Artist: Amnistia
Title: Black Halo
Genre: EBM / Dark Electro
Release Date: 29th March 2019
Label: 9XO Media
Album Review
AMNISTIA is active since 2003 but yet the EBM act from Leipzig, Germany, didn’t get quite the recognition they deserve. After releasing no less than five albums on the Scanner label, ‘Black Halo’ is the first release on 9XO Media, which basically means the album is self-released as 9XO Media is the band’s own label which they previously used as a platform for releasing limited EPs. ‘Black Halo’ is also the first album since their second album ‘Blackguard’ from 2008 which AMNISTIA recorded as a duo as long-time member Jan Moritz left the band in 2017.
So a lot of changes for the remaining members Stefan Schötz and Tino Claus but musically they stay true to their roots. AMNISTIA has always stood in the tradition of classic EBM and Industrial acts from North America, such as SKINNY PUPPY, MENTALLO & THE FIXER, and FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY. In the face of these influences ‘Black Halo’ sounds very much like an album which could have been produced in the mid-90s but still it has a pretty modern production. After all, Schötz and Claus have a lot of studio experience under their belt by now, hence ‘Black Halo’ overtrumps their previous efforts which already were of high quality. AMNISTIA always had a knack for complex rhythms, clever arrangements and great sound design.
On their new album they fully play to their strengths and deliver twelve diverse tracks. From the dark intro ‘Init7’ to ‘The Itch’ with its harsh guitars, reminiscent of 1990s DIE KRUPPS or early MINISTRY, to the seductively dancy title song to the apocalyptic and dark album closer ‘We Do Not Disturb Our Dead’ AMNISTIA offer a lot of variety but still all tracks feel like cut from the same cloth. If you crave for more for your dancing boots you get more with songs such as ‘Through The Night’, which musically echoes SKINNY PUPPY’s ‘Assimilate’, and the hypnotic ‘The Haunted’. If you also love epic but brooding anthems like FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY’s Bill Leeb masters so perfectly, then ‘Last Words Purify’, ‘Suffer’ and ‘In Between’ will allay your thirst.
In one of these songs you will incidentally hear the voice of a certain Jon Snow, and in fact almost all songs are full of TV and movie samples. In ‘Crowds Cheer Verdict’ you even hear excerpts from Donald Trump’s inauguration speech, and in case you are not already sick and tired of the voice of the orange twat ruining, pardon, running the White House ‘Crowds Cheer Verdict’ is actually a great song. And after all, you have to give AMNISTIA credit for the socio-critical and politically aware lyrics. Of course the picture of the world they draw in their lyrics is pretty dark and pessimistic but that’s not only because this suits their Dark Electro sound ideally. It’s simply the times we live in.
‘Black Halo’ is available on CD, double vinyl, as download, and as a special limited box.
Tracklist
01. Init7
02. Package Of Regrets
03. The Itch
04. Through The Night
05. Black Halo
06. The Haunted
07. Crowds Cheer Verdict
08. Last Words Purify
09. Misery
10. Suffer
11. In Between
12. We Do Not Disturb Our Dead
Line-up
Stefan Schötz
Tino Claus
Website
http://www.amnistia.de / https://www.facebook.com/AMN.official/
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 9
Total: 8.5 / 10
Comments powered by CComment