Atomic Neon – The Bodanegra Session (CD Album – Holy Hour Records)
Genre/Influences: Gothic, cold-wave, new-wave.
Background/Info: Atomic Neon is a German band, which gained some recognition for their pure new-wave/cold-wave albums released on Black Rain. Not much really happened at this great label and Atomic Rain found a new home in France joining Holy Hour Records (label of Factice Factory ao). This new work is their 4th full length. One of the members, Lars Kappeler, has also been involved in The House Of Usher.
Content: Atomic Neon never has been a real source of creativity, but a great copyist of one of the most famous and legendary new-wave bands in history. They could have been a cover band of The Cure, but they simply used The Cure as main source of inspiration to compose real great and noticeable music.
This album feels like a new trip through history awakening somewhere in the early 80s. All the different elements of the composition smell like Cure. Even the dry snares remind me of early Cure. The vocals are quite close to Robert Smith so in the end I would say that the main differences consist of less efficient guitar parts and more electronic elements.
“The Bodanegra Session” sounds dark and like melancholic reverie. It all sounds desperate and yet beautiful.
+ + + : Despite of the lack of creativity, I prefer a talented emulation revealing multiple noticeable songs instead of boring, innovative music. This work features many great songs and I especially refer to “The Walking Dead”, which is a potential hit. This is for sure one of the most talented bands in their genre!
– – – : The lack of originality for sure remains the main hiatus of this band. There’s only one Cure and when a band is getting too close to their Master it will for sure sounds like a blasphemy for numerous die-hard fans.
Conclusion: If The Cure remains one of the most famous ‘teachers’ of new-wave music, Atomic Neon definitely is one of the most promising and talented ‘pupil’! I prefer this new work by Atomic Neon instead of numerous Cure-albums.
Best songs: “The Walking Dead”, “Soul Ruins”, “Burried Machine”, “The Burning Star”, “Dark City”, “The Fall”.
Rate: (8).
Band: www.atomic–neon.de / www.facebook.com/theatomicneon
Label: www.holyhourrecords.com / www.facebook.com/HolyHourRecords
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