Title: Memento
Artist: UnterART
Genre: Industrial
Release Date: 1st February 2008
Label: Out of Line
Introduction
UnterART was formed in 2003 by Thomas Stein and Grigory Freil, later on singer Chris Harms completed the line-up. The name is wordplay. Ii combines the artistic aspect of the music with the subculture to where the band belongs. The first album of the project is called ‘Noise & Grace’ and was released in May 2006. At the beginning of February the band released their new second full-length ‘Memento’
Members
Grigory Freil - Music, Sound design, Production
Thomas Stein - Music, Melody
Chris Harms - Vocals, Music
Website
http://www.myspace.com/unterart
Track Review
01. Now or Never - 4:27
The album already opens with a fast-paced club smasher. Driving synth lines and sequences are pushing you forward. The vocal parts are presented in two different variations. The verse parts are deep and grunted while the chorus parts are clean. Speaking of the chorus: It is a very catchy one and will add to establish this song as a club hit.
02. Open End - 4:30
The next track follows in the same footsteps as ‘Now or Never’ and uses a fast rhythm combined with melodic synth riffs. Vocals are performed in the same way as before. A part is very deep and sometimes distorted and the chorus is filled with clean vocals
03. Novalis Part I (Der Morgen) - 3:41
This is the first part of a trilogy of instrumental tracks, appearing in a regular order over the course of the album. It is more industrial and comes up with many noisy structures and sounds and not to forget a very fast beat.
04. The Antagonist - 4:04
The track starts out very calm with an atmospherically passage. A short moment later the first synth line appears just to be followed by monotonous beat and the deep grunting vocals from Chris. When it’s time for the chorus, the vocals again change to a cleaner style and more melodies are used.
05. Exit - 3:48
A song, that doesn’t waste any time. Just a short introduction with some speech samples and then the full power of the beats is blasting out of the speakers. The vocals are full of anger and heavily processed with distortion effect. Two vocal lines appear in the chorus. The one with the distortion is very low while the clean vocals (again) play the major part.
06. Novalis Part II (Ewig) - 4:11
No it’s time for the second part of the instrumental trilogy, which will send the lovers of the harsher sounds into rapture again. Very metallic and literally industrial sounds alternating with small atmospheric glimpses, some glitches and speech samples.
07. Pariah - 3:57
Finally some time to rest… No, I’m just kidding but it’s definitely one of the slower songs. Apart from the fact that it continues the tradition of combining catchy melodic choruses and deep vocals in the verse parts, it is a quite elaborate piece of music incorporating some percussive elements into the noisy beat structures.
08. Memento - 4:08
“I cut my name in your heart” and over the further of the song, one gets the impression that this song was initially intended to be a ballad but then underlined with a fast industrial beat instead. This is a very melodic song with synth pop appeal and sonorous, clean vocals.
09. Novalis Part III (Keine Götter) - 4:16
We’re already at the last part of the Novalis trilogy called “No Gods” which - like its predecessors - provides you with heavy stomping industrial of the harder kind. Glitches and speech samples are rounding off the package.
10. Perfect World - 4:38
This song is quite similar to some of the previous ones. A fast electrified beat and the combination of deep vocals during the verses and clean vocals in the chorus.
11. Atrophied - 4:39
The concluding song differs quite a lot from the others and is the only real ballad of the album, driven by a slow beat and with lots of spherical elements like monumental strings and choirs. Add the good vocal performance to it and you’ll get a nice and very moody track, gently closing the album.
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 7
Extras: -
Total: 7
Conclusion
‘Memento’ is very much aiming for the dance floors. The biggest part of the album consists of very fast and straight songs. Another thing I’d noticed is the repeated use of the formula: Deep, grunted and/or distorted vocals in the strophe and clean vocals in the chorus parts. To put contrasting vocal styles into one song is without a doubt a good idea, but some more diversity in that area would be nice for the next album. And I hope for more songs that use cleaner vocals. Chris has a good sounding voice, which is perfect for that matter. But all in all it’s not a bad album and it has some of those catchy hooks you hardly get out of your ears again.
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