Arctic Sunrise – Across The Ice (CD Album – Echozone)
Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.
Background/Info: It took three years for the German duo Torsten Verlinden (vocals) – Steve Baltes (electronics) to achieve their third full length album. “Across The Ice” was preceded by the singles “Stars” and “Surrender.”
Content: Arctic Sunrise is a band I kept an eye on. Their previous albums revealed a mature writing and an electro-pop sound appealing for fans of De/Vision. The new opus doesn’t sound that different, although the songs are more into a kind of dreamy melancholia. It feels a bit like music filled with dreams and emotions. Some of the songs are carried with solid bass lines. I also noticed a few parts by guest guitarist Oliver Franken. The most surprising cut is the cover version of “Running Up That Hill” originally written by Kate Bush.
+ + + : Arctic Sunrise confirms their talent to compose achieved electro-pop music. The best cuts from the album again appeal for fans of De/Vision; the originality is far to find, but the accomplishment is remarkable. Torsten Verlinden also confirms to be a great singer.
– – – : Speaking for myself I prefer previous albums. The album is sometimes a bit too dreamy-like and even if the album got positive reactions in the band’s homeland, I expected a bit more from this duo.
Conclusion: Arctic Sunrise are no longer getting me by surprise; the songs are still well-crafted, but the magic is a bit gone.
Best songs: “Stars (Album Version)”, “Running Up That Hill”, “The Game”.
Rate: (7).
Artist: www.facebook.com/wearearcticsunrise
Label: www.echozone.de / www.facebook.com/EchozoneMusic
About Arctic Sunrise
Arctic Sunrise is a synthpop duo from Mönchengladbach, Germany, formed by vocalist Torsten Verlinden and producer Steve Baltes, who also records as a member of Ashra alongside Manuel Göttsching and Harald Grosskopf, and under aliases including N-Tribe and Holo Syndrome. Echozone released the duo’s debut album “A Smarter Enemy” in 2015 and “Traces End” in 2017, ahead of “Across The Ice”. Arctic Sunrise has continued releasing music since, including an animated video for “Hardened To Gold”.
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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.
