Today’s video of the day is the X Marks The Pedwalk – “Abattoir” released in 2010.
X Marks The Pedwalk returned to the stage in 2010 after a 12-year hiatus. On May 22, the German EBM pioneers played Wave-Gotik-Treffen in Leipzig. Their set included “Abattoir,” a classic from the band’s early industrial period. The performance took place at agra Messepark during the annual WGT festival. Moreover, the reunion show marked an important new chapter for X Marks The Pedwalk. Founder André Schmechta formed the project in 1987 as Scarecrow. Later, he adopted the name X Marks The Pedwalk after reading Stephen King’s Danse Macabre. The book referenced a Fritz Leiber science-fiction story about pedestrians and motorists.
“Abattoir” first appeared as a single in 1991. It also became a key track on the band’s 1992 debut album, Freaks. The song combines aggressive electronics, dark samples, and catchy EBM rhythms. As a result, critics often compared the early band with Skinny Puppy. However, X Marks The Pedwalk developed its own melodic approach. Their early work helped connect harsh electro-industrial sounds with the futurepop that followed. Therefore, Freaks remains an important starting point for understanding their evolution. Later albums explored cleaner production and stronger synthpop influences. The 2010 comeback album, Inner Zone Journey, reflected that melodic direction while retaining the band’s electronic roots.
The WGT performance also captures X Marks The Pedwalk’s return to live activity. Furthermore, the complete reunion concert received an official release on Visual Journey later in 2010. The live package features 11 songs from across their career. It balances their early industrial material with newer comeback tracks. “Abattoir” therefore links the band’s 1990s sound with its modern era. Schmechta also continued using extensive hardware and analog modular synthesizers. Consequently, the performance showcases both the band’s history and its enduring electronic identity.
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