Mona Mur – Snake Island (Album – Give/Take)

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Experimental.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Sabine Bredy known as ‘Mona Mur’ is what we might call a veteran from the Industrial scene. She worked with some of the greatest and legendary names of the Industrial scene and is still doing her own thing. She remains actively involved in composing music and strikes back with “Snake Island”. For this work she collaborated with Goldkind while a few guests have been invited to join in.
Content: Mona Mur first of all remains a charismatic female artist with an alluring timbre of voice. Sound-wise the album sounds like it was written without true compromises. A free-Industrial style now empowered by heavy, menacing, guitar play and next moving into Ballad-style. In between you’ll discover a cover version of Motörhead. Gary Schmalzl and the unavoidable En Ensch collaborated on one song each.
+ + + : I remain a true adept to the vocals of Mona Mur. She injects passion, sensuality and rage. The way she’s singing on the cover version of Motörhead’s legendary “Ace Of Spades” says it all. Sound-wise I like the way this Industrial sound format has been adapted into a very intimate sound; menacing guitar riffs and terrific bass lines but always with a refined touch on top. Sometimes moving at the edge of chaos but never losing control!
– – – : The ‘free-style’ needs time to really get into it. I’m less convinced by the ‘softer’, ballad-styled, tracks.
Conclusion: Industrial music with a visionary appeal.
Best songs: “Dream Rider”, “Ace Of Spades”, “Venus And Mars”, “Shades”.
Rate: 7.
Artist: www.facebook.com/monamur.official
Label: www.givetake.life / www.facebook.com/givetakelife
About Mona Mur
Mona Mur, the stage name of German singer Sabine Bredy, is a musician, composer and producer known for collaborations and live shows with FM Einheit (Einstürzende Neubauten), En Esch (KMFDM), Grzegorz Ciechowski (Republika), and JJ Burnel (The Stranglers). She has also composed film music, including “Last Exit: Space”, and video game soundtracks such as “Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days”. In 2024 she released “Clouds Of War” with Yishai Sweartz of Tomorrow’s Rain on Soleilmoon Recordings. Her album “Snake Island”, made with Goldkind and featuring guest contributions from Gary Schmalzl and En Esch, was released on Give/Take.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.

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.
