Lista de los grupos Gothic Electro Ad Inferna Trance N Dance

Too much metal lo label it electronica, too much synths to claim it’s metal. The new Ad Infera album Trance:N:dance is hard to define, much like the band in general.

Starting with a famous Visage song cover Fade to Grey, the album could pass for a collection of the best electronic beats and industrial metal put together. None the less, the result is sometimes bright like an electric shock, but also... fading to gray.

Waiting for the long, meaningful, philosophical lyrics would be slightly naïve (yes, only slightly) in the genre which takes stock mainly in psychedelic tunes and trying to make your heart beat in the beats of the songs… and dance. But spoken parts aren’t missing, maybe there are even more than of other bands of this genre, and what I really appreciate is a variety of languages used. Although I ashamedly confess I don’t understand much, the atmosphere made by vocals, again clear voices as well as harsh male and female ones, together with the beats and fugitive, catchy guitars.

The album consists only of three clearly new songs (four, if you take covers into account), the other nine are songs previously released by the bands or remixes of the new ones. But I’m not telling the band didn’t do any work! The band gave Fade to Grey a brand new and fresh tinge and changed old into, well, still old, but with a new chic, without a grain of salacity, so associated with 80’s hits, but with a tons of futuristic salacity.

Métamorphose, one of the “old” ones, and much heavier than an intro song, is personally my favourite of the album. This one is most close to industrial metal from the dozen of the songs, even though the hard, heavy parts are balanced by very smooth feminine vocals in the second part.

The next, much more in English and much less whoopeeing, is Rédemption. Mellowness is something you wouldn’t look for here for a long time. Again, back veiled female vocals give the song smoothness, but the classic, vivid contrast between the female and male parts is something I quite miss there.

Next, not new is SM for SM. What the hell is SM? All I can tell for sure is that it isn’t sado-masochism. Okay, S stands for sexual (or sensual?), but what about M? Mass? Men? Yeah, probably. And every time it’s different. But my inability to understand isn’t what it is about. As I said, the stress is laid on the rhythms and impressionability, and in this respect this is the most precious track of the album. It will catch you and you will be mourning SM for SM, whatever it is, all day long.

Suicide Girl, as a name of a song, is a glaring cliché as regards to all the “dark” genres. Despite the English name, the whole song is in French. This one is also much more melodic thank the rest of the album, probably thanks to the choral sounding back vocals and more female vocals in general.

To wake up after a dose of delicacy, there is Transcender l’Extase, sounding like a mix of old-school house and industrial metal with a batch of gothic and symphonic elements. Not bad, but a little weak compared to the other 11 tracks. Well, to 10 to be honest, because the following Verige is pretty much the same case, only with less energy and more rounded sound.

You as my Own Drug really reminds me of some LAM works, with the difference that this one is pretty random and less dynamic. The changes during the song appeal too unnaturally to me, and even though it gives the track gradation, there is still something that doesn’t fit in or is missing.

Tantara! Here we come to the remixed part of the album, disposed by “fixed stars” of the industrial genres. Vertige remix by Beborn Beton sounds more tensely when curtailment of all the furbelows and the same song remixed by Combichrist sound much more… Combichrist. And according to the quality of the band, there’s nothing to complain about it. Transcender l’Extase rebuilt by Soman sounds pretty kick-ass and would fit into some dance club pretty well. And the last one, Rédemption – Reaper Bum Bum remix will scream a hole to your head, at least after listening to the previour eleven songs. Leaving clear parts clear and amplifying the aggressive parts was a great idea that added the song a contrast I missed and is a great drop-scene.

So what is a verdict? After waiting to some French version of Blutengel it was quite nice surprise. The male vocal changed as well as the female from regular spoken word to creepy voices, nevertheless in my view, it wouldn’t impress a fan of “regular” metal genres but to those with a weakness for electronic sounds and gothic influences I can only recommend as a nice and sometimes even maybe interesting listen. True electronic sexual music for attached sexual mass.