Lyke Wake - At The End Of The Dream, Where Nothing Remains / Symphonic Noise

 

A new full-length Lyke Wake has hit the streets. A 1-track 65.19 minutes epic journey into the underworld, or in some esoteric location hidden between heaven and hell?. At The End Of The Dreams is out on CD via Lyke Wake´s own label Aspectic Noise.

The album starts in the same matter as previous released Lyke Wake albums, quite epic and with that quite retro-Italian-horror feel. I do think (for some reason) that I am sensing a bigger sense of power here. I do think that whatever he is doing, he is actually getting better at it. The finger-work on the synths? The power of improvising? The method of sounding like the real deal maybe?... Maybe if we combine all these into one answer, then maybe we are getting closer to that answer which we seek. It has a lot in comment with Lyke Wake´s Crawling Through The Abyss Of Pain, although this one has a lot more... muscle to it. I do remember that Crawling Through ended being one of the Kalteldur best releases of 2018, which gives you an understanding of why I am sitting here being... surprised that this one is just that much better. There are also some new touches to be heard within, I am not much for female opera-vocals BUT... the ones used here... hit the nail perfectly home on the board! Even the synth-driven violins sound great! The single-track also delivers some mind-blowing psychedelic harshness-sounds as well. 

Religious, spiritual, meditative, atmospheric, engulfing, cavernous, eldritch, hypnotizing, mesmerizing, psychedelic, otherworldly,  cosmic, heavenly, godlike stuff!... ( I could go on! ).

Just imagine what it would sound like if Tangerine Dream or Keith Emerson (in the 70s) did a soundtrack to an Italian Fulci-flick, and then just add a tiny drop of esotericism... and there u have it!. I fxxxxxx love it! Fans of Runes Order, Raison d´être, Tangerine Dream, and dungeon synth should seek it out!       

Facebook (band):

https://www.facebook.com/Lyke-Wake-116636291712908

Official page (band+label):

https://lykewake.wixsite.com/lyke-wake?fbclid=IwAR1xMJND48bSQytlWxyPSvENEjKJwd9AqxPaPsdwGFF3JshCWkA_dvwIG7o

 Chrome Corpse - Helmed Mounted Display

The latest offering from Seattle-based cult EBM act Chrome Corpse. Helmet Mounted Display is a 10 track 40 minutes ecstatic journey into the past while looking into the future, when did all the excellent acts from the 80s lose their touch and nerve?... and the sense of steel and strength offcourse. 

I can namedrop the likes of A Split Second, à;GRUMH..., Invincible Spirit, Bigod20, Die Krupps, New Order etc... old-school European thing made by some young lads from the U.S. Question is, do they pull it off? 

The first track Failsafe gets you back to that early FLA-sound (Total Terror) via á;GRUMH´s trailblazing Drama In the Subway. Cold steel and rhythmic synths march like an army of combat-droids, precise electro-drums, and samples tingle the nerves and cool-sounding vocals (without too much distortion). 

The second track In The Shadow of Dropship offers even better vocal-work and with a more catching aggro-sound. Really love those cut-up rhythmic-samples going on... might just be one of a must when it comes to retro EBM.

The third track Remembering Your Words instantly takes you back to that track which Die Krupps did with Nitzer Ebb, could be a cover?... Nevertheless, this version sounds better in my ears... just has... way more charms, rawness, and coolness (give it a listen ok!)  

The fifth track Dance Or Die gets away from the European sound, and meets up with a sound between Die Warzau and Innercity´s anthemic techno hit Good Life. Love it when modern EBM acts add a touch of Detroit techno into the mix. 

The seventh track Everything Stops Moving (2020 mix) gets you right back to early 242, at the time when 242 was the hottest underground thing from Europe. Imagine a cyber-upgraded SWAT Team in a Miami Vice episode... no matter, you´ll get the picture!.

The album ends with the tenth track, another version of The Feeling Is Mutual (Eddie´s Metal Body Edit). With added industrial-rock-guitar work (groovy), the sound of metallic percussion, and more.

If you are the sort of dude/girl-whatever that loved the old sound and hate the new sound, then this fix might just be it. Hell, as it is right now... I am almost too old to dance... but why not?!.. This release is available by digital means, and also by physical means (Bandcamp link)... 

Bandcamp (band):

https://chromecorpse.bandcamp.com/album/helmet-mounted-display-extended-version

Facebook (band):

https://www.facebook.com/chr0m3corps31997/