Genre/Influences: Experimental, cold-wave.
Background/Info: I wasn’t able to find a lot information about Mad Masks, but it concerns a French band, which released their debut full length album on Peripheral Minimal. This is a British label devoted to minimal formats of cold-wave- and post-punk music.
Content: Mad Masks deals with a pretty minimal and experimental format of dark music reminding me of some late 80s productions. The low, bass lines clearly evoke the darkest hours of new-wave music. The songs sometimes sound pretty demo-like giving the impression to be unfinished. But on the other side it also reveals a cold and somewhat disturbing atmosphere, which clearly reminds me of all those unknown 80s formation rehearsing in a cellar or in a wet garage box.
“Mad Masks” is an instrumental work carried by simple structures and frightening sound atmospheres. The work starts to fascinate when it all becomes a bit more elaborated and/or joined by extra noise sources. I here refer to a kind of trumpet sound on “Chasse”.
+ + + : I like the obscure 80s spirit hanging over the songs.
– – – : “Mad Masks” however reveals an unaccomplished format; most of the songs remain pretty simplistic while the absence of vocals only accentuates the ‘demo’ format of the album.
Conclusion: I’m sincerely convinced that there’s much more potential hiding inside this band. Mad Masks has to improve the main aspects of their work, but especially has to elaborate the global writing with some extra ingredients and eventually adding a few vocal lines.
Best songs: “Khinar”, “Tragodia”.
Rate: (6).
Band:www.facebook.com/MadMasksLabel:www.peripheralminimal.co.uk / www.facebook.com/PeripheralMinimal
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