Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, EBM, Industial.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: 2nd Face hit the scene in 2017 wit the great album “Nemesis”. Six years later the German project driven by Vincent Uhlig hits back with a new opus featuring ten songs. There’s also a limited edition featuring an extra disc with six more songs.

Content: “utOpium” moves on where “Nemesis” stopped. An extremely dark and tormented work somewhere in between Dark-Electro and the Canadian EBM school reminding me of Front Line Assembly and Skinny Puppy. The work is filled with bombast and heavy sound treatments; a sophisticated composition achieved with Industrial elements and lead by ghost-like vocals.

+ + + : “Nemesis” took me by surprise and I can imagine it was a true challenge to Vincent Uhlig to strike back with a new album of the same, high level. Well it was worth the wait as “utOpium” reveals new, great stuff. Even if this kind of Electro isn’t new at all, the composition reveals an impressive maturity featuring great writing skills. You feel a bit like moving through a sonic mayhem crossing genius cuts like “Underneath The Silence”, “Vox Irae” and “Mydriasis”.

– – – : In my humble opinion “Nemesis” maybe featured more potential hits than “utOpium” but it however is a great piece of music. 

Conclusion: 2nd Face confirms its impressive potential and might be pointed as one of the most visionary artists in the Dark-Electro/Industrial genre.

Best songs: “Underneath The Silence”, “Vox Irae”,  “Mydriasis”, “Formula Extinction”.

Rate: 8½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/iindface

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

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(Photo by Plastic Hand Druck) 2nd Face (aka Vincent Uhlig) unveils a first track “formula Extinction”, which is taken from their forthcoming new full-length “utOpium”. The new album of the German progressive industrial act has been scheduled for release on May 12, 2023 via Dependent.

2nd Face has this to say about the track: “‘formula Extinction’ is inspired by humanity’s reckless exploitation of the planet’s resources – a process that will inevitably create a rather dystopian environment for generations to come”, mastermind Vincent Uhlig explains: “The lyrics revolve around a society that is tranquilised by social media and streaming platforms. Everybody is cosily wrapped up in their ‘utOpium’ and unable to elude its lethargic effect.”

2nd Face was formed in the German city of Mainz, capital of the Rhineland-Palatinate, in 2014. Following a string of five demos in the same year, a first self-released single entitled “First of His Name” hit the streets in 2015. On the basis of those demos the band got signed and released its 2017 debut full-length “Nemesis” on Dependent.

The sound of the band’s 2017 debut album “Nemesis” was described as follows by our Side-Line reviewer: “2nd Face has a Canadian sound approach, which reminds me of Frontline Assembly, but there also is a European style reminding me of Yelworc for the obscure atmospheric style and Vomito Negro for the dark sounds and menacing bass lines. The work reveals omnipresent industrial sounds and noises making the final production even more disturbing, powerful and danceable.”

A video for the track was released just now.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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Dark electro newcomer Ner/Ogris have launched a video clip for the track “Deepest Fear” as the first single taken from their debut “I Am The Shadow – I Am The Light”. The band consist of Kain (Les Berrtas) and Tinoc (Amnistia, TC75, MRDTC). The album itself was mastered by 2nd Face.

The band’s debut will land on December 24th via Dependent.

You can check the video for “Deepest Fear” right below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

side-line.com

(Photo by Roger op den Camp) Out via Dependent Records on 22 January 2021 is the fifth album “The Inevitable Relapse” by Fïx8:Sëd8. It’s their third for Dependent and will also come as a limited edition of containing a 36-page hardcover artbook and the bonus CD “Rail at a Liar”.

The bonus disc will feature remixes, or better covers, by such acts as Cryo, 2nd Face, Anmistia, and Mildreda.

This oldschool dark-electro-project from Wiesbaden (Germany) landed their first album in 2006 when they released “Humanophobia”. It was followed by “Dormicum” in 2009 after which the band took an 8 year pause to relaunch in 2017 with the album “Foren6” and “Warning Signs” which was released last year.

Here’s the teaser for the album.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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Genre/Influences: EBM, dark-electro, industrial.

Background/Info: 2nd Face is a brand-new German solo-project set up by Vincent Uhlig. The debut work “Nemesis” features 12 songs, which will appeal to lovers of dark-electronics with haunting atmospheres.

Content: “Nemesis” is a judicious mix between sophisticated EBM elements and oppressive dark atmospheres. The sound sculptures are sophisticated and sometimes accomplished with epic/orchestral arrangements. The overwhelming atmospheres are extremely dark and even tormenting.

2nd Face has a Canadian sound approach, which reminds me of Frontline Assembly, but there also is a European style reminding me of Yelworc for the obscure atmospheric style and Vomito Negro for the dark sounds and menacing bass lines. The work reveals omnipresent industrial sounds and noises making the final production even more disturbing, powerful and danceable.

+ + + : The least I can say is that Dependent has a nose to find new talents, but 2nd Face is something really different. This is the kind of work that leaves me breathless. The global production is absolutely mind-blowing. The songs have been composed with terrific sound treatments, multiple studio effects and hard-hitting industrial noises. The result is a hard and intelligent EBM format, but I also like the haunting atmospheres hanging over the album. It also is an essential aspect of this release. The sound formula fascinates me, but there are also numerous noticeable cuts on “Nemesis”. This is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most promising new coming bands from 2017 and I even dare to say one of the next leading formation of the electro-underground scene!

– – – : This album is close to perfection so I don’t have any negative feedback. All I can say is you are either going to love 2nd Face or not… there’s no way in between.

Conclusion: 2nd Face is a newcomer with an incredible maturity and the talent of a genius! Vincent Uhlig defines his music as ‘modern industrial’, which is an appropriated definition. It definitely is a visionary work with a succession of highlights. This will be for sure one of the ‘top’ albums of the year!

Best songs: “Weapon”, “Divine”, “1^st Of His Name”, “Deathspread”, “Now You Can See”.

Rate: (9).

Band: www.facebook.com/iindface

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com