Title: Whitechapel
Artist: FAQ
Genre: Electro, Indie, Progressive
Release Date: 20th May 2009
Label: FAQ Management
Album Review
Formed in 1994 under the name CARPE DIEM, the Electro band FAQ from Switzerland released its fifth long-player `Whitechapel´ in May 2009 after the records `Substitute´ (1998), `Self-Fulfilling Prophecy´ (2000), `Carpe Diem´ (2003) and `Is Pornography Art?´ (2005). The recent concept album deals with the crimes of the unidentified serial killer who had murdered five prostitutes in the London East End in 1888 and finally went down in history as “Jack the Ripper”. According to the eerie background story, FAQ succeeded in creating a suitable musical adaption impressing with historically correct facts transformed to intelligent lyrics, a varied soundscape with lots of electronic gadgetry and a certain dance floor-ability.
Starting with the first track `Yours truly´, a female radio voice takes the listener on a trip to Victorian England and introduces to the album’s issue. One of my personal favourites is `Absinthe and Laudanum´, a dark and catchy Electro anthem with distorted vocals and a real gem that totally stands in the tradition of older APOPTYGMA BERZERK stuff. The fifth song `Ten Belles´ features weird, nightmarish singing as well as an old-fashioned bell ringing, experimental keyboard lines and a sharp-edged guitar. Firstly, `From Hell´ seems to be a solemn and sad piano ballad, but later on it surprisingly turns into a mid-tempo dance track with a bombastic keyboard sound layer. An epic character, the sophisticated Synth effects and the varied arrangements of the pieces make the complete package stand out from the crowd of other Electro releases.
Tracklist
01. Yours truly (introduction) – 1:23
02. Absinthe and Laudanum – 4:40
03. Birth of the 20th Century – 5:45
04. Grapes – 6:03
05. Ten Bells (album version) – 6:09
06. Dear Boss – 4:19
07. The 4th Dimension – 6:10
08. Leather Apron (Album version) – 5:15
09. From Hell – 7:12
10. Merrick – 5:08
11. Buck`s Row – 6:41
12. A Violet from Mother`s Grave (interlude) – 1:11
13. Miller`s Court – 6:25
14. In Memoriam (outroduction) – 4:12
Line-up
Philip Noirjean - lyrics, music, vocals, bass, guitar
Thomas Daverio – music, programming, production, keyboards
Pille - guitars
Website
http://www.faq-music.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/faqofficial
Cover-Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 9
Extras: -
Total: 8.5 / 10
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