http://www.side-line.com/rss_reviews.xml Daily reviews on electro, gothic, industrial, synthpop, gothicmetal, noise and endzeit music en-us Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:17:32 GMT Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:17:32 GMT Side-Line info@side-line.com info@side-line.com pMachine 2.4 http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.side-line.com/rss_reviews.xml Daily reviews on electro, gothic, industrial, synthpop, gothicmetal, noise and endzeit music http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47435_0_17_0_C When you learn of a new release from this act, you need to prepare for a certain level of madness these days, because you can get anything that falls under the industrial/EBM umbrella at this point. The tracks have become very diverse and at time schizophrenic. The release opens with a slow grinding evil track "Haus Am See" all this is to just prepare you and make sure your ready for what may come next. The next few tracks are some well constructed chaotic noise then you get... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47435_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:17:24 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47434_0_17_0_C Click Click belongs to the pioneers of electronic underground music. The brothers Derek and Adrian Smith simply are part of the collective memory of 80s fans. Albums like “Party Hate” and “Rorschach Testing” definitely belong to the most essential releases from the electronic history. The band stopped all activities in the late 80s, but was resurrected in 1997, releasing on Off Beat the “Shadowblack”-CD. At the end of 2011 Click... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47434_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:15:01 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47433_0_17_0_C From the start of this album you know you are in store for the goodness you have come to expect, then the kick goes awry, in a good way. The same sounds are here as with all FGFC820-releases bit the kick tone has been tweaked to be deeper which adds a strange but appealing element to the music. The first track "Insurrection (Call To Arms)" will have anyone pissed off and ready to fight the government screaming to the chorus, a very catchy track with some great hooks considering... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47433_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:14:06 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47432_0_17_0_C After a real promising debut releases in 2008 it took a few years for Maximilian Wall to get back on track. It all seems that 2011 was the year of resurrection as Industriegebiet and Körperschall Records (both set up by Maximilian Wall) rose up from their ashes. This new opus deals with a quite familiar sound, which we simply can define as German ‘endzeit’. It will appeal for all fans of Noisuf-X and co. “Wer Schön Sein Will... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47432_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:13:47 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47431_0_17_0_C Rafael Milatz and David Rotter are the operators behind the genius German project of Integral. After the promising debut-CD “Rise” (2008) the duo strikes back with a double CD featuring 18 new songs. The first discs features 10 songs that were originally in between 2002 and 2006. The tracks don’t suffer from any weight of time, simply sounding up to date. There’s only one term to define their sound: intelligent electronic music. Most of the tracks... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47431_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:12:48 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47430_0_17_0_C The creativity of Mantus seems to have no limits. “Sünder” is an EP, but which is pretty close to a real full length. The last album (cf. “Zeichen”) revealed a harder approach in sound on which gothic and metal influences joined forces. “Sünder” moves back to the softer, dark-dreamy and melancholic side of Mantus. It all feels a bit like Mantus is like Janus... a band with 2 faces! Both sides of the band are... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47430_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:11:28 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47429_0_17_0_C Andreas Wollatz, Daniel Wollatz and Mathias Thürk aka Minerve got the idea of bringing their “Please”-CD (released in 2010) back in the spotlight. They haven’t exactly found the most original idea to do so, but simply jumped on the popular remix-train. Two discs with remixes is a bit too much, but at the other side we get an impressive list of guests contributing to the goal. Among all the artists I’ll mention Distain, Celluloide,... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47429_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:10:32 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47428_0_17_0_C NTRSN (Intrusion) is a Belgian duo that took the (underground) world by surprise with the solid official debut CD “People Like Gods” (released on Sigsaly Transmissions in 2010). “Hardlines” is their next opus and in my opinion one of the best releases from the past year (2011). Being again released on Sigsaly Transmissions the Belgians found a home in Europe on the totally to EBM-devoted EK Product. Pieter Ntrsn and Paul Mommers are totally devoted... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47428_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:08:07 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47427_0_17_0_C Thirteenth Exile is an electro solo-project set up by metal guitarist Henrik Svegsjö. The idea might be surprising, but when an album is released by Memento Materia it often stands for a higher level of quality. “Into Nothing” comes 6 years after the debut-CD “Assorted Chaos And Broken”, which in a way means a new beginning. The album starts with an aggressive touch and the track “The Worm”. This is all about pure,... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47427_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:07:59 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47426_0_17_0_C Successor of the great (electroclash meets new-wave) album "Peoples Temple", which is most known for the cult-hit "Show Me What You Got". "New Colony" is a powerful opener which sounds more like neo-folk and invites to sing along, followed by "Dark Day" that has a nice synth-outro. The third track is the new uptempo single "Drownin'", one of the best songs of this album, that was also featured on the "EA Sports FIFA... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47426_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:06:45 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47425_0_17_0_C Hailing from Vienna we here welcome the debut-CD of Alien Hand Syndrome. The debut of the album is somewhat hesitating, like a band in search of a musical identity. Multiple influences moving from new-wave to rock to electronics are interfering with each other without getting a real cohesive result. Things get more interested from the 5th track on. We here discover a more ballad-minded style, which merges elements of gothic-melancholia and neo-classical music. Several classical... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47425_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:05:37 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47424_0_17_0_C Set up in the late 80s, the Belgian formation The Arch gained some underground reputation from a few hits. One of the most legendary club classics of this band remains to me “Revenge Revival”. Having released their last album in the 90s we here can speak about a resurrection. But what can we expect from a band that hasn’t been active in the studio for so many years? The new stuff isn’t transcendental however it is enjoyable. Guitar and electronics... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47424_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:02:03 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47423_0_17_0_C Behind the name Arsine Tibé is hiding !Distain-member Manfred Thomaser. On this debut-CD Thomaser explores ambient electro fields. The compositions are quite wafting and space-like. The tracks were not composed only with electronics, there are some great and alluring psychedelic guitar parts as well. Most of the tracks are quite dreamy. Several guest singers have contributed to the album and among the vocalists there’s !Distain’s voice (cf. Alex Braun). Male... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47423_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:00:49 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47422_0_17_0_C Three years have gone by since the “Negativ”-CD (2008). Black Heaven is another project by Martin Schindler and Thalia who are better known as Mantus. “Dystopia” is the 6th full length album from the duo, which after 2 CD’s released by Scanner moved back to Trisol. Black Heaven has always been more electro-minded in comparison to Mantus, but I was really curious to compare the difference as Martin Schindler has released this album nearly at... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47422_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:59:47 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47421_0_17_0_C Channel-East is a German synth-pop formation that has already released a few productions on the small label Codeline Records. Having now joined Echozone, they’ve now launched a new full length album, which brings 11 songs + 3 remixes of pure synth-pop music. Channel-East deals with the sweeter side of synth-pop. Most of the songs are danceable and built upon a happy tune. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it sometimes sound a bit like... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47421_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:57:14 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47420_0_17_0_C The new opus from this typically British sounding gothic formation appears after a hiatus of 3 years. Descendants Of Cain (D.O.C) seem to have taken their time to fully accomplish their 6th CD. They’ve invited a few noticeable guests, which is often the right way to push your band in the spotlight. So can you imagine a better way than inviting Wayne Hussey to sing on one of your songs (cf. “This House”)? A few other guest artists contributed as well, but... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47420_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:54:57 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47419_0_17_0_C “Solutions” is the 3rd official CD from Dr. Arthur Krause, which was originally released in 2010 on M&A Musicart. Echozone will now try to bring this album to a wider audience. The image of frontman Dr. Arthur Krause reveals some resemblance with one of the absolute icons of new-wave and gothic music; Mr. Andrew Eldritch. And from the first song on the link with The Sisters Of Mercy indeed makes sense. Especially the cavernous way of singing reminds me of the... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47419_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:49:14 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47418_0_17_0_C Dr. Kranck looks like a Halloween doctor. This is the first time I ever heard about this mysterious and nightmarish doctor, which specializes in dark-electronic treatments. This treatment has been transposed into sound. Behind the mask of this crazy doctor hides a rather average ‘endzeit’-composer. It’s not that evident for a new dark-electro combo to compose an original sound and Dr. Kranck rapidly reveals himself as a plastic surgeon who is very familiar... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47418_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:48:57 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47417_0_17_0_C Massimo aka Maximilian Wall can look back on a very prolific 2011. Together with his label he also put his projects Industriegebiet and Ellipse back on track. After 2 full lengths and a split-CD (with Industriegebiet) this is the 3rd CD for Ellipse. The difference between Ellipse and Industriegebiet sounds more noticeable than ever before. Industriegebiet deals with a familiar (but efficient) German dark-electro style while Ellipse likes to incorporate guitar layers and vocals in... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47417_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:46:16 GMT http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47416_0_17_0_C Gedankenrasen is one of the numerous new bands I recently discovered on the resurrected Körperschall Records. This project deals with an interesting form of dark-electronics. The debut of the album especially is worthy of examination. It sounds a bit like a mix of Das Ich and pure ‘endzeit’-electronic music. There’s a similar kind of bombast and even some similar sounds, but of course there’s no further comparison…... http://www.side-line.com/reviews_comments.php?id=47416_0_17_0_C Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:45:05 GMT