Artist: Various Artists
Title: XTRAX Clubtrax Vol.3
Genre: EBM / Darkwave / Industrial / Metal
Release Date: 15th July 2011
Label: Danse Macabre
Album Review
I remember that once upon a time the typical collection included a couple of good songs while the rest were boring to death. On that front, Danse Macabre didn’t spare itself from putting not only good bands in this Volume but great hits as well. It is the richest collection of tracks than the Vol1 or Vol2 have ever been. Both of the CDs cover mainly the releases of the last two years. And what they do best besides the point of having tremendous fun while you’re listening to them is that they bring the less known bands to the attention.
The first CD is more Electro / Industrial though there are Darkwave and Noise aspects as well. COVENANT opens the collection perfectly well. Their combination of electro and EBM is what it takes for this compilation to take off. STEINKIND accelerate in one of their best moments, ‘Es Muss’ in order to reach the peak of Noise with EISENFUNK who don’t funk around. ‘Pentafunk’ is a Noise / Industrial anthem which deserves to be discovered. AND ONE are here with their very distinctive sound, a dirty electro song at its best. SUBSTAAT is a band from Sweden, who sounds something between DEPECHE MODE and NITZER EBB, putting at the same time their own mark. BLUTENGEL are moving either in high ground or in low but in the specific case the ‘Über den Horizont’ is a danceable and melancholic song. BEATI MORTUI are hailing from Finland and are influenced by PROJECT PITCHFORK, COVENANT and Melodic Death Metal. DAS ICH are still partying among the chaos and ‘Kannibale’ is a dark hymn. DIARY OF DREAMS are more than likely the best Darkwave band today, with amazing lyrics and music.
DIARY OF DREAMS’ ‘King of Nowhere’ is a deep remark on solitude and alienation. FUNKER VOGT come with a song that brought to my mind the atrocity that happened in Norway, it is so relevant and great song. [:SIDT:] are playing an almost apocalyptic hard electro. The vision of future through the windows of a mental hospital never looked clearer than that! LEAETHER STRIP, the project of Claus Larssen, has written its own history in the EBM and with this song he shows the reason why to any who might dispute that. The music of PATENBRIGADE WOLFF is between Ambient and Electro and is one of the bands that deserve to be more noticed. Agreed the song has a ridiculously long title but it is striking nonetheless. HOMO FUTURA are playing an Electro Goth idiom which at times brings to my mind DIE FUNKHAUSGRUPPE and have the same tremendous fun! SOMAN as a true Noise / Techno band carries their musical influences from TERMINAL CHOICE and VNV NATION having devastating tones at the vocals. BLITZMACHINE with their EBM keep something of the blitz DAF always had. Their levels of irony are as high as ever! And SHIV-R is one of the best Australian Industrial bands with a speciality to hard-beat dance floors. And with ‘Taste’ they punch a bit the ol’80’s.
The second CD opens with a more Metal sound only to drift to more Goth and Darkwave paths. LEAVES’ EYES begin with an intro that will bring to your mind something from THE ADVERTS’ ‘Gary Gilmore’s Eyes’ only to enter a more Power / Melodic Metal afterwards. GOTHMINISTER from Norway are well known for their Industrial Metal and ‘Liar’ is a great combination of Industrial with a more melodic aspect of Metal. DIMMU BORGIR is DIMMU BORGIR (!) a band heavy and epic as hell. Symphonic Black metal at its best. EISBRECHER as a Neue Deutsche Härte band prove why they are among the best in their crossover of Industrial and Alternative Metal. MONO INC. with the characteristic vocals of Engler show that their ‘Symphony of Pain’ can and will be a melodic and wonderful song as well. THE 69 EYES keep their own superbly black sense of humour with ‘Dead Girls Are Easy’. At least they will not get a rejection from that front! END OF GREEN are as usual about death and depression all over the place but at least they make you dance with their Goth Metal. OMEGA LITHIUM from Croatia is the band which you wish you had some popcorn to eat while you’re listening to them. Pop Goth which if you’re in the right light mood you’ll dance and enjoy for sure. IN STRICT CONFIDENCE, one of the best electro-industrial bands, are included with this harrowing song ‘Set Me Free’, one of the most striking of this CD. OHGR in this song create their own, personal Room 101 amidst Industrial and electro soundscapes. THE BEAUTY OF GEMINA is a Darkwave band from Switzerland and they will bring to your mind something between the BAUHAUS the SCHWEFEL and the SOUTH OF NO NORTH. Sele’s voice is fantastic and so is ‘Rumours’.
One of my big surprises in the CD was Monica Richards with a song that sounds like it came out of the 80’s, fantastic and catchy as well. CLAN OF XYMOX having a tremendous history behind them they move to the future and ‘Delete’ just remains to your memory with characteristic easiness. UMBRA ET IMAGO, Mozart’s (!) project of Gothic Metal, are here with the brilliant ‘Ode an die Musik’, a song that carries many influences from the Folk Metal. TEUFEL play an almost devilish Dark Industrial and ‘Neigt Euer Haupt’ sounds like a personal invitation. THE OTHER is a horror Punk / Metal band from Germany and ‘Back to Cemetery’ is as good as a bad horror movie, has fun in its own right but in the specific collection seems like out-of-space. So do BLITZKID with ‘Jane Doe’ with their mainstream Alternative Metal. KITTY IN A CASKET, which in a way is influenced by THE CRAMPS and Garage Punk, has a cool song to close this CD.
Admittedly there are no ideal compilations and one can argue for hours about the songs that should be included or not in a compilation. If you like different genres then surely you are going to have a damn cool time with this CD.
Tracklist
CD1
01. Covenant / Lightbringer – 5:44
02. Steinkind / Es Muss – 3:33
03. Eisenfunk / Pentafunk – 5:08
04. And One / Zerstorer – 3:09
05. Substaat / Catch Me – 3:49
06. Blutengel / Über Den Horizont – 4:18
07. Beati Mortui / Deathrow (ft Bruno Kramm Club Mix) – 4:14
08. Das Ich / Kannibale – 4:40
09. Diary Of Dreams / King Of Nowhere – 5:09
10. Funker Vogt / Fire And Forget – 3:36
11. [:SIDT:] / Rot V10 – 5:59
12. Leather Strip / Dark Passages – 5:32
13. Patenbrigade Wolff / Schallplattenunterhalter – 4:47
14. Homo Futura / Links Rechts – 4:01
15. Soman / Skin Deep – 5:29
16. Blitzmachine / Vorwarts – 3:51
17. Shiv-r / Taste (Reaper Remix) – 4:16
CD2
01. Leaves’ Eyes / Velvet Heart – 3:41
02. Gothminister / Liar – 3:39
03. Dimmu Borgir / Dimmu Borgir – 5:36
04. Eisbrecher / Eiszeit – 3:18
05. Mono Inc. / Symphony Of Pain – 3:52
06. The 69 Eyes / Dead Girls Are Easy – 3:50
07. End Of Green / Insomnia – 3:31
08. Omega Lithium / Dance With Me – 3:13
09. In Strict Confidence / Set Me Free – 4:31
10. ohGr / 101 – 4:38
11. The Beauty Of Gemina / Rumours – 3:57
12. Monica Richards / Armistice – 5:38
13. Clan Of Xymox / Delete – 5:21
14. Umbra Et Imago / Ode an die Musik (Remix) – 7:08
15. Teufel / Neigt Euer Haupt – 6:00
16. The Other / Back To Cemetery - 3:50
17. Blitzkid / Jane Doe – 3:23
18. Kitty In A Casket / Run Run – 3:22
Websites
http://www.dansemacabre-group.com/
Cover Picture
Rating
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CD1 |
CD2 |
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