You can support Terra Relicta by donating! Please, do so, and thank you!
Band: Massive Ego
Album title: Beautiful Suicide
Release date: 17 February 2017
Label: Out Of Line Music
Tracklist:
CD One:
01. Ghost In My Dream (Prologue)
02. Low Life (feat. Maggie K DeMonde)
03. She Uses Sex
04. The Girl Who Finds Gifts From Crows
05. Kate’s In A State
06. Let Go
07. Haters Gonna Hate (feat. Belzebub)
08. For The Blood In Your Veins (feat. Chris Pohl)
09. I Idolize You
10. Out Of Line (feat. Gene Serene)
11. Coldest Light Of Day
12. Where I Find Myself
13. Drag Me In, Drag Me Under
14. Beautiful Suicide
15. I Idolize You (Orchestral Epilogue)
CD Two:
01. Public Disorder
02. Rise
03. Dead Silence Rising
04. Goodbye London
05. Let Go (Blutengel Remix)
06. Let Go (Ashbury Heights Remix)
07. She Uses Sex (Chrom Remix)
08. Kate’s In A State (Ludovico Technique Remix)
09. For The Blood In Your Veins (Nature Of Wires Remix)
10. For The Blood In Your Veins (Ash Code Remix)
11. Drag Me In, Drag Me Under (Neroargento Remix)
The British cult electro band Massive Ego made really a massive album this time. I won't deny that I didn't give much of attention to this band which exists since 1996, but this album quite hooked me, really, I became a bit addicted to it. The album named Beautiful Suicide is believe it or not only the second full-lenght for this band, the debut Nite Klub Skew was released in 2006 after series of singles which were then put together on the compilation album named Master & Servant in 2009. Now we are in front of one of the best, I'll dare to say, dark electro pop albums released lately. The four guys from London put together a double album which is so very versatile and lush, full of electro-pop anthems, actually 19 of them, plus seven remixes.
Massive Ego don't only justify the band name by the massive content of the album, but also with lyrical content which deals with the world where people define themselves through the amount of likes for their newest selfie and where unattainable beauty-standards are created through the means of plastic surgery and photoshopping, yet the band takes a deeper glimpse into the mirror to rediscover the healthy patina beneath the fake facade. Inspired by the personal battles against depression and anxiety, as well as by the suicide of a close friend and ex-bandmate Steady, Beautiful Suicide pairs the cool chic of the New-Romantic movement with a darkly emotional ironic twist. Beautiful Suicide celebrates the glamour while artfully unmasking the dilapidated ugliness behind the glitz.
Musically Massive Ego with this album, which is really professionally done from start to finish, will for sure attract fans of the bands like Depeche Mode, BlutEngel, The Prodigy, VNV Nation, Apoptygma Berzerk, Duran Duran, Marilyn Manson, Sigue Sigue Sputnik and yet I could add here more of them. In the first place I must say that this album is so very dynamic, every single song offers something new, I won't say that it's original, because influences are evident, but believe me that the one who'll try it won't get bored for a second.
Beautiful Suicide opens up nicely with a gothy/ambiental intro "Ghost In My Dream", but what follows is a mix of tracks of which some of them even before the official release of the album became dancefloor hits, like the first single "I Idolize You", or potential captivating hits like "Low Life", originally a collaboration with Empire State Human prior to signing to Out of Line Music, was completely re-recorded for the new album, the new version features backing vocals by Maggie K DeMonde (Scarlet Fantastic), or by Boy George, who is a long standing friend of bands singer Marc Massive, written synthpop with substantial Britpop influence track "Let Go". There are many catchy melodies, strong danceable rhythms and beats that will unconsciously made your feet move with its blend of synthpop, EBM, electro-pop, but the band doesn't stop there and they add a lot of influences from goth, industrial and also symphonic music, just listen for example to one of the most haunting tracks up here, "The Girl Who Finds Gifts From Crows", or to the groovy "Kate’s In A State". As well kind of industrial-electro-punk attack that will appeal to fans of The Prodigy cracks open in "Rise". Throughout very strong and dynamic vocals blend perfectly with electronic samples that nicely enrich the beats and synths are all over offering nice layers of artificial dark ambiance that deepens the whole feeling, for example I was amazed by the gloomy background in "Dead Silence Rising".
Massive Ego on four of the tracks have guest musicians, beside before mentioned Maggie K DeMonde on "Low Life", the German goth/rap artist Belzebub is present on quite violent electro/punk/industrial/rap track "Haters Gonna Hate", which works out like mix between Ost+Front and Marilyn Manson. Then the legendary BlutEngel's mastermind Chris Pohl is guesting on the evidently by Depeche Mode influenced "For The Blood In Your Veins", and Gene Serene, who has collaborated with keyboardist Lloyd Price on his side-project Frixion, on my favorite, maybe the most captivating and one of darkest tracks up here, "Out Of Line". But there's much more to discover, there are plenty of interesting and absolutely worth a mention tracks, but are simply too many for crediting them all. Still, for example I was pleasantly surprised when Massive Ego goes completely solemn on the orchestral version of "I Idolize You", or being partial to some kind of martial industrial on "Public Disorder", something like you'll could expect on an album of Kreuzweg Ost. I don't know why the band decided to remove from the tracklisting the cover of Hazel O'Connor's "Eighth Day", which was recorded for the album and we got it in the promo copies, believe me that it sounds fantastic and I hope that the band will insert it on some editions as a bonus. On the second half of the album, which is available on a deluxe double CD edition you'll find beside four other original songs, seven quite nice remixes done by Blutengel, Ashbury Heights, Chrom, Ludovico Technique, Nature Of Wires, Ash Code and Neroargento.
Beautiful Suicide has all the nozzles to become one of the most important albums released lately in the field of dark-electro-pop music. There are so many potential hits, I can't say that I got bored for a second and believe me that most of recently released electronic music bored me almost to death, of course that there are few shining exceptions. Massive Ego did really a monumental album which is also perfectly produced and mixed. Let Massive Ego guide you beyond the superficialities.
Review written by: T.V.
Rating: 8,5/10
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
