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Band: Cryogenica
Album title: From The Shadows
Release date: 25 October 2014
Label: Self-Released
Tracklist:
01. Together
02. Insanitorium
03. Lord Of The Flies
04. Solitude
05. The Preacher
06. Something Said
07. Intrusion
08. No Regrets
09. To The Sky
10. Self-Made Man
11. The Choice
11. 4am [Bonus]
12. Logic [Bonus]
13. Silhouette [Bonus]
14. Self Made Man (radio edit) [Bonus]
15. Intrusion (stolen guitars remix) [Bonus]
UK's electro/goth rockers Cryogenica are back with their third full-lenght album, almost three years after the self-titled album and 2010's Re-Animation. The band started their path back in 2006 under the name I Am No One, back then they've released one album and then in 2008 changed the name into like it's today - Cryogenica. They gained quite a reputation in the underground goth circles, mostly because of some well noticed live shows and many remixes they did so far. The band finds their main influences in the goth, industrial, electronic and rock waters, being considered by many as kind of a mix between Killing Joke, Nine Inch Nails and Siouxsie Sioux, whilst they're still adding some of their own, quite modern note and character.
Those who are familiar with their previous outputs and liked the music will for sure fall on the knees for From The Shadows. Not so many things have changed and Cryogenica are following the delineated path beside adding a bit more of groove and density into the sound, maybe there's some more melody to be found in certain sections of the songs. While there's often present a gloomy psychedelic feeling and thundering heavy guitar riffs come to the surface quite a lot of times, all of the songs follow the same route. Beside heavy reverberate industrial beats, danceable new wave electronic sequences, deep bass lines, here and there additions of more atmospheric soothing shoegaze elements, spiced with gothic rock and distorted heavy guitar riffs, everything is still sounding too much artificial after all. A good thing that certainly gives a lot of plus points are powerful, deep, dark, just a bit 80s smelling and if needed emotive Carina's vocals, but unfortunately neither she can show all of her potential and I've got a feeling like she's being traped somewhere in the mellow and most of the times strict song structures that on majority of the tracks doesn't allow, so to speak, any fresh air. Still her voice plays a nice role by balancing just fine the sound when more aggressive instrumental part comes forward.
There's still a lot of good stuff on From The Shadows... Tracks such are nicely building "Lord Of The Flies" and "Solitude", then groovy "Intrusion" and danceable "To The Sky" are quite intriguing and are offering interesting and catchy melodies, but also heavily distorted and almost apocalyptic industrial crusher "Self Made Man" does reach the necessary impact. But the best is yet to come with the last one, atmospheric and vibrant "The Choice", and three bonuses, the amazing dark rollercoaster "4am", doomy "Logic" and balladic "Silhouette", with their more atmospheric approach and some sparkly segments are maybe the best thing this release offers.
From The Shadows is an album of many contrasts, but it misses the point of venturing further with too much mellow and repetitive stances, and even when the band reaches kind of surprisingly good mood in the tracks they are soon able to ruin it with unnecessary complications, especially when trying to unleash as much possible crammed sound. Maybe that's because of the production which doesn't really work in the favour of the tracks by trying to be at the same time blasting and rich, but instead of that it's too often giving a feeling of some kind of a jumble of instruments. Cryogenica could do it better, and even though I still believe that the songs present on this album could be a blast when played live.
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 6,5/10
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