Ghost Cult Keefy caught up with prolific Industrial Metal artist I Ya Toyah all about her new EP I Am The Fire – due out on April 5th, 2024 via her own label, Femme Fatal Records. Even though she has been making music and being a creative force since she was young, I Ya Toyah has been putting out of ton of original music over the last few years, guesting with the greats in her genre, and remixing many artists too. She discussed her history, her new EP, a frank discussion of mental health issues, working with Stabbing Westward members Walker Flakus and Christopher Hall, and her upcoming tour supporting Orgy and Cold this month!
Tag Archives: I Am The Fire
I Ya Toyah Shares a New Single and Video “Dream Not To Dream” Remix ft Stabbing Westward’s Christopher Hall
Industrial Metal ingenue I Ya Toyah has released a new single “Dream Not To Dream (Remix)!” The darkwave-inspired new take features vocals by Stabbing Westward’s Christopher Hall; the track is also remixed by him, too. The remix and original track “Dream Not To Dream” are both taken from I Ya Toyah’s forthcoming EP, I Am The Fire, due out on April 5th via the artists own label Femme Fatale Records. The EP is produced with and mixed by Stabbing Westward’s Walter Flakus. To access the cover art for I Am The Fire please click here. To pre-order the EP, please click here. I Ya Toyah will head out on an extensive American tour around the release of I Am The Fire, as support for Orgy and Cold. The tour kicks off in April and runs through the end of May. Check out the track and tour dates below.Continue reading
Gus G. – I Am The Fire
The early-90’s saw a sea change in the world of rock and metal, and a slew of great albums adorned the mainstream. These weren’t frilly-shirted or leather-trousered types, these were check-shirted and ripped jeans types, bringing some incredible music. Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden shaped the soundscape. Yes, it meant “metal” had to go and lick its wounds, but it never went away. Indeed, Pantera, White Zombie and Metallica will tell you, it certainly didn’t stop good metal bands being successful or releasing great albums (OK, Metallica’s last great album was pre-grunge, but you get my point, and besides Garage Inc was bloody good).
But while metal burrowed underground and into mainland Europe, “Rock” was mortally wounded. Manowar’s black arrow of death sent straight to the heart of all those who played false metal was actually fired by bands that didn’t play metal at all (though Dirt, for one, is one heavy motherfucker). But, do you know what? That wasn’t a bad thing at all, as it meant the end of hundreds of unimaginative, middle of the road plod rock bands.
As well played as it is, Gus G.’s I Am The Fire (Century Media) is the exact sort of album that it was great that grunge killed. A guitar “virtuoso” proving that he can shred, widdle, and solo with the best of them, but without the distinctiveness or feel of the great (I’d take a Slash or Adrian Smith or Ritchie Blackmore solo over one of Gus’s any day, maybe technically not as proficient but guys who make their leads sing) but has no imagination beyond stock chords for “riffs” and obvious, underwhelming vocal lines when songwriting. It’s like Gus is saying “this album isn’t about how great I am on guitar, it’s about songs”. Yes Gus. Boring ones’
Joined by a cast of proficient if unexciting B-list vocalists, the two best tracks on here are the two instrumentals; ‘Vengeance’ featuring Dave Ellefson, a spiky track that could have been the music under a track off Rust In Peace and ‘Terrified’ featuring Billy Sheehan, a riffier, thrashier number.
4 / 10
STEVE TOVEY