Suicide Commando – Hellraiser (Digital EP – Out Of Line)
Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.
Background/Info: Suicide Commando has decided to revisit one of his greatest and early hits “Hellraiser”. Originally released in 2000 on the “Mindstrip”-album (Dependent), the song became a long-time favorite fan track. Notice by the way this EP is also available as a vinyl picture disc.
Content: “Hellraiser” has been reworked and remastered. The “Post Mortem 2019”-version is still powerful and accentuated by some extra little details. The same procedure has been used to give “Mindstripper” (originally released at the same album) a new life as well. This song is much calmer and into obscure atmospheres.
Both last songs (B-side of the vinyl) are original tracks from 2000. You first get the original edit of “Hellraiser” and the rather surprising original version of “Kevorkian” originally released on the “Comatose Delusion”-EP.
+ + + : “Hellraiser” is of course the perfect song to get re-released, but I especially like that it concerns a ‘reworked’ version with some extra little noises and a passage with robotic vocals –next to Johan Van Roy’s usual enraged singing. The song hasn’t lost its initial power and remains magic. Therefore it will be for sure a major song from the upcoming live shows. “Hellraiser” is the ultimate song to expose the power and obscurity from the Belgian Master of dark-electronics. “Kevorkian” is a surprising choice as it never has been a real successful song from Suicide Commando, but it brings the early sound of the project back to life.
– – – : I expected a bit more from the other tracks left and especially both B-side cuts, which are simply remastered songs from 2000.
Conclusion: “Hellraiser” doesn’t bring real innovation, but just a sonic facelift from one of Johan Van Roy’s major songs and biggest hits.
Best songs: “Hellraiser – Post Mortem 2019”, “Kevorkian – Original Version 2000”.
Rate: (8).
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