Artist: Pail
Title: Faith In The Void
Genre: Electro-Industrial / EBM
Release Date: 20th May 2011
Label: Caustic Records
Album Review
‘Faith In The Void’ is the third album of the Spanish one-man project PAIL. The project was established by Manix S. in 1998 and released his debut ‘Epidemic’ the same year on Manix S.’ own label Caustic Records, that was created due to the lack of alternatives for this sort of music in Spain. ‘Epidemic’ received a positive response all over the world and was followed by the second album ‘Towards Nowhere’ in 2005, which also was a success with the audience. Now time for a new stuff has come. ‘Faith In The Void’ is also released as a hyper-limited edition in wood box with exclusive T-shirt, lanyard, pins and patch.
The album commences with insinuating sounds and speech samples of ‘Burnt Out System’, which dense and wrapping flow of sound introduces old school attitude, melodiousness and harsh distorted vocals, that present distinguishing features of the release. ‘Planet Prison’ darkens the atmosphere and adds more reverberation to the vocals, that undergo vocoder processing and perfectly merge with the repetitive melody in ‘Global Dreams’. Soft hovering synths in the beginning of ‘Hyper Reality’ succumb to the electronic layers turning the track to electro-industrial in good old traditions of FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY. The next ‘Ingenieria Del Consentimiento’, sung in Spanish, raises the pace with pushing rhythms and driving chorus, so that it acquires good potential to become a club hit. The characteristic mid-tempo rhythm returns in ‘The First Words’ that is embellished with diffused sparse vocals in the atmospheric refrain and apt use of distorted guitars in the background. ‘Energy Bodies’ is really the most energetic track of the album with strong beat, aggressive vocals and thick bass-line. It has quite promising beginning but turns out to be a bit monotonous in the middle. Nevertheless high dance-floor capability of the song is obvious.
Unexpected acoustic guitar launches ‘Silence’ and step-by-step is covered by synth backdrops and electronic beat to emerge throughout the song and to frame it in the end, while in the middle this tranquil melancholic track with fitting whispering voice suddenly swings round to intensive rhythms and processed vocals, which altogether makes it a very remarkable song. Synthetic atmospherics overflow in the beginning of the next ‘Dignity Corrosion’ and then are pushed to the background where they gain extensive dimensions and alienated coldness. The gem of the release is hidden in the end: ‘Decadence By Design’ starts with tender synths sounds, then mechanic beat sets in and finally emotional vocoded voice together with massive sequences creates dark obscure atmosphere, dispelled by bewitching carrying away soaring synth lines in the chorus. Instrumental breaks referring to the beginning of the track deepen the atmosphere and balance the song, which is together with ‘Silence’ a highlight of the album.
‘Faith In The Void’ presents a well-balanced high-quality mixture of old-school sounding electro-industrial and modern atmospheric sound. It also provides grounds for thinking, criticizing some objectionable traits of modern society. The album doesn’t reinvent wheel and you won’t find much novelty in it. However, instead of it this release has an interesting ability to create a dense absorbing atmosphere - a skill that not every musician possesses.
Tracklist
01. Burnt Out System
02. Planet Prison
03. Global Dreams
04. Hyper Reality
05. Ingenieria Del Consentimiento
06. The First Words
07. Energy Bodies
08. Silence
09. Dignity Corrosion
10. Decadence By Design
Line-up
Manix S.
Website
www.myspace.com/pailcausticrecords / www.causticrecords.com
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Extras: -
Total: 8 / 10
Comments powered by CComment