### Red Harvest: Internal punishment programs

#### 02/10/04 || Lord K Philipson

It would be an exaggeration to say I enjoyed the last Red Harvest album I arranged to have sent to me for reviewing, but Zamoth (of Zyklon/Emperor-fame) must like me anyway, as he’s now provided yours truly with another album by the band. I can’t say I was shitting myself with happiness when I opened the envelope and spotted this CD, thanx to the one I had to suffer through some months back, but a job is a blowjob and someone’s gotta do it you know.

I remember the first thing that popped into my cocaine-filled mind when I put this disc into the computer; is this really the same band that I ripped a new asshole into some time ago?

Yeah, it is.

Well, lemme tell you that something must have happened since I last had the “fortune” of hearing these fellas… I’m not sure what it is, but it suddenly made them sound good. Who would fucken imagine?

Whereas the bashed “New world rage music” appealed to me as much as Anna Nicole Smith’s rhino-figure, “Internal Punishment Programs” displays some sweet electronic, industrial and chaotic metal. And I dig it. Yes people, I dig it. I’m about as stunned as you are, believe me. Red Harvest (I’m so close to typing Red Dwarf all the time, someone fucken help me) sound pretty damn unique actually (well, they did that on “New world rage music” as well, but not exactly in a good way). There’s tons, and I mean TONS, of weird fucken sounds thrown into their songs, giving them a very cold and interesting sound. Sometimes I even get Ministry-vibes from it. That alone should mean I hate Red Harvest, but no can do. They get away with it and I don’t know how they do it.

We all know I’m a huge fan of electronics, right? You could say I get a sufficient dose of it with the Harvest. “Wormz” gives me goosebumps, though I never asked for them to show up. There’s just something about techno-drums and weird shit executed well that makes me wanna do a fucken dance. And bass… I love bass. And surprise fucken surprise, the bass is audible. Thank you.

To blabber a bit more about the tracks; “Teknocrate” is excellent. Heavy as Pavarotti in a tank. The opening of “Fall of fate”’ reminds me so much of an old Swedish thrashband it’s scary, and that riff grooves like a fucker. “Mekanizm” pisses out electronic beats de-luxe, and I love it. Add some heavy-as-shit synth basses and you have the whole song.

Excellent.

Sometimes I get some ass-weird/weird-ass Sepultura/Fear Factory vibes from Red Harvest. Sepultura mainly from some of the riffing and Fear Factory I blame on the vocals. Though Red Harvest as a whole sound absolutely nothing like those bands, just so you know.

It’s not like the Detroit Red Harvest (NHL rules) creates very “sane” music when you think about it. It’s safe to say we’ll not see them on any charts anytime soon. But they could do wonders for factory-workers in Germanys’ more industrial areas. That should give you a few hints as for what to expect from this disc.

The last album I heard from the Norwegians was cold and sterile and basically full of dog-piss. These guys are still cold and they are still sterile, but there’s a huge difference this time around;

Nowadays they are GOOD too.

I’m surprised guys. Happily surprised.

7.5 electronic beats out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2004
- Label: Nocturnal Art Productions
- Website: www.redharvest.com www.redharvest.com
- Band
- Lrz…: samples, programming, synth
- TurboNatas: guitars
- Ofu Kahn: guitars, vocals
- Thomas B: bass
- E_Wroldsen: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Anatomy Of The Unknown
- 02. Fall Of Fate
- 03. Abstract Morality Junction
- 04. Mekanizm
- 05. Symbol of Decay
- 06. Teknocrate
- 07. Synthesize My DNA
- 08. Wormz
- 09. 4-4-1-8
- 10. Internal Punishment Programs