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Band: The Birthday Massacre
Album: Fascination
Release date: 18 February 2022
Label: Metropolis Records
Genre: Electronic Rock, Alternative Rock, Synth-Pop
Tracklist:
01. Fascination
02. Dreams of You
03. Cold Lights
04. Stars and Satellites
05. One More Time
06. Like Fear, Like Love
07. Once Again
08. Precious Hearts
09. The End of All Stories
There is no reason to change the course if everything runs smoothly, isn't it? And that is the deal with The Birthday Massacre and its latest offering, entitled Fascination. Canadian synth-rockers, who released their debut Nothing And Nowhere two decades ago, are here with their 9th full-length album, delivering the same amalgam of 80s synth vibes, heavy guitars and Chibi's sweet and expressive voice, as we are used to. We expected nothing less.
If anything, consistency is something The Birthday Massacre is going for, and what Fascination brings to the table is nine tracks where catchy dark-pop tunes meet up with a goth-like fairytale, wrapped in heavy synth sounds and distorted guitars. Without a doubt, this is their most electronica driven album, as the swooshing energy of dense synthesizer sounds is the core of the album. All songs are composed with a lot of precision, placing the elements in perfect balance, as the placement of the thick guitar tunes is inserted perfectly within each song, and the drumming never sounded better. An aspect, which makes The Birthday Massacre what it is, is also Chibi's recognisable voice and this time, she has outdone herself again. While she does not go over the top and does not deliver as many different vocal techniques as she can, she excels in capturing the context and enhances the atmosphere of each track to its highlight. The backing male vocals are another typical feature of the band, and it once again is more than welcome to the sound, as they compliment Chibi's work and add another sphere and deepness to the sound.
Through this massive symbiosis of sonic features, the album depicts a myriad of beautifully portrayed emotions, varying from ill-fated to heaven-sent. The opening eponymous track is a magical intro to the album, which showcases the essence of the album: as much as it is catchy, it is also hypnotizing, dim and gloomy. And while it may sound dull to be listening to the same formula over and over again, let me assure you, it is not. The band's fondness of classical, retro synth-pop is most vividly portrayed in "Dreams Of You" and "One More Time", both bringing that breezy and shiny vibe to the surface. "Cold Lights" is a standout song, as it flows in the vein of modern synth-wave and is a purely electronic track. While it does have a dance vibe in it, it is oozed with melancholy and raylessness as well. The only downside of this otherwise stellar track is its ending, as the song is designed to fade out, but it fades out too rapidly and I believe a greater effect and enhancement of the sinister darkwave momentum would be achieved if the fade out would last longer and would be more gradual. "Like Fear, Like Love" leans a bit more on the post-punk side while remaining catchy, while "Once Again" re-introduces us to their Superstition-era, as its dynamics are very rich and magnetic. For the counterweight, the album also reveals its more fragile and doleful side through "The End Of All Stories", which delivers a dense crestfallen and sombre feel and "Precious Hearts", a song with a sublime eerie and aggressive energy flowing through it. And for me, the star of the album has a star in its title - "Stars And Satellites", the direst, the darkest and most metal-inclined song on the album.
While The Birthday Massacre did not deliver anything new or sensational with Fascination, its essence is its versatility and capturing dynamics, which flow through many different genres while still presenting its signature sound. The album has its depth and may not be engaging at first listening - it is one of those albums that need your full attention and more than one listen, to get a hold of it. But within the many layers of sound lies the variety, incredible creativity and a world of sentiment, driven to its maximum potential. However, as someone fond of their darker side, I feel this album suffers a bit from a lack of legacy. I certainly wish they would add that a bit of almost demonic guttural vocals, Chibi is capable of delivering and consequently create a few wretched moments added to the sound. Nonetheless, Fascination is still a noteworthy addition to the band's rich discography and a pleasant listening, which gets more captivating every time you listen to it.
The review was written by Ines
Rating: 7/10
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