Wolfsheim – Spectators ( 1999 )

Genre:

Synthpop

 

Website:

   http://www.wolfsheim.de/

 

 

 

 

Hamburg, Germany is the birthplace of Wolfsheim, a musical project that goes way beyond the mainstream pop featured in European and American clubs. In the beginning, the band consisted of Markus Reinhardt and Popmejo Ricciardi,  and soon afterward Oliver Reinhardt joined. However, the band only started getting noticed after Peter Heppner came into the picture. Wolfsheim’s current line-up features Peter Heppner as lyrics and vocals and founding member Markus Reinhardt, responsible for music and electronics.

Wolfsheim’s music is rich in New Romantic, New Wave and Synthpop influences, presenting the audience with clean, but interesting synth lines and a general melancholic, but modern approach when it comes to the lyrics.

The band’s fourth studio album, “Spectators”, was released in 1999 by Strange Ways Records, the label that had taken care of their previous materials as well. This material was the first to reach the top-10 in Germany, at number two, making it a stunning success for the band. The large number of side-projects both members got involved into started increasing the popularity of Wolfsheim and attracted more fans. The most notable projects are Peter Heppner’s collaborations with the dance musician and producer Schiller and the trance/techno Dj Paul van Dyk. Also, the song “Die Flut” produced with Joachim Witt reached second place in the German Single Charts and garnered them a platinum record.

“Spectators” debuts with the song “It’s Hurting For the First Time”, an amazing start to an amazing album. Along with the very well put together electronic sequences, the listener gets to meet Heppner’s deep, haunting voice. The fact that “Spectators” only includes one German song, “Künstliche Welten”, is great news for the English speaking public, because Wolfsheim’s music had already started to spread to the US as well as Europe.

Throughout the album, Wolfsheim displays a vast music tapestry with an emotional impact induced by the lyrics. Most of the songs on this album are mid-tempo and complex from the point of view of the trained ear of an electronic enthusiast. However, tracks like “Blind” or “For You” feature a slower beat, allowing the listener to focus more on the sentimentally charged lyrics. On the opposite side, there are “Sleep Somehow”, “Heroin, She Said” and the hit “Once in a Lifetime”, musically upbeat, but still holding a dark undertone in the lyric department.

Most of the songs on “Spectators” are musical paradoxes, skillfully blending club-like dance rythms with verses that speak of pain, loss and regret. This mixture creates a very real and sometimes confusing experience for the listener who is torn between two very different ways of perceiving the album. Whether you decide to see it as a collection of dancefloor anthems or you chose to focus more on the substance and story behind each song, Wolfsheim’s “Spectators” is definitely an excellent album for electronic lovers, who will surely appreciate the high quality of the synthetic symphony put together by Reinhardt and Heppner.

 

Diary of Dreams

Genre:

Darkwave/ Electronic

 

Website:

   http://www.diaryofdreams.de/

 

 

 

Calling Adrian Hates, the mastermind behind  Diary of Dreams, anything other than a God would be utter blasphemy! The lead singer and founding member of the darkwave band is one of the most complex musicians of the electronic field, but the main thing that makes him stand out and truly shine is the poetic sensibility he expresses through his lyrics, with an otherwordly voice that is nothing less than a heartbreaking cry coming from deep inside. Adrian Hates was, at first, a classically trained guitarist and later on a pianist, drawing his musical inspiration from the true masters: Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi and other unsurpassed composers. After playing as a bassist for Garden of Delight, Adrian Hates initiated the project Diary of Dreams, the band that would soon become a legend. Born in the late 1980s, the band takes its name after one of Adrian’s early compositions, “Tagebuch der Träume”, initially written for classical guitar only.

Describing Diary of Dreams is a difficult job, since their music consists of many layers which combine perfectly in order to build a masterpiece. An exceptionally important part of the Diary of Dreams phenomenon is the lyrics, in both English and German, full of double meaning, symbolism and emotion. As for the music, it varies from melancholical, atmospheric pieces, infused with the sounds of the piano and acoustic guitar to more electronic tracks, pulsating with the rythms of guitars, bass-guitars, drums and, obviously, synthesizers. Every song has a fluid, melodic sound, meant to provide the perfect soundtrack to Adrian’s poetry.

“Cholymelan”, the band’s debut album, was released in 1994, being remarcably different from Adrian’s previous work with Garden of Delight. The album captivates listeners with melancholic synth-melodies, in which the guitars still play an important role. “End of Flowers” continues the electronic based music of Diary of Dreams, creating a dark atmosphere, especially defined by the passionate and unique vocal part. The band continues to grow and gain even more essence and diversity, as “Bird Without Wings”, one of the most representative pieces show. The music played by Diary of Dreams is deep and meaningful, the atmosphere it creates is mystical and almost surreal, the dark aesthetics of it being more and more obvious throughout their evolution. From this point of view, “Psychorama” is a masterfully written album.

In 1999, Diary of Dreams releases “Moments of Bloom”, an album whose purpose is to familiarize new listeners with the extraordinary sound of the band. “Moments of Bloom” combines 4 new tracks with 2 from each of the previous materials. However, the old songs are remastered and the vocal parts are re-recorded, so fans can be, once again, mesmerized by Adrian’s precious voice and power of expression.

If with “One of 18 Angels”, the band takes a more electronic approach, drifting to more danceable tunes, still charged with the same lyrical sensibility, “Freak Perfume” reveals the energy of the first albums, blended with the maturity that the band has gained from the 8 years of experience.

Although they combine dance-oriented tracks with emotional ballades, Diary of Dreams never loses the element that makes the band like no other: penchant for the cloudy and mysterious. While “Nigredo” doesn’t show too much diversity and is considered a weaker album compared to the previous ones, “Nekrolog 43”, released in 2007, is completely flawless! More ambiental and darkwave, it focuses more specifically on the wildly changeable nature of human emotion. Supported by fitting instrumental parts consisting of flowing guitars, fast beat, synth texture and intoxicating piano sequences, the poetically biting lyrics that have defined this act from the beginning are more accusative and edgy on this album.

Diary of Dreams released “(If)” in 2009, once again proving to the world the extraordinary talent that got them to this point. Contrasting with the other materials, that are mostly conceptual, “(If)” is straight forward, intense, each song telling a story of its own. This album appears to be a new chapter for the German band who keeps its original stylistic spectrum, but also embraces a range of fresh influences and sonorities that fans all over the world have embraced as well, making a huge success out of this musical gem.

Having in mind this new approach of an already consecrated brand, the announcement of the release date for “Ego:X”, the newest Diary of Dreams album, has left everyone breathless. Although it is programmed for August/September, the band offers a sneak preview to the feel of the new material, posting the song “Echo in Me” on their official website and making it available for download.

With a discography consisting of studio albums, one live album, singles, EPs and a stunning DVD released in 2006, called “Nine in Numbers”, Diary of Dreams is what real music should sound like. Creative, intensive instrumental parts entwine with introspective and deeply emotional lyrics presented by the voice of a divine musician to create a concept, a mood, a feeling. They all come together to create Diary of Dreams, a band for which any word of appreciation from the mouth or pen of man is less than the glory they proved to deserve time after time, album after album!

Black Comedy – Instigator ( 2008 )

Genre:

Industrial Metal/ Cyber Metal

 

Website:

                                                                http://www.myspace.com/blackcomedymetal

 

 

The Norwegian band Black Comedy is situated at the thin line between industrial metal and melodic death metal, drawing its influences from both genres and creating a musical style many like to call cyber-metal. Born in 1996, the band is still pretty underground and opinions regarding their music are very diverse. Although more metal than industrial, the creative use of synths brings Black Comedy to the attention of Synthetic Revolution, earning them a well deserved spot here.

Black Comedy is an interesting symphony of sounds. Loud, aggressive guitars and rhythmic drums mix with the melodic sounds of the keyboards. The synthesizers are the elements that give the band the right to call itself a futuristic metal band, taking them in the area of electronic music. This mixture of classic and modern is what makes Black Comedy a band worth listening to.

In my opinion, their second full-length album called “Instigator” is the most representative for the band. The 12 track album released in 2008 illustrates themes such as personal and psychological struggles, ills of society and political references. Even the name of the band is a preview of the sarcasm and irony found in the lyrics that depict the image of a broken world, seen from a personal point of view as well as an objective one.

Through the songs featured on this album, Black Comedy presents to the fans something you might call the two sides of the band. Tracks such as “Lord of Locust”, “Favorite Hateobject” or “Civil Paranoia” tend to show the dark, aggressive part of the band, circling around a sum of bitter emotions. Listening to these songs, you might feel a hint of influences from bands such as Soilwork, In Flames or Children of Bodom, since they represent the more metal part of Black Comedy. Jon E. Bergen’s voice is a powerful and angry one which completes the sound of the whole cyber-metal instrumental style perfectly.

The other face of the band is the industrial one, easily observed in songs like “At one with Decadence”, a track with a slower beat and more electronics.

Nevertheless, there are some negative aspects regarding Black Comedy which can’t be ignored. Bergen’s voice has a tendency of being a bit too flat, with not enough variations from one song to another. Indeed, the typical metal growls fit perfectly on some of the tracks, but I would have liked to see more variety. A second aspect is the fact that some of the lyrics can be described as cheesy and not quite original. It is not uncommon for a band to speak about a sick, twisted society or individual psychological issues, so a little originality would have been appreciated by fans.

I rarely find pleasure in listening to metal, not unlike other die-hard industrial fans. But, in all objectivity, Black Comedy’s “Instigator” is a good, balanced album, that will be enjoyed by both fan categories. It is interesting to see, or better yet hear synthesizers at work in something other than your typical electronic music. It’s brutal, it’s modern and it truly is worth a shot!

Third Realm – Love Is The Devil ( 2009 )

Genre:

Dark Electro/ Darkwave

 

Website:

http://www.myspace.com/thirdrealm

 

 

 

There are some bands that are great at creating dazzling industrial sounds and electronic sequences and bands that can inflict genuine emotion through beautiful  darkwave ballades. Including Third Realm in just one of these categories would be an insult to the band that does both with great skill and is characterized by a wild range of variety. The band is the brainchild of Nathan Reiner, a musician that shows great talent in the synthetic area. Although pretty underground, Third Realm songs have been remixed by some of the more well known artists of the industrial scene (Razed in Black, System Syn, Mindless Faith, Val Cain), giving them more notoriety.

“Love Is The Devil” was released in 2009, being a followup to “Under The Black Light”, the band’s first full-length material. While keeping the classical Third Realm sound scheme, this second album is infused with darker, harsher industrial arrangements. Composed of 13 amazing and diverse songs, “Love Is The Devil” will take electronic lovers on a musical journey filled with emotion and synthetic beats. People who are familiar with the many subgenres of the industrial scene will definitely recognize darkwave, ebm and synthpop elements scattered through the dark electro basic sound.

The album’s opening track is a powerful and dark one: “Invitation To Hell”. The title is self explanatory, since it induces the atmosphere in which the listener will be taken song by song. Nathan’s deeply synthesized voice, a key element for Third Realm, is noticeable from the start and it’s a constant presence in the more electronic songs, as well as in the slower, darkwave ones. “Pseudo Death Wish” continues the initial mood, before the album transits to a more danceable, ebm style. “Manic Panic” begins this transition, and “Sleeping Beauty” defines it.

Nathan Reiner really brings the wow factor to the album with the song that gives it its title, “Love Is The Devil”. If in other musical areas, covers are often seen as lack of originality, remixes lay at the foundation of electronic music. Any well-trained electrohead will agree with the fact that the “Cut Me Deeper Remix” of this song is better than the first version, having more beat and more heart to it. “Bleeding In Her Nightmare” brings and interesting change from the vocal point of view, Nathan’s singing reminding of Marylin Manson’s sound on some fragments of the song. Using a female voice at the beginning of “The Horror Within You” was a smart move, since it contrasts with the synthetic main voice and the harsh rythms. The same intoxicating dark electro mood defines “Reap What You Sow”.

Track number 12 makes the album take a wild turn to the emotional path, since “Colder Than Your Heart” is lower on electronics, but exposes the twisted presence of painful emotions. Radically different that the opening track, “Suicide Note”, the song that ends the album, is a powerful display of feeling, through music and lyrics alike. The voice is clean, but still synthetic, the beat is slow and the sorrow is genuine. It destroys all stereotypical barriers, proving that diversity can make or break an album. In this case, it is a stunning success!

Third Realm pays great attention to detail when it comes to “Love Is The Devil”, combining masterful songwriting with great skill in producing the album. For fans who can’t limit themselves to one genre or mood, Third Realm’s “Love Is The Devil” is a piece of musical jewelry that deserves to be listened to with the most open of all hearts!

 

The Project Hate MCMXCIX – Bleeding The New Apocalypse ( 2011 )

Genre:

Industrial Death Metal

 

Website:

   http://www.theprojecthate.net/

 

 

 

 

Once again, blessed be Sweden! In the year 1998, this amazing place gave birth to a band that was, is and will be one of the greatest musical experiences for metal fans all over the world. Going beyond death metal and experimenting with industrial elements to create a truly majestic sound assault, The Project Hate MCMXCIX strikes again in 2011 with their latest album, “Bleeding The New Apocalypse (Cum Victriciis In Manibus Armis)”.

Living at the crossroads between industrial, death, orchestral and downright strange, this material is hypnotic. We have to give credit to the new band line-up, since major changes have been made. The recording line-up for “Bleeding the New Apocalypse” is Jörgen Sandströs (growling vocals), Ruby Roque (female soaring vocals), Tobben Gustafsson (drums), and the mastermind behind the band, Lord K. Philipson (guitars, bass, programming, keyboards, and backing vocals).

It’s hard to really describe this album because there is so much going on. From my point of view, “Bleeding the New Apocalypse” is the kind of music that you just feel and you either love it or hate it. Those who are already familiar with The Project Hate will surely recognize typical elements like long, complex songs, with lots of variations and a general dark, aetheric feeling. The album consists of 6 tracks that total more than an hour of exquisite music. This is nothing unusual for a band that has always preferred quality over quantity, since most of their previous albums average less than 10 songs.

“Bleeding the New Apocalypse” is a very well-structured album from beginning to end. The transition between the tracks is so subtle that you might get the feeling you’re listening to a one hour long single piece which is perfectly put together. The best part about this album is the incredible layering of each song, element that is bound to make every track anything but boring, despite their length. You can find areas where the calm, atmospheric, instrumental background is spiced with Jörgen Sandströs’s growling voice; the most interesting aspect of this layering is that each  of the contrasting parts bring out the best in each other.

A characteristic element for The Project Hate’s sound is the female voice, role that, for this material, has been assigned to the wonderful Ruby Roque. If you are expecting this to bring a romantic, gothic touch to the music, you are going to be disappointed. The Project Hate MCMXCIX are far from being an orchestral metal cliché and everything they incorporate in their music screams raw power.

If other metal bands that chose to play over-sized song tend to vary them, The Project Hate infuses variety within single tracks. The effort of combining death growls over crunching riffs buttressed by industrial synth and soaring vocals is impressive and the result is more than enchanting.

It’s a bit strange to think of “Bleeding the New Apocalypse” as an atmospheric piece, but for some, it might have this specific effect. The album creates a mood that is close to ritualic, induced not only by the music, but the lyrics as well.

It has everything: sheer force, first-class song writing, amazing blending of death and industrial metal and the blasphemic touch that seems to spit in the face of all that is holy. “Bleeding the New Apocalypse” is an album of epic proportions, a very inspired and creative work of art.

Emilie Autumn

 

Genre:

Victoriandustrial/ Gothic/ Industrial

 

Website:

  http://www.emilieautumn.com/

 

 

Trying to speak about Emilie Autumn’s music is almost impossible without first speaking about her life, because, in her case, the personal struggles she had to overcome are the roots of her creations. Emilie is not only a musician, but a complex artist.

At the age of 4, her musical formation began with violin lessons, an instrument she showed great talent for. Wanting to pursue this path, Emilie gave up regular education, focusing on the violin. Along with being a master of this instrument, which can be noticed by anyone on the album “Laced/Unlaced”, Emilie is the owner of an amazing voice, which can range from low, masculine tones to the ones of an innocent little child.

Emilie’s discography consists of 4 studio albums and multiple singles and collaborations. It’s difficult to label her style, since it’s pretty unique. Still, her music is described as victoriandustrial most of the times, with people often calling it simply industrial or goth. The albums are very different from one another, as sound, lyrics and feeling. Although every musical piece ever played by Emilie holds depth and beauty, every fan can agree on one thing: “Opheliac”, the album released in 2006, is most certainly her crowning glory. What makes this album so special is the story behind it, a series of events that changed Emilie as an artist and as a human being.

Becoming pregnant was a painful moment for the artist who not only didn’t want children, but also had a phobia of giving birth. This event triggered a depression that was bad enough to lead to a suicide attempt. Emilie was institutionalized in a mental hospital and kept under observation 24/7 for a year. From a strictly artistic point of view, this experience made her music deeper, more personal and very ironic in the lyric department, all signs of a damaged person trying to deal with the pain of suffering from bipolar affective disorder. Thoughts and facts regarding her period in the hospital were put together to create “The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls”, an autobiographic book which tells the story from the perspective of Emily, a young victorian girl who experienced everything the real Emilie did.

“Opheliac” reveals a new Emilie to the fans, a very different Emilie from the one portrayed by her previous album, “Enchant”. Through the songs on this album, the artist speaks openly to her fans, her “plague rats”, as she likes to call them, about painful life experiences such as being abused as a child, dealing with depression or the struggle of being under constant medication. The style is more aggressive and direct compared to “Enchant”, an album that seems to tell a victorian fairytale, through words and sounds alike. A pleasant surprise is the apparition on “Opheliac” of 3 poems written and recited by Emilie: “How to Break a Heart”, “Ghost” and “At What Point Does a Shakespeare Say”. These poems, along with others, are part of Emilie’s poetry book, “Your Sugar Sits Untouched”.

The post-Opheliac era includes one album, so far. “4 o’Clock” was released in 2008 and it contains remixes of old songs, an Alice Cooper Cover, but most importantly, 2 excerpts from “The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls” read by Emilie. Currently, the artist is working on a new album, FLAG ( Fight Like A Girl ), a piece that fans are really looking forward to. Can Emilie open up even more? Is it going to be more aggressive? These questions are on the lips of every devoted fan.

Singer, violinist, writer, poet, model, director and interpret in mesmerizing shows that combine theater, victorian fashion, burlesque style and on-stage tea parties, Emilie Autumn expresses herself through her art and pours raw emotion in every single one of her songs. Few people will be able to listen to Emilie’s music and remain indifferent, because the beauty of it and the strength of the feelings expressed are bound to turn listeners into plague rats.