Genre/Influences: Industrial, Cyber-Metal.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Pulse is an Austrian formation, which this year their second full length album. There’s a hiatus of five years between the debut album “Extinction Level Event” and this new work.

Content: After an instrumental debut track, which reveals a mix of Electronic ideas, Pulse rapidly moves into their sound, which can be defined as ‘Neue Deutsche Härte’. This is a typical German sound dominated by Metal-driven guitar parts and Electronic arrangements. Some songs are clearly reminding Rammstein for the guitar power and electronic melodies. The work also features a few more instrumental cuts, now carried by psychedelic elements and then becoming pretty space and ambient-like. One of the last songs is a cover version of the famous “Major Tom” originally composed by Peter Schilling.

+ + + : This production reveals a band with a mature sound composition. The style is not innovating and in the purest tradition of German Electro-Metal music, but Pulse has for sure the potential to conquer this scene. Their best cuts are the ones reminding me of the sound formula of Rammstein; “We Won’t Come In Peace” and “New Elastic Freak”. There’s also something to say about the cover edit of “Major Tom”, which is for sure a great song to play live.

– – – : The main point with this album is that it sounds like many others in the genre. I’m missing a kind of proper sound DNA.

Conclusion: You can feel this album is an ambitious project, but is it enough to gain a wider recognition? Time will tell, but you better can keep an eye on Pulse.

Best songs: “We Won’t Come In Peace”, “Major Tom”,  “New Elastic Freak”

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.pulse-galaxy.com / www.facebook.com/pulseaustria

Label: www.nrt-records.com / www.facebook.com/nrtrecordsofficial 

About Pulse

Pulse is an Austrian project founded by Nemesis, also known for his work as Astaroth, and completed on record by Inferus on guitars, Vidar on bass and Pulsar on drums. The band describes its style as Cyber Space Tech Metal, mixing cyberpunk and industrial metal with aggrotech elements.

“Adjusting The Space” was released on NRT-Records in 2020 as the group’s second full-length album, five years after the debut “Extinction Level Event”, and includes the tracks “New Elastic Freak” and “Adjusting The Space” alongside a cover of Peter Schilling’s “Major Tom”. No prior Side-Line coverage of Pulse has been found.

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: Heart Rock / Dark Rock / Melodic Rock (With electronic elements)

Background/Info: In the Tradition of Dark Rock and Melodic Rock, comes a group from Austria. „Luna Rise“, who are ambitious musicians. It was not so long ago, they had an impact with their gloomy, mystic and melodic very first release „Smoking Kills, But Love Can Break A heart“ in Western Europe, back in 2011.

Content: Now they are back and presenting their so called Heart Rock, with their first full-lenght Dark Days And Bright Nights. Some might think, Heart Rock? It comes very close to HIM with their Love Metal, yes it does, but It might also be the perfect way to describe the music. That is quite emotional dark- and melodic rock songs, here and there with a hint towards industrial acts like Pain and Oomph. Yet, the whole constantly remains on a listener-friendly level and there’s plenty Songs on the Album which are simply all Killers and yes. Luna Rise are a perfect trip for fans of music, such of that from HIM, Velvet Six, Or The Rasmus.
To face the facts, Dark Days And Bright Nights is an concept album on which the first side, the Dark Days got electro synths in it, with an unbelievebale, intense, power rock. Already the opener „Demons inside“ is a strong track with great guitarwork, amazing synths, fabulous lead vocals and stunning guitars. No One Else than Bernie Pfeiffer (Exit To Eden) is featured on this Song. The Rzrkt is even more powerful and a hymn, and for the song Valentine, we also got a video to show, featuring austrian’s topmodel Sonja Plochl as female guest star:

The only thing to complain, is the coverversion of Ultravox classic „Dancing with tears in my eyes“ don’t take this the wrong way, Luna Rise did an outstanding coverversion of it and they really honor the original, BUT: Why a cover Song? The Band got plenty great and fab’ Songs on this Album, seriously, they don’t need to cover and 2. Why espacially THIS Song?

Let alone the Fact, that Luna Rise are talented musicians and face the fact, that they sounds like a Mix of HIM Billy Idol, The Rasmus, Velvet Six and (believe it or not) in some way Van Halen. They show that they are an Original and not a Copy in every single way. For A Reason comes like the other Songs with great music and an pretty Lyrics (as it is on the whole album).

With Silent Screams, Luna Rise opens the second part on this album. „Bright Nights“ and what they do here, is quite fantastic. While Silent Screams is a nice rocker, Worshippin’ Shadows, will blow you away with it’s dark rock feeling and vocals, melodies full of passion. Until The Stars have come is an pretty Duett with former Dreieck member Melanie Hirner, her voice in partnership with Luna Rise’ leadsinger Chris Divine, makes this Song so haunting good. The Storm sounds with it’s bombastic Keys, somekind of epic. Another Anthem which Luna Rise created here. To drop a clue the Last track on The Album „The Anthem Of The Night“ is an last, fantastic Track that is strong and really an anthem itself. The music, those melodic lines and Vocals, this is really an outstanding experience.

9 of 10 is an fair rating… Luna Rise plays great dark- and melodic rock music and yes, heart-rock is really the right word for it. All musicians are talents at their job and this LP prove it. The electronic synths are great, the guitarist is an hero, drums are straight, bass just awesome and the vocals, riffs and melodies are just amazing.

This Album is for Fans of Melodic Rock, Dark Rock and Heavy Metal with an grain of electronic driven synths. This Album is not only for fans of melodic- and dark rock such as HIM, The Rasmus, Or Velvet Six, but for everyone, who likes good and ambitious rock music.

Rate: (9). Courtesy by Benjamin Stoll

Band: www.lunarisemusic.com / www.facebook.com/lunarise/ Spotify

Label: www.nrt-records.com

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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