Title: Recall 2003 - 2005
Artist: The SlimP
Genre: Wave / Alternative
Release Date: 28th July 2008
Label: AF Music
Album Review
Founded in 2003 in Cologne, that band has already supported PHILIP BOA, CINEMA STRANGE and THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE. In 2004, they self-released their debut ‘Masquerade’, followed by the second opus ‘Some Seconds Later’ in 2005. Whilst working on the third album, the German quarter released the retrospection ‘Recall 2003-2005’ containing all the tracks from their previous albums in re-mastered form...
The journey back in time starts with ‘Tears, Sorrow & Agony’, proving its other-worldly charm with a disconnected intro sequence with deeply warped bass drops generate strange feelings; and Elisa’s spoken word performance drags us out of our own reality, before the song mutates to a clean wave anthem with the slight power of a rock song. On ‘The Day you murdered me’ which has an unmistakable THE CURE touch if you ask me, we get to experience a small surprise. While the verse parts are drowning in sorrow and the feeling of melancholy is omnipresent, the song speeds up when the chorus starts and becomes much harder and a bit darker in my opinion. For the first time on the ‘Recall’ release, there’s polyphonic chant in the song ‘In Pain’, a number that feels a bit like pain and resignation were transformed into music. You can hear that in the slow gloomy composition as well as in Elisa’s vocals. In ‘Nightmare’ we have two voices again. One persistently repeating “In the Nightmare”; and then there’s Elise pending between spoken-word and a pleading and lamenting style. I was instantly intrigued with the distorted guitar pricks, very playful and imbued with power.
‘Elimination’ has a strong vibe of destruction and death, resonating, spreading out from its core, which is, much more than by the music itself, transported by the vocals, appearing merciless at times; and then again they are restrained and almost gentle but always with a dark overtone. That song really got me. Don’t know how to put it exactly but in some way ‘Schizophrenia’ has the fleet-footedness of a pop song; especially in the chorus parts, whilst telling a whole different story; the other song parts are dominated by a sinister bass section and accompanying chant. I have really fallen in live with the spherical guitar works of ‘The Tree’, pretty deep, so you can loose yourself in it for a while. Closing the journey is ‘All Alone’. The song is laid out more rhythmical and comes up with vital and eclectic drum parts and the rocking guitar style is also pushing the song forwards.
If you haven’t heard anything of that German band until ‘Recall’ (Like I did), this collection is a good piece to start with, as you’ll actually get to albums for the price of one and if you like a rather classic, gloomy wave sound with a good nod on the alternative than it’s definitely time for you time for you to get your hands on it. However, the overall sound of the record could be a bit sharper for me. At times it sounds like the material is much older than from 2003 and that doesn’t do the music justice.
Tracklist
01. Tears, Sorrow and Agony – 5:24
02. Wildflower – 4:53
03. The Day You Murdered Me – 3:29
04. 3 AM – 5:04
05. In Pain – 6:12
06. Façade – 5:24
07. Breathe – 4:06
08. Nightmare – 5:28
09. Elimination – 6:15
10. Schizophrenia – 3:20
11. The Tree – 4:28
12. Gloria – 5:51
13. Last Lovesong – 4:12
14. Madhouse – 3:48
15. All Alone – 5:17
Line-up
Elisa Day – Vocals, Bass
Bernd - Guitar
Mart – Bass
Silke - Drums
Website
http://www.theslimp.de/ / http://www.myspace.com/theslimp
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 6
Extras: -
Total: 6.5
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