dark reviews

Atrocity - Werk 80 II (2008)
Napalm Records


ATROCITY was born in 1985 and recorded their first demo in 1988. The EP "Blue Blood" saw the light a year later, followed by a concept album about drug use named "Hallucinations". Their second album "Todessehnsucht" ventured into Death Metal, featuring a cover of "Archangel" by DEATH. From then on, the band started exploring other fields. In 1996 the band released "Willenskraft" and introduced industrial elements. Then it was "Werk 80"’s turn, featuring versions of 80’s Disco hits. After some "odd" MCDs and only one full-length album, "Atlantis", I was waiting to listen to something else than covers only.If the idea of metal bands doing covers albums is starting to wear thin, then Werk 80 II is certainly not going to change your opinion on them. Longtime German extreme metal band Atrocity have taken 12 80's new wave/dance/pop hits, and given them a gothic metal spin here, which for some might be a work of pure genius, but for fans of the band's more extreme fare this sequel to 1997's Werk 80 might seem like another complete debacle. Don't expect any of Atrocity's crushing death metal here, not by a long shot. This is safe, symphonic gothic metal, plain and simple, with clean male & female vocals over crunchy riffs and loads of symphonic keyboards. In a few instances, the band actually gives new life to some of these songs, like the Depech Mode classic "People Are People", "Fade to Grey" by Visage, and "Relax" from Frankie Goes to Hollywood, each one with pumping rhythms and symphonic & heavy arrangements. However, for the most part the results here are somewhat sappy and heavy handed, as the band seems to be trying too hard to retain the original feel of these songs and, and in the end they have lost all resemblance to Atrocity the band. We want to know that this is Atrocity playing these songs, but on almost every tune here they come across as a faceless band trying to mimick an 80's new wave act. Simple Minds' "Don't You Forget About Me" and the Eurythmics "Here Comes the Rain Again" are perfect examples of this-there's just no Atrocity stamp at all to these pieces. Where's the growls? Where's the screams? Where's the mammoth guitar riffage?Shame......

6/10