V/A – Voltage II: electronic vivisection

Not everyone knows that Johan van Roy (Suicide Commando) has an own label, called COde Products. As you could expect, this label focuses mainly on dark electro sounds. Until recently Code only released tapes, from bands/projects like Frames a Second, Lescure 13 and Stin Scatzor. There also appeared an interesting compilation tape called Voltage, with the aforemementioned bands but also with Monolith, Hypnoskull and others. COde is now working together with Possessive Blindfold Recordings, which enables them to release on cd format. Their new compilation is called Voltage II-electronic vivisection.

This cd brings together some of the finest names of dark electro. Bands like Hocico, Aghast View and Suicide Commando itself contribute good tracks, taken from recent releases. It’s always hard to judge a compilation, you can never like everything on it, but I must say, most tracks on this cd are of good quality. Of course a sampler is more special when it contains some previously unreleased material, luckily this is the case with Voltage II. The highlight for me is perhaps the track “Religion” by Belgian band Mildreda. They already convinced me live a few times with powerful danceable electro, but they haven’t released an album yet, as far as I know. Also strong is the contribution from Swiss band Sleepwalk, who in the past were on the now deceased Celtic Circle label, but who recently have returned with new material. I also like the mid-tempo track by Pain Station. The only problem some of the bands on this album have is that they don’t really have an own sound. Infact for example does sound like decent electro, but they stay very close to the Suicide Commando example.

artist: V/A
label: Code/Possessive Blindfold
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