Rave by The Empire Line
Contemporary Rave culture gets its own soundtrack
Ok, so how low in the mix do Death Metal vocals need to be positioned before they become acceptable? Noise performance artist Isak Hansen delivers the answer: quite low. The Danish vocalist has teamed up with Jonas Rönnberg (Varg) and Christian Stadsgaard (Damien Dubrovnik) for six tracks of experimental Death Metal Techno, collectively titled Rave. It's a celebratory blast of contemporary rave culture that comes across like an unsavoury soundtrack to the trio's hedonistic weekends, where Punk aesthetics meet power Electronics and debauchery is the connecting strand (check the album cover for evidence).
The familiar flare of Varg's output lifts things immeasurably, the throbbing, syncopated beats on Ø (for Vainio) or Mirror Ball Fantasies (for Eie) will no doubt appeal to existing fans. Elsewhere the brutal screaming has been tamed to absolute perfection, particularly on the closing track Fast Forward (Intet glemt, intet tilgivet) where an emotive synth is coupled with Hansen's caterwauling to end on a surprisingly high note.
- Rating: 8/10
- Listens: 10
- Highlight: Fast Forward (Intet glemt, intet tilgivet)
- Label: Northern Electronics
- Release Date: 19th Feb 2018