AD:Key – Anthropozän (CD Album – Emmo.biz)
Genre/Influences: EBM.
Background/Info: Since their debut album “Thema Nummer Eins” released by Electric Tremor Dessau in 2008 AD:Key instantly became a hot band in EBM land. Rene and Andrea Nowotny released their 4th studio album at the end of 2015 revealing 18 songs.
Content: AD:Key remains faithful to the familiar ingredients of EBM. Their songs are driven by a typical 4×4 structure carried by a danceable cadence, dry bass lines, aggressive sequences, commanding male vocals and sexy female vocals. The work often reminds me of the famous 90s band they got inspired by, (cf. Armageddon Dildos), with the song “So What” being the ultimate reference in the genre.
AD:Key sounds like the hybrid of Armageddon Dildos, DAF and And One (for some of the sequences), but the main difference is that this album has been greatly worked out. This is an elaborate and intelligent format of EBM, which is not that common. They belong to a contemporary and strictly limited clan of visionary EBM artists.
Most of the songs have been sung in German, but a few tracks are featuring English vocals. The most surprising song probably is the cover version of Depeche Mode’s “Stripped”. I can imagine this song will get more of a response during live shows than on disc.
There are 5 remixes at the end of the album, which were made by Leather Strip, Serpents, Plastic Experience, MRDTC and Rector Scanner (side-project of Rene Nowotny).
+ + + : “Anthropozän” is a well-crafted and fully accomplished production featuring several potential hits. It also is the best AD:Key album to date.
– – – : I can’t find any significant negative point on this album!
Conclusion: I’m not saying that AD:Key is reinventing EBM, but they clearly compose one of the finest and most elaborate body formats I’ve heard in the past years.
Best songs: “Autodynamik”, “Monotonie”, “Hoch Die Hammer V.2/2015”, “Der Automat”, “Musique Electronique”, “So what ».
Rate: (9).
Band: www.facebook.com/ADkeY–offical-106750002700971
Label: http://www.emmo.biz / www.facebook.com/pages/Emmobiz–Records/183627161751008
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