Genre/Influences: Dark-Electro, Aggrotech.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: It took six years for the Greek duo of Chamaeleon to unleash their third full length album.

Content: The album features 10 songs plus 3 remixes. Chamaeleon strikes back with their harsh approach of mixing Dark-Electro and pure Dance/Trance leads. The influences create a true duality, but Chamaeleon is a sonic ogre without mercy. The songs (and vocals) are powerful, rough and brutal, but always danceable. The leads remind me of Culture Beat transposed into an Industrial dimension.

The remixes have been done by W.E.B. (with a remix of a song from the previous album), C-Lekktor and Roy Asylum.

+ + + : The  Aggrotech approach of Chamaeleon can be linked to the sound formula of SynthAttack. I guess it’s not a coincidence that Chamaeleon has remixed SynthAttack in the past. Both projects have this surprising Dance/Trance touch running through their music and I would not be surprised if this work can become a ‘hot’ sensation. A few songs sound like a weird sonic challenge, mixing pure Dance/Trance leads reminding me of the legendary hit song “Mister Vain” with hard and mind-blowing kicks. Chamaeleon sounds crazy, but the tracklist stands for constant dancefloor stuff!

– – – : I expected a bit more out of the remixes. Don’t get me wrong, this album is good stuff, but some of the leads are a bit too cheap… but I’m afraid that’s part of the challenge and Chamaeleon…

Conclusion: Chamaeleon strikes back with a bang; perverted Dance music for Industrial clubs!

Best songs: “Mr Hyde”, “Go F#ck Yourself And Die”, “Rage”, “The Transaction”, “Vibe feat. Maria Xoniki”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/chamaeleonproject

Label: www.insane-records.com /  www.facebook.com/InsaneRecordsEU Read the news on ‘The Game’.

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, Aggrotech. 

Format: Digital, CD. 

Background/Info: “Damnation” is the fifth album by Martin Schindler aka SynthAttack. We get twelve songs plus six remixes.

Content: I realize that SynthAttack isn’t really innovating, the sound and approach being comparable to the previous album. SynthAttack is once more mixing Dark-Electro elements with pure Dance music reminding me of the 90s. They already illustrated it on their previous albums and even dares to go a step further now. The ‘90s tribute’ “Call Me Insane” is a parody of Culture Beat’s “Mr. Vain”. I already thought to have heard a comparable connection to the previous album so they now simply covered this song into a very own, but recognizable style. “Damnation” also features a few heavenly female vocals next to the cavernous, pitched vocals of Martin Schindler. 

Remixes have been accomplished by Basscalate, [X]-RX, C-Lekktor, Synapsyche, Reactor7x and Freaky Mind. 

+ + + : This band remains a true challenge, but it clearly becomes a successful formula to conquer the dancefloors. So the title of the album is totally matching with the ongoing pandemic and its consequences for the music scene: closed clubs and no more dancefloors. SynthAttack sounds like food for dancefloors; the sound formula is a true challenge, but it has this terrific kind of dance elixir, which will make you dance. I personally like the tracks with male- & female duo vocals, “Dark Days” being one of my favorite cuts. It also sounds a little bit different from the rest, but the female vocals are adding an artistic and heavenly touch on top of the work. The list of remixers is an extra noticeable element of the album.

– – – : The work sometimes sounds like a copy-paste of its predecessor; no single innovation, but why changing a winning formula? The work becomes a bit predictable and that’s a pity as this band also shows a few ‘different’ ideas, which are more than promising. Despite the great list of remixers, none of them really add a bonus to the album and the original edits. 

Conclusion: I would be not surprised to see SynthAttack once covering some of the greatest 90s Dance-hits and reworking them in their typical darker Dance style. God was a DJ and SynthAttack must be Judas…

Best songs: “Dark Days”, “We Are SynthAttack”, “Dirty Dark electro – Stomp Edition”, “Magic vs. Toal – Special Edit”. 

Rate: 7½. 

Artist: www.facebook.com/synthattack 

Label: www.darktunes.com / www.facebook.com/darkTunesMusic

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

Genre/Influences: Industrial-pop, industrial-dance.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: Yellow Lazarus is a mysterious new band signed to Out Of Line, which released its debut EP “The Mark Inside” during the very last days of 2019. There’s no information available about the background of this trio. ‘Slender Owl’, ‘Metalcore Shouter Scarfox’ and ‘U+1F430’ are hiding behind masks. They claim to compose music as an ‘expression of freedom’!

Content: Those guys look crazy (just pay attention for the front cover), but the music is even more crazy! It’s a danceable composition, which is mixing electro-pop with dance and industrial music.  There sometimes is a duality between the styles and also between some music passages and the male growls while other passages are featuring female parts. The EP features 5 different songs. 

+ + + : This EP is just ‘crazy’! I never heard such a production before. It’s pure fun because you rapidly feel there’s no compromise possible. Some elements and arrangements made me think the mysterious members are active in other (or different) bands from the Out Of Line roster, but I prefer to wait for the announced album to be sure about it. But one thing is for sure, Yellow Lazarus and Out Of Line dare to release something totally weird. I’m just going to mention “Tangier” which is driven by a chorus reminding me of the dance music of Culture Beat and their famous hit “Mr. Vain”. But on top you get a naughty production, which makes it all sound industrial-like. Yellow Lazarus are however experts when it comes to composing melodies and gets people on the dancefloor. 

– – – : Some passages are definitely very commercial-like and therefore a bit ‘cheap’-like. I can’t say there’s one song better than the others so no real hit here!

Conclusion: Yellow Lazarus is an antidote to all dark-electronics and metal-orientated bands from Out Of Line! This project for sure will gain the award for most original and totally weird band from the label! But it’s fun!

Best songs: “Vicious Memories”, “Insects In Dry Places”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/yellowlazarus 

Label: www.outofline.de  / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel

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

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, aggrotech.

Background/Info: “Join Us” is SynthAttack’s fourth album since the opening full length “To The Floor” (2015). The band is still driven by the creative spirit of Martin Schindler. “Join Us” features ten songs plus seven remixes by other artists.

Content: SynthAttack can be the best compared to an imaginary dance-ogre. The songs are boosted by electro-adrenaline made by heavy, danceable kicks, cold electro sequences and trance-like leads. The vocals feature this cavernous expression while a few cuts reveal female backings. SynthAttack is the perfect fusion between dark-electro and dance/trance music.

Remixes have been accomplished by Aesthetic Perfection, Centhron, Agonoize, ES23, Grendel, CygnosiC and Nachtmahr.

+ + + : SynthAttack clearly composes music for the dancefloor. Each new opus sounds as a sonic bomb to get fans into frenetic dance. It’s not that different for “Join Us”, which is an invitation to move. The heavy, boosting kicks together with the trance-like leads can’t leave club visitors enjoying dark-electronics unmoved. The songs reflect constant power, which feels a bit like a transcendental trip. Songs like “Join Us”, “Enjoy The Pain”, and “Addicted To The Thrill” will definitely convince you from the band’s potential and dance skills. Next to the new songs you also get an impressive list of famous artists/remixers. I here have a little preference for the remix of “Final salvation” by ES23.

– – – : SynthAttack remains a kind of challenge. The fusion of dark-electronics with some commercial-like trance leads is sometimes pretty risky and maybe a bit cheap. I’m especially referring to “Final Salvation”, which reminds me of the lead of Culture Beat’s mega-hit “Mr. Vain”. Despite of the great artists invited to remix I don’t experience this section as a real bonus to the album. The original songs are definitely better!

Conclusion: SynthAttack makes no prisoners blowing everything down! Music is their religion, the dancefloor their temple to convince new adherents!

Best songs: “Join Us”, “Enjoy The Pain”, “Addicted To The Thrill”, “Until The Dawn”, “Final Salvation – ES23 Remix”, “Join Us – Aesthetic Perfection Remix”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.facebook.com/synthattack

Label: www.darktunes.com / www.facebook.com/darkTunesMusic

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

“Investigabiles Viae Dementiae (Extended Edition)” is an updated and expanded version of the debut release by the Russian project Van Roy Asylum. The EP was first released on Insane Records and now sees an extended reissue via Bandcamp.

The extended edition EP includes 4 original tracks next to 5 remixes, as well as the cover of the Eurodance 90’s hit “Mr.Vain” by Culture Beat. The EP is available now via Bandcamp and will appeal to all those fond of the dark electro as provided by act like Vampire Freaks, Tamtrum and the likes.

“Investigabiles Viae Dementiae” is the first chapter of a conceptual work talking about the author’s childhood and youth in a native town of Bryansk, Russia. It begins with being high on heroin in corridors and ends with provincial mental hospitals dungeons.

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: Industrial-rave, breakbeats.

Content: Operating from Manchester (UK) Syd.31 unleashed its 2nd EP to the world. The least I can say is that this formation set up by Dr Magic can be simply one of the hottest new sensations in electro land.

“Drowning In Air” features 4 new songs plus a surprising cover version. One of the main sources of inspiration clearly appears to be The Prodigy. Syd.31 experiments with breakbeats injecting a great dynamic and power into the songs, but also some of the sound treatments remind me of the raw and techno-industrial style of The Prodigy. Some other technoid elements remind me to Ultraviolence, which is a somewhat forgotten British master of electronic underground. All those elements have been mixed with a hard industrial-rave style creating a merciless and exciting sound.

It’s not really a surprise that Noisuf-X did the mastering of this EP while contributing to the most surprising song of the EP. The cover version of “Mr. Vain” (originally performed by Culture Beat) is not exactly the kind of song you expect to be covered by a dark-electro formation. It’s fun, it’s totally weird, but ultra danceable and you clearly ill recognize the hard and dry, stumping kick of Noisuf-X.

But this is of course not the main song of this EP. The songs “Disorder” and “Hate” are more appropriated to get an idea about this formation. It all reassembles the aforementioned influences resulting in a dangerous sonic bomb. “Hate” appears to be a potential hit, perfectly illustrating the modern technological approach of this band.

But there’s more to enjoy and I here refer to the song “No Fear”, which is driven by d’n’b inspired rhythms while the sound treatments remain pretty raw and technoid-minded. The song “Revolution” is the one that reminds me a bit to the sometimes hard-core driven Ultraviolence.

Notice by the way that multiple guest artists have been invited to accomplish this EP. I already mentioned Jan L (Noisuf-X), but you’ll also discover names like Kommand + Kontrol and Paresis & Beinaheleidenschaftsgegenstand while Grendel’s J.D. Tucker produced 4 from the 5 songs (“Mr. Vain” being produced by Jan L).

A last element consists of the vocals, which mix numerous samplings and a rather harsh way of singing.

Conclusion: AnalogueTrash Records already have a few cool bands like Machinista, Atomzero, Advance, Neonsol ao, but Syd.31 could rapidly become their biggest sensation. This is a real astonishing release.

Best songs: “Hate”, “Disorder”, “Revolution”.

Rate: (DP:9)DP.

Band: www.facebook.com/Syd31

Label: www.analoguetrash.co.uk / www.facebook.com/analoguetrashofficial

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