All bands and musicians have a backstory of some kind. Some of them you never hear about, some of them are completely made up, and some of them are so powerful that they inspire you. This little clip of Zeistencroix’s history from the press release for his new EP, Gemini, is one of those inspiration ones.
“Starting a successful music career isn’t easy and much less if you were born and grew up in a third world country plagued by hunger, crime and political persecution during the last two decades. The dream of being a musician would seem impossible.”
As impossible as they may have been, Orlando Draven did what he could to make the music he dreamed of creating. He is the frontman for Zeistencroix, and he is a Venezuelan-American musician. Part of the fulfillment of that dream was recording Gemini with British producer Tim Palmer. Palmer has worked with some big names in the music industry, including U2, Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne, and Pearl Jam.
The music on this album is pure industrial magic. Goth and industrial kids (and adults) will find pain and passion within the lyrics of the songs, and ever-changing beats that they can dance to. Draven does the vocals, guitar work, and programming on the music, and the sound is filled out by Santi Rivillas on the drums.
There was a reason for the particular album name, according to the band’s frontman:
“Gemini, as its name states, is a dual state, a combination of 2 sides of the same coin; life and death, black and white, good and evil. In this album, I’m showcasing two very opposite styles from the same band. It’s a combination of two entities living under the same organism and somehow coexisting without one surpassing the other but complementing the other.”
Released in early November, Gemini is a powerful album. With only five songs it will leave you begging for more (just play it again). It starts with the vintage Industrial sounding “I Need You Tonight.” This song definitely has a classic sounding dance beat, reminiscent of Ashbury Heights.
Their music is comparable to bands/performers like NIN and Depeche Mode. “Valley Of Death” really has a bit of a feel that could fit in with the sounds from the aforementioned bands. It has kind of a rock/industrial/synth mix of a sound. It’s a slower beat, but still something you can move to.
“Saturated” and “Rage” bring in a more metal sound to the mix, which is still befitting of the industrial sound. In essence, industrial music is a mix of metal and goth. The final song, “Dante”, also has a heavier sound.
While this is a tight EP with some great tunes, the first two songs stand out the most, giving it a 4 out of 5 stars. This is a must listen for industrial music fans.
https://zeistencroix.bandcamp.com/