Industrial metal is one of the few genres to never really become overcrowded and overdone. Sure, there were a lot of bands jumping on the NIN/Manson band wagon back in the day, but it’s not like we were drowning in clones like we were with grunge or ska. And the fact that NIN and Manson are so different from each other just shows how diverse the intersection of metal and electronic noise really was. Jagged Doctrine is one of the few 1990’s children of that marriage that are still alive and kicking today. To these ears, the guitar and electronic sounds brought together on To Whom It May Concern are a bit more coherently mixed than the average industrial band. This cohesiveness puts the songs ahead of many of their current and past contemporaries. This is not to say the music is mellow or light on the guitars in any way. Maybe it’s the beefier mix, but some of these songs sound like the heaviest that Jagged Doctrine has ever released. The intensity relaxes a bit towards the end to the point that album closes with an acoustic guitar driven song, but serves to give the album a well-rounded and diverse feel. I don’t know how the guys of Jagged Doctrine keep cranking out so much quality music, but I’m glad they are. Currently available for a “pay-what-you like price” on Bandcamp.
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