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Band: 2 Love Or 2 Hate
Album title: Pain Illusion
Release date: 17 October 2014
Label: Danse Macabre
Tracklist:
01. Bow Down
02. Now I Know
03. Ruin
04. Mind F#**K
05. Whats Left To Say
06. Blow Up Doll
07. Heaven And Hell
Sometimes the expectations of some albums are just to high and when such a weak thing like it's 2 Love Or 2 Hate's debut album gets served the disappointment can't be bigger. 2 Love Or 2 Hate is the new band formed by David Buyense and Nevea Siren, then later joined by a long time live-bassist of London After Midnight, Michael Areklett. On Pain Illusion Michael plays guitar and gets accompanied by David on vocals and synths, plus Nevea as well occasionally behind the microphone. Unfortunately the chemistry in here simply doesn't work out and their blend of electro-industrial, synthwave and gothic rock simply is..., easiest to say boring, uninspired and too much confusing.
Pain Illusion is an album with thankfully short running time just above 30 minutes, and believe me or not those 30 minutes are a huge waste of your time. The band is trying to mix elements of Nine Inch Nails, IAMX, Bauhaus, Einsturzende Neubauten, Christian Death and many other artists, plus making it consciously or unconsiously rather psychedelic, actually it doesn't really matter because in here almost nothing makes sense. There's no cohesive thread, no drive, simply nothing that could suck you into their music, and above all the instrumental side is so very unballanced for most of the time. Maybe only the last two tracks, "Blow Up Doll" with its rather perverse erotic vibe, and a little bit more coherent goth/industrial/wave experiment "Heaven And Hell" makes the things only just to say tasty. Ok, to tell the truth also "Now I Know" has quite strong goth-industrial impact, but even here those unneeded sci-fi/cyber elements make it too much scatty. Otherwise all those scattered around sounds of psyched out guitars, inconspicuous synths and simple chaotic beats are in no harmony at all. If you've expected some cool danceable rhythms or at least some catchy melodies then you'll be very disappointed, because even when they get on the track it's sooner or later everything lost in mediocrity.
2 Love Or 2 Hate are a fine example that not always big names are a guarantee for quality. Add here also very average production, strange mix and tedious artwork, and the result is one hell of a dull release. There's so much better goth/industrial/electronic/... music out there that you simply don't need this in your collection.
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 3/10
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