Super Dragon Punch!! – Feral (Album – Scentair Records)

Genre/Influences: EBM, Body-Pop, Industrial-Pop.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Four years have passed since Super Dragon Punch!!’s debut-EP “Shatter”. The Belgian based project driven by Jérémie Venganza is now back on track, unleashing the official debut album “Feral”. The work features twelve songs, which have been mixed and mastered by Racso Agroyam (Hocico) while one song has been mixed by Krischan Wesenberg (Rotersand).

Content: This project remains inspired by retro video games and 80s synths. It’s an element clearly emerging throughout the entire album, but the real sound of Venganza is hard to define. It has something EBM-driven, but still refined with Poppier passages although this Pop-element sounds pretty naughty and a bit Industrial-like. Most of the vocals have been mixed in the background.

+ + + : Super Dragon Punch!! sounds definitely Electro-like, but clearly mixes different influences together. From EBM to Electro/Industrial-Pop to a few Techno aspects, the work has an open-minded approach. It’s a kind of ‘free-style’ of Electronic underground music. I like the opening part of the work where the vintage sound treatments are cool. It’s a dynamic composition accentuated by pumping kicks and rough vocals. But this heavier side has been masterly mixed with a more melodic approach. The songs are well-crafted and here again I especially refer to the opening part of the album.

– – – : I’m a bit wondered about the mix of this album. The vocals are somewhat in the background while the sound has something buzzing. It clearly has something old-school reminding me of 90s productions so I guess it’s intentional –especially when the mix is made by an experienced artist, but I’m not totally convinced. The final part of the album is less convincing, the tracks becoming less cohesive.

Conclusion: Super Dragon Punch!! is a project with its own sound, which is hard to describe. But it’s definitely something different and personal!

Best songs: “Distance”, “Wire”, “Sutura”, “Inhale”.

Rate: 7.

Artist: www.superdragonpunch.com / www.facebook.com/superdragonpunch

Label: www.scent-air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords

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