ESR – Into Darkness (Album – Advoxya Records)

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: This is album number eight for the French solo-project Electro Synthetic Rebellion (ESR). Driven by Vince Pujol, “Into Darkness” was composed between 2017 and 2020 and released four years after the last album. “Into Darkness” is the third work released on Advoxya Records.

Content: “Into Darkness” sounds like a continuation of this project’s previous album and entire discography. I consider ESR to be one of the numerous ‘pupils’ of Frontline Assembly and this comparison still makes sense for this work. It’s an elaborated EBM format mixing power, great sound treatments and retro-like atmospheres. The vocals still have this ghost-like production. One of the songs is a ‘new’ version of “Reanimate” originally released on ESR’s debut album “Distorted Visions” (2001). There’re also a few instrumental cuts on the tracklist.

+ + + : I guess it’s not the first time I say that ESR probably belongs to the most unrated EBM formations from the scene. “Into Darkness” once more proves the writing skills of Vince Pujol. He’s not composing original EBM, but simply a great, accomplished and alluring production. The retro touch running as a common thread throughout the album is achieved with a strong contemporary touch. The old- and reworked song “Reanimate” is a way to discover the evolution of ESR, but still confirming this project already had a nose for great EBM now twenty years ago. ESR stands for sophisticated EBM mixing power and freaky atmospheres.

– – – : ESR doesn’t innovate, but only improve the global production. I don’t think it’s a minus as the qualitative level of the production remains pretty high.

Conclusion: You like EBM and you’re in search of a great- and intelligent album, try “Into Darkness”.

Best songs: “Haunted Grounds”, “Too Late”, “Reanimate – Reminiscence”, “Broken”, “Dark Forces”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/DarkElectroESR

Label: www.advoxya-records.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Advoxya-Records/265765706059

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