2006-10-10
Germany's (soon) create what might be called nu-metal, or Goth rock, call it what you like, its melodic, modern-sounding, and quite heavy at times. The band's main strengths are the catchy tunes, some smart ideas in its music and the strong clean vocals, which move from a deeper, almost Goth vibe, into higher – rock ones.
On the negative, the production threw me off at times, the instruments sound right, but there's a constant fuzz in the percussion that clouds over the whole affair, it’s a shame, since apart from that the production works well.
"All I Wanted" is a great example of the band's simple, yet pleasantly melodic antics, the combination of heavy rhythms with some softer electro ideas combines well. The band really shines in the third track, "Buried", it sounds like a heavy version of
Depech Mode, something that's very evident in some of the vocal parts, good heavy guitars in the chorus too. I liked the bass slaps in the bridge as well; it’s a little touch that adds quite a lot. There's some more of that nice slap bass on "Just An Illusion" and on the beginning of "Wounds", which sounds strangely like a
Red Hot Chili Peppers song for a few seconds.
The title song is one the heavier pieces here, it moves from heavier guitar riffs to quitter passages, again, not overly sophisticated, but still melodic and quite good.
There's a definite commercial appeal to the band, I would certainly go for a production that does not suffer that annoying bit in the percussion, but apart from that this release has everything else pegged, and the band has talent to spare.
Alon Miasnikov
