| Artist |
| Zeromancer |
| Title |
| Sinners International |
| Format/Cat |
| CD |
| Label |
| Trisol |
| Style |
| Goth Rock |
| Date of review |
| March 2009 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 8/10 |
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Since the release of Clone Your Lover in 2001 Zeromancer have become a favourite for both goths & metalheads & on this reckoning, it's not hard to see why. Their style is a powerful but easy on the ear blend of goth & rock (with occasional metal forays) with melodic, even soulful at times vocals should appeal to fans of both the aforementioned styles & there's no reason why the more expressive pieces won't appeal to fans of My Chemical Romance & the like. Ok, so now they'll probably want to kill me for any emo associations but tracks such as 'Fictional' & 'My Little Tragedy', where the soaring mix of synths & guitars make for almost anthemic numbers, or the preceeding single 'Doppelganger I Love You' would feel totally at home on MTV & it's a sobering thought just how much the latter track in particular resembles recent Apoptygma Berzerk as well! Those of a more gothic persuasion will undoubtedly find 'I'm Yours To Lose' very much to their liking & it's this emotive side of the band that provides most of the highlights, being taken to its logical conclusion on the reflective & moving closer 'Ammonite' which is a most impressionistic piece as serene synths mix with complimentary guitars & appropriately smooth vocals. The mood conjured brings the image of watching a loved one embarking on a journey from which they may never return &, at over 6 minutes, it's given the chance to really cast its spell upon the listener. 'Fictional', likewise, is a powerful but plaintive offering where the fractured rhythms add a more thoughtful edge but if all this sounds a bit sissy then the harder tracks such as 'It Sounds Like Love (But It Looks Like Sex)' & 'Two Skulls' should be more up your street with their gutsy guitar riffs & harder rhythms while 'Filth Noir' has a strong deathrock vibe to it with Dan Heide's guitar riffs again proving particularly impressive. On the face of it, this might seem like a pretty straightforward album but within the band's rock framework there's enough different ingredients to ensure this could have quite a wide appeal, it's certainly proof that modern rock can be intelligent, emotive & adventurous.
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