A Kiss Could Be Deadly – Farwell EP

release date : June 22, 2010
released by : Metropolis
info : 6 tracks . akisscouldbedeadly.com
genre : fusion, punk, new wave, electro
reviewed by : Mike Kieffer

Two years ago A Kiss Could Be Deadly released their self-titled debut album an upbeat fusion of punk, electro, and new wave with a female singer, it was a recipe that dared me not to love it. Fast forward two years and their name pops back onto my radar with a six song EP with two original tracks, a cover, and three remixes, titled Farwell. The original songs “I’ll Be Your Anti-Hero, Baby” and “Only In Darkness” are more punk in flavor then the 2006 release. The two songs are both good, full of great hooks, and really make me wish there was more. The three remixes of “Acoustic Romance”, “Damage Control”, and “I Guess You Didn’t Mean It” are all strong as well and make you immediately dig through your old files (or CDs) and find the original release.

Inside the booklet you will find, what I will assume, a sign that there will be no more material from them. Underneath the copyright 2010 hidden into the background of the artwork is the phrase, “it is finished.” The band lineup is listed as “is/was”. The title of the album is Farwell. This all points to the fact that the band did break up in the end of 2008 and they are now in separate bands.

I hope I am wrong and some resurgence of popularity will pull them back together…  like Futurarama (new series starts June 24^th).

recommended tracks : all of them
if you like you may like : The Birthday Massacre, Helalyn Flowers
overall 8 . music 7 . lyrics 8 . recording quality 7

Over the last few weeks I’ve been falling in love with the new In Strict Confidence album La Parade Monstrueuse do out April  13^th on Metropolis Records in North America and out already overseas on Minuswelt.

Check out their new video “Silver Bullets”.

The first video off La parade Monstrueuse, “ My Despair”.

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[:SITD:] – Rot

release date : October 27, 2009
released by : Metropolis
info : 5th album . 11 tracks . 54:46 run time
genre : EBM
reviewed by : Aaron Andrews

In color psychology, “rot” (red) is associated with energy, heat, blood, and strong emotions like: aggression, passion, and love. Furthermore “rot” represents revolutionary movements and symbolizes wrath, one of the seven deadly sins.

After reading that statement I have to say Rot is aptly titled in a few ways. There is a certain intensity and energy throughout the album. It’s not exactly revolutionary but it is carefully crafted and an enjoyable listen.

My familiarity with [:SITD:] before listening to this album was through their remixing, where I found the songs they touched always came out excellently. The band understands dance music and has put together an album that proves that in all of its faster tracks. The song structures are created with the steady movement forward and intelligent use of both breaks and build ups. Soaring string synthlines are anchored by the even, low vocals and a strong bed of intense rhythm. The compositions are focused on the music and there’s little misplaced loyalty to the lyrical content. Vocals aren’t always the focus but when they are added they make a positive contribution.

The dance songs are really where it’s at for me on this album and with most of the album being made up of these, it is kind of disappointing hearing the slower stuff like “Destination”. With such a firm grasp on making thrilling dance music the shift to more vocal focused ballad-like songs at several points was disappointing. Those pieces came up feeling a little forced and didn’t have the emotional energy that the album’s name implies.

[:SITD:] do so many things right that I have a great time listening to this album, it was worth investing the time for repeated listening and quite a few of these songs are welcome to my ears at the club.

recommended tracks : Catharsis (Heal Me, Control Me), Rot v1.0, Pride, Pharmakon
if you like you may like : Rotersand, Project Pitchfork, VNV Nation
overall 7 . lyrics 6 . music 7 . recording quality 8

check out [:SITD:] on tour now with VNV Nation