Xtort – Nothing Is Real (CD Album – DA Records)
Genre/Influences: EBM.
Background/Info: Xtort rose up from the ashes of the Dutsh industrial-metal formation Hoer. Xtort is an electronic project unleashing its second full length album.
Content: The album takes off with an intro, which brings us next to a dark EBM format reminding forgotten times. Xtort indeed is inspired by ‘early’ EBM sounds, which they composed with vintage gear. The songs are recovered with good-old synth lines and melodic passages. Most of the vocals are sung in English, but you’ll also discover a few German sung vocals. The last song is something totally different. It’s a kind of outro featuring an acoustic song.
+ + + : The vintage and mainly 90s inspiration brings good-old memories alive. I especially like the synth lines hanging over the songs. I have a little preference for the somewhat harder-like title song and the more elaborated “Like A Knife”.
– – – : Despite of this project’s good intentions and interesting retro approach I experienced the production as being the reflection of the poorly inspired artwork from the front cover. It’s a rudimentary work, which needs to be elaborated.
Conclusion: This album couldn’t convince me although I like the band’s vintage approach. This band can do much better!
Best songs: “Nothing Is Real”, “Like a Knife”.
Rate: (5½).
Artist: www.xtort.info / www.facebook.com/xtort
About Xtort
Xtort was formed around 2011 by Piet Snijders, also known as DJ Kaos, out of the Dutch industrial-metal band Hoer. The project moved from Hoer’s metal-oriented sound toward electronically driven industrial music, with a lineup that has changed over the years. “Nothing Is Real” is the project’s second full-length album, released through DA Records.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
