Massive Ego – The New Normal (EP – Out Of Line)
Genre/Influences: Wave-Pop, Electro-Pop.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Marc Massive and his gang strike back with “The New Normal” featuring five new songs.Unfortunately the band has stopped its activities because of health issues.
Content: The EP is quite diversified, although featuring a familiar Electro/Wave-Pop thread from this British formation. The opening song sounds a bit more Rock-Pop driven but you next will discover a catchy composition mixing power and darkness.
+ + + : Marc Massive first of all is a great and charismatic singer. The vocals have a strong impact on the composition. Massive Ego also has a very personal approach in Electro-Pop music. I can’t find a better description than dark, catchy and also powerful. The last song “Not Without Consequence” is my personal favorite one but I also have to mention “Fake Star” and “Dead Eyes Black”.
– – – : Five cool songs but maybe not an ultimate new hit among this tracklist.
Conclusion: The Massive Ego fans will not be disappointed with this new Dark-Pop work.
Best songs: “Not Without Consequence”, “Fake Star”, “Dead Eyes Black”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.massiveego.co.uk
Label: www.outofline.de / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel Read the news on ‘The New Normal’.
“The New Normal” was released on 11 February 2022 through Out Of Line, on CD and digitally. The five tracks are “You Will Comply”, “Fake Star”, “Dead Eyes Black”, “The Vampires Wife” and “Not Without Consequence”. Side-Line covered the ‘You Will Comply’ single in September 2021.
Marc Massive explained what the opening track was aiming at: “It certainly wasn’t anti-vac as some seemed to think, instead it asked that we remember to question authority instead of being silenced for fear of being coined ‘tin foil hat wearers’ or being shut down by a public that’s quick to jump on those who speak up in today’s cancel culture. The lyrics are ambiguous to open dialogue, and not just accept being under the rule of corrupt Governments, the powerful and global pharmaceutical companies.”
Listen to “The New Normal”:
About Massive Ego
Massive Ego formed in the United Kingdom in 1996 and came out of the short-lived New Romantic revival known as Romo. The band mixes synth-pop with darker 1980s wave influences and is fronted by Marc Massive. Its line-up has changed frequently across three decades, and the group has played WGT, M’era Luna, Amphi and Infest alongside touring in the UK and Europe.
Side-Line reviewed the EP “Noise In The Machine” in 2015, the double album “Beautiful Suicide” in 2017 and “Church For The Malfunctioned” in 2019, all on Out Of Line. The joint EP with Blutengel singer Chris Pohl, “Nothing But A Void”, followed in 2020.
The pause described in this review did not end the project. Marc Massive released the EP and short film ‘Idol Lies’ in 2023, and Massive Ego returned with the singles ‘In Your Own Darkness’ in 2024, ‘Hit the Kerb Running’ in April 2025 and ‘Man Become Monster’ in July 2025.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
