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Retro Review: Test Dept. ‘Tactics For Evolution’

Published

16 years ago

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This month’s Retro Review brings you to a group that is considered one of the founders of industrial music: Test Dept. Originally formed in 1981 in London, Test Dept. was considered a group that created music as a means of revolt to the surrounding events of the times. Their use of unconventional instrumentation (including pipes, metal beams, and other dilapidated construction equipment) gave their sound a very raw, mechanical tone that was often jarring and jolting to the senses. As time went on, their sound became progressively more techno inspired, although the mechanical influences stayed with them. Their final album, ‘Tactics For Evolution’, was released in 1997. Check after the jump to read my opinion!

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The album opens up with ‘Enigma of Doctor Dee’, a track that constantly inspired images of ‘Tetsuo: Iron Man’ in my mind. The main base repetition sounds like a distorted alarm mixed with the sound of two metal sheets hitting each other. Layered on top of that, quite often, are the sounds of crows cawing while menacing and ominous music floats overhead. The end result is very ‘’Cronenberg’’; a mixture of the mechanical and the organic (seems like this theme is pretty popular this week). Though not all of the following tracks share this eerie feeling, ‘Enigma of Doctor Dee’ casts a pervasive feeling of creepiness. 
The production on the album is very modern sounding: You could easily assume that the album was recorded within the past few years. One of the joyous things about this album is that with each listen, as is often with electronic/techno/industrial albums, new sounds and new layers will emerge. The variety of sounds and tones and patches used on this album would probably inspire an electronic musician to no end. However, for the casual listener who may not notice such intricacies, ‘Tactics For Evolution’ makes for a great background CD when you want to creep your friends out. 
The impact that Test Dept. has had on the electronic scene cannot be refuted or argued. Through a long and passionate history, Test Dept. has shown that music can represent a society that wishes for change or, at the very least, some sort of a noticeable impact. ‘Tactics For Evolution’ is an album that will subtly worm it’s way into you, grab hold and not let go. My only complaint is that often, the main theme of the song doesn’t change. It is constantly there and the rest of the music just builds on top of that. Some change in the base theme could easily help many of these songs. 
4.5 out of 5 skulls
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Music

‘Play Dead’ – Watch the Official ‘Dead by Daylight’ Music Video from Ice Nine Kills!

Published

4 days ago

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June 26, 2026

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We learned a couple weeks back that the band Ice Nine Kills is joining forces with the slasher video game Dead by Daylight, with an Ice Nine Kills Collection inspired by the heavy metal band now available. Along with the collection, a tie-in music video has been unleashed.

Ice Nine Kills enter the fog today with “Play Dead,” a brand-new single and music video created in collaboration with Dead by Daylight. Written for the game’s 10th Anniversary, “Play Dead” brings Ice Nine Kills into one of horror gaming’s most iconic worlds, uniting two genre-obsessed universes built on suspense, survival, mythology, and the thrill of the kill.

The track was created in collaboration with longtime Dead by Daylight composer Michel F. April and arrives alongside the in-game Ice Nine Kills Collection, allowing players to represent the band inside the game’s ever-expanding horror universe with unique DLC.

Stream “Play Dead” here and watch the Ice Nine Kills music video below!

Ice Nine Kills’ brand new music video for “Play Dead” features Devon Sawa (Final Destination, “Chucky”) and Krsy Fox (Terrifier 3), along with the legendary Tony Hawk.

Ice Nine Kills mastermind Spencer Charnas tells us, “Ice Nine Kills has always lived somewhere between menace and mischief. ‘Play Dead,’ our take on Dead by Daylight, is a collision of hooks, horror, and total chaos. As lifelong horror fans, we find it surreal and an absolute honor to have Ice Nine Kills’ music officially tied to Terrifier, Scream, Ready or Not, and now, the iconic survival horror game Dead by Daylight.”

“Collaborating with Dead by Daylight gave us the chance to step into a world that feels deeply aligned with our creative instincts,” Charnas continues. “The game has an incredible legacy, and that chaotic, eerie, immersive energy is something we respect and admire. We wanted the song to feel like a real extension of that universe, not just inspired by it, but genuinely part of it.”

“Dead by Daylight has always been about celebrating horror in all its forms, and Ice Nine Kills shares that same passion for the genre we have,” said Mat Côté, Head of Partnerships for Dead by Daylight. “We’ve always been big fans of their music, and their creativity and deep connection to horror culture made this collab feel incredibly natural. We’re excited for our players to represent the band in-game with the Collection we created together, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience the new Dead by Daylight crossover track the guys cooked up.”

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