Genre/Influences: EBM.
Background/Info: It took five years for the Swedish duo Martin Rudefelt – Torny Gottberg (owner of Progress Production) to achieve the fifth album of Cryo. Two singles (cf. “Control” and “Sanitarium”) were released last year to announce “The Fall Of Man”.
Content: Cryo always has stood for an intelligent EBM-format. Cryo’s sound has something retro-like and yet with a progressive approach. Some sounds are clearly evoking Front 242 (especially the deep bass lines), but any further comparison stops here. Cryo has a very proper sound, which is danceable, full of effects, supported with cold spheres (“Decay Decay Decay” evokes to me ‘EBM made for “The X-Files”) and spooky, commanding vocals.
+ + + : If both previously released singles were already worthy of examination, there are much better songs featured here. It simply proves the potential of this album! It’s an intelligent and elaborated writing with a mysterious touch hanging over the songs and accentuated by the ghost-like vocals. But the solid and deep, vibrating bass lines plus danceable rhythms are there to remind us Cryo is first of all a progressive EBM-formation. This is a visionary release featuring outstanding sound treatments. Especially the first part of the work left me breathless. “Remember” and especially “Valium” both are outstanding pieces.
– – – : “The Fall Of Man” features 10 songs and only the last 3 ones can’t convince me in the same way as the rest of the tracklist.
Conclusion: If Front 242 would have seen the light of day in 2019, they would maybe have released an album such as “The Fall Of Man”! Cryo stands for the modern vision of EBM and this new opus as a true reference in their discography! Respect guys!
Best songs: “Valium”, “Remember”, “Sanitarium”, “Control”, “Know Your Enemy”.
Rate: (9).
Artist: www.cryodome.com / www.facebook.com/cryosweden
Label: www.cryochamberlabel.com / www.facebook.com/CryoChamber
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