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Archived Reviews
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Apart from hearing odd tracks here & there & seeing them live once or twice (about which I can't remember a single thing!) this is the first time I've really listened to any Diorama material & I have to say that I don't think I could have picked a better point at which to discover their true excellence. I had a general idea as to what their music is about so the electro-pop-rock style of the title track, in both its Single & Extended versions, came as no real surprise but where it scores over so many similar releases is in its mix of power & melodics that lends the piece a real anthemic quality, thus actually delivering on the initial promise set by the assertive bassline, unlike some I could mention! "Erase Me" & "Truth And Movement" both work well for pretty much the same reasons, both benefitting from excellently soaring choruses that can hardly fail to make you sit up & listen &, despite falling prey to the naff pun syndrome "The Rational Anthem" proves an equally excellent closer with its harder edge (thanks to some good, gritty guitar work) & its exciting & dramatic mood. It's good to see a label putting these new tracks on the EP, rather than just a bunch of never-ending remixes (other labels would certainly do well to mimic this approach!) although each of the remixes that are included earns its stripes by radically altering the style of the original, as proven by the analogue-synthpop-styled 'Dada Version' & the 'Piano Version' which, as the subtitle suggests, starts off with some lovely piano & vocal duetting, allowing Torben Wendt's voice to prove its worth before drawing breath & building into a majestic climax with some almost classic-rock overtones. The musicianship here is second to none & this certainly makes each one worth repeated listens. I'm actually convinced that Diorama's music is best appreciated with a deep listening experience at home &, for all that live gigs are so important, there always needs to be room for bands like this in the scene; I now can't wait to hear the new album & I might well check out their back catalogue while I'm at it! |
