Genre/Influences: Cold-wave.
Background/Info: “Amnesia” is the second official album by the Italian formation Der Himmel Über Berlin. For this new opus they joined hands together with the French label Unknown Pleasures Records.
Content: The sound of this band sounds like it escaped from the misty realms of new-wave and cold-wave music. I feel like awakening somewhere in the midst of the 80s when for the first time I heard Bauhaus. This legendary formation definitely appears the main source of inspiration of Der Himmel Über Berlin. The extremely deep resonating bass and guitar parts aren’t exactly the right cure for happiness. “Amnesia” is an invitation to visit the darkest corners of human mind.
+ + + : Originality is far to find while “Amnesia” is nothing more than a 80s cold-wave copy, but it also is a great work in the truest spirit of the 80s. This band reveals to be a talent formation that seems to have understood the real spirit of cold-wave music. Next to Bauhaus fans, some songs will also appeal for fans of The Stooges, Suicide and The Sisters Of Mercy. But what makes this album fully accomplished are the great choruses.
– – – : I already mentioned the lack of originality of this band, which might hurt die-hard fans of the new-wave decade, but I think it’s not really a problem when the result is that accomplished.
Conclusion: “Amnesia” is not exactly an album I’ll soon forget! This is a great production featuring numerous essential songs. I have a crush on this album!
Best songs: “Feed The Night”, “My Rubber Queen”, “Sweet Dancing Butterfly”, “Back To The End”, “Cold Fever”.
Rate: (8½).
Band: www.facebook.com/derhimmelband
Label: www.unknown–pleasures–records.com / www.facebook.com/Unknown–Pleasures–Records-566180440115465
Since you’re here … … we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive. If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 2 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. The donations are safely powered by Paypal.
