REVIEWS

Buy this album from Amazon.com

Seabound
No Sleep Demon V2.0

Metropolis Records

Posted: Thursday, March 23, 2006
By: Ilker Yucel
Editor

Thanks to record labels like Cleopatra and Metropolis, as well as a number of independent labels and distribution over the Internet, there is a growing number of European bands making music available in the United States that was previously unreleased here. This seems especially true of German synthpop bands such as And One and Melotron, both of which are making their back catalog more readily available this side of the Atlantic. Now, Seabound joins the ranks with the release of No Sleep Demon V2.0. A new version of their 2001 debut album, the album is chockfull of throbbing electro bass lines and simple yet effective drumbeats a la Martin Vorbrodt, and catchy lyrics and melodies that are delivered soulfully by Frank Spinath.

From the onset of the first track, "Smoke," there is no denying that this is some good old-fashioned make-no-apologies synthpop. With some chimed ambience to start the song off, the pulsing bass and thumping beats give way to a chord progression, which could have been lifted from any Depeche Mode album if not for a dissonant pad sound that provides a musical counterpoint to keep it from sounding too familiar. "Travelling" was originally the kickoff single for the album in 2001, and listening to it again in 2004, it's easy to see why. Despite its suspicious misspelling, the song is a perfect club hit, with enough beat changes and synth flourishes to inspire some snakelike bodily movements. "Exorcize" is a noteworthy track due to its extremely catchy chorus, questionable and religiously offensive samples, and electronics that could cause the casual listener to mistake them for VNV Nation. "Dunnocks," and "Cowards" are perhaps the closest to industrial dance this album with get, with some harsh and varying beats coupled with some distorted synths and some not-so-simple arrangements.

With three bonus tracks tacked on to this new edition of the album, including a vocal version of the instrumental "Avalost," which is almost identical except for the extended length and the presence of vocals. Neither version is really more acceptable than the other; the vocals are not unwelcome, but they do not add anything to the song that was previously needed. Similarly, the new track "Day of the Century" does not present anything particularly special to add to the overall album. Also included is a remix of "Hooked," replacing a club groove for the original's more industrial dance leanings. Seabound showed promise with the original debut of No Sleep Demon, and with two more albums under their belt on the Metropolis label, this new version of No Sleep Demon brings the band full circle to start making more waves in the American synthpop market. It does its part to push past the banality of most synthpop, while still having its feet firmly planted in the genre's groundwork. With more and more bands taking the futurepop route and blending genres for the sake of variety, Seabound seem to be getting it right.