Austin Cyberpunks is a promotion coalition based in Austin,TX that has been bringing the newer wave of industrial to the “live music capitol of the world” for the past couple of years now. Their latest event was Bondage A-Go Go, headlined by Metropolis recording artist Dismantled. Held at Red 7, the night was, quite simply, pure blood, bondage, and industrial. With the stage flanked on either side by sexy go-go dancers, you knew right away this would be hedonism at its best.


Opening the show was one of a brightest young stars in the industrial scene, Angels of Suicide, a dark electro band from McAllen, TX. Being so close to the border, this band has a sound very reminiscent of bands like Hocico, C-Lekktor, and Sodomy Down the Cross. While there were some technical difficulties during the first couple of songs that had to be resolved, the duo persevered and delivered an energetic, hellish performance. Keyboardist T-Virus provided atmosphere and energy with acidic synth lines while the powerful vocals of Vile1 reveled in death metal guttural roars and crunchy aggrotech distortion. An imposing figure dressed in a black industrial getup, Vile1 screamed and pointed at the crowd, while his partner urged the crowd to “fuck shit up” and dance. Older tracks like 'Question' and 'Running Astray' were played alongside newer compositions like 'Dark Lust' and 'Sacrifice' (which will be featured on the upcoming Texas industrial compilation Don't Mess with Industrial).

After the Angels of Suicide set, it was time for the fetish show, provided by CONTROL. DJ Juxtatek played pounding beats that perfectly complimented the spectacle. The duo straddled a table and went through a fascinating choreographed display of of lust and delightful hedonism. The audience watched mesmerized as Franccesca De Struct and Acid Queen flogged, slapped, and drew blood from each other. Definitely a good way to transition to the next band.


Next up was Lucid Dementia, a veteran of the local scene since 1996, and a band once voted the “weirdest band in Austin,TX.” Considering Austin is a city that prides itself on the individuality and idiosyncratic character of its residents, this is no slight achievement. While I remember seeing some of Lucid Dementia's earliest shows back in the late 90s, I admit I haven't followed the group that closely since. This show was a delightful reminder of what I had been missing: fronted by a 6 foot tall alien puppet named Luci, the band put on a dizzying theatrical performance that felt like watching Fraggle Rock on acid, or as the band puts it “a bunch of evil muppets freaking out after one too many frappucinos” Their 2008 release 'Trickery' formed the backbone of the set, with a sound that crosses punk with goth with dark electronics, Lucid Dementia did very well, with male and female vocalists Sheldon Reynolds and Holly Barentine doing an expert job at mixing things up and keeping the show interesting. The highlight of the performance for me was guitarist STE7EN, whose ecclectic, powerful style gave all the tracks an added oomph.


Finally it was time for Dismantled. Dismantled was formed by Gary Zon in 2000. Starting with a sound very reminiscent of Front Line Assembly, Zon's project has evolved considerably into its current incarnation, a style best described as electro-rock. Having seen Dismantled on numerous occasions in the past (most recently with FLA themselves), what was immediately apparent this time around was they had upped the aggression factor by 11.The stage was enveloped in smoke, the intro finished and the band kicked into 'Insect Head.' Backed by the unmistakably powerful drumming of Jon Siren (Mankind is Obsolete, Psyclon Nine), all the members were covered in body paint and seemed more than ready to bring their brand of sleazy electro-rock to the audience- “I think I'm gonna fuck my way out of this mess,” Zon promises us, and the rest of the night sees him doing that, if only in a figurative sense. The majority of the set list consisted of songs from the latest Dismantled release 'The War Inside Me;' songs like 'Dead on Impact' and the title track took on an almost alternative rock feel live. This was thanks to the incredible drumming of Siren, keyboardist TZA- always oozing with punk rock attitude and detached sexiness- Gary Zon's Reznor-esque howls, and Dismantled's special live guest on this tour.


Joining Dismantled on this tour is one of the most controversial figures in modern industrial music, Nero Bellum (of Psyclon Nine). Admittedly, Nero added much depth and “rock star” factor to Dismantled's performance; it was obvious Zon really loved the contribution; he strutted and writhed around like Iggy Pop while Nero simultaneously destroyed keyboards, crunched out power chords, banged out bass lines, posed, and screamed backing vocals. The two made a good team, interacting like an industrial Jagger and Richards, or more fittingly Manson and Ramirez. The fetish queens on stage- as well as the caged dancers off- only added to the “rock n roll” debauchery of the night- and Zon exploited this during songs like 'Excess', where he barked “I'll shove it down your throat!”

The band kept the audience banter to a minimum, machine-gunning their way through songs like 'Dead on Impact,' 'Disease' and even some tracks from 'Standard Issue' and 'Post Nuclear.' 'The War Inside Me' (played on previous tours as 'The Whore Inside Me') was one of the big pieces of the night, a snarling beast ready to tear limb from limb. Closing with a scorching rendition of their signature number 'Breed to Death,' Zon and company were intent on burning the venue down. In my experience, this song always got the crowd going, and tonight was no different. It left us bruised and battered, exhausted, but wanting more.

All in all, it was a fantastic night that only added to Dismantled's reputation as one of the best, must-see live bands in the dark scene. No industrial karaoke here, but pure, unadulterated ROCK. For a Wednesday night, the crowd turn out was really good, and the DIY aesthetic of the promoters has an unmistakable stamp that made it fun for all. All three bands and the fetish performers did very well, and I would highly recommend going to see them.