Show Review: Nitzer Ebb with //TENSE// at The Mezzanine, 11/11/2010

Douglas McCarthy of Nitzer Ebb
Douglas McCarthy of Nitzer Ebb

When it comes to the category of music known as “industrial rock”, there are a wide variety of definitions and interpretations. One constant seems to be an influx of heavy analog synth pulses, machine-gun-precise drumbeats, snarled vocals, and a collection of black-clad, morose musicians, often pounding away at keys or writhing to the underworld rhythms. Being that industrial bands often share these similarities, it is reasonable that one could go to an industrial show with little prior knowledge of the main group, and still enjoy themselves as they were mostly certain of what the evening would be like. With the Essex EBM trio of Nitzer Ebb, however, the darkness and somber attitudes are shrugged off, in favor of a minimalist but wildly energetic performance that got even the moodiest rivetheads in the audience up on their feet and defying gravity in favor of the industrial masters’ performance.

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