Revelations 23 Explained

Revelations 23 is the second studio album by Mentallo & The Fixer, released in February 1993 by Zoth Ommog Records.^[1]

Music

Revelations 23 presented the band utilizing their densely layered compositional technique based around sequencer rhythms, dance beats and distorted vocals to create a more accessible sound.^[2] Comparatively, the album presents a more polished sound than its predecessor, 1992's No Rest for the Wicked, and further use of samples.^[3] The album Founding members Dwayne Dassing and Gary Dassing have both admitted to having an interest in astronomy, which inspired the album's cover art.^[4]

On May 16, 1995, the album was re-released by Metropolis Records and included the track "Decomposed" (Grimpen Ward Mix), which was previously only available the There Is No Time compilation by Ras Dva Records.^[5] In 2014 the album was issued as a music download by Alfa Matrix.^[6] The entire album was remastered and released on December 2, 2014, as the first disc of the Zothera box set.^[7]

Reception

Theo Kavadias of AllMusic gave Revelations 23 three out of five stars, praising the album's opening for its "epics of over seven minutes apiece" that "never seem to diminish in power" and the Mentallo & The Fixer's "use of uncomplicated and effective sounds, in addition to the abandonment of the usual song structures that most industrial music to date has adhered to, gives the focus over to the melody, which is also often very simple and has an invariably harsh intensity." Sonic Boom called the band "the new messiah of electro-horror" and praised the album's "intricate programming, unique percussion and deeply layered rhythms."^[8] Peek-A-Boo Magazine praised the band's maturation as composers and pointed to the tracks "Grim Reality", "Inhumanities", "Legion of Lepers" and "Rapid Suffocation" as being the album's highlights.^[9] A critic at Keyboard pointed to "Grim Reality" as an early example composer Gary Dassing's unique analog technique.^[10]

Personnel

Adapted from the Revelations 23 liner notes.^[11]

Mentallo & The Fixer

• Dwayne Dassing (as The Fixer) – programming, arrangements, co-producer, illustrations, editing (9, 11)
• Gary Dassing (as Mentallo) – programming, arrangements, producer, engineering, mixing, illustrations, editing (9, 11)

Production and design

• Hype Graphics (as hype graphics/Berlin) – design
• Jon Pyre – editing (11)

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Catalog
Germany	1993	Zoth Ommog	CD	ZOT 15
United States	1995	Metropolis		MET 003
Belgium	2014	Alfa Matrix	DL

External links

• • Revelations 23 at Bandcamp

Notes and References

1. Web site: John . Bush . [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000421861/biography|pure_url=yes}} Mentallo & the Fixer Biography ]. . August 23, 2020.
2. Peter . Marks . Mentallo & The Fixer - A Collection . Brutal Resonance . March 31, 2012 . August 23, 2020.
3. Web site: Theo . Kavadias . [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000032043|pure_url=yes}} 'No Rest for the Wicked' Review ]. . August 23, 2020.
4. Chris . Christian . Interview with Gary Dassing of Mentallo & The Fixer . Sonic Boom . March 19, 1997 . 5 . 3 . August 23, 2020.
5. Becky . Barnhart . Schwann Spectrum . . Stereophile, Incorporated . 1999 . 9 . 2 . 173 . 9781575980782 . August 23, 2020.
6. Ilker . Yücel . Alfa Matrix Releases Reissues of Mentallo & The Fixer and Side Projects, Remastered by Gary Dassing . ReGen . February 19, 2018 . August 23, 2020.
7. Steven . Gullotta . Mentallo & The Fixer - Zothera . Brutal Resonance . September 24, 2014 . August 24, 2020.
8. Chris . Christian . Mentallo & The Fixer: Revelations 23 . Sonic Boom . August 1995 . 3 . 5 . August 23, 2020.
9. Benny . Caluwe . Mentallo & The Fixer: Zothera . Peek-A-Boo Magazine . BodyBeats Productions . October 29, 2014 . August 23, 2020.
10. Mentallo & the Fixer: Continuum . . GPI Publications . 1996 . 22 . 7–12 . 38 . August 23, 2020.
11. Revelations 23 . Revelations 23 . . 1993 . booklet . . Hesse, Germany.