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Band: Joy/Disaster
Album: Sickness
Release date: 8 June 2012
Label: Manic Depression Records
Tracklisting:
01. Shining Monday
02. Suicide
03. Twins Of Misery
04. Aeroplane
05. Miss Trust
06. Kill The Secret
07. Between Us
08. It Makes Me Sick
09. My Loose
10. When The Others Fade In Silence
11. Absolute
12. Sweetie Monkey
13. The Town
14. Vomit Faces
15. Sickness
Everyone who is familiar with this French band will expect a post punk album, but Joy/Disaster on their fourth album surprise with lots of new additions to their music. Fans of the band will still find a lot of post punk vibes in here, although this album is much more darker, metalized and melancholic than anything they did before. This is absolutely the next level for them, as they have elaborated very emotionally charged and catchy melodies almost till perfection. The only bad thing is that this band is a bit too much anchored within the sounds of their influences and they don't offer anything what could be considered their trade mark. Anyway, I find their approach on Sickness very good and I like how they mix all those genres, from post punk, gothic rock, metal, hard core, classic rock, indie rock..., into one exqusite harmony of sounds.
As soon as the album starts with punkish beginning of "Shinning Monday" and then proceeds into heavily distorted metalized and melodic refrain we get aware that we have an errand with a very mature band. Here are a lot of songs in the vein of this one, where punk elements perfectly shed into melodic gothic metal lines, like on "Twins Of Misery" or The Clash meets End Of Green in "It Makes Me Sick". Melancholic goth rock tunes like "Miss Trust" or beautiful "Kill The Secret" with it's nice guitar solo and captivating melodies, then semi ballad "Between Us", are the highlights of this album. "Vomit Faces" or "The Town" are classic indie rock tunes with darker tone in the vein of Editors or Interpol, then again we could hear some Joy Division, The Cure or even stoner rock ala Queens Of The Stone Age and even instrumental parts that are familiar with what Katatonia are doing today in some sections. Yes, a large palete of references could be found on Sickness. Album ends with another great track "Sickness", which brings again in front the best of what this band is capable in it's haunting conclusion that again reminds of German End Of Green. The vocals of singer and lead guitarist Nico are adding a lot of dynamics to the sound with its deep and low baritone vocal style. Bass lines are strong and sometimes are forming really memorable and captivating drive together with Juliens drumming. Production is not too clean, it gives another bond with punk essence of Joy/Disaster, although if you ask me I would prefer stronger and cleaner one.
Joy/Disaster on Sickness did a good job. Some songs could be missed as they work just like fillers ("Aeroplane") and are probably meant to detain old fans of the band. Still, there is a lot of good music to enjoy among those fifteen tracks and I strongly recommend this album to everybody who finds in the above mentioned references something for himself. Sickness offers a lot to discover, it's not monotone and it has a lot of amazing tracks that will for sure find a lot of new fans.
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 8/10
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