Hitherside – “Hitherside” EP (2012)

Independent Release

Review by Tony Cannella

The band Hitherside formed in 2011 and features American vocalist Jennifer Summer and Belgian multi instrumentalist Sam Oerlemans. They have just released their self-titled EP which features 6-songs and over 25-minutes worth of infectiously melodic alternative metal. The songs are well written, performed and crafted.

The forceful opening riff leads into the cool first song, “Insignificant Other”. The next track, “Eventide” begins with an acoustic intro as the song gradually picks up in tempo, but remains a middle-paced song with a psychedelic vibe. “Detrimental” picks up the tempo quite a bit and is helped by a relentless guitar riff and a melodic groove – making this my favorite song. Continue reading »

Carter Tutti Void – “Transverse” (2012)

Label: Mute Records

Review by Luisa Mercier

Last release by Carter Tutti (name that hides Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti) dates back to 2007. “Feral Vapours of the Silver Ether” was a moving record which had a true spiritual equilibrium. New “Transverse” is a real intellectual chaos, liquid, magmatic. It is really a material full of vibes because it was recorded live at the Short Circuit Festival in May 2011 where Cosey and Tutti were supported by Nik Colk Void (Factory Floor vocalist and noise maker). Even though it is a live recording, the quality of the sound is perfect, you would hardly say that it was performed in an open space apart from the audience cheering at the end of some tracks. Two out of three members in this record are female but this is not an overwhelming presence: vocals are just minimal, they are reduced to nothing, they are not a dominant component.  Continue reading »

Black Heaven – “Dystopia” (2011)

Label : Trisol Music Group GmbH

Review by Luisa Mercier

Black Heaven is the side project of mastermind Martin Schindler, which tried to complete the gothic rock played with Mantus through this electronic project. After the release of their last record in 2009, Black Heaven completed their fifth album and in no way they have lost the dark mood of the founder main band. “Das Tor Zu Welt”, the opener, is an up-tempo song full of keyboards and completely sung by Martin while the following “Lächelnd geht die Welt zugrunde” is haunting and the vocals are delivered by Thalia. More slow-paced, it will find its place in the gothic clubs all over Europe.

“Die Zeit Die Bleibt” is more gothic, decadent and romantic with strings and its piano break that seems coming out of a movie soundtrack. Going back to danceable rhytm, “Mensch” is maybe the fastest song on the album and once again the keyboards have a main role. Continue reading »

CyLeW – “Black Lace Prophecy” (2012)

Label : Adore Records

Review by Tony Cannella

Born in France and raised in Los Angeles, CyLeW has an interesting musical pedigree and on her second album “Black Lace Prophecy” she and her band showcases their brand of infectious, darkly romantic and ethereal alternative hard rock with pop overtones. “Erase the Scars” is an okay opener, but it is the next song that initially made an immediate impact for me. “Survivor” is just a flat out great song which is the perfect showcase for CyLeW’s emotional vocal style. The band also made a video for it which is worth checking out on their web site. “Dizzy” opens with a simple rock guitar riff and CyLeW’s breathy vocals are the highlight here. Continue reading »

Ayria – “Plastic Makes Perfect” (2013)

Label : Alfa Matrix

Review by Davide Torresan

Ayria is back! After the release of the EP “Plastic and Broken” we are all invited to return on the dancefloor with her new album: “Plastic Makes Perfect”. The Canadian queen of EBM returns to entertain us with her danceable songs. This time the thing that struck me most was the mood of some songs. For example the single “Hunger” is perfect when you’re angry with the entire world. Instead “Friends and Enemies” has a catchy rhythm which fits perfectly as the background of a club. In short, from these simply words you understand that there’s no space for sadness. Although Ayria tried different styles with her voice, in her world only one thing exists: the desire to entertain the listeners. This CD is available not only in the normal CD format but also in other two versions. There is a deluxe carton box edition and another one for free if you buy the limited edition. Both of them contains several remixes that will delight the lovers of industrial and electro-pop. Continue reading »