Caustic

Caustic is an electro-industrial project which aims to undermine the self-seriousness of the genre, if not thoroughly mock it altogether. Masterminded by Madison, Wisconsin's Matt Fanale, the act's sole producer and songwriter, Caustic's live lineup varies from gig to gig. The music itself is a mixture of old-school industrial, EBM, and power noise, while the lyrics are often humorous and self-deprecating. Debut album Unicorns, Kittens, and Shit, appeared in 2006, as the project gained a reputation in the industrial scene for its confrontational performances. Caustic signed with Metropolis and issued The Golden Vagina of Fame and Profit in 2011. Following a few more efforts for the label, Caustic put out two albums on Negative Gain Productions, but largely continued to digitally self-release music. 2025 sibling albums Fiend I and Fiend II were given a limited physical release, and Unicorns, Kittens, and Shit was given a 20th anniversary remaster in 2026.