German band The Crimson Ghosts is fast paced horror punk rock with slabs of metallic guitar driving it to death. The Misfits influences is very prominent and leaves it’s mark all over the album but the Crimson Ghost have resurrected the corpse of the Misfits and gored it up and what you get is the Misfits' American Psycho era music but with better chops - punky, for sure, but with an obvious thrash metal edginess. Brilliant lyrics, pulled off by vocalist Vlad with an energy and passion that is second to none. ”Pre mortem Ecstasy”, “Leaving the Tomb”, “Death from Above” rocks so hard it is almost like being hit by a truck from the front. The drums are thunderous and relentless with screeching powerful guitars adding to the dementia.
Recommended for horror punk fans!

From far Bavaria come the Cascades and their second release. Similar to Scream Silence, Dreadful Shadows comes this amazing album, which settles itself nicely between your ears. A deep voice lulls us over with a passionate and emotional execution backed with driving guitars and drums. Well-structured songs that are beautifully executed.
“Page One” and “Hexen Einmaleins” are really great tracks and if you like bands like the early more gothic 69 Eyes, Sisters of Mercy and Dreadful Shadows… then this one is for you.

"The Unsaid Words" begins with the introductory track "The Wrong Side Of Things" a swelling dark ambience and ritualistic atmosphere. Waves of grey sound disgorging out of darkness like shadows scrambling from the light. Cold slabs of dark ambience are accented by minimal electronic effects and occasional metallic accents.
The second track, and one of my favourites "This World Is Mine" reminds me a little of the Hall of Souls and is a very dark track indeed with great guitar and drums and very emotional vocals. "In A Never Fading Illusion" we are given epic dark rock with guitar, bass, keyboards and drums unifying in a powerful and epic ballad of despair and self reflection.
Mostly with this album we are subjected to a sad and desolate soundscape. Male vocals that breach the tentative music with introspective lyrics sung with casual sensuality

At first listen I was almost disappointed with this release, thinking fondly back to Medusa and even hidden faces , but upon subsequent listens something started to grow on me...
Perhaps the variety of sounds, tempos and styles on the CD makes it a truly remarkable album. And of course there is the typical Xymox sound with the emotional charged voice of Ronny Moorings; successfully creating new directions within a sound that remains typical, as we are used to from Clan of Xymox.
'Be my friend' sticks into your head after you heard it just once. The thrill of passion and mystery is in 'She's dangerous', nostalgia in 'Eternally' and it's almost like you watch a movie while you listen to 'Pandora's box', the soundtrack to a passionate play.
As we're used to from Clan of Xymox the album shows a perfect mix between electronics and guitars with truly great vocals. The lyrics are expressive. For those who like the sound of Clan of Xymox, this release is a must have; it's one of the best albums, which shows that it's possible to express a kind of art that's familiar while it is original too.

The new offering from Manu (from Zorch Factor) is one that embraces the new technology while holding fast to the traditional batcave sound.
"Credo fk",an almost industrialized composition introduces us to the new Camp Z disk. With sampled voice in the background and electronics that create a hypnotic effect this short song sets the mood for the next track. "Whats this world" is a catchy number with some deeper vocals reminiscent of early industrial acts. A very nice guitar backs this song with again some more electronic sounds fluttering in out of the track. It seems a distance away from the first Zorch release but that is what is so great about this..the versatility and the fact that it will not be pigeon holed. "Unforgiven" has a heavier guitar sound and the same style of vocals as the previous track but effectively creating a darker atmosphere.Dirge guitar sounds add to this desolate atmosphere. "W.hell Come (to the camp)" is returning to the batcave sound of Zorch Factor with the added electronic noise croaks that jumps at you through out the song.The voice now is clear and carries a definate anguish. "The Right to" is the longest track on the album and features the guitar setting a mood for what is to come.Again this intro touches on the hypnotic while the drums gradually start building up waiting for the clear voice to deliver us its message.The whole pace kicks up a pace a bit more then halway through and the vocals return to the darker quality of earlier tracks. "(Alice) in trance" is just strange, I am very much reminded of Alien Skull Paint but using guitars. A kind of Minimal Eletronic with guitars.This is actually very nice."L'eveil" is a return to the intro track with industrial soundscapes."Chat Rat" starts with a great bass and drums and a guitar lingering in the background and gradually coming forward.I really like this track.A single note hangs over the entire verse creating a sense of anticipation. "The Ghost Boat" starts with drums and soon the accoustic guitars enter this and a clear voice serenades us. And this track is just great!Finally "D.hell.usion" superbly closes a very interesting and enjoyable disk which reminds me of a marriage between batcave, industrial and minimal electro. Definately recommended!
www.camp-z.com

12 songs of politically charged post-punk/new wave is what you get when listening to Collapsing New World. Very well written and produced songs with rather memorable melodies snaking through each track.The vocals sometime male, sometime female is great. While listening to collapse collide capitulate I am reminded of Drown for Resurrection with an 80's slant. This track is great with beautiful arpeggios and a great chorus.
Blank Generation is just brilliant, catchy and memorable and you will find yourself repeating those two words for quite some time after the song has finished!Great female vocals. A danceable track composed of rhythmic drum machine and synth bass substructure accented by echoing, spacious processed sound, synths, and the mentioned great female vocals, concluding with a processed woodwind finale.
off the track increases the tempo a little bit and proceeds to dabble in the gothik rock regions with the guitar and a fine moody atmosphere. This is a great release, at times a little too 80's pop influenced, but then again we were all young once so it is a pleasurable itch to a decade now gone.
A great album that's will please fans of retro new wave and electronic-infused post-punk.

Manu returns with a new release after a year with "Violent Memories".Immeditately the wedding of electronica and aggresion, envisioned with the use of guitars, becomes evident.Perhaps electronic punk is but one way to describe this but even so it still lacks the depth to completely describe this release.
I am specifically reminded of Ministry in "Fight".The voice also contains a more venomous quality and this serves as a great introduction to the new offereing that is Violent Memories.The symbiosis of machine and guitar.
The following tracks continues rather naturally from this exploring various states coldness and aggression with "Terror" leaning quite heavily towards Punk.
Prinitive Rebirth offers up an almost Norma Loy type cold wave which quite clearly acts as an indicationof the versatility of this artist.
Walked in Lineis a great cover and a worthy rendition.. All in all this ia great return for Camp Z building on the previous release while still being able to offer gems of innovation