LUST SYNDICATE, THE
CAPITALISM IS CANNIBALISM (WHITE VINYL+CD)

Capitalism is war. Capitalism is cannibalism. Western society is devouring itself, just as it previously devoured other societies. This realisation brings anger, and demands an answer. Simone Salvatori (the SPIRITUAL FRONT mastermind) brings this fury to us. With his martial post-industrial pop project THE LUST SYNDICATE, he destroys all we came to trust, infecting our imaginary idylls forever.

‘Capitalism is Cannibalism’ is the title of his first work with THE LUST SYNDICATE, and the aggressive course pursued by the death-fixated cover, which is full of weapons, skulls and dildos, is an effortless and perfect fit for the tracks collected here. The album is made up of critical and downright politically provocative statements, and surprises not only with its clearly defined theses on the present day, but also with some well-known guests: Michael DE Victor from the neofolk band WHILE ANGELS WATCH, the Italian genre actor Mark Thompson Ashworth, the American occultist Paul Smalley, Gary Carey from JOY OF LIFE, Sean Ragon from CULT OF YOUTH, Erin Powell from AWEN and Caroline Jago from neofolk pioneers SOL INVICTUS all appear here, positioning the album in a European post-industrial tradition. Salvatori’s countless appearances with the cult figures of neofolk over the last two decades (including DEATH IN JUNE and KING DUDE) have left clear traces.

But THE LUST SYNDICATE has more to offer than accusation – driving percussion, melodic fragments and gut-wrenching noise. With its tribal metallic beats, the song ‘Deserted Future’ is reminiscent of Australian industrial pioneers SPK. But HUNTING LODGE also come to mind, with their driving ‘Tribal Warning Shot’, as do TEST DEPT., whose accusatory agitation shines through again and again (such as on ‘United States of Slavery’). But Simone Salvatori is known for the suicide pop of SPIRITUAL FRONT, which on this album he dresses up to be variously colder or more electronic. The vocals in ‘Utopia as Violence’ and ‘Death Moves Towards Us’ are indeed reminiscent of electro-pop legends DEPECHE MODE.