Flesh Eating Reviews

The premiere full-length album from the zombie loving U.K. band, Flesh Eating Foundation, Seethe is a daring and unique album that embodies many of the best aspects of mid '90s industrial. Cultivating a sound most similar to electronic junkpunk pioneers Babyland, the Flesh Eating Foundation blasts its audience with a deeply layered and chaotic wall of noise. On initial listen, many listeners may be turned off by Seethe's considerable rough edges and seemingly low production values, but like the horror films that seem to so greatly inspire them, Flesh Eating Foundation's flaws greatly add to their charm.

While very hostile throughout, there is a certain subtlety in Flesh Eating Foundation's work that allows an easy migration in tone. Though opening with the shouting lyrics and indomitable energy of "One Minute" and "Fight!," Flesh Eating Foundation quickly shows another side of themselves with "Drained" and "Seethe." Despite maintaining the harsh and deeply layered sound of their predecessors, these tracks are much mellower and feature a more harmonized vocal performance that surprisingly works amazingly well despite its somewhat bumpy delivery. Throughout the album, surprising moments of spontaneity and chaos present themselves preventing the listener from becoming bored or desensitized to the album's intensity.

Seethe pulls no punches and throws everything, including the kitchen sink, at the listener. Smartly composed and showing a surprising amount of variety in atmosphere, this is a really well done throwback album that's sure to appeal to anyone missing the harsher, more chaotic tunes of the '90s. Though Flesh Eating Foundation's production values and off-key vocal style may be unappealing to many, it gives the album a certain legitimacy and appeal that is not easily reproduced. In another parallel to the movie world, films become cult classics because of their earnest efforts and willingness to differentiate themselves from the norm, and therefore develop a small but fanatical following. If ever there were an album deserving of cult status, Seethe would be it.

After putting out a slew of uneven but promising EPs over the past few years, England's Flesh Eating Foundation have finally released their full-length debut, a well-crafted but low-fi barrage of tortured dance rhythms, jagged guitars and industrial clatter. Like fellow UK act Concept 7, this trio draws as much on punk and techno influences as classic industrial, and it shows in the frantic synthesizer loops of "Fight!" and the bouncing breakbeats of "The Dead," both of which sound like a violent anarchist group invading a rave. The band's approach to vocals also draws on punk influences; while robotic vocoder effects make the occasional appearance, as on the EBM-influenced "Join Us," the violent shouting on "One Minute" sounds as though it's being distorted not by studio effects but rather a broken amplifier. This sense of damaged equipment pervades the entire album; if you could whip a drum machine into a state of exhaustion like an abusive stagecoach driver whipping his team, it would sound like the careening rhythms of "Pass the Knife." This makes the more stately moments, like the somber pianos of "Kiss the Tears" or the dark strings of title track "Seethe," all the more striking. While the band's combination of chunky metal guitars, industrial percussion and techno loops is less like smoothly blending genres than bashing them together until they break, they're also quite capable of doing straightforward industrial rock anthems, as evidenced by the fist-pumping chorus of "The Deepest Cut" or the deadpan but rhythmic "Drained," which calls to mind a more glitch-laden version of Chris Connelly's Murder Inc. project. By and large, though, this is mean, ugly, cynical stuff; if you want catchy guitar hooks and choruses that you can sing along to, you're better off looking elsewhere, but if you miss the spirit of industrial music the way it was before it got cleaned up and presentable, you'll be missing out if you don't give a listen to the Flesh Eating Foundation. Grave Concerns

Flesh Eating Foundation's first album titled “Seethe” is aptly describes the attitude behind the music. Like their zombie brethren its hard putting FEF's sound into a box, so lets call this scruffy, dirty, tribal, violent Industrial/Future/Zombie Punk (more “28 days” than “Sean”), with a bit of death disco and the odd spare body part thrown into the blender. I suppose I could just say its violently and menacingly rhythmic with seething vocals which refreshingly don't go overboard on voice distortion.

While the album contains five tracks previously released on their demo and “The Dead” releases, don't panic, these are different mostly improved versions. Alongside the album's general urgency there's a underlying theme of inviting the listener in, almost to be a part of a gang, perhaps best expressed by “Join Us”. This is a gang that's going going out “Armed”, rough, ready, and willing to squabble or even turn on its own. Violent it may be, but that doesn't prevent “Pass The Knife”, “Trashed”, “The Deepest Cut” and others from being dance floor friendly. Contrastingly the introspective “Kiss the Tears Away” is easily one of the best darkly emotional supportive songs I've ever heard.

If you like scruffy, punky, noisy, and urgent industrial music, you really should give this album a listen. I almost feel I feel I've been unfair by mentioning so few of the tracks by name, but trying to pick out highlights from this album is made difficult by there being so much I liked to chose from. Perhaps worst I can say about “Seethe” is that I can't get “Kiss the Tears Away” out of my head. Crimilar - Unscene Magazine

Flesh Eating Foundation - 'Seethe' SEETHE is the first full length for Flesh Eating Foundation and it arrives after a bunch of E.P.s. Their latest CDs, "The Dead", was already showing a band with good capabilities and a certain will to dare. Musically the Flesh Eating Foundation don't have boundaries and mix industrial e.b.m. and digital sounds with post punk attitude. On this album you can find aggressive tunes as well as catchy mid tempos (see "Kiss the tears") where razor like guitars and digital synths build a wall of sound which could convince the lovers of the old e.b.m. school as well as the audience who is used to contaminations of post industrial guitarism with post punk/goth music. On "Pass the knife", for example, they sound like a Batcave band on acid and their mixture of guitar mixed with digital distortions sounds really good. On the booklet they admit that sometimes they could sound like they are using some broken gear but this is how they like to make music. If you are missing the old Velvet Acid Christ but you want also some catchy tunes, try what these three zombies have to give...

Flesh Eating Foundation - 'The Dead' (self released) Self-released EP from Staffordshire based industrial fringe artists who offer limited edition plastic toy soldiers melted into the case. 'The Dead' is abrasive speed-punk with impacting industrial riffs. 'Pass the Knife' moves to more dance orientated electro-industrial, with uplifting vocals crossed with clicks and bleeps. The highlight gas to be the closer 'Kiss the Tears' with it's vocal pathos and haunting darkwave conjuring images from a William Gibson novel. Terrorizer Magazine

Flesh Eating Foundation 'The Dead' Rating - 3/5 Sonic threesome, Flesh Eating Foundation, deliver 3 tracks of digital terror that are as catchy as they are grimey and unpleasant. Sticking mainly to the use of electronics rather than that of guitars and the like, the songs found on this ep are stupidly well put together and originality can be found in huge doses as the band get heads bobbing as much as they do banging. Opener 'The Dead' kicks things of with a deranged synth and crushing guitar before techno beats and crazed vocals meet head on in a thoroughly twisted affair that proclaims 'every things fine'. I'm sure it is! 'Pass the Knife' follows in much the same fashion. The keys are almost on the pop side of things where as the beats and the vocals combine the industrial and techno genres effortlessly. About 1min 20 into the track there is a blinding little electronic breakdown, the highlight of the ep for me. Closer ' Kiss The Tears' is a more darker, slow burning affair that creeps along in a sinister fashion before unleashing a an almost joyous synth riff and (in the loosest sense of the term) an uplifting chorus before the whole thing takes a nose dive back into the realms of elctro-hell. A competent EP that shows many sides to the bands personality and is both a compelling and rewarding listen. Kev November 03 2006 MTUK

Artist: FLESH EATING FOUNDATION 'The Dead' Are you in love with early Killing Joke and with Sheeps On Drugs or Alien Sex Fiend approach to song writing? Well, the new Flesh Eating Foundation could be the one for you. Their raging guitars and distorted synths are capable of make you stomp on your granny's bed while you're waiting she passes out. I'm just joking, but that was the best way to describe a situation where nothing can't stop you from being carried away by Flesh Eating Foundation tunes. Each of the three tracks sound different from the previous one and if the opening "The dead" (be sure to check the enclosed video made using "The movies" videogame) is an industrial e.b.m. version of Killing Joke, "Pass the knife" remember me an industrial version of early Alien Sex Fiend, while the closing "Kiss the tears" sounds like good e.b.m. should (is for this reason that recalls me Front Line Assembly mixed with a little bit of goth?). I was waiting for their first full length but for the moment "The dead" E.P. is a good appetizer. Review by: Maurizio Pustianaz [ maurizio {dot} pustianaz {at} chaindlk {dot} com ] ID # 3164

Flesh Eating Foundation 2005 Demo, Chain DLK January 2006 - Active since early two thousands the band already recorded three EPs and with their FLESH EATING FOUNDATION EP they bring their name to the attention of the goth / industrial electro lovers. Despite the sound, which is a sort of distorted electro industrial, the melodies and Jon Zero vocals are recalling me the Batcave bands of the '80s with a little bit influences of bands like Velvet Acid Christ. The three tracks of the demo are really well released and the high energetic formula of the trio will catch the listener's attention in no time with their mixture of dark, dancey and distorted tunes. They are looking for a label to release their first full lenght. I hope they'll find someone, soon. For me, two thumbs up!Maurizio Pustianaz

Flesh Eating Foundation 2005 Demo, Terrorizer October 2005 - Reminiscent of the '80's industrial pioneers, yet with far moretechnology on their side, FEF have somehow managed to capture the spiritof an age and made it their own. Unlike many modern industrial dancegroups who sound like a freakish mix between Abba and Kraftwerk, FEF'sstyle is second to none. Similar to early Front Line Assembly, only louder, more experimental and far more technical. [8.5] WS

Flesh Eating Foundation 2005 Demo, Zero Tolerence Nov/Dec 2005 Flesh Eating Foundation are a long-running darkwave industrial groupfrom the UK. Mixed in with their amalgamation of '80s electronica andmodern industrial are occasional metal leanings, and contemporary EBMelements. Slightly crazed vocals, melodic and noisy synths, programmeddrums and strong rhythms combine to create an original and well-definedsound. High quality recording is another bonus; this demo suggestsbright things in the future of Flesh Eating Foundation. RUSSELL GARWOOD 4

Flesh Eating Foundation 2005 Demo, Devolution Magazine Issue 8. Lurking somewhere in a dark corner between Front Line Assembly andInertia you'll find Stafford's Flesh Eating Foundation. This 3 trackdemo acts as an industrial gothic bogeyman, with some atmosphericswirling beats and strangled vocal deliveries over looping histrionicsand feedback. How much you enjoy it really depends on your appreciationfor this most elitist of sub-genres. It's certainly enjoyable enough forthose who like such things, but there's nothing here to entice the tighttrousers and floppy fringe brigade. Greg Porter.

Incision (2003) - Reviewed by Gods of Music. Dante’s dictum: abandon hope all ye… The band’s name is Flesh Eating Foundation. Their band pictures look like mug shots of Frankenstein’s grandfather, after failed plastic surgery. The industrial sub-genre they write out of is called dark wave. Ominous! Listeners beware! This is fair warning: this band’s material won’t be on the short list of contenders for a remix of the Mary Poppins soundtrack! Journeying into the world of this band’s music is a bit like taking the Conklin House of Horrors ride. No permanent damage will be done – one hopes! So, to pursue the metaphor, what do we meet in this house of horrors? First, scorching synth notes that rise out of a bass line arpeggio, like a bat out of the darkness. From there on it gets darker. An echoing voice gibbers at us, like some disembodied ghost: ‘This headache is blinding me!’ Thanks for passing it on, for sharing that…headache…with us, so to speak. The mix is smooth and dark, like a silent underground stream, carrying you away… To speak plainly, it’s quite amazing in its own dark way. This song creates its own weather system; you will feel what the singer feels! What a marvelous line: ‘…my own rain streams down my face.’ Very local weather indeed! Are the sounds more haunting or haunted? (At one point, I swear I heard chains being dragged over rock!) It’s a moot point, and I suppose it doesn’t matter. Haunting happens and you are there. Come meet the Black Rabbit of Inlé! - Cam

Incision (2003) reviewed by Cadiran, Silencer Records.'After 13 years of music creation Flesh Eating Foundation find themselves on the verge of continued success in the Underground music scene. Hailing from the Stafford, UK. F.E.F. has more than a name to be recognized, but a sound that has been spread like a virus through more genres than I care to name (or have the energy to type).One of F.E.F.'s more dramatic works is "Incision", famed to be the first song anyone should listen to by F.E.F., I would have to agree. "Incision", classified into the Darkwave genre, expands itself musically into a number of different genres. With punished and dark vocals, possessed synth lines and expansive guitars, this track is filled with more than enough for anyone***The quality of the track raises the bar for those that wish to be considered in the same category.'