Most everyone on the more militant end of the industrial music spectrum has something to say about annihilation and decay in general, but Margaret Chardiet, aka Pharmakon, is one of the few who directly suggests that you're the one who's gonna get it. Body-horror album art, claustrophobic soundscapes and shocking samples work together to create an atmosphere that makes you want to look over your shoulder. Tracks are economically composed and never overstay their welcome.

Choice cuts: 1, 3, 6

Genre: Industrial, power electronics, noise, punk for sun-fearing nihilists
Friends: Youth Code, Genocide Organ, Ramleh, SPK, Anna Gardeck

1. (6:18) Bloodthirsty synth snarls, industrial cacophonies, tortured screams and moans from Margaret. What did you expect, a love song?
2. (2:20) Sequence of odd rising-pitch tones that evoke some ghostly motor trying to start up.
3. (4:54) Ominous opening sequence yields to sonic terror chainsaw and frenetic militaristic vocals. Rad!
4. (7:35) Sounds and feels like witnessing a bombing run from afar. Unusually intelligible vocals shrieking some sort of doomsday sermon.
5. (4:26) Blown-out loop of factory noises and disgruntled cyborgs, and later restless noise blasts reminiscent of a whole room full of table saws.
6. (6:51) Begins innocently enough with a field recording of digging through a scrapyard, but before long a seriously lethal sawtooth synth loop comes in and all bets are off. Margaret gives her most impassioned, vocal-cord-shredding performance yet, complete with some really unnerving high-pitched screams. A bleak surprise at the end!