rahvin
keeper of the flame
i get the feeling the only one who's going to care about the following is delirious, but anyway:
- vox celesta, mandorla. finally their first record is out. this release single-handedly gives me a faint trace of hope in humanity. somewhere between electro-gothic and ebm, this band is the best thing that happened to the infacted label in 2004. it's hauntingly atmospheric and bouncy at the same time, with opera-like choirs in all the right places and some professional singing/composing from former members of front 442
- assemblage 23, let the wind erase me. featuring 3 versions of the title track and two b-sides, the new mcd by a23 is probably going to become the best selling single release of the year for accession records. the main track is nothing more than a happier version of document in its album version, and it only picks up momentum in its "hard version" incarnation. the first b-side is average, but the slow song (tragic figure) easily makes up for the rest of the tracks, mainly for the did it ever rain when the skies were clear? lines.
- in strict confidence, holy (the hecq destruxxion). isc's latest record completely deconstructed/remixed/edited by the band. all the songs are totally reinvented as ambient/darkwave tracks, with results that in all honesty make the original product seem even more trite and anonymous than it probably deserved to be. why oh why don't they just stick to this kind of variations and leave the dancefloor stompers scene for good? it's obvious they do possess some composing qualities, and the interpreters both male and female aren't that bad either. on this cd, deprived of the tedious array of power chords and fake industrial sounds, the songs can finally shine and sound original and complex. seven lives, in its "spherework" incarnation, is unforgettable.
- virtual embrace, escape to insane. funny how so many acts in the past year have been shaken from their post-ebm stupor by dismantled's masterpiece, postnuclear. now it seems bands can either let go of their rough edge or reinterpret it in a harsher way full of contaminations from other styles (see system syn or battery cage, for instance). virtual embrace, on alfa matrix (!), do exactly the same and try the unusual (for now) path. the distorted vocals are pretty good, and the fla-like beats merge with melodic or punkish parts in the choruses. i must say i do like this style better than the dark dance club hits of the past five years, but i can't deny it might grow stale as well, five years from now.
- blind faith and envy, the charming factor. it seems i've developed a taste for clean female vocals in the past month (i'm afraid i know who's to blame too). waiting for the mono chrome album to be out, and coming from intense listenings to the latest the azoic releases, i decided to give bfae a try. they're awesome. the synths are never boring and the vocal lines leave a deep mark on the listener. what's more, the record is out on major (bmi) *and* it features remixes by the likes of null device and neuroactive, both probably at their very first appearance on a big label.
- advocatus diaboli, sterbend durch die sonne. self-produced odd release that has all the merits of a debut and all its flaws as well. amazing vocal performances and a slightly schizophrenic variety in song styles as well (some tracks could be old style melodic death metal, plus some keys). when i stumble into bands like this one i buy their records in the hope that my money will keep them away from becoming the next blutengel
- vox celesta, mandorla. finally their first record is out. this release single-handedly gives me a faint trace of hope in humanity. somewhere between electro-gothic and ebm, this band is the best thing that happened to the infacted label in 2004. it's hauntingly atmospheric and bouncy at the same time, with opera-like choirs in all the right places and some professional singing/composing from former members of front 442
- assemblage 23, let the wind erase me. featuring 3 versions of the title track and two b-sides, the new mcd by a23 is probably going to become the best selling single release of the year for accession records. the main track is nothing more than a happier version of document in its album version, and it only picks up momentum in its "hard version" incarnation. the first b-side is average, but the slow song (tragic figure) easily makes up for the rest of the tracks, mainly for the did it ever rain when the skies were clear? lines.
- in strict confidence, holy (the hecq destruxxion). isc's latest record completely deconstructed/remixed/edited by the band. all the songs are totally reinvented as ambient/darkwave tracks, with results that in all honesty make the original product seem even more trite and anonymous than it probably deserved to be. why oh why don't they just stick to this kind of variations and leave the dancefloor stompers scene for good? it's obvious they do possess some composing qualities, and the interpreters both male and female aren't that bad either. on this cd, deprived of the tedious array of power chords and fake industrial sounds, the songs can finally shine and sound original and complex. seven lives, in its "spherework" incarnation, is unforgettable.
- virtual embrace, escape to insane. funny how so many acts in the past year have been shaken from their post-ebm stupor by dismantled's masterpiece, postnuclear. now it seems bands can either let go of their rough edge or reinterpret it in a harsher way full of contaminations from other styles (see system syn or battery cage, for instance). virtual embrace, on alfa matrix (!), do exactly the same and try the unusual (for now) path. the distorted vocals are pretty good, and the fla-like beats merge with melodic or punkish parts in the choruses. i must say i do like this style better than the dark dance club hits of the past five years, but i can't deny it might grow stale as well, five years from now.
- blind faith and envy, the charming factor. it seems i've developed a taste for clean female vocals in the past month (i'm afraid i know who's to blame too). waiting for the mono chrome album to be out, and coming from intense listenings to the latest the azoic releases, i decided to give bfae a try. they're awesome. the synths are never boring and the vocal lines leave a deep mark on the listener. what's more, the record is out on major (bmi) *and* it features remixes by the likes of null device and neuroactive, both probably at their very first appearance on a big label.
- advocatus diaboli, sterbend durch die sonne. self-produced odd release that has all the merits of a debut and all its flaws as well. amazing vocal performances and a slightly schizophrenic variety in song styles as well (some tracks could be old style melodic death metal, plus some keys). when i stumble into bands like this one i buy their records in the hope that my money will keep them away from becoming the next blutengel
