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Archived Reviews
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Kay Hartel & the gang return with a second album that builds on the strong foundations layed by their debut Yell it Out with a more consistent follow-up that is worth the attention of all dark EBM lovers. One of its strengths is that the high standard is not only maintained but increased as the album progresses with several highlights cropping up at the end, most noticeably the controversially-titled "Loving Kind Of Cunt" where the incessant rhythms add to the infectious mood, making this a shoe-in for club attention (& if the band are sick with being asked about that title then they've only themselves to blame!), along with the darkly infectious duo of "Dream To Share" & the closing "Help Me Up", the uplifting lyrics on the latter providing a surprising contrast to the music's dark mood. The first half of the album has its moments, too, not least the excellent "Fainting Faces", which, along with the equally fine "Hide In Fear" should be enjoyed by all Hocico fans while the participation of Solitary Experiments, who add a slightly poppier edge to "Things We Forgot" & the excellent Painbastard, who brings an additionally harder edge to "Carefully Deceived" shows they're making the right sort of friends, especially in the latter case where Alex P adds his unique bombastic signature. I have to say I was a tad miffed that the mournful chords that open "Traitors & Cowards" weren't worked into the main body of the track more fully as the combination of hard rhythms & such emotive music would no doubt have made this fine number into an absolute belter & it's left to the instrumental "Reality? Dream?" to provide a better indication of their melodic skills while the trip-hop flavourings that grace "Come To Me" (complete with scratched record effects-I didn't think anyone did that any more!) provide a tad more variety & make the album feel more 'complete' as a result (neat little trills on the chorus, too!). Putting 14 tracks on the album shows a good deal of confidence both from the label & the band themselves & it's certainly been justified here as this is an album crammed with musical treasures just waiting to be discovered. |
