S. F. Incorporated are an industrial metal band from Wisconsin led by singer and guitarist Jay Reiter and on their new album First Penetration they bring a much needed sense of levity to the genre, while retaining the sense of heaviness so integral to the style. With a sound reminiscent of White Zombie or Ministry their attitude seems closer to a group like The Misfits or even GWAR. This sense of humor is everywhere on the album, although it’s never obtrusive, and it’s clearly evident in the music video for the single “Nightmare” which features cameos of everyone from Dee Snider to George Wendt.
All joking aside, there is a serious musicianship behind the presentation, and the band show off impressive chops as they thunder through twelve tracks without relenting. Occasionally they’ll pull back slightly as on the sludgy “Spice Girl” or the detours they take with covers of songs like White Zombie’s “More Human Than Human” or Nine Inch Nails’ “Wish.” Nevertheless, the brain-crushing, gut-punching heaviness, especially because of the turned-up-to-eleven production, is constant, presenting a unified force that the group refers to as “the harsh craft that is metal.”
The generous hat tips the group gives to their predecessors will win over staunch traditionalists, but First Penetration will undoubtedly appeal to almost every fan of the genre.
