Brainquake – Excess Denied (Album – Mahorka)
Genre/Influences: Industrial, Electro, EBM.
Format: Digital.
Background/Info: Belgian Marc Ceulemans has released a second album in 2021, which now has been released on the Bulgarian label Mahorka.
Content: Brainquake holds on its heavy Industrial sound treatments empowered by a raw, metallic atmosphere. But the tracks also feature slow EBM influences and some Electro-Minimal passages. The vocal parts have been produced in a rather ghost-like way, which is totally complementary with the darkness of the work. The last song features guest vocals by Humanfobia.
+ + + : Brainquake didn’t change its global approach and influences although this album sounds a bit different to its predecessor “A Fronte Praecipitium, A Tergo Lupi”. I however like the familiar cold atmospheres and raw sound treatments empowered with pure Industrial elements. “The Number 12” is a great piece, which has something Klinik-al, but I won’t make further comparisons. “Static” is another attention grabber for its sound treatments.
– – – : Some tracks aren’t always accessible for a wider audience, but Brainquake is definitely more suited for a restricted number of listeners. The global sound production can eventually be improved.
Conclusion: Brainquake definitely sounds as something different and apart from the rest of the scene; somewhere between Industrial and Dark-Electro.
Best songs: “The Number 12”, “Static”, “Humanfobia”, “Red Sprites”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/brainquake.music
Label: www.facebook.com/mahorka.org
About Brainquake
Brainquake is the project of Belgian musician Marc Ceulemans. Ceulemans handles synths, composition, percussion, effects, vocal processing, recording and mastering at his Hemel Centraal studio in Belgium. Lyrics and vocals are credited to xendemon.
“Excess Denied” was released on 14 August 2021 by the Bulgarian label Mahorka and holds nine tracks: “Circle Upon Circle”, “Freigth”, “Red Sprites”, “The Number 12”, “Static”, “Ghosting Society”, “Brutal Coincidence”, “Slowed By Gravity” and “Lilith (Feat. Humanfobia)”. The lyrics of “Lilith” were provided by Humanfobia and the vocals sung by Mist Spectra. Cover design is credited to TDOP, using the Chinese ink drawing “Schizophrenia #6” by Nammu Eliaerts.
The album follows the earlier Brainquake full length “A Fronte Praecipitium, A Tergo Lupi”. The project also maintains its own Bandcamp page alongside the Mahorka edition covered here.
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