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REVIEWS
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Cruel Division
Es:id
Strange Days (Versions)
Subsequence
Behind
Blue Eyes
Matress
Butterfly Effect
Cell
My Harness
Misery Loves Company
Perspective to Past Sentences
Hommage
Harshrealm
Sleepy Hollow
Blue Eyes (DJ Himuro Remix)
Strange Days (Günter Schulz Remix)
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REVIEWS
Harshrealm
[She/Underwater]
Veronica Records
Posted: Friday, March 23, 2007
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor
Harshrealm unveil their epic sound with an impressive debut, full of angelic atmospheres coupled with blistering industrial rock modes, and punctuated with melodies to die for!
Finally releasing their debut album, [She/Underwater], Harshrealm produce a sound that is as devastating as it is beautiful, with the melodic atmosphere of '80s new wave pop merging seamlessly with the crushing aggression of industrial rock. Their preceding single, [Harshrealm/Strange Days] offered a mere taste of what this group had to offer: layers upon layers of grating guitar textures, searing synthesizers, and vocals that were at once ugly and beatific. With [She/Underwater], we get an even fuller presentation of sound, breaking any preconceived notion of what modern rock music should sound like.
From the single is "Harshrealm," offered here in an alternate mix in which additional synth textures are prevalent and band leader FINN's vocals are punctuated with a punchier tone belying the restrained tone of the original. Still, it's an incredible song, and the perfect example of Harshrealm's epic sound. This style is best typified by tracks like "Cruel Division" with its washes of ringing guitar tones and screeching vocal layers, the slow and eerie "Cell," and the pounding riffs and percussion of "Misery Loves Company." What truly sets Harshrealm apart from other bands of their ilk is their enticing juxtaposition of profound melodies with the aggression, especially in the choruses. That's not to say they're a one-trick pony; the lush maze of guitars and deep synthesizers produce a huge wall of sound that truly impress on "Subsequence," a song that resounds of the band's '80s pop influences, but given an almost psychedelic sheen. The same can be said of "Behind" and "Hommage," while "Blue Eyes" and the appropriately titled "Mattress" lighten the mood even more with beds of angelic ambience and resonating piano tones.
Lending their skills to Harshrealm are En Esch and Günter Schulz of Slick Idiot/ex-KMFDM. En Esch's distinct growl really accentuates the techno rock leanings of "Butterfly Effect" while Schulz's mix of "Strange Days" could easily be a Slick Idiot track if not for the vocals. In the end, Harshrealm's debut album was well worth waiting for. Some English-speaking listeners may find the vocals offsetting, but given the full range of effects used throughout the album, the vocals act as more of an instrumental accompaniment. I'’s never so much the words as much as the emotions they stir... and Harshrealm is full of emotion. Hammering with intensity and exquisiteness, [She/Underwater] is a beautifully produced album, full of enough rage and melody that audience of all nationalities can appreciate.
From the single is "Harshrealm," offered here in an alternate mix in which additional synth textures are prevalent and band leader FINN's vocals are punctuated with a punchier tone belying the restrained tone of the original. Still, it's an incredible song, and the perfect example of Harshrealm's epic sound. This style is best typified by tracks like "Cruel Division" with its washes of ringing guitar tones and screeching vocal layers, the slow and eerie "Cell," and the pounding riffs and percussion of "Misery Loves Company." What truly sets Harshrealm apart from other bands of their ilk is their enticing juxtaposition of profound melodies with the aggression, especially in the choruses. That's not to say they're a one-trick pony; the lush maze of guitars and deep synthesizers produce a huge wall of sound that truly impress on "Subsequence," a song that resounds of the band's '80s pop influences, but given an almost psychedelic sheen. The same can be said of "Behind" and "Hommage," while "Blue Eyes" and the appropriately titled "Mattress" lighten the mood even more with beds of angelic ambience and resonating piano tones.
Lending their skills to Harshrealm are En Esch and Günter Schulz of Slick Idiot/ex-KMFDM. En Esch's distinct growl really accentuates the techno rock leanings of "Butterfly Effect" while Schulz's mix of "Strange Days" could easily be a Slick Idiot track if not for the vocals. In the end, Harshrealm's debut album was well worth waiting for. Some English-speaking listeners may find the vocals offsetting, but given the full range of effects used throughout the album, the vocals act as more of an instrumental accompaniment. I'’s never so much the words as much as the emotions they stir... and Harshrealm is full of emotion. Hammering with intensity and exquisiteness, [She/Underwater] is a beautifully produced album, full of enough rage and melody that audience of all nationalities can appreciate.
