It's been a long road for Nashville-based industrial rock act Dessau. Centered around programmer/vocalist John Elliott, Dessau saw relative success in the form of actual MTV airplay and a club hit with 1990's "Isolation". Elliott worked alongside such genre heavyweights as Al Jourgensen and Paul Barker of Ministry, as well as famed Joy Division producer Martin Hannett, among many others. And, truth be told, these co-conspirators are a good way to describe the overall sound of Dessau. "The Truth Hurts" isn't so much a new album (the last one of those for Dessau was 1995), but a collection of unreleased sessions, alternate mixes, early vinyl cuts, and a pair of live Joy Division covers. In short, a treasure trove for fans, and a superb intro for the uninitiated. Dessau's work here moves from the brooding cover of Ministry's early synthpop gem "Revenge" (here amped up and ready to fight), to the boldly anthemic (yet catchy) "Sun", to the dubby trip-hop instrumental "Chalkline", which boasts of production by Chicago's Die Warzau team. It's hard and heavy all the way on "The Truth Hurts", with good hooks, as in the concussion-inducing dance rock leviathan, "Beijing", presented here in an unreleased mix/version. The earlier material (recorded circa 1985) is a little less angry, and more melodic, as evidenced by tracks like the almost new-wavey "Crutch Of Utility". All-in-all, a uniformly consistent collection, and hopefully a harbinger of new material for Elliott and Dessau. (WTII Records)
Godsend Interview with Dessau, 1995
Dessau Discography @ Godsend
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