[2] This particular style has been described as an "apocalyptic, almost Wagnerian, bombastic techno",[3] due to its use of dramatic orchestral stabs and menacing synth tones that set it apart from earlier forms of electronic dance music.
It flourished in Belgium and influenced the sound of early hardcore from Netherlands, Germany, Italy, UK and North America during the early-1990s, as a part of the rave movement during that period.
[12] The genre was spearheaded by Belgian producers from the new beat scene, like Frank de Wulf, Olivier Abbeloos, Maurice Engelen, Oliver Adams and Nikki Van Lierop.
Producer Caspar Pound of Rising High Records, known by its stage name "The Hypnotist", was a vocal supporter of this style of hardcore techno.
[4] In fact, R&S label owner Renaat Vandepapeliere considered that the Belgian sound was result of the mixture of industrial music, new beat, techno and acid house.
[26][27][28] These synth sounds and other sound-effects like alarms, sirens and church bells were widely used in the genre, creating a sense of emergency and insurgency through music.