Out via the nice colleagues of darkTunes is a compilation called “Hard Pop, Vol. 1”. The compilation basically turns radio hits from the past 3 decades into metal and goth.

The compilation starts with “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes covered by Blackbook. What follows is a series of bands including Omnimar, Dust In Mind, Toal, Extize, Basszilla and many more taking us on a journey through nostalgia up to today’s tunes by artists such as Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Katy Perry, Lmfao, t.A.T.u, P!Nk, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna & Calvin Harris.

Further covers include “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day, and even “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne.

Next to these ‘older songs’ we also find modern era covers songs such as “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd, “Around the World” by Daft Punk and “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele.

In total 17 pop hits were reimagined by the metal and gothic bands signed to the darkTunes label.

The compilation is also available as a 6 sided digipak (500 copies only) with 16 pages booklet and stickers and of course as download.

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: Metal, nu-metal, industrial-metal.

Background/Info: Hailing from Strasbourg (France) Dust In Mind took the metal community by surprise in 2015 unleashing the debut album “Never Look Back”. The 5 headed formation leaded by front woman Jennifer Gervais strikes back with their new opus revealing 10 new cuts.

Content: “Oblivion” is not exactly renewing the metal sound formula. The work deals with pure industrial-metal music driven by angelic female vocals. Most of the songs are violent and carried by solid, testosterone like guitar riffs, but Dust In Mind also reveals a more delicate side on a few beautiful songs.

Next to furious guitar parts the songs have been accomplished by cool electronic treatments. It creates some duality, which rapidly appears to be fully complementary. That’s exactly the same between female and male backing vocals.

+ + + : Dust In Mind is a pure sound aggression. It’s violent and the songs are often unpolished although sometimes alternated by softer and even fragile passages. “Oblivion” however stands for power and harmony. One of my favorite cuts however is the softer, but beautiful “Mrs. Epilepsy”. The front cover is pretty intriguing and a noticeable aspect because of the different elements, which aren’t easy to link with each other.

– – – : The power sometimes seems to bring the music into certain chaos. I’m missing a ‘melodic’ touch during the choruses.

Conclusion: Dust In Mind is definitely not innovating, but clearly claims to be one of the hardest formations fronted by a female singer in industrial-metal music.

Best songs: “Get Out”, “Oblivion”, “Mrs. Epilepsy”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www.dustinmind.com / www.facebook.com/DustInMindMusic

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.

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