Title: Erotika
Artist: Agapesis
Genre: Industrial, Dark Wave, Electro
Release Date: 11th September 2009
Label: Danse Macabre
Album Review
Formed in 2006, the Belgian project AGAPESIS, consisting of Melanie and Jean-Pierre (and completed by lyricist Dolores), got talked about due to the previous releases `Sacrilegè´ (2008), `Mistress of Blood´ (2008) and exciting live performances attracting European fetish scenesters as well as dance-willing club goers. `Mistress of Blood´ even made it to #8 in the German Alternative Charts. Previously signed with Biohazzard Records, this year AGAPESIS got a record deal with Danse Macabre. The new full-length recording `Erotika´ is going to be released at on 11th September 2009.
According to the album title, AGAPESIS focuses on sex, fetish and lust contents. Striking titles such as `Master of Pussies´, `Fetish, Sex & Decadence´ or `Perverse Illusion´ may appear stereotyped, but shouldn’t be deterring for those who haven’t got in touch with the highly danceable Industrial sounds up to now. The opener `Toxic Phenomenes´ makes clear that this long-player will make you dance. Sonorous male vocals, shrill and distorted female singings and pounding basses result in an up-tempo piece having club hit potential. The title track `Erotika´ begins with a playful Synth melody leading over to brute Industrial rhythms. Particularly, the female vocals are very distinctive and bestow the AGAPESIS songs a characteristic weirdness.
However, Melanie’s singing doesn’t represent what you might call a stunning voice in the traditional sense, and I have to admit that I perceived it as a bit enervating after a while. Nevertheless, the female vocals set the tone for the tracks and create a not too polished listening experience. Besides potential dance floor fillers such as the catchy `Leather Dreams´ and the animalistic threatening `Wild Love´, I would like to highlight the last track `Nicht Notausgang´ which is a dark and nightmarish instrumental piece containing up-tempo rhythms and speech samples. In general, the album is recommendable for anyone who adores aggressive beats and weird sounds.
Tracklist
01. Toxic Phenomenes
02. Erotika
03. Master of Pussies
04. Roter Drache
05. Leather Dreams
06. Perverse Illusion
07. Alice in Dreamsland
08. The Scissorhands
09. Fetish, Sex & Decadence
10. Wild Love
11. Glacial Death
12. The Time of Chaos
13. Nicht Notausgang
Line-up
Melanie - vocals
Jean-Pierre - composer, sounds, programming
Dolores - lyrics
Website
http://www.agapesis.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/agapesis
Cover-Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 7.5 / 10
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