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April 1, 2013

IAMX – The Unified Field: Viva Music Album Review

iamx_the_unified_field_2013_cover

Oana Dorobantu for VIVA MUSIC 

Tracklist:  “I Come With Knives” * “Sorrow” * “The Unified Field” * “The Adrenalin Room” * “Quiet the Mind” * “Under Atomic Skies” * “Screams” * “Come Home” * “Animal Impulses” * “Walk With The Noise” * “Land of Broken Promises” * “Trials” *

Release Date: PledgeMusic – International 22-Mar.

About IAMX: IAMX  is Sneaker Pimps’ frontman Chris Corner’s multimedia project, a melting pot of music and visual art experiments. Bordering somewhere between dark and sensual electro with an agressive or nostalgic beat, IAMX has been the talk of the town since its debut in 2004. Come 2013, the project has more unified aural and visual roots which stand up to the test with this new album based on the scientific theory of a universal consciousness that binds all people together. Chris Corner has stated that in this body of work he is attempting to “accept human nature for what it is and learn to love it”. Not an easy task, but when creative juices are pumping and flowing, the end result is both mesmerizing and challenging.

IAMX: “THE UNIFIED FIELD” – VIVA MUSIC REVIEW:

Right off the bat one of our most contemplated upon releases in 2013 was the new IAMX album. With every release, this band raises the bar higher and higher for their scene and it never stays in the studio. The creative force behind IAMX is one encompassing music production, visual aesthetics, and powerful performances that make you yearn for more. After 2011’s Volatile Times, both the album and the associated tour left audiences everywhere with a sugar tooth that wouldn’t stop aching. With “The Unified Field“, Chris Corner delivered big time on a promise he silently made to his fans everywhere – a promise to never be forgotten.  (more…)

February 15, 2013

Ghost & Writer – “Red Flags”: Viva Music Album Review

ghost_writer_red_flags_2013Tracklist: “Gambit” * “[Do I Have] Your Word” * “Hurricane” * “Shine” * “Demons Crawl” * “Never Take Fire” * “Just the Same” * “Beyond Repair” * CD also includes 8 remixes of tracks above by various artists + 8 additional remixes are available in the “Black Album” limited edition, only available to purchasers of physical CD | Release date: Dependent (Europe) – 04-Apr; Metropolis (US) – Mar-12.

Previously on darkwave.roGhost & Writer – “Shipwrecks”: Viva Music Album Review

About Ghost & WriterGHOST & WRITER is a project group devised by JIMMYJOE SNARK III, a man of multiple talents featured as VIVA MUSIC’s Artist of the Month in October 2010, and SEABOUND’s Frank Spinath – a killer combination that comes with a great concept album and good vibes. Prior to the album’s release, JIMMYJOE SNARK III confessed toVIVA MUSIC that “Shipwrecks” comes as a mirrored structure of 8 tracks and their remixes, with a Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde quality to it: “both Frank and I are involved in different bands and projects, so there are some elements we put in here and not there, maybe because that is not the right project for it, and in that sense, there is a Dr. Jeckyll aspect to how we behave”’.

Ghost & Writer: “Red Flags” – Viva Music Review:

When the news of a new Ghost & Writer album got to us, we took it as a good sign for 2013. Not only had their previous “Shipwrecks” left a strong impression with us, but it also stayed. We somehow knew that the creative efforts put into a side project are sometimes larger, paradoxically, than in a main project, because you usually want to pour into it a larger scale of emotions and a more minute musical effect, so somehow, the news of a new Ghost & Writer album took us aback. Had time passed so fast? Have they found something new to show and proudly present it? To both questions, we were to find, the answer was yes.

The thing with “Red Flags” is that it hits you from the moment you see the disc. The strong colors and imagery of the cover play with disclosure and secrecy in the exact recipe that makes you curious to go further, with the next sense, that of hearing. Listening to the album, you realize, it’s a great distance from what you loved in “Shipwrecks“, but not at all least lovable. “Red Flags” uses this imagery – of ‘red flags’ signaling peril, getting attention, asking for caution. These are the red flags of a personal experience, in which things do not go as partners wish or expect, they are red flags for no-fairytale and put-your-feet-back-on-the-ground.

The songs in the album come in a narrative sequence: beginning with the melodious “Gambit“, in which we see the signs of a strong bond (“when one of us is cut/we both bleed“), which simply sweeps the listener off their feet, to “[Do I Have] Your Word”, in which the notion that the fairytale ended (“the fairy dust is gone“), we see a transition, both musical and lyrical. “[Do I Have] Your Word” strikes as a very vibrant and emotional piece, you can actually see how many boundaries of emotions are trespassed in front of your eyes, and it brings along a very elegiac, yet unhurt streak of feeling. “Hurricane” shows if not the storm, its aftermath, and lights up in bright and dark undertones which complete each others like tresses of hair. But then with “Shine“, when we also gain more intuition into what probably went wrong, we also see the facts as they are: the contrasting mild English and stark German lyrics add to the composition greatly and the result is a great musical piece. And if emotions are to be laid bare, the unleashed “Demons Crawl” shows more. Gradually we see how music during the conception phase of the album was thought to escalate and capture like a musical photo camera the emotions in their best melodic line. “Never Take Fire” shows in terms of the romantic affair described by the album some love fatigue – but luckily for the listener, this comes packed in a great tune. “Just the Same“, covers oceans of emotions and shows how intricate the question of ‘going on’, ‘with or without’ is when you talk about the sublime and mundane emotions which entangle two people. And then, “Beyond Repair” gives the verdict, although we don’t know whether they are going on, finding happiness together or elsewhere, or even trying to keep up appearances and content themselves with what they have, which, emotionally, is already a lot. But we do know “Beyond Repair” is a great track, even without a denouement – and has a wonderful effect of letting you wanting more of what Ghost & Writer have produced, which is a great quality for any album. Enjoy!

Ghost & Writer: Official Website  | on Facebook

December 3, 2012

Ad Inferna – New Album “im mortelle” out 07-Jan 2013: Viva Music Album Review

 Tracklist: “Eternity Regained” (feat. Melissa Ferlaak) * “The Freezing Light” (feat. MyLucina) * “Extra Life” * “ReBirth” (feat. Annie Bertram) * “One Million Miles Away” * “Equinoxe” (feat. Alina Dunaevskaya) * “In-Human” * “Moira” (Bewitched by Jana Cova) * “Ad Vitam” (feat. Melissa Ferlaak) * “Eternity Regained” (Acoustic Version/Bonus Track)

 

Other Ad Inferna news on darkwave.roDsm, the new release from Ad Inferna | Ad Inferna “There Is no Cure” Viva Music Album Review – Out April-26  | VoA VoXyD from Ad Inferna – the Exclusive Viva Music Interview  | New Ad Inferna Single “eXsangue” Out! | Ad Inferna “Ultimum Ominum” – New Album to Be Released in March 2012 – Viva Music Album Review

 

About: With their 6th album called “im mortelle“, the French unclassifiable band unveils an intimate and very personal part of their soul. Their trip into space takes us where the reason ends & where madness begins. Magic, bewitching, disturbing and so sensuous, “im mortelle” won’t leave you indifferent. Release date: 07-Jan 2013 on DSM Records, CD and digital (source: press release).

 

Ad Inferna – “im mortelle”: Viva Music Album ReviewWith the release of their previous material “Ultimum Ominum” just months away, and with the sharp effect of their “There Is No Cure” still active, Ad Inferna announce new material under the name “im mortelle“: the French word for “immortal” ripped through comes to mind, but also a different spelling of the phrase “I’m mortal” kept in the shell of the same word “immortal“. The album, to be released on 07-Jan 2013 is preceded by the release in early December 2012 of the single “Moira“.

 

im mortelle” comes with a very specific red thread: the interplay of life and death, with suspensions thereof in immortality and unbornness/pre-existence. A very good material, it comes packed with numerous collaborations which give voice to the anima of Ad Inferna, which, with few but extremely notable exceptions, was kept silent in the works, with a limited set of feminine voices in the spotlight, but as if giving a hint that before life and death come into the equation, our gender is irrelevant, Ad Inferna give a lot of space to feminine voices on the new album. From very early on in the album, and to back this up there is “Eternity Regained” (feat. Melissa Ferlaak), this becomes an obvious reason why you should listen to the good work of Ad Inferna. They whole-heartedly take us on this round trip that starts and ends with “Eternity Regained“, trip in which you will have to shed your clothes and beliefs and join in the continuum of existence. With “Freezing Light” (feat. MyLucina) which undertakes the task of putting into music and word the legend of the ultimate truth found in the Vatican, the beats become a fusion of dark electronica and religious chants, not unlike we have heard before from Ad Inferna, but with an unheard before dynamism and drive. It is not until “Extra Life” that we realized that the sound work of Ad Inferna is indeed the needed link between the rich imagery of the album and the philosophical (or be it, theosophical) context thereof. And if what you mean, after listening to the new lease of life given by “Extra Life“, is to go on a treasure hunt with this album, you need no go too far. “ReBirth” provides another instance where music fuses around a strong core of elegance – and that’s a condition checked when artists such as Ad Inferna meet another multitalented artist such as Annie Bertram, while the ensuing “One Million Miles Away“, with its provocative swirl, takes us to the old Ad Inferna sound, under the wings of which we can feel secure and at the same time exposed to the darkness of the surrounding world. On a more lyrical side, “Equinoxe” (feat. Alina Dunaevskaya), is, not only because of the heartbeats sampled into the track, a sort of heart of the album, heart and hearth, at the same time. And after you listen to the efforts of combating de-humanization captured in “In-Human“, with equal shares of temptations on either side of keeping human on the one hand and communing with the otherworldly, it is high time you listen to “Moira” (Bewitched by Jana Cova). “Moira“, which can in fact be listened to here, although more danceable than the rest of the compilation, in which the philosophical acumen takes control and dons different clothes than previously with Ad Inferna‘s music, is probably – further listens of the album and of course the fans’ feedback will decide that – a center piece in the puzzle of the album, illuminating with its sound, and obscuring with its imagery, but keeping within the bounds of the common theme of what is before life and after death. “Ad Vitam” (feat. Melissa Ferlaak) is profoundly dual with an interplay of optimism and clair-obscur landscapes, which shows the great strides one has to make in order to become alive. Last but not least, the acoustic version of “Eternity Regained” is offered as a bonus track, closing the circle of life opened with the same piece in the album debut.

im mortelle” is not one million miles away (to quote an album track title) from the previous productions of Ad Inferna, and luckily so. Although, due to the diligent choice of topic the album gains a different consistency and changes more often colors, you can still recognize the veins that created Ad Inferna music before, and that’s a definite relief in a musical landscape dominated by change. Not only a very fecund act, but also one with total substance, Ad Inferna will amaze you starting 07-Jan with “im mortelle“. Enjoy!

Ad Inferna – Official Website | on Facebook | Discography on Discogs

August 28, 2012

Nova-Spes “Leben ist Krieg”: Viva Music Album Review

Tracklist: “Fire” * “Leben ist Krieg” * “I Want…” * “Nach vorn” * “Burnout” * “Always Death” * “Perfect Days” * “Machines in Front” * “Hide Our Malice” * “F.. Shit” * “On the Way to…” * ‘… Genocide” * “Wir stehlen euch die Zeit

Other Nova-Spes news on darkwave.ro: Nova-Spes “Pripyat: Home of Lilith” – Viva Music Album Review | Nova-Spes @NCN 2011 in Deutzen bei Leipzig – Viva Music Review and Photos

About Nova-Spes: “Leben ist Krieg:

By now we are living in a world seems fairly inhospitable to us. We aren´t just guests in it, today we all are warriors. We are fighting every day. Not for surviving like it was at the beginning of human history, perhaps. No, today we are fighting for the method of living.” (Matthias Huebner, 2012)

Out on Sep-07 with Danse Macabre, the new album from Nova-Spes is not, according to the label statement, a concept album, although the texts of the song go along the lines of a largely similar topic – the side effects of gauche survival attempts in face of stress, burnout, and attempts to cope with life as it is, even if this means perverted effects and ways, among which, quotes the statement, we could mention the use of psychotropic drugs by students who wish to achieve higher marks and 5 year old girls who enter beauty pageants to make their parents proud. In a world that is constantly changing the pace and the rules, we have to fight to have it our way, and this is how the notion of survival while living comes in – and that makes life a constant war, or, as the German title of the album goes, “Leben ist Krieg”. (more…)

June 14, 2012

Desdemona – “Endorphins”: Viva Music Album Review

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Tracklist: “Bring in All” * “Desdream” * “Poison” * “Jealous Sky” * “Devil’s Game” * “Sorrow” * “Let’s Play Love” * “In Flames” * “Euphoria” * “XXX

About Desdemona:

Endorphins” is the title of the fourth album by Polish band Desdemona. In Poland the band is often regarded as one of the representatives of the dark independent scene. Their new album brings new energy to the scene, with combinations of diverse musical styles such as industrial, metal, electro and even dubstep with a fresh, intriguing and energetic set of songs. Desdemona toured so far with Tiamat, Pain, opened for Type’O’Negative and Katatonia and on several festival occasions shared stage with VNV Nation, Front Line Assembly, Dreadful Shadows, Deine Lakaien, Clan of Xymox or Suicide Commando. (source: press release)

Desdemona – “Endorphins”: Viva Music Album Review:

Released on May-28 with Danse Macabre and distributed by Alive!, the new album from Desdemona is a wonderful occasion to let yourself immerse in a hot energy bath without being scalded one bit by their flaming electro of their devise. Upon listening to the album, it becomes clear, if need be to confirm, that Desdemona take their work seriously and are thoroughly engaging and enchanting. Although the album comes after a certain amount of time away from the studio (with the exception of one EP of 2011, their studio work dates from the early 2000’s), you can feel a firm hand (or more!) in the album’s concept, layout, sound and production.

Bring In All” is a great overture for the album, with sleek sounds and enticing vocals wrapped up in a deep electro atmosphere. Just as convincingly, the advance of “Desdream”, with its convincing tempo, and with its darker hues, makes a good addition to today’s electro spectrum – it has nothing short of the scene’s greatest! A Viva Music favorite, “Poison” is teasing and conveniently dark; and provoking, too. With fierce, valiant vocals, at the same time sexy and ready to combat, “Poison” is a dark electro masterpiece that reminds in intensity and genre, but by no means  by comparison early Skunk Anansie songs. We also loved just as much “Jealous Sky”, which makes a great addition to the album, with a lighter but more dance-oriented pattern, as well as the ensuing “Devil’s Game”. “Sorrow” sounds fresh and intriguing, with sufficient elements of composition to make it rich and at the same time light. The second Viva Music favorite of the album, “Let’s Play Love” is very mobile and captivating, and coming up next, “In Flames” explores the darker core of danceability, so you should really give it a try. “Euphoria” adds an extra metal flavor to the electro and dark foundation of the album and plays eagerly with sound and vocals to an amazing effect, just before the final unleash of “XXX” takes by surprise and leaves a very plausible aftertaste.

Endorphins” is a good listening experience, and diverse, too. Not only does it convey a variety of emotions with eloquent musical illustrations, but it also shows that quality electro does not come with a country of origin label on it – which is something that we always are happy to see more of, anytime. Enjoy!

DesdemonaOfficial Website | on Facebook | Discography on Discogs

May 11, 2012

No More – “Sisyphus” – Viva Music Album Review

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Tracklist: “All Is Well – Senza Macchia” * “The Beautiful Life of the Wasted Youth” * “This Was ‘Die Modernistische Welt’” * “Sisyphus” * “Take Me to Yours” * “Gritty Existence” * “La Defense” * “123456789” * “The Grey” * “Hypnotized” * “Leaving Berlin” * “Les Girafes sur mer” * “Heroes” | Producer: Andy Schwarz, Tina Sanudakura, UK Rattay | Vocals, guitar, bass: Andy Schwarz | Keyboards, theremin, electronics: Tina Sanudakura | Lyrics by: Andy Schwarz (tracks 2-12).

Other No More news on darkwave.ro: No More at Nocturnal Culture Night in Deutzen bei Leipzig 2011

About No More: The band became known through the genre-crossing classic “Suicide Commando”, a title that since its release in 1981 not only appeared in numerous compilations, but was also placed in the limelight again and again through remixes, among others, by DJ Hell. The song is therefore, even today, an essential item of many DJ-sets from darkwave to electroclash, from EBM to postpunk, from electronica to indie. The band,  founded in 1979, broke up in 1986, but in the fall of 2008 Tina Sanudakura and Andy Schwarz go on stage as No More once again. In 2010, the album “Midnight People and Lo-Life Stars” is released. No More tour clubs all over Europe, play at festivals such as M’era Luna and NCN, they support DAF and play with Psyche in the concert series entitled Electronic Legends. (source: band press release)

No More – “Sisyphus”Album Trailer:

No More – “Sisyphus”: Album Review:

Released on Mar-23 on Rent A Dog Records, No More’s new album, “Sisyphus” is a superb blend of genres that yield very precious musical results. “Sisyphus”, one of those rare albums that triggers love at first listen, and each additional listen brings up new hues and new intentions and new innuendos in the reading of the album. If you take a great deal of emotions and try to pour them into an album, it will most of the times sound insincere, far-fetched, or who knows, it will appeal to less people than if it were a more linear album. But this is a rule No More know how to break – with style – with their “Sisyphus”. Mention should be made of the variety of feelings stirred by the album, but also of the variety of musical shapes in which these emotions are clad – at times sumptuous, at others melancholy, with enough vulnerability to make one feel closer, and not, as it is with humans, reject. It’s a fine world of psychology, but also a fine exercise in musicianship. And that is something that acts who, without being their fault mainly, did not witness the polymorphism of music more than one or two decades.

If it were a matter of life and death to choose just one adjective to describe “Sisyphus”, it would be warm. Warm is how you feel inside when you listen to “All Is Well – Senza Macchia”, and warm is how you wish it were for the hero of “The Beautiful Life of the Wasted Youth”. And then there is the superb “This Was ‘Die Modernistische Welt’” to chant away the end of the civilizations we all put efforts into, and did not succeed or fail dramatically, if this song is left with us. “Sisyphus”, the track that gives the name of the album is fair and accommodating, like a march anthem of the survivors and reborn who had departed in the previous song. “Take Me to Yours”, more on the courtship side, but also with sufficient zest to qualify for a Viva Music favorite from this album. “Gritty Existence” and then “La Defense” are provocative and with a sharper edge of avant-garde electronica, the kind of tracks one hears less and less in 2012, and it’s a pity. “123456789” is again a Viva Music favorite, and one we definitely wish to hear about from various contexts – we want other reviewers to feel its vibe, listeners to confirm our taste, and audiences at No More concerts to applaud wildly. After “The Grey” and “Hypnotized”, our favorite track of the album is up: “Leaving Berlin”, a considerate and very good fix in the album, just to let you know, when you thought you had figured it all out, that there’s more diverse creativity in No More to take heed at, and rejoice. And then, after a stupendous “Les Girafes sur mer”, there is a gift – or at least we prefer to call it so – David Bowie & Brian Eno’s “Heroes” – a wonderful No More cover that rounds up a very profound, and emotionally intense album.

Sisyphus” is a wonderful playlist in itself – it needs not to be mixed or harmonized with songs from other artists – it works just like magic all by itself. Enjoy!

No MoreOfficial Website | on Facebook  | Discography on Discogs

May 8, 2012

Out Tomorrow: Moonlight Cove – “Hearts of the World”: Viva Music Album Review

Tracklist: “Stranger” * “This Is Euphoria” * “Moment of Light” * “Last of the Heartbroken” * “Save” * “Forever We” * “Embrace of Your Shadow” * “New Sad Ones” * “Hero of Mine” * “Lost Angel

Info: Moonlight Cove’s debut album, “Orphans of the Storm” was nominated for Best Synth at Manifest Awards in 2009. “Hearts of the World” is produced by the band and released on May-09 through their own label Kinetophone. Moonlight Cove are: Markus Landgren (vocals), Mattias Lofroth, Marcus Karlsson (synths).

Moonlight Cove – “Hearts of the World”: Viva Music Album Review:

Hearts of the World” is a great find of this season, one that made us listen to the new release from Moonlight Cove several times, enthralled by the acoustics and very welcoming lyrical content. It would be difficult to catalog their music in any other rubric than Swedish spectacular. And our enthusiasm was not quenched easily because each of their 10 tracks included in the new album have a particular twist and they all sound novel, fresh and very musically pertinent. To begin with, there’s “Stranger” – a quick induction into the feel of Moonlight Cove, with diverse hues of electronica and with a sinuous vocal effect that makes the track simply terrific. And next “This Is Euphoria” is the kind of track that tells you exactly what it does from the very title – it’s a flood of sound that instills a feel good, relaxed and tense at the same time, atmosphere. “Moment of Light” and “Last of the Heartbroken”, although dilute the enthusiasm that gathers up in previous tracks, are among Viva Music favorites from the album, and the cozy feel that becomes patent with “Hearts of the World” keeps on rolling with each new track: there’s “Save”, with a resplendent scenery and a fantastic background, and then there’s also “Forever We” that reminded us of a wide range of artists from Kiethevez to Hurts, both in intensity and maturity of sound. “Embrace Your Shadow”, again a Viva Music favorite, is followed by “Next Sad Ones”, again on the more melancholy side, but nevertheless true to itself and with an authentic feeling and musical line, as well as by “Hero of Mine”, which, we must confess, stays as a compilation favorite of ours if we were to select Moonlight Cove tracks for a wider audience. “Lost Angel” closes the album with a majestic feeling and a great performance of sound.

Hearts of the World” is definitely one album we will quote at the end of 2012 as the fresh change we needed in our playlist this year. It’s wonderful, actually, what can be done with voice and synth, and maybe it’s the kind of return of classical electronica that needed to be clad in contemporary subjects and feelings. We warmheartedly recommend “Hearts of the World”, enjoy!

On Facebook | Discography on Discogs

April 17, 2012

Skyla Vertex – “Urwerk”: Viva Music Album Review

Tracklist: “Somnia” * “Strom und Drang” * “Befreiungsschlag” * “Sinnkrieg” * “Face It” * “Urwek (Funke)” * “Urwerk (Feuer)” * “Urwerk (Asche)” * “Deconstructors” * “Schall und Rauch” * “City Demon” * “The Buying Dead” * “ZeitgEist” * “Schall und Rauch (Kriegsmonster Remix by Peter Spilles)” * “Strom und Drang (Orange Sector Version)” * “Befreiungsschlag (Nachtmahr Remix)

Band bio: Skyla Vertex is the brainchild of Greg, who may be best known for his involvements with scene legends Modulate and Reaper, and Alex, a lyricist, singer and illustrator from a rock background. Their self-proclaimed task is to combine an intellectual claim with hard electronic dance music – to assimilate the dancefloors of the world. “Urwerk” may be their first album, but they are sought-after remixers who already worked with Santa Hates You, Reaper, Orange Sector, Shiv-r, and Diorama.

What is Skyla Vertex? Even though it was a rather random creation, the name mirrors the message they wanted to deliver: “Skyla” can be found in the Swedish language and can be translated as “to hide” or “to bury”; The word “Vertex” is Latin and is used to describe a turning point in geometric terminology, it can also be translated as “mesh” or “nodal point”. Thus, Skyla Vertex takes its creative power from all the unknown corners of mind, unusual perspectives and the last shelter of soul: insanity. (source: band Facebook page)

Skyla Vertex – “Urwerk”: Viva Music Album Review:

Skyla Vertex’s album “Urwerk” is released this month; on Infacted Recordings in Europe on Apr-20, and on Metropolis Records on Apr-24. They describe their own music as “harsh beats meet deep lyrics” and they are not going amiss one bit; their music is well fashioned and inspiring, and their lyrics are fundamental in their choice of words, cadence, and general imagery.

Their lengthy album is tell-tale of a world in which protagonists are at odds with their choices, and wish a return to the groundwork, or foundation of whatever holds their act together. Let’s take “Somnia” for instance: it’s a great soundstorm, but beneath the riot there are emotional tinges floating freely in the thick air of conflicted sleep. “Strom und Drang” (also available as “Strom und Drang (Orange Sector Version)”) is a calmer, yet more introspective piece, with diligently crafted ecstatic inserts with a very heightened electronic sense. “Befreiungsschlag” (also available as: “Befreiungsschlag (Nachtmahr Remix)”) is just as the title says, liberating, and with a good interplay between spontaneity and calculated movement; it is a dance friendly track with assumed, relentless effervescence. “Sinnkrieg” causes the war of senses that is at stake in the band’s manifesto and with a defiant tone, it escalates and creates an overall enthusiasm via its intricate harmonies. After a momentous “Face It”, it’s time for the trilogy of “Urwerk” to sweep you off your feet: “Funke” – “Feuer” – “Asche” (in English: “Spark” – “Fire” – “Ashes”) is a creationist story, with a very resistant genetics and with substantial musical elegance and persusasiveness. “Deconstructors” and “Schall und Rauch” (also available as: “Schall und Rauch (Kriegsmonster Remix by Peter Spilles)”) are two great additions to the album,  and definitely pieces that we bookmark for further listening – they could easily serve as a Skyla Vertex 101 for friends who have not yet discovered their universe. A lighthearted, yet sufficiently zesty “City Demon”, a Viva Music favorite, is next, and after it, “The Buying Dead” and “ZeitgEist” are up to the challenge of closing the album before the remix section kicks in. “The Buying Dead” is sappy and confident, while “ZeitgEist”, drawing on the same source that never seems to dry up, is more of an attention-getter, but no less filled with incredibly sound philosophy and pleasure in making music.

Urwerk” is a very interesting debut album, and though it may take more than one listen to get it into your system, it’s a heartthrob and definitely a great business card for a band we are looking forward to listening to in the future. Enjoy!

Skyla Vertex – on Infacted Records | on Facebook | Discography on Discogs

April 9, 2012

Lord of the Lost – “Beside & Beyond”: Viva Music Album Review

Tracklist: “Beyond Beautiful” * “Bad Romance” (Original performance by: Lady Gaga) * “Dry The Rain” (Acoustic Version) * “October 29” * “Love Is Not Enough” (Piano Version) * “Sooner or Later” (Stage Version) * “Dry the Rain” (Orchestra Version feat. Mono Inc.)

Read Viva Music‘s review of Lord of the Lost‘s “Fears” (2010) here. | Read Viva Music‘s review of Lord of the Lost‘s “Antagony” (2011) here.

Already a yearly presence on darkwave.ro, Chris Harms‘s project Lord of the Lost comes back in 2012 with “Beside & Beyond“. The project’s new release does not only include new tracks, but also new renditions of both 2010 and 2011 tracks, as well as a terrifyingly good cover. “Beyond Beautiful“, the opening track, sounds really enticing, and is, just as the title says, beyond beautiful. You could say that it also gives the “beyond” of the album title, while the beside, if you’re looking for it, it must be hidden in the b-side quality of the compilation. While, at the same time, “beside and beyond” means literally an exploration of the seams of previously produced music, and in this respect,  the album does what it says! The cover of Lady Gaga‘s “Bad Romance” is not entirely new, since it has been played before live and it went viral on YouTube in 2011, but it stands out, among the many covers of the song, not only because it is not produced with a Gaga followership gene, but with a creed of staying true to one’s musical path. Coming up next, “Dry the Rain” from “Fears” in both an acoustic version and an orchestra version featuring Mono Inc. It is recontextualized, but it preserves its outstanding quality and offers ruminating material for Lord of the Lost fans. The second new track of the album, “October 29” is again a very good addition, and it with it on, you cannot fear that the 2013 release is going to sound anything short of amazing. “Love Is Not Enough” from “Antagony” is rendered in a beautiful piano version, while “Sooner or Later“, again from “Fears” is rendered in a stage version. “Beside & Beyond” is a great compilation: for the newcomer to the dark and sexy realm of Lord of the Lost it brings a rich and tasty band consommé, while to the Lord of the Lost old timer it brings extra listening material, which is always a good thing. Enjoy!

Lord of the Lost on Facebook | Discography on Discogs

March 27, 2012

Neon Zoo – “O” – To Be Released on Mar-30: Viva Music Album Review

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Tracklist: “I’m Your God” * “Purity” * “Skin” * “The Voyeur” * “Haunt” * “Divine” * “Seethe” * “Closing In” * “The Offering” * “Beautiful Darkness” * “PushBonus: “Dionysian Dream” * “Sublime” * “The Love” * “The Voyeur” (Full Version) * “Uranus in Latex/Venus in Furs” * “Twisted” (Kerrang Radio Edit)

Download previous album “Heaven Sin” for free from Bandcamp.

About Neon Zoo:

Already on the forerunner, “Heaven Sin“, the depths of human soul were fathomed, O goes even a step further. Darker, with more sex-appeal and a lot of twists and turns. The album pulsates between catching dacefloor-fillers, like “Purity” or “Haunt“, and menacing, seducing and enigmatically fascinating moments of dark indulgence, which is carried by the vocals in songs such as “The Offering“, “The Voyeur” and “Seethe“.

“O” is an album of a different kind, in which 2 years work in the role of audio producer gets demonstrated. “O” can be many things – a circle, a ring, a hole… or simply a sign of the continuous change. As well as the live band, that gets assisted by guest musicians, Richard (Bass) and Mike (member of the band Manuskript) appear on the album, too. The concentrated creativity, the profound lyrics and the professional production make “O” a real masterpiece.

O” will be released on March 30th 2012 with 11 songs + 6 bonus tracks on all well-known stores and as a free download with 11 tracks on afmusic.

Neon Zoo -“O”: Viva Music Album Review:

Out this Friday on Mar-30 with afmusic, Neon Zoo’s second album “O” is a wonderful piece of darkwave with a lot of appeal and with a generous set of enticing images. If you are a newcomer to the world of Neon Zoo, it will not be long before you are taken in by their charisma. With sufficient balance between poetic probing of the dark depths of the human soul and relevant dancefloor elements, “O” is both the donut and the hole, it gives you content but also room for musing, and it stands out, in many ways, among this year’s releases with its unique and unaffected sound.

I’m Your God” is the basic instruction you get on entering the premises of Neon Zoo. A well-staged track with a killer music and lyric combo, “I’m Your God” is penetrating and powerful, and its dark hues permeate the ensuing “Purity”. More dance driven than its predecessor, “Purity” is enflaming and cadenced, a great definition track and what’s more, one that will definitely leave its imprint. The same is true of “Skin”, which adds on top of the previous creative pool a very sexy and alarming atmosphere at the same time. Tight as skin and perspiring sensuousness, “Skin” marks a turn in the album, but also a very plausible premise: if the album is going to be as diverse as the three first tracks try and demonstrate, will it elude a definition? To some extent, as goes on to prove “The Voyeur”, it will – however, there are luminescent arrows in the album that are most certainly darting from the same spiritual font. And if you enjoyed “The Voyeur”, you will be happy to hear that an extended version is provided in the bonus area of the purchasable album.

Haunt” recaptures the feeling intimated in “Purity” with a lot more dance friendly atmosphere, but it does not corrode the album’s seriousness with futile artifice. It evolves naturally and combines elements that are relevant in their entirety and make perfect musical sense together. And then it’s up to the electrifying “Divine” and the trippier “Seethe” to take the floor, but with the same zest and impact as the previous album tracks. “Seethe” is a great example of the blend one can reach in today’s music to encompass genres that are extraneous and inherent to a scene and make them novel and fresh. “Closing In” boosts the danceability of previous tracks and makes a topnotch impression, while “The Offering” conspires with the listener in creating a thorough, permanent bond and speaks in very natural tones. “Beautiful Darkness” is just as title suggests beautiful, and dark, however, its refinement, both accommodating and devastating, makes it alongside “I’m Your God” a definite Viva Music favorite. “Push” has the difficult task of closing the album, but it performs, as was expected, well. It somewhat opens up a different perspective, and it is not unlikely that it represent a new direction altogether, a sort of promise for a future release.

Mention should be made of the bonus tracks, too, the ones that broaden the picture of “O” and at the same time reaffirm the band’s pledge to make great music. Except for the extended version of “The Voyeur”, which, as mentioned before, finds its proper place in the bonus area, there are several other goodies: the effervescent “Dionysian Dream” and the mock lullaby “Uranus in Latex/Venus in Furs” catch, of course the attention, and it’s not solely because of their crafty titles; but there also are in the deal tracks that definitely make the album choice more varied: “Sublime”, “The Love” and “Twisted” – all packed with their own personality, but also with an already recognizable Neon Zoo cachet.

O” is a profound, and at the same time amenable listen. It is a great album not only because of the diversity and versatility of the listening material it includes, but also because of the neat set of emotions it provokes and grafts into the listener. Enjoy!

Neon Zoo – Official Website | on Facebook | Discography on Discogs

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