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Artist: NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND
Album: Crossing The Rubicon
Year: 2009
Spain is rather known for its bullfighting, tapas, paella, churros and siestas than for it's (industrial) metal scene. Though - bands such as Blood, Code Name and Krell already have proven before that there's something hidden in the Spanish air that can give its residents a lot of talent to produce some. Notes From Underground is the next one in line that could prove this statement. This four-piece was born in 2007 as a solo project first, but when live activity was approaching it turned into the full band it is today. 'Crossing The Rubicon' is the debut album of this group, released in 2009 by the German label AF Music.
'Phoenix Uprising' comes with tight industrial metal riffing, diverse wicked drumming and wellfitting sampling and vocal lines. It has a nice rhytm that makes you want to start moving right away. 'War' is built on a spine of wave tunes, bringing in bashing rhytms and repetative keylines and sampling while absorbing excellent clean vocals and steady wellplaced riffing. Some people might remember this track from the mighty F**k Em All Volume 4 compilation. 'Be Like You' mixes elements from darkwave and future pop with a straight forward electro rock attitude and a catchy chorus. Overall the song is powerful though accessable. 'Another Time, Another Place' features simple though powerful riffing, welladded sampling and the best drumming of the release. The experimental approach of the repetative keylines give the song a dark atmosphere. 'Diagnosis' has tight riffing that matches excellently with the powerful drumming and recogniseable vocal lines. The song also hides (very very) tiny influences from out of the breakbeat corner. 'Game' is a dark electro rock song hiding strong wave influences. It has a nicely moving rhytm, dark sampling and keylines and nearly sing-a-long sticky vocal lines. 'Deadend' is built on a spine of bashing drums and loud keylines, while beeing decorated with diverse guitarwork and dark diverse vocal lines. One of the best composed tracks on the album. 'Outta Hell (A Long Hard Road)' comes up next. It features darkwave keylines, bashing drums and wellfitting riffing. The vocal lines are recogniseable and sticky. 'Heaven in Hell' is another gently moving track, coming with tight drumming and riffing and repetative sampling and vocal lines, to be followed by 'Fraud'. It's a gently bashing electro metal track absorbing darkwave keylines and influences. The release ends with 'Greed'. This track turns out to be a bashing midtempo electro metal track with Rammstein alike riffing, wellplaced keylines and an accessible attitude overall. As a bonus this CD brings you 9 remixes, one better than another, including some big names in the scene. Specially the Front Line Assembly and Die Krupps remixes are worth listening.
The short song formula (none of the songs are over four minutes, if we don't count in the remixes, and over half of the songs aren't even over three minutes) turns out to be a major win for Notes From Underground. All the songs are decently built and wellproduced and share a passion for accessibility. 'Crossing The Rubicon' is an album filled with short, straight forward electro rock/(dark)wave tracks that each have it's own identity and rises from effectivity. Keep an eye on this band, I know I will!
Vote: 97 / 100
Review by: Gerardo
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1. Phoenix Uprising
2. War
3. Be Like You
4. Another Time, Another Place
5. Diagnosis
6. Game
7. Deadend
8. Outta Hell (A Long Hard Road)
9. Heaven in Hell
10. Fraud
11. Greed
12. Game [remix by Die Krupps]
13. Greed [remix by Das Ich]
14. War [remix by En Esch (Ex-KMFDM, Pigface, Slick Idiot)]
15. Deadend [remix by William Faith (Faith & The Muse)]
16. Game [remix by Adrian White (Front Line Assembly, Silent Alarm)]
17. Greed [remix by Melt (Ex-Icon Of Coil)]
18. War [remix by Ulf Häusgen (Ex-The Fair Sex) & Tim Schuldt]
19. Deadend [remix by Matter]
20. Game [remix by Digital 21]
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