by Jim Harper
Originally titled Bunkertor Seven, this is the second release from Wumpscut, following two years after 1993's acclaimed Music for a Slaughtering Tribe. Unlike many industrial dance acts, Wumpscut is definitely progressing, with main man Ratzinger taking cues from all forms of electronic and dance music, not just the dark and gothic stuff. Certainly the album is tinged throughout with gothic overtones, but the driving beats on songs like &Mortal Highway& are a lot more innovative than most bands of this type. As usual, the material is either fast and brutal or slow and dark, something that can grate the listener after a while, and the pretentious-sounding ethereal female vocals are a definite step back for Ratzinger, but on the whole, Bunker Gate Seven is a competent release from a man who is clearly not afraid to look ahead.