Suicide Commando – Final Stage (Digital/CD/Vinyl EP – Out Of Line)
The title of this EP already offers a strong clue to its concept. On “Final Stage”, Johan Van Roy revisits his official debut album “Critical Stage”, originally released in 1994 on Off Beat. He selected five tracks from that era and completely reworked them—as if they had been written today. As a bonus, the EP includes the new and surprising track “De Weg” (translated “The Way”)—Suicide Commando’s first-ever song sung in Dutch.
The reimagined versions of early tracks like “Traumatize” and “Necrophilia” undeniably sound different. You can recognize their original structure and energy, but the absence or transformation of certain familiar sounds may take some modification. Still, the brilliance of this Belgian Dark-Electro master lies in his ability to recreate the original intensity in a modernized framework. These songs don’t feel dated—they’ve been reborn in a crisp, chilling new soundscape. The haunting “H.I.V.+ (Disease Disease)” is a particularly powerful example of this.
Then there’s “De Weg”, a track that stands out both musically and linguistically. Though the distorted vocals sometimes obscure the Dutch lyrics, the atmosphere remains unmistakably dark, bleak, and evocative—fully in line with Suicide Commando’s signature sound.
For decades, Suicide Commando has been the unchallenged standard-bearer of harsh Electro and “Final Stage” is a bold reminder of why that legacy still matters. (Rating:8½).
Listen to “De Weg”:
https://suicidecommando.bandcamp.com/track/de-weg
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