Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: French dark-electro formation A7ie has a clear and solid strong ‘sick music for sick people’! the band has already been active since 2005 and rapidly became one of Advoxya Records’ flag holders. One year after the last full length album “Occidere Mundi” this new opus features remixes from several cuts of this album plus two extra songs.

Content: If you know the violent and obscure dark-(h)el(l)ectro approach of A7ie you for sure will recognize this strong fundament running through the remixes. These remixes have been made by dark-sonic troops featuring Acylum, Cold Therapy, Vault 113, Venal Flesh, Die Braut, Alien Nation, Archazard, Controlled Collapse, Thornsectide, nolongerhuman, Hasswut and Brain Over Dust.

All of the bands hold on to the tormented sound atmospheres, which sometimes remind me of :Wumpscut:, but a few bands even added a very strong personal touch to the original version. Acylum and Die Braut both did a real impressive job.

This work also reveals two alternative versions of previously released songs. Especially the “V2.0” version of “Show Me” is a noticeable cut.

+ + + : “Narcissick Volume II” is an album for the fans of A7ie. It doesn’t bring real new songs, but several noticeable remixes by other dark-electro formations. There also is a limited edition featuring an extra 7” with two remixes by :Wumpscut: and a box format with a lot of fan material.

A7ie remains a terrific dark-electro act, which clearly inspired most of the remixers like the aggressive remix of Acylum, the club-minded remix of Vault 113, the stomping remix by Die Braut, the :Wumpscut:-like remix by Alien Nation and the anguishing sounding remix by Hasswut.

– – – : Remixes can be cool and are a way to bring bands together, but A7ie likes to abuse this formula and that starts to get a little bit boring. After “Narcissick” (2001) we get a second volume with remixes while every single album still has its load of remixes. More original work and less remixes would be just fine!

Conclusion: If you like A7ie and you’re fond of remixes, don’t hesitate to get your hands on this dark-electro production.

Best songs: “Face To Death – Remix By Die Braut”, “The Evil In Us – Acylum Remix”, “Show Me – V2.0”, “Occidere Mundi – Bloodshed World by Alien Nation Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Band: http://a7ie.com / www.facebook.com/a7ieofficial

Label: www.advoxya–records.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Advoxya–Records/265765706059

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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Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: Hailing from Washington DC (USA) Venal Flesh got signed to Alfa Matrix and last year released the digital EP “Sacrament To The Scalpel”. The band previously released another digital EP at the now gone Juggernaut Music Group. Driven by the creative spirit of Dan Barrett (Worms Of The Earth) and DJ/model VanityKills the duo has now accomplished their official debut album.

Content: Venal Flesh clearly deals with pure dark-electronics and has been inspired by a concept ‘exploring the juxtaposition of desire for physical beauty with fanatical religious devotion’. They ‘explore here the abyssal torments of imperfection and the struggle to attain transcendence and perfection via self-mutilation, plastic surgery, advanced medicine and more’.

It all sounds like a rather tormenting theme, which has been perfectly transposed into pure (h)el(l)ectro music. Venal Flesh is the kind of formation that reminds me to Suicide Commando for the icy, tormenting leads and sequences and the dark, doom-like atmospheres of Yelworc. They clearly don’t innovate, but are real masters in the writing of efficient dark-electro music.

The songs have been remarkably composed and achieved by cool sound treatments, harsh vocals and carrying, cold tunes. The vocals are pretty harsh and demonic, which is the only and appropriated vocals format for this kind of music.

The extra CD of the limited version features 5 exclusive songs and 5 remixes. The tracks are not exactly the best ones so I think it was the right choice to place them on this extra disc although they’re not just album fillers. Among the remixes you’ll find the mark of Mnemonic, Adeonesis, A7ie and Dunkelwerk.

+ + + : This is a rather interesting and successful debut album featuring real cool songs. The tracks reflect maturity and an efficient formula made of stumping rhythms, elaborated passages and icy, carrying choruses lead by a possessed, but great vocalist. I especially like the somewhat mystic sounding “Emulgent Disfigurement”, which was originally released at the Juggernaut Music EP.

– – – : No doubt about it, this is a well-crafted album, but I’m missing some diversity in the tracklist. The songs are quite similar to each other so after a few cuts it all starts a bit to become predictable and without surprises. The extra disc of the limited edition is a bit disappointing and doesn’t deliver any real bonus. There’re less essential new songs and poorly inspired remixes on it.

Conclusion: Speaking for myself I expected a bit more out of this debut album, but a few great cuts make me think there’s more potential hiding inside this band than what they’ve shown so far.

Best songs: “Emulgent Disfigurement”, “Incurable”, “Apostate” + “A Fire Infolding Itself – A7ie Remix”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.facebook.com/venalflesh

Label: www.alfa–matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix

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

Exactly 10 years ago in Estonia, a totally unknown duo released their very first demo. It was the beginning for today’s well-established alt-pop act Suicidal Romance, known for their blend of dual male/female vocals, catchy melodic tunes and noir elektro synth arrangements with an edge.

To celebrate this 10th anniversary Dmitry Darling (also known as frontman of Freakangel fame) and Viktoria Seimar decided to release a special 10-track collection of previously unreleased material (released now as the “Your Name” EP), including exclusive remixes by Cutoff:Sky, Derma-Tek, A7IE, Misery as well as 2006 early versions of the now classic songs of the band in the likes of “Not Alone”, “Poisoned Kiss” or yet “Prince Of The Darkness”. It were actually those songs which gave the opportunity for the duo to sign a deal with their first record label.

You can now exclusively preview the 10 tracks via Side-Line. If you like what you hear, you can grab a download copy from Bandcamp.

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. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: The French A7IE is back on track unleashing a new album after a few years of silence. Gyom took his time to accomplish this new opus revealing 10 new cuts from the French master of (h)el(l)ectro.

Content: A7IE sometimes reminds me to early Acylum for a similar tormented kind of dark-electro music. A7IE is much more than simply dark-electronic music. There’s a kind of horror-like atmosphere coming through while some samplings dealing with such themes can be noticed.

Some of the opening cuts are pretty hard and merciless, but the album progressively starts to explore slower parts. The global mood recovering the work remains obscure and sick so I guess it’s not that of a coincidence if A7IE defines its sound as ‘sick music for sick people’. That’s precisely the kind of suffocating feeling that you’ll experience. A few elements remind me to Suicide Commando. Lyrical wise the song “A Dream Within A Dream” was taken from the work of Edgar Allan Poe.

+ + + : There’re a few outstanding and irresistible cuts featured at “Occidere Mundi”, which are the hardest and merciless cuts.

– – – : The ‘softer’ songs reveal an interesting haunting side although they can’t totally convince me for being not entirely accomplished.

Conclusion: A7IE is a band I’ve always liked and this new opus again reveals a few dark-electro pearls although I can’t get away from the feeling that we might expect a bit more from a 5^th studio work!

Best songs: “Face To Death”, “Occidere Mundi”, “The Evil In Us”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: http://a7ie.com / www.facebook.com/a7ieofficial

Label: www.advoxya-records.com / www.facebook.com/pages/Advoxya-Records/265765706059

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