|
|
|
Archived Reviews
|
An impressive-looking big gun graces the front cover of this album, which marks the first fruits of the collaboration between Rexx Arkana & Dracos. These 15 tracks make for a meaty listening experience which, broadly speaking, feels akin to a cross between the militaristic bombastic-ness of Fiendflug (particularly the pompous, almost neo-folk opener "Intro March" &, to a lesser extent, the mix of melancolic moods & bombastic rhythms that makes "Perfect War" so enjoyable) alternating with a more stripped-down old skool approach akin to Leaether Strip, even if "Victim" did remind me more of Nitzer Ebb! At times this latter approach can feel a bit overly repetitve although, when they get it right, as they do more often than not, then it makes for a surging, almost hypnotic feel that is an undoubted asset with "World Of God", which was co-written by This Morn Omina's Mika Goedrijk, being one prime example. Elsewhere, the Tears For Fears sample that crops up during "Children Of Decay" is a novel touch, alluding to the title while the bombastic elements that infiltrate the rhythms ensure the track's solid EBM elements are not diluted in iota while "Pray" is the first track that really makes one sit up & listen, mainly due to the excellent chorus that seems to become more enjoyable the more times it's listened to. Rexx's vocals are the typical EBM harsh style which are perfectly adequate for the job in hand, although the chanted choruses that grace "Existence" & the self-congratulatory chants that ensure the already jaunty "Anthem" more than lives up to its title, are tailor-made to get crowds jubilantly punching the air wherever they are played (& why not, eh?). In contrast, the more accessable & upbeat "Society" should appeal to the futurepoppers as should the pacey instrumental "Resolution 4" (the best of the 3 "Resolution" instrumentals by a country mile-the others being too short & too repetitive to offer anything of note), suggesting that this is one album that's got all bases covered although it's a bit of a shame that the baroque influences that herald the start of the closing "G.B.A." aren't really followed up, it could have made for a much more satisfying closer. Overall, though, this is a fine album, strong enough to dance to but with enough feeling & variety to keep you listening right through to the end, no mean feat with so many tracks on offer! |
