Title: Polyradah
Artist: NoComment
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 14th November 2008
Label: Echozone
Album Review
Since the last regular NOCOMMENT studio album has been released, it’s been what, like seven years or so? Ever since, it hasn’t been silent around this German project at all. They’ve released an EP and a Best-Of collection, toured a lot and already in 2003, they started to work on this new album…
About five long years after the work has started, it’s done and ‘Polyradah’ is eventually presented to a wider audience and by no means it has become a usual album. The conceptual album is based on a futuristic story which is penetrating the tracks on the album like a golden threat. At several points of the CD, instrumental interludes have been incorporated, obviously acting as bridges between the respective chapters of the story, which starts with the welcome track beginning with monumental droning sounds showing a certain depth until the track gets a Drum’n’Bass rhythm with many orchestral elements. ‘Zoe 23’, which is the name of a character in the story by the way, presses forward with organic sounding drumbeats and light rock influences Comparatively minimal on the other side is ‘Café Surreal’ resembles an 80s track.
By the time we’re entering ‘The Museum’ to roam through its corridors, we see that everything has changed once more. Where rich strings ascend and piano notes and slow rhythms complement each other is the cut set out of which an atmospheric and somehow unreal track arises. Gloomy melody bows swathe the listener on ‘Would You follow me?’, a poppy, rocking track, especially convincing with the correlation of the alternating male and female vocals. With ‘Enyradah’, the name for the suburban slums in that futuristic world, ruled by chaos and fear, NOCOMMENT proceed towards the indie pop/rock genre, a surprising stylistic change. ‘The Good needs the Bad to Shine Brighter’ lives on its roller-coaster of emotions with the calmingly gentle ballad parts in sharp contrast to the angry industrial rock breakouts. On ‘Silver Skulls’, we meet an old acquaintance: RIG, vocalist of JANUS lends his voice to a track which is initially solemn and sublime, then suddenly danceable and more aggressive.
The stylistic bandwidth on ‘Polyradah’ is astonishing. From 80s inspired minimal pop over industrial to Indie, there’s everything you can imagine. Always with a synthetic touch of course! The scenario told might be fictional right now, but could admittedly become reality as well in the future, that’s for sure. A successful album that, even if not necessarily phenomenal, is above-average in any case!
Tracklist
01. Welcome To Polyradah – 2:44
02. Interlude I – 0:59
03. Zoe 23 – 3:51
04. Cafe Surreal – 2:42
05. The Museum – 3:56
06. Interlude II – 0:59
07. Floor 122 – 3:41
08. Interlude III – 0:58
09. Typewriter Life – 5:40
10. Would You Follow Me – 4:16
11. Interlude IV – 0:46
12. Enyradah – 4:42
13. A New Day – 3:58
14. Secrets – 4:08
15. What Is Reality – 1:28
16. The Good Needs The Bad To Shine Brighter – 4:11
17. Interlude V – 0:31
18. Silver Skulls – 3:54
19. Interlude VI – 1:09
20. Zarali Returns – 1:50
21. The Traitress – 4:12
22. Interlude VII – 0:47
23. Trisoma – 4:15
24. Trisoma (Reprise) – 2:37
Line-up
Franziska - Vocals
Tom - Keys & Production
René - Drums
Website
http://www.nocomment.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/nocommentde
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 7.5 / 10
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