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lolitakomplex_lecabaret
Artist: Lolita KompleX
Title: Le Cabaret des Marionnettes
Genre: Gothic / Metal / Rock
Release Date: 20th May 2011
Label: Echozone


Album Review

LOLITA KOMPLEX is an international ensemble assembled in Vienna, which they conceive as still affected by its Fin de siècle period, “macabre and decadent”. The name of the band would of course suggest its Japanese inspiration, apart from an obvious reference to Nabokov’s famous novel; Japanese adopted the style into their famous comics, manga & anime, in eroticising images of very young girls. A sickening or grotesque etc... depending on a view you’re looking at it from. They’ve got together in around 2008, and signed deal with Echozone last year. ‘Le Cabaret des Marionnettes’ is their debut album. It showcases a fusion of styles - Goth, punk, metal, rock etc - an interesting and eclectic blend. Against the innocently sounding female vocal you’ll have a contrast of growling male vocal (sometimes leaning to more clean position, though still abrasive there) - angelic vs. demonic.

The album starts with Goth synths tuned to an organic / harpsichord sound building atmosphere, it’s misleadingly soft as with the first song ‘Your Misery’ you’ll be hit by harsher metal, though softened soon by the more rock-orientated guitar and male vocal to which female one starts singing into with speedy chorus, catchy too. It’s not just gothic metal, but also some death, some speed metal interludes, modern rock mingling with its more classic sounds, dropped into the fusion pot of sound. ‘Dollhouse’ I’d mention for its ending, creepy as it suits the scarier association of dolls. ‘Vienna is Hell’ starts with a distorted Waltz, which soon disappears into a rock-shrouded number. The male voice is here in a cleaner version, but it’s not as strong as the growling vocal, though still what could be described as ‘cool’.

‘Lausbub’ reminds a little of RAMMSTEIN pierced by the female vocal as if by Sun. ‘Mori ni’ is an emotive song, balladry and probably one of the best moments of the album for me. In ‘Dance With Me’ the clean male vocal sounds at its best and strongest. In ‘Les Marionnettes’ the female vocal gets more fleshed out character.  It has everything to represent their music so no wonder this song made it to be their video. ‘Le Cabaret des Marionnettes’ is a quirky, interesting album from a promising band. I don’t think their sound is completely settled yet, but this is just a beginning, and they’re worth checking out and keeping an eye on what their future will bring.


Tracklist

01. Intro – 1.15
02. Your Misery – 4.51
03. Kurushimi – 4.39
04. Dollhouse – 3.40
05. Vienna is Hell – 5.47
06. Lausbub – 4.35
07. Mori ni – 5.53
08. Lol-Lee-Ta! – 3.56
09. BaKteria – 3.27
10. Dance with me – 3.30
11. Les Marionnettes – 4.53
12. Demon Child – 4.30
13. Inside – 4.26


Line-up

eve
nana
dushi
カベル
Gyn
emil


Websites

http://www.myspace.com/lolitakomplex / www.lolitakomplex.com


Cover Picture

lolitakomplex_lecabaret


Rating

Music: 7
Sound: 8
Total: 7.5 / 10


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