Forty years in, The Young Gods still sound like they’ve hacked the future. Formed in Switzerland in the mid-80s, they rewired the idea of what a rock band could be. Instead of guitars, they built songs from samples and loops. Instead of chasing trends, they carved their own path somewhere between noise, beauty, and chaos.
Their fingerprints are everywhere. Bowie called them visionary. Trent Reznor took notes for early Nine Inch Nails. You can hear their spirit in everyone from Massive Attack to Godflesh. They never sold out arenas, but they changed how sound itself could move.
I’d never seen them before. Back home I was deep into Machines of Loving Grace, Pop Will Eat Itself, and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin. My cooler friends were always talking about The Young Gods like they were some underground religion. Watching them at The Garage, I finally got it.
The sound was pristine. Industrial music only works when the mix hits hard enough to shake the air, and this one did. Every layer was sharp and physical, the low end pulsing like a living thing. They played nine tracks from Appear Disappear, their new album, which says everything about their confidence. Most bands this far into their career lean on nostalgia. The Young Gods leaned forward.
Blackwater stood out, heavy and hypnotic. Systemized and Hey Amour shimmered with that strange mix of menace and beauty they’ve always owned. Then came Gasoline Man and Skinflowers, proving the old songs still burn.
They make the present feel louder, stranger, and more alive than most new bands ever will.
