Gothtober : Ultra Sunn :"Keep Your Eyes Peeled"

This Belgian dark wave duo earned an 8.5, for their 2022 album, proving they are no slouches, so let's see how they do with this album that is three EPs, combined. At fifteen tracks it's only a few songs longer than a normal album. They have a good sense of groove, and the vocal melodies work well. By the time it gets to "Young Foxxes' things begin to feel a little like Depeche Mode. We are not at a tribute band level yet, but I can hear where it could slip in that direction. The chanted vocals sections are catchy enough to get you lost in the pulse. However by the time it gets to "Out of the Cage," it loses some of the novelty and feels more like a uniform formula with a few variations, 

Typically what you hear is what you get with this band, there are no arrangements that take unexpected left turns. The synth bass line to "The Speed" keeps the dance floor churning at this tempo, but we are getting into a sound more than crafting songs that will stand the test of time. Lyrically it seems like he is lamenting bad Tinder dates.  "Distress' is catchier thanks to the chanted vocal hook that drones into your ears.  'Silver Smile" is very late 90s in its drive. This could almost be the Pet Shop Boys. Lyrically it's darker which helps the overall tone of the song.  

The grooves begin to run together once we get to "Set Your Self on Fire" is needs more organic elements like guitar mixed in. This sounds like a faster variation of a drum pattern we have already heard.  The vocals take a more aggressive chant. Not only does the groove sound the same, but they could switch up some of the synth tones being used.  The ambient break "Kill Your Idols' and the guitar finally surfaces works in the song's favor. "Sorrows and Tears" lifts from the ambiance to set up the darker sounds that unfold. This along with the more finely tuned vocal performance sets this up as one of the album's best songs. 

"Body Electric' has the same bass line we have already heard, so ideas are being recycled in this formula.  The vocals do not do much to help out either. Things get a little darker for 'Two Snakes" as this would be an effective dance floor pumper for "Goth nite'.  Finally I power through to the last song, not that there has not been some enjoyable moments, things just got too uniform for me.  I will give this album an 8, as they are skilled at what they do and accomplished what they set out to when it comes to the making of this album,. If you just like to dance and do not care much about songs this album is for you.

pst509

Gothtober-Ultra Sunn: "The Night is Mine"

 

Yes, the opening track of this Belgian dark wave duo's new EP is what the kinds call a slapper. Yet I am hesitant to cover a large number of these sort of acts as it paints the goth scene into a monochrome corner. You can spin energetic goth songs with guitars as this sort of thing while fun at times, is the lowest common denominator when it comes to music. "Keep Your Eyes Peeled " would be as good as the title track except for the fact after you heard those synths sounds and that beat work the first time the second time is never going to leave the same impact. This album does have several remixes of song that have previously appeared on this album so we can test the theory of the drum machine in more depth as it progresses. 

Being from Belgium the Germany industrial influence can be felt on the stark vocals of "Distress". The vocals are at a low croon, that is stiffly stoic, while delivering sometimes vulnerable lyrics. The first remix is of the title track that finds more bunce in the beat, and a marginally more industrial feel. By industrial it feels like the pre- Nine Inch Nails origins of the genre. Then Kontravoid remixes the second song. The pulse of the song is faster. It is a pretty effective second approach to the song. More dance oriented. There is a more techno cadence to the synth lines of this one. You could almost say the same thing about the synth groove that drive "Waves' as it becomes apparent, they have a formula in place when it comes to songwriting. The song fades into more of a drone as it rides the beat. 

The second remix of the title track is really going to the well too many times. The instrumental version o "Keep Your Eyes Peeled" feels the same way since once you take the vocals away it loses any sense of their identity, as that is one of the key facotrs that keeps them from being faceless electronic music. But for what they are doing this is more song focused than the average goth night  bump and grind. I will give it an 8.5. 

7.8