Zerospace Reviews

• Birthing Displeasure and Loving It

  
  By A96JD9312DHWC on 2003-03-10
  When I first heard the Kidney Thieves performance on Trickster, I was amazed by a few things they held within their grasp; the diversity with which they carried themselves and the fact that they, another Nothing project from the realms of Reznorian fashioning, were getting no press. There was this almost ambient sound they could mix into certain industrial pools of thought, giving some of the songs a visceal imagery that made me feel like I was floating through an emotional painting that meshing vocals and insturmentals constructed. This would then change gears and become something different, something darker, and add fury into the fold, taking one convection felt and turning it into something new, keeping it flowing together in a seamless puzzle while doing so. Still, I was saddened to see that more people hadn't heard of this band, listing it with the 12 Rounds and the Pricks that had fallen to the wayside and were destined to not receive the glamourization they deserve. This was thwarted somewhat with the cover of "Crazy" that was added to The Bride of Chucky soundtrack, though, and then they went the way of many a wise band and left their old record label, landing perhaps in a land that didn't allow them much acclaim but that did allow them another quality album.

  The feeling of this release is heavier than the last in some regards, making some of the songs more agressively coated, although the movement in the melodies are still shifting from side to side here and newer things are still attempted. For instance, in the industrial-themed sounds of "Zerospace," we hear an almost rapped version of some of the lyrics, mixing in range with rage and aggression with a tempo that holds something within its somewhat twisted roots. Within other songs are the blurring of tempos, the accents of vocals that sometimes delve into the oddities of range and motion, and the use of ideas that are, in many instances, dark and melodic as well as more harshly constructed. So, if you liked the first release you should like this one as well, because both approach their works in a variety of methods. If you've never heard them then you should at least try them out and see if you find this blend of industrial aggression, female vocals, and the idea that darkness is sometimes the most intesting pattern to decorate with.
  
  

• Dark beauty, bright future

  
  By A1LJE5IEP7BAK8 on 2003-03-04
  It would be easy, and fall way short, to describe Kidneythieves as either a lighter Nine Inch Nails or a darker Garbage. Although the industrial sound recalls the best of NIN and the great female vocals bring to mind Garbage, Free Dominguez and Bruce Sommers have put together a more creative and palatable CD with Zerospace than either of those great bands ever managed.

  The track from the movie Queen of the Damned, "Before I'm Dead," probably lured most people to buy Zerospace. The surprise probably came when the rest of the CD proved much better.

  From the funk of "Glitter Girl" to the cover of the country classic "Crazy," Zerospace has a depth and dark beauty that Trent Reznor never managed. While NIN could get hopelessly repetitive at times, and Garbage can be stale, Domingeuz' vocals and the diversity of Sommers' material keep this CD from degenerating into uninteresting noise.

  Kidneythieves now are, artistically, where Radiohead was with the release of The Bends. Hopefully, Free and Bruce won't make an OK Computer next and lose most of their audience with the arthouse follow-ups. While Nine Inch Nails, Garbage and Radiohead obviously inspired much of the material on Zerospace, these bands'shortcomings are nowhere to be found here.

  This band will not be a backbencher much longer even with the recent explosion of great rock groups.
  
  

• At the top of my music lists

  
  By A1UMZ8CMS5X54H on 2004-07-27
  Simply stated, this album rocks. It better than their first, in the aspect that it seems to show they have confidance in their sound, whereas the first one, they seemed not to want to go all the way, but in this one, they do.
  
  Zerospace, is one my favorite songs EVER. Along with Black Bullet, and their rendition of Crazy.
  
  The songs hit hard in some cases, whereas others just kind of let you drift along. It's a wonderful journey through the album as you listen to it, and you won't be disappointed by this album in the least. Especially if you enjoy bands like Lacuna Coil and Snake River Conspiracy.
  
  Highly reccommended. Go buy it. NOW! *grins*
  
  

• Zerospace

  
  By A106O849IEGHQO on 2002-04-24
  After some label problems Kidneytheives return with their second effort, Zerospace. Who? Kidney-who? Yeah, their debut, Trickster, never really hit big in the mainstream. This isn't a huge shock, though, female fronted electronic metal bands arn't on TRL very often. But Trickster did earn the band somewhat of a following(mainly stray Orgy and NIN fans) and fans will still love this record. Kineythieves maintain their KMFDM meets Poe sound. Free's vocals follow the music closly and she seems more comfortable with exporing vocaly on this one. There are a few cliches that surround Kidneythieves but, you cannot deny the music is really good stuff, nothing groundbreaking, but a nice solid record. Basically if you liked them before, nothing changed, and if you are new, if you like NIN and stuff like that you'll like this. Oh, And the title track is riducuously catchy.
  
  

• I didn't like it at first...

  
  By A230Z7M6UYT0FU on 2003-08-21
  After listening through this a couple times, and after hearing another album of the sort ("Sonic Jihad" by Snake River Conspiracy... do NOT buy that album if you value good music, even if someone threatens your life if you don't), my overall assessment of it changed. No, I didn't edit my review because of all the negative votes. I'll tell you exactly what I think, and I don't give a rat's behind what you think.

  First of all, I still would've liked more instrumental and less programming. I'm interested in more than just vocals and electronic bass. I still concede that the vocals are not that good, as Free sounds like she's tearing her throat inside out just trying to hit certain notes, but considering that the album is directed at underachieving crack fiends that are all about anger and rebellion, it seems fitting. But she doesn't have a good voice, and it's clear she's never been trained to sing properly. As for Bruce, well, maybe he should play a little more guitar and do a little less programming, as the best parts of their songs are the heavy parts. The title track is the best song, and there are maybe three or four others that'll hold the listener's attention, but there seems to be a lot of filler.

  I'm still curious as to why they chose "kidneythieves" as their band name...
  
  

• The Music's Late, but the Singer's Great
  By A2B9Y0WXNSN17U on 2002-12-16
  I was first turned on to Kidneythieves through their great contribution to the *Queen of the Damned* soundtrack, "Before I'm Dead," which also opens this album. There are two things about Kidneythieves that must be considered - the music of Bruce Somers and the vocals of Free Dominguez. One of those two things is incredible but the other needs help. In terms of the music, Kidneythieves deal in the heavy, crunching, brooding industrial sounds that Nine Inch Nails were doing ten years ago, or spacey dirges that the drums n' bass mobs were doing five years ago. Musically, "Zerospace" (the title track) and "Spank" sound like leftovers from NIN's 1992 album *Broken*, while the creepy dirge "Placebo" strongly resembles Massive Attack's 1998 album *Mezzanine*. Another outdated gimmick that is quite annoying is the eleven minutes of silence that you must sit through before "Take a Train (Awakening)." Tricks like that are so over. The music on this album does little to rise above the predictable and derivative, except for a few surprises like the funky "Glitter Girl" and the acoustic ballad "Serene Dream." However Kidneythieves deserve real creativity points for their bizarre cover of the old country standard "Crazy" - modern grrrl rockers are showing a nice appreciation for Patsy Cline.

  What makes Kidneythieves fun to listen to are the outstanding vocals of Free Dominguez, who has a very sensual and sexy voice. (Techno fans may be reminded of a grittier version of original Sneaker Pimps singer Kelly Dayton). Free deserves to be a big star. She ranges from true angry grit in "Before I'm Dead" and "Black Bullet" to bedroom-talk soul searching in "Arsenal" and "Placebo." Free Dominguez saves this album in a consistently sensual way. Explore Kidneythieves just to dig her voice.
  
  

• Exceptional, poignant and ROCKIN'
  By AZOQ1SNF2S0IE on 2004-03-26
  I discovered the Kidney Thieves quite by accident. I also spend a great deal of time searching for bands with female leads that are unique, edgy and interesting and frankly those are the best words in describing the music of the Kidney Thieves. Every tune on this album is great with one exception for me and that is the cover "Crazy"...although I'm sure this is just a personal preference since most folks I talk to find it very creative.

  It is nice to run across such an edgy though expressive piece of work from a band with a female lead vocalist. Free stands on her own against all other alternative/industrial vocalist and the band mixes the two styles together so well that this album will please fans on either side. Most industrial music has too many sequenced drums and not enough guitar. Zerospace combines the industrial feel with acoustics drums and screaming guitars to produce a hard driving edgy feel that does not distract from the typically ethereal dance of most industrial bands the tend to put you in a coma. Bands like Collide, Lacuna Coil and Hungry Lucy are all very creative however after two or three listens, the material becomes monotonous. Five minute tunes with moody vocals is not as mysterious as these groups must think because after a while it just becomes incredibly boring background music and the CD gets shelved with the rest of my "OH WELL" collection.

  Kidney Thieves is a band that can truly take industrial music to a place all it's own with out losing an ounce of integrity. This album has influences many of my friends who HATE industrial music into the most ardent Alternative fans and I'm hoping more groups like Lennon and Tapping the vein get their cue from the Kidney Thieves.
  
  

• Post Nuclear Dark Metal Grit
  By A2TIMBDSSW1C6A on 2004-08-16
  You may have been introduced to KT through the movie Queen of the Damned, the award winning Deus Ex Invisible War game, or just wandered into this review, but rest assured your ears will be tapping on your brain pan asking for some more of that dreamy, industrial grit only KT can give.
  
  Starting off, it wouldn't be fair to be so over-zealous and say this CD is 'totally cool and awesome' like so many other emotional and non-technical reviews here. The Zerospace CD deserves 4 stars mainly because the sound is truly unique. It's sort of like industrial with a splash of techno all wrapped in a post nuclear, dark metal sphere. There are only 5 out of 13 songs that are any good. They are: Black Bullet, Before I'm Dead, Dyskrasia, Glitter Girl and Zerospace. While these are still good credits to the band, there are a few technical issues with some of the songs.
  
  First, in examining the good songs, I would have been much better if the lead vocal, Dominguez, had not interrupted the pace and tempo of the two songs: Black Bullet and ZeroSpace. What she does is, a few times in both songs, she slows the song down almost to a stop, to do the whole "Whisper for effect" sequence like so many try to do now. This is done to add some shock-drama to the song, but Dominguez doesn't do it very well, and the tempo and speed of the songs themselves don't need it. The tempo and pace of Glitter Girl is a good model that Domiguez should pay attention to in the future, as the tempo and speed fit the character of the song. The songs: Amnzero and Taking a Train are barley songs at all. They represent shots at techno-dream abstraction and are really poor songs technically; they should have been axed from the CD. For example, Taking a Train is nothing but long silence and the same repeated whisper lyrics ...really boring and irritating. The rest of the songs on the CD are just Ok, and seem to be in a different mindset to the 5 other good ones.
  
  Overall, the CD is worth the buy and well-earned band support; and you get 5 great songs rather than only one decent song, like so many new CDs today (damn, greedy record companies will sign anybody to make a buck). If you like dark, dreamy, distorted metal, you will really enjoy Kidney Thieves. It will surely give your soul something dark, metallic, and gritty to chew on.
  
  
• Not a Bad Album At All....
  By AI9M4GVHAFBRU on 2002-12-04
  This is probably one of the "darker" albums I have in my collection but first heard about the Kidneythieves when I got the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. After searching all over town for three hours, I found a used copy of this album and popped it into my CD player and got a good surprise. Lyrically the album is a double-edged sword with understanding but also darker and deeper complexities. "Before I'm Dead" opens the album with force and paves the path for "Zerospace", one of the songs up for most complex on the album but seems to talk about a person being disregarded but suddenly rising up in front of everyone. "Arsenal" is my fav track on the whole album with the pulsating bass at the beginning and very depressing but strangely intoxicating lyrics. "Molten" is okay but "Black Bullet" starts sort of industrial sounding and suddenly has grinding guitars and piercing vocals. "Dyskrasia" starts off a little too predictably coming off the end of "Black Bullet" and it's not that great while "Spank" has a good rhythm throughout and is just amazing, a darker Garbage. "Glitter Girl" sounds too much like all the current rock stuff at first but suddenly changes with the vocals and becomes an overall good song. "Serene Dream" reminds me of a song that should be on Buffy the Vampire Slayer but to the song itself, it's pretty good lyrically and provides a different sound to the previous rock tracks. "Amnzero" sounds like something you might find on a movie that has spies or fast paced intrigue and action..not a bad track overall. "Crazy" is a remake of an old song but actually, I like this version better...it's much more sensual and darker, almost like a lover that's been hurt and really is going crazy with desire and delusions. "Placebo" has a nice groove rhythm at the beginning and the pulsating beats make it a song worthy of having some "quality" time with your significant other. "Take A Train (Awakening)" is the one track that really ticks me off on the album...I have to go fast forward up to 11 minutes to even get to the song and it's actually just a piece...really really ticked me off and not a good way to end an album even though it's supposed to give a creepy affect or something. Overall, the album as a whole is really good and actually sort of something very different that doesn't fit into any particular category, even though this band is pretty unknown.
  
  
• Kidneythieves are a Serene Dream
  By A3R6RIAXQ2OSLE on 2003-03-27
  I've been listening to Kidneythieves for a couple of years now and I still find them amazing. I used to be a big Smashing Pumpkins fan and someone in a messageboard pointed me to KT. I then downloaded Zerospace from their website and I was hooked. Thereafter I bought "Trickster", another great album. There is a good diversity in their music, from slow peircing songs (Serene Dreams and Placebo) to pounding rock (Before I'm Dead, Black Bullet) to sound loop that almost bear a sound of remix (Arsenal, Dyskrasia).

  There is even a cover of "Crazy", a song of Patsy Cline.

  Placebo is a classic.

  My favorite song is probably Serene Dream, this song alone is worth the money to me..lead singer Free D wants someone to "Spend nowhere with me" in the chorus.
  
  

• THE ONLY ALBUM YOU'LL EVER NEED
  By A3P382QPLM465Y on 2004-08-26
  I stumbled across this album in accident one night when i was watching Queen of the danmed, and believe me when i say im glad i did 'cos Kidneythieves are the most unique and fresh band your likely to ever listen to. their industrial rock/techno sound coupled with Free Dominguez's beautiful/haunting voice played through headphones (best method when listening to any Kidneythieves Album Due to the heavy stereo effects which sound amazing)cant be beaten by any current Rock/whatever genre you listen to Band.
  
  
• worth every penny
  By A8TM0MI3D9T29 on 2004-10-09
  I picked this cd up after I saw so many people referencing it in reviews. When I bought it I wasn't expecting much, I knew there would be maybe one or two songs I would really enjoy (as it is with all my cds). But what I got was a much needed treat, every song has it's own touch of perfection. I must admit though, I do enjoy the instrumentals, but with Free's beautifully tragic voice I don't understand why you would use filler. 'Molten' however, sets up 'Black Bullet' wonderfully. That is one of those introductions you want to listen to just to pump yourself up for one of the most pulse pounding anthems on this cd.
  While I did enjoy every song on this cd, the standouts are 'Zerospace', 'Black Bullet', 'Dyskrasia', 'Glitter Girl', and 'Placebo'. I realize this is almost half the cd, but when I listen to this cd, I always make time to hear those five songs. I can't tell you what this cd sounds similar to because it's so unlike anything I've heard recently. I recommend this cd to everybody, kidneythieves certainly deserve more fame than what they have.
  
  
• "ZeroSpace" I didn't know girls had this much talent!!!!!
  By AUNTRML2595UY on 2002-08-11
  Kidneythieves, I just recently heard of this Band, when the queen of the damned CD came out. So when I bought Zerospace, I was just blown away. If you looking for a type of music thats hard with a hint of industrial techno you will love this CD. If you like the band's Filter, Stabbing Westward, Mansons new music, or even NIN's you will love this CD. Believe me I like nearly every song on this CD. I HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS CD!!!!
  
  
• Heavy metal/Hard Rock Band
  By A17B3KYNA8QZYH on 2002-11-24
  It takes me a while to find my style of rock with a singer who can sing. For some reason, the record companies currently (in the 2000's) seem to think Death Metal is rock and the more unintelligible the singer, the more pressings and advertising they get. I love a beautiful singing voice and Free Dominguez has one. They could use a better "voice" on a lead guitar, but the "grunge" sound is fine with me. Whatever sub-genre you want to put this in, it is still the original Hard Rock that started in the 1960's and is very well executed. I have shared this album and it is liked by all who like Rock. The sound of the CD is clear. The last track needs editing, though; it is 11 minutes of silence followed by Free a cappella. I have listened to this album repeatedly in its entirety.
  
  
• Flawless Album
  By A3MA1VXNCRMPGH on 2004-03-27
  Free Dominguez, lead singer of Kidneythieves, has a voice that is so unique and beautiful that it makes this CD a must for any rock fan. Kidneythieves music is very dark and gothic while also being very refreshing. Standout tracks on the CD are Zerospace, Black Bullet, and Before I'm Dead. Another good song is the remake of the Patsy Cline hit Crazy. I would recommend this CD to anyone looking for good vocals and great rock music.
  
  
• Long live Kidneythieves!
  By A2ISZBNSYZV8KA on 2003-01-22
  I, like many KT fans, first came across this amazingly talented group by the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. "Before I'm Dead" was just so good, I had to get Zerospace and check them out. Zerospace is fully of awesome riffs, sexy and hard vocals and fabulous drums. Since then, I've trekked to another state to see them in concert. I cannot say enough good things about Bruce Sommers and Free Dominguez. If you like a band that's agressive, cool and appreciative of their fans... you should look into Kidneythieves.
  
  
• sex sells, but so does talent
  By A1P9ZUR56EX2CU on 2003-12-11
  it was the cover of this album that allured me to check it out. then, the voice got to me. it's a very unique album indeed. the hint of industrial goth in the music makes you just want to move your body (in what way is up to you :P). well it was that way for me anyways, hehe. if some of you liked the Queen of the Damned album, then i think you will like this one also because "Before Im Dead" is on both of them. one of the songs that really got me hooked was "S&M (a love song)", go figure..haha ;P

  well, we've all heard that sex sells. and the lead singer is beautiful (im sure you cant really tell from the cover), but so does talent and this girl has the voice. some singers cant even sing to the music (i will say no names), at least she can. but like always, who am i to judge wut others should think. lucky for all of you out there, they give samples of music on this site, so do yourself a favor and sample this album. if u like it, buy it, buy all their albums. if u dont, well at least you were open-minded enough to try it :)
  
  

• Zero space, zero creativity
  By ANDR5PCA6W83K on 2004-05-23
  Yeah, trust Yoshiki to have produced a band like this, it's part of his obsession with America. Honestly, Taxicab Messiah was their only good song and hey, it's not even on this album. The vocals are alright but they sound the same across each song. If you want a good side though, Zerospace beats a lot of other Industrial artists in America.
  
  
• Hard if you like Britney
  By AWH4O70BPQL9Y on 2004-10-23
  I bought this album after reading all the great reviews, having followed links from similar music. This is about as boring a disc as i've ever heard, and definitely doesn't meet my expectations for this genre. get Luxt's Chromasex Monkeydrive or something from Assemblage 23 instead.
  
  
• Buy this CD!
  By A17TY68M8WJDOA on 2005-12-01
  I first heard this band on Much Music (now known as Fuse). They blew my socks off. I had a radio show at the time and I wanted to know more about them. I called up their record label and he gave me tickets to see them along with Tommy Lee. He also set me up with an interview with them. They were awesome. I took pictures and everything. About the band:
  If you didnt know already, they arent a band anymore. The lead singer is off doing a solo project. They didnt get much press but they are awesome. I listen to this CD a lot. My fiancee is bored with them by the 400th time she heard me listening to the CD. It has everything. Its like garage rock
  
  
• KICK A$$!!
  By A34ZD9Z32EI8KN on 2006-05-13
  Not many bands can bridge the gap between rock and electronic. And even fewer seem able to bridge the gap between rock and industrial. The two have faced off at each other for years. There are obvious comparisons to Nine Inch Nails. But Kidney Theives are not trying to be NIN. They have their own difinitive sound, Female vocals, and, in my opinion, a sharper, clearer image of whatever they are focused on. They paint a clearer picture of what they are singing about. I am shocked that this band is not getting more attention.
  
  
• Heavy metal/Hard Rock Band
  By A17B3KYNA8QZYH on 2002-11-24
  It takes me a while to find my style of rock with a singer who can sing. For some reason, the record companies currently (in the 2000's) seem to think Death Metal is rock and the more unintelligible the singer, the more pressings and advertising they get. I love a beautiful singing voice and Free Dominguez has one. They could use a better "voice" on a lead guitar, but the "grunge" sound is fine with me. Whatever sub-genre you want to put this in, it is still the original Hard Rock that started in the 1960's and is very well executed. I have shared this album and it is liked by all who like Rock. The sound of the CD is clear. The last track needs editing, though; it is 11 minutes of silence followed by Free a cappella. I have listened to this album repeatedly in its entirety.
  
  
• This is the best thing out there! It should get 6 stars
  By ADFLY3MXRTTSN on 2002-12-14
  everyone that gave this cd a four is mocking music and themsleves. This cd is pure magic and beauty, and you can't get any better than this. I first discovered Free Dominguez and her band from the queen of the damned soundtrack, and their song was wicked. I then bought their cd not expecting much, but it was out of this world. I can def associate with this music and it is rare that you can find a cd that has all listenable awesome songs. Kidneythieves, you are stellar!
  
  
• Great stuff!
  By A2WW29OQLHA14D on 2003-02-05
  I, too, discovered this group on the Queen of the Damned soundtrack, and I'm so glad I bought this CD. The music is really fresh and unusual, sometimes going in unexpected directions. All in all it kicks butt, and it's also really creative. Highly recommended!
  
  
• ROCKIN CD!!!
  By A388BVW41E411Q on 2003-03-10
  i got this cd at a used record store not knowing of the band at the time, i bought it cuz the name sounded cool. when i first heard it i was blown away by the sound of the lead singers voice and how she can carry a great sound with a rockin band in the background, my favorite song is zerospace! buy this cd!!!!!
  
  
• An 'awakening'
  By A1IL8PHHEKA8M3 on 2003-04-09
  ive been a fan of KT since their debut 'trickster'. Zerospace is an amazing album. To hear KT evolve performance wise and sound wise was a beautiful journey. from the first track 'before im dead' (from the queen of hte damned soundtrack) till the breathless 'take a train (awakening)' was as if i accompanied free (lead singer) through her spiritual struggle. If you like heavy industrialized guitar chords, catchy riffs, alluring siren like vocals, and poet like lyrics you MUST own this album.
  
  
• ZeroSpace and KT
  By A30S6SKD046K9T on 2003-06-02
  I love this albulm, and of course I'm a big Kidneythieves fan. I'd recomend this to fans of gothic or industrial rock fans. The music is crazy and with the lead singer, Free's vocals on top of it makes their songs powerful. On this CD they have both calming and energetic songs. I'm sure that anyone could relate to most of the lyrics too. If your already a KT fan I'd suggest checking out the Live In Chicago CD which is at the online kidneythieves store. If your looking for real gothic rock music check out The Kidneythieves!
  
  
• Zerospace rocks hard!
  By A2AIK9X6PAL4IG on 2003-09-01
  This cd is Awesome! The first song I ever heard on it was free's cover of "Crazy"...It was so righteous that I went out and bought the cd for myself...This is one of the best records I own...
  I would recommend this cd to anyone who likes any music in the goth-rock-industrial genre i.e. Tapping the Vein, Collide, Hungry Lucy, Jack off Jill...Or anyone who likes the Industrial realm of things...i.e. Gravity Kills.
  This is definetely a must-add to your musical collection and kidneythieves is what I call "Anybody Music"...So don't go for the masses, go for what's good. I would also recommend checking out Trickster...their first album...and the upcoming release of Trickster Reprocess for hardcore fans!
  Peace out!
  ~Rockette
  
  
• Check Out!!!
  By on 2004-05-25
  This is an excellent find. If you love the Kidney Thieves, check out Free Dominguez's solo album called Freedoming. You can find it at her website freedominguez.com
  
  
• Great stuff - Not just gothy metal crap like Otep, etc.
  By APYJFDDXVTUIB on 2006-02-08
  Unlike a lot of modern music, the vocals on this aren't that terrible screaming/growling metal nonsense. This CD is the best elements of NIN, and Garbage (before they sucked) combined. As much as I like both these bands, I really think the kidney thieves excel both. If this CD was released in the mid-late 90s, it would have went platinum. Now, everyone listens to screamo, emo and Disney "actresses."
  
  

• Chasing the Ghost
• The Damage
• Phi in the Sky
• Some Kind of Strange
• Vortex