Critical reviews of "Nanochrist"

There has to be a segment of you miscreants out there who are looking for a band who makes Dimension Hatross era Voivod sound warm and fuzzy as a little kitten. The good news is that I've come across Nanochrist, who rank somewhere around three above on the Kelvin scale with their musical warmth. Coincidentally hailing from Canada, who also store away those boys in Voivod, Nanochrist is a three piece who have come up with a very machine oriented style that is neither purely metal nor industrial, but a cold and calculating alloy hybrid of the two.
Believe it or not, even through all this binary data and mechanical feel, X^9 is a solid record that offers more than its fair share of good ideas finding efficient execution. A good percentage of the album is instrumental in nature, with the misanthropic and occasionally highly humorous vocals and lyrics of Scworm being snarled and rasped at you in a style that comes relatively close to Jim "Foetus" Thirlwell, only lacking the cuddly nature of Mr. Thirlwell. It's obvious that despite the inhuman elements of the record and technological feel, the three members of the band have their tongues firmly pressed against their cheeks, as song titles like "Die, Tribute Band, Die" or the self effacing "Bitter, Self-Absorbed Pap" both demonstrate. The music is excellent throughout the album. The production is unfortunately a bit subdued and restrains the calculated chaos of their music somewhat, but it is still strong enough to allow the concepts to ring through with ease. Drum programming, eerie synth effects and mechanical samples infiltrate the music, which tends to be a base of distorted guitar riffing. But as a couple of the lengthy instrumentals show ("Big Felching G Something 9000" or "Bite the Wax Tadpole"), there is an underlying atmospheric strength that shows the true talent of the band. The musicians show a good understanding of song arrangement and build within their songs.
Nanochrist should most definitely appeal to fans of midlife Voivod as well as people who appreciated the heavier, colder aspects of Skinny Puppy.
Satan Stole My Teddy Bear"



Take pummeling guitar riffs, pounding drums, screaming vocals, and industrial-undertones and what do you get? Pure sonic melt down, the type of which has been perfected to a fine art by Nanochrist on their album x^-9. Nanochrist is an extremely talented band from Oshawa, Ontario that combine all of these elements and a little extra.
This band has a little something for everyone; fans of Fear Factory will appreciate the heavy guitars of Mike Bryant that lock in like a machine gun with the drums, while those who like bands such as KMFDM and Ministry will love the distorted vocals and lightning-fast riffs. However Nanochrist are not just some third-rate garage metal-industrial band, they can rock and are very talented at what they do (the song "Big Felching G Something 9000" features some very cool ambient guitar noises as well as an amazing bass solo by Scott Fitches). While I would recommend this album to anyone who enjoys the bands I mentioned earlier, I would not recommend it to those who aren't ready to take a sonic ride, as this is a very complex album that takes a very dedicated and attentive listener. In other words, expect the unexpected.
-Scott G. of TorontoGoth.com



Nanochrist should have been on The Matrix soundtrack. Strangely alienated mechanical structures twist about, creating an ungodly noise.
-Listen.com



Imagine if Fear Factory and Strapping Young Lad got into a fight with Frank Zappa and added some sci-fi sound effects here and there for extra effect. NC have that typical heavy highly compressed rhythm guitar sound, flaying drums and vocals akin to a Dalek in places (intentional judging by the Dr Who shirt) but add great chunks of oddness in here and there, which is where the Zappa comes in. Bryant is a mean lead guitar player, employing the same playing style as Frank, soloing with one ear on what everyone else is playing and the other to what they should be playing, if you get my drift! The song titles also add to the general strangeness level, try "940.547'243", "Big Felching G Something 9000" or "Bite The Wax Tadpole" with those last two compositions being instrumentals featuring a lot of lead work. No doubt Frank would have approved! [8]
-Ian, Death to Dead Things



mike bryant (the main man behind nanochrist) is an ever evolving and changing kinda guy. we've reviewed a couple of his previous music personas (shadwell's jacket and the g. gordon liddy's). although his musical style doesn't really change (always the industrial edge), each release has it's own distinct sound. nanochrist is no exception. a massively heavy industrial/metal sound permeates throughout the cd and i think it's his best to date. accompanied by scworm as vocalist and scott fitches on bass (also a member of the previous nanochrist incarnation, shadwell's jacket) this group has taken industrial music to the metal forum and provided a cd that just plain kicks your ass. my fave song is die, tribute band, die. bryant has a twisted sense of humour and the lyrics to this song gave me a good laugh,

feeding off the excrement of popular culture
the talent you don't have living vicariously,
pustulent-infection sucking bottom feeder
tapeworm of the music industry

all in all, nanochrist is an excellent move upwards for bryant and his evolving musical style. if you like your industrial music to slap you in the face and open up your eardrums, pick up this cd immediately.
- raw42.com



Imagine Strapping Young Lad, meets Pitchshifter, meets the new Marilyn Manson album, meets late 70's prog bands, meets a whole bunch of other strange shit rolled into one big fat fuckin' joint.
-"Brutalized" 'Zine



This band is an all out display of self indulgence by Mike Bryant, who is the founder of Shadwell's Jacket. If you think they are obnoxious then you need to check out this band. I have no clue how to categorize them or really explain their music. It's kind of an out of control adrenalin rush, with tons of ups & downs & twists & turns. Their influences include Korn, Rush, Strapping Young Lad, & Frank Zappa. That should say it all. To fully appreciate this band, you must let this CD give your ears a beating. I know I liked the beating I got.
-Burt Wolf, Satan's Candy Basket



Again, I don't understand Nanochrist's angle. Why all these silly song and album titles? Oh well, I guess I'll just have to get used to it! Other than that, I really like this release. It's quite solid all the way through. Like I said before, they're somewhat industrial with a mix of hardcore.
X^-9 chugs along with a somewhat slow mannerism about it, but it is nonetheless an entertaining listen, especially the weird effects implemented throughout the album. The whole album is unconventional, which, in itself is something to admire. The staticy vocals and distance guitars serve as an atmospheric tool to pull me in and push me to listen even further.
People who like Skinlab, Neural Imbalance and Static-X will enjoy Nanochrist. If any of those bands are your, "cup of tea" then check out Nanochrist, you won't be disappointed.
- www.midnightmetal.com

Listen

Lyrics

Purchase from CD Baby.

Other CDs
Corrode
Inataraxia
Mythelectronicon