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 POPGEFAHR
mAndroids
Rage
What Love Is All About
Time To Be Alive
Plastic Heart
Be A Light To Yourself
Ready To Die
Flash Of Life
Twisted Story
Until The End Of Time
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Here are our 2 reviews of the upcoming album POPGEFAHR
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Well after a few days listening it over and over here is my review.
For my first listening, I have to admit that I wasn't immediatly that impressed. The first thing I only notice was its homogeneity, the fact that all the songs were good and indeed very electronic ! As a matter of fact, POPGEFAHR looks really like NOOB for the way it sounds, but don't get me wrong POPGEFAHR kicks NOOB ass so far... In fact POPGEFAHR JUST KICKS ASS. The more I listen to this album the more I love it.
I was not very a fan of NOOB, I like its electro sound but I always found something was missing in it, I often found that the verses were absolutely awesome but the chorus didn't follow as well. I found NOOB missed memorable chorus with melodies that can't get out of your head, although there were some exceptions like "The Far Side Of The Moon". Well POPGEFAHR erase that statement, D/V's melodies are at their best.
The name of the album is POPGEFAHR and yes it really suits its name it's really good pop music. The sound is very far from albums like 6 Feet Underground or VOID which had a rougher sound with experimental or distorted synth sounds even if there are still some in background. The synths sound is highlighting clean synth sound this time, the albums that are closest to POPGEFAHR are NOOB of course and Devolution, but they're not as good as D/V new baby. The only thing that I could reproach to this album is the fact that 10 songs feel like it's short, 1 or 2 songs more would have been great. But anyway the 10 songs presented are all very good songs, I think they are all what a De/Vision Fan could expect:
First mAndroids, this song is just a perfect way to begin the album, great rythm, full of energy, very entertaining. It's a very danceable song like it was the case of NOOB's "Flavour Of The Week". The chorus is immediatly in your head. De/Vision asked what song would be next single, well my answear is mAndroids, this song is just kicking asses.
By the way... it is hard to choose for a next single, every track has the potential to be the next one.
Rage, deserved to be the first single, I ever reviewed it last week. I still prefer the extended version of the single, hope they will do it this way live ! However, I find this track is not very representative of the whole album, Time To Be Alive is more close to POPGEFAHR in its globality.
What Love Is All About, is a slower track comparing to mAndroids and Rage. It's a beautiful song, its global atmosphere make me thinking of the "Subkutan" Era.
Time To Be Alive is ever reviewed before, this version got's a better break at the end with the "No it's the time" with the vocoder. You can still hear it @ +welt myspace I think.
Plastic Heart sounds very pop ! The verses will make you believe you hear Steffen at the beginning of D/V like in Unversed In Love for example. The chorus is a little retro as well and makes me think a little of old DM sounds or And One. It would be my 2nd choice for a single I think.
Be A Light To Yourself, is a sweet song like we are used to with D/V, the chorus is very mellifluous, very beautiful.
Ready To Die, is the roughest of the album. Steffen sings a bit with anger in it. This song is very entertaining the "mmhh mmhh, haaa haaa" are just unforgetable !
Flash Of Life... Did I ever say my second choice for the next single?... oh F*©K ! This one deserved it as well. This song is just wow, the rythm, the melodies which are very emotional, which goes on and on with the end.
Twisted Story, it seems this song is one of the favorites of the listeners if I consider the poll for the next single. Well it's a great song, it has something retro that I can't explain. This song might be the one I like the less from the album, so I guess I've got shitty tastes :D
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Now... Until The End Of Times... This song is just... "magnifique". What a perfect way to end the album. A very atmospheric song, very emotive, very dark, an unforgetable melody for the chorus that's gonna break your heart deeply. The way this song ends is awesome, with an hypnotic beat that deeply goes you to the end.
Well the only thing you want after this is to push 1 in order to listen it over and over again.
This Album (with a big A) is BIG, such as "Monosex", or "Fairyland". Even if I'm a fan of their "progressive pop" era (6 Feet or Subkutan) I have been totally smitten with POPGEFAHR with its "pure electronic" sound. DE/VISION are coming back at their best, not only musically but Steffen singing is awesome all way long. This is amazing that after more than 20 years De/Vision has still the inspiration to offer here one of their greatest album ever !
mAndroids ***
Rage ***
What Love Is All About **½
Time To Be Alive **½
Plastic Heart **½
Be A Light To Yourself **½
Ready To Die **
Flash Of Life **½
Twisted Story **
Until The End Of Time ***
GLOBAL: **½ almost ***
Bareme:
0 --> :<
* --> :/
*½ --> OK, Good
** --> Good, I like it
**½ --> Very Good, I like it much
*** --> Best songs of all time !
By Kal
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I was warned that the main-title of this album spoke for itself. Popgefahr is pop… well ok… but be careful it could touch you and smash your "Plastic-Heart". For me it's DE/VISION at its best. I used to love their releases with more guitars and acoustic stuff, but honestly, I don't miss it that much on Popgefahr. The band is bringing something new and I can't really compare this album with any other from their discography. All the power of DE/VISION's songs is inside. I mean : songs about love, feelings, everyday-life with perfect catchy melodies, atmospheric-synth, pure recognizable voice, well settled vocoders and brilliant vibes. Let's board this roller coaster…
Popgefahr goes on with the ass-kicking and engaging track called "mAndroids". It's not a habit, listening to that kind of lyric for a DE/VISION's song. But, yey, this is a perfect blame for today's world : "Ye ye ye ye yes, We are all automatic, remote-controlled, we are mandroids, poor mandroids". All said with a massive-bass line (and nice kicks at the end). A brilliant way to began an album.
Then, "Rage" (chosen track for the single release) is one of the most smashing tracks ever released by the band. Groovy beat, massive-bass line again and 'non-habit' angry lyrics : "Last night, I'd killed you in my dream ; Today, I'm gonna make it real". One of their best singles ever released (compared to last ones).
"What's love is all about", the first 'cry from the heart' song. Hell yeah, I'm really touched about this song. Melancholic sounds do everything. Huge and typical atmosphere on this track. One of my faves.
"Time to be alive" is the best way for drying your eyes after such pressure. So you just have to move on and shout "Hey mate, now it's the time to be alive !". Dancable and quite melancholic. The "break" is pleasurable (to be polite). Again a huge track.
"Plastik heart" is just a matter of beautiful melodies and a brilliant way to wake-up. Nothing like the track "Heart of stone" from their "Monosex" album except for the topic.
"Be a light to yourself" really brings you life and energy (before going underground… huh… SO KIND !) by its beautiful lyrics again and atmospheric sounds. Massive chorus !
You'd better be strong, 'cause they are ready to kill you (as they say it).
"Ready to die" is a kicki-ass,rocking track. On this track you can recognize a gimmick from another (huge) band. I'm sure you're gonna recognize it !
With "Flash of life", as I warned you, you're boarding a roller coaster. It seems to be an innocent track from the beginning by its friendly melodies… but it's a backstabber. All a matter of lyrics… "See you in an another life".
Then "Twisted story", a nettlesome track again ! A beautiful raging track with huge melodic chorus and break. Steffen's voice at its best ! I've never heard DE/VISION as angry as that ! The track finishes like a twisted story end : a kick in your face, you can hand-bang with these beats, synthetic guitars and bass-line again… huh ! A high-sensed single for me…
For closing all of this "Until the end of the time"… all begins with a "break with the past, this time I will make it last" and atmospheric sounds… it just turns your hunger off and brings you crying once again. Such beautiful melodies as DE/VISION got the secret with a low-beat end.
After all of this and as a child with a roller coaster, you want more… you put the album on once again.
For me, one of the best DE/VISION albums ever.
by FFKR
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