the title track "Psalm 69" further demonstrate the band's ability to merge relentless energy with thought-provoking commentary.
The album received a 4 to 5 star ratings by most leading music magazines.

The album's relentless energy, unapologetic political stance, and groundbreaking fusion of metal and electronic music have cemented its place as a powerful statement in Ministry's discography. With "Psalm 69," Ministry not only defined the industrial metal genre but also pushed the boundaries of what heavy music could achieve. Its lasting impact on the industrial and metal scenes underscores its status as a landmark album, continuing to inspire new generations of musicians and fans alike.

Ministry – ΚΕΦΑΛΗΞΘ / Psalm 69

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Something is ending. And something else begins.

This autumn, Ahráyeph returns with The Final Hurt- the fourth and closing chapter of a long-intended cycle. While it is a conclusion of a personal and artistic arc, this is not an ending. This is a reckoning.

Born of scars, shadows, and acceptance, The Final Hurt isn’t a concept album in the traditional sense : it doesn’t tell a single story. There is, however, an overarching thread running through the songs; a loose constellation of ghosts; of trauma faced, of pain confronted; a slow burning purge of grief, rage, and sorrow. It’s the sound of an attempt to lay these ghosts to rest, of final nails being driven into coffins... yet the lids never quite remain sealed.

Darkness runs deep in these songs- but so does defiance. Somewhere beneath the weight, there is acceptance. Of damage done. Of who we become in the aftermath. This is the sound of a long road reaching its end, only to vanish into fog.

Autumn 2025. The hurt ends. Or does it? Because the final hurt is never truly final.

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On this day, 39 years ago, the Belgian EBM icons FRONT 242 were invited to record a BBC live radio session for the legendary John Peel sessions (13 July 1986). The complete session was broadcast on BBC Radio 1 on 23 July 1986. Listen below to some of the amazing alternative versions of FRONT 242's classics, taken from their No Comment LP (1984), Politics of Pressure EP (1985) and their very first release, the 7" Principles/ Body To Body (1981).

Tracklist:

No Shuffle
Funkadafic
Don't Crash
Body to body

Line-up:

R23 (Drums, Vocals)
Patrick Coornys (Keyboards)
Jean Luc De Meyer (Vocals)
Daniel B. (Keyboards, Special Effects)

Today 6 year ago, we received the sad news of the death of Rüdiger Frank ((° 17. Juni 1967, Ludwigsburg; † 12. Juli 2019, Markgröningen, Germany), singer of German gothic rock band The Tors Of Dartmoor. Rüdiger Frank left Printed At Bismarck's Death in 1989 with keyboard player Heiko Muter (who died in 2001) to form a new gothic rock band: The Tors Of Dartmoor, named after an English rock formation in a mystical landscape.

I got to know The Tors Of Dartmoor in 1991, shortly after the release of their grand debut "The Obvious Darkness". I remember very well taking this CD in the store, intrigued as I was by the band's name as wel as the cover-artwork with a photo of a ruin. The seller told me that this was the latest gothic sensation from Germany. Sold! I absolutely loved this album with classics such as "Waterking" and "Meet Moshe Dayan" (a song they wrote still with Printed At Bismarck's Death). Since then The Tors Of Dartmoor has been number 3 in the list of my favorite gothic rock bands, after The Sisters Of Mercy and Fields Of The Nephilim and just before Love Like Blood.

I was delighted when The Tors Of Dartmoor came to play in my hometown of Antwerp in 1992 at the Phantom Festival in the Limelight (the poster also included The Lance Of Allotment, Dive and Die Krupps). I will never forget the performance of The Tors Of Dartmoor and I still remember perfectly how it began. A tall guitarist and bass player came on stage and started to play the first song. When, after a few minutes, everyone started to wonder where the singer was, a small jerk suddenly came out of the backstage door, a kind of troll king who controlled the entire performance. What a voice and what a presence! Rüdiger Frank suffered from dwarf growth and never grew taller than 1.34 meters. But as small as he was in stature, as big was his act and his stage presence!

And this not only with his gothic rock bands, because in Germany Rüdiger Frank was also a well-known and celebrated actor. He played numerous roles there, including that of God in the piece "Mefistofele" and of Riff Raff in the musical "Rocky Horror Show". In later years he was known for his double role in the world's first steampunk opera "Klein Zaches, genannt Zinnober" and until very recently as Herod in the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar".

After the unparalleled debut "The Obvious Darkness" (1991) the albums "House Of Sounds" (1993, tip: "Welcome To The House"), "Third Second" (1996, tip: "Gypsy") and“ Chapter VI ”(2004) which still had a bunch of strong songs but which, as an album, unfortunately could not match the level of their debut.

Recently Rüdiger Frank was also active in the Romeo Is Bleeding formation, which made music inspired by Tom Waits. Unfortunately he could not finish a long-planned solo album. Rüdiger Frank had had health problems for a long time and was only 52 years old. I will cherish my copy of "The Obvious Darkness", signed by the four band members at the Phantom Festival in 1992, forever. [Henk Vereecken / Dark Entries]

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