The long awaited album of Serpents turns out to be a double album, none less but 35 jewels (remixes included)! This is simply the best! Fans of old school EBM can only dream of this kind of massive high quality tracks! Fans of old school EBM tracks will simply party and lick their fingers! Spread the words!
I must say that the EBM scene didn’t deliver much good things lately, it was more or less becoming more of the same. It all changed a bit watching Akalotz, Lescure 13, Plastic Noise Experience, Gaytron and more recently Serpents on stage … You can figure out that Claus and Kazim are in my eyes a bit the saviors of the EBM scene of these days! The only sad thing is that in my eyes Serpents didn’t get the needed and totally granted attention from the press, it seems as if the underground scene wanted to keep this one as a hidden chest!
With this double album it all has to change and it starts really perfect with old school EBM My life being (I enjoyed the mysterious start and the up tempo lift after the intro), Resistance (the harsh voice gives it a bit of a Skinny Puppy touch) whilst the title track State of War is perfect for the dancefloor and gigs: feel the energy! The roaring sound on I am near announces more good things, the upcoming of the new hit called Violence for example (a must have for DJ’s)! This one could also be the new Lescure 13!Inside I a bit softer, but still open for the dancefloor. My heart will beat again has this slow old school EBM touch and something mysterious. Lyrically it feels a bit like a Spartan coming back to life, almost like a zombie: hunting on its own tempo for your heart!
Undefined unknown desire reminds me bit of the old school Suicide Commando (believe me it’s not only because of the title), with that typical touch from Claus and Kazim and thus yet another highlight on this one. Your master has a higher tempo and sounds like uncompromised old school EBM, a jewel for the fans of this genre! You Hide starts with some bleeps and a roaring synth, almost as if it was a cold wave track from the 80’s with some Kraftwerk in it and some industrial until the vocals rips the peace out of it and that’s already the last of the regular tracks!
Clause worked on some PNE remixes for this double album first one is his version of Resistance (and yeah: I already heard this version). It’s clear that Claus knows what he does and makes us sweat during this one (or you must be a stone). K-Factor remixes State of War, but the original is stronger. You can describe it as a cold industrogression remix. The cyber remix of Violence is a first class dancefloor filler! So Dj’s: what are you gonna do? Play that one!
My heart will beat again gets a rebuilt done by Psychic Force and I must admit it’s not the strongest track out of the remixes, it’s a bit too slow, however I like the mysterious vibe and the 80’s retro touch (on top of the original). ADkeY worked on Your Master giving it a slower tempo and more bleeps (more into Kraftwerk). There is also the PYRROLINE remix of Resistance adding real drums and some special effects together with a D.A.F.-touch, not bad at all. Astma ads nothing special to my life my being, but maybe I’m simply not a fan of Astma.
After these remixes we get the next party. Fans can now finally get the disc (as this one was only available via the digital formula): Immer Voran! (2010)! All these tracks are sung in German, but that doesn’t harm the quality for me (It’s not my native language). First track Steh Auf is a pretty good Dark Electro track with a good rhythm and interesting beats. I can even imagine people dancing during this one. Komm noch naeher (v 2015) is another smasher: feel the EBM vibe and the deep bass! Yet another dancefloor filler! Immer Voran (v2015) reminds me a bit of the audio shockwaves used during the great movie Pacific Rim. It leaves the same kind of shockwaves, so at least it’s at the same level. Folge Mir creates more EBM fun, old school but very effective! Don’t stand still, sweat it out! It’s the dictator of great music that makes you dance! Erwache is a slower one with an hypnotic synth and some computer animated vocals. Glaub an mich is a bit faster, with more beats. Zeig Dich chases us back to the dancefloor, it feels more like a PNE track, don’t ask me why. Wer bist du (v2015) feels very mysterious and very retro. It sounds a bit strange, but I like it the way it is. It has something poetic, mixed with electro/ambient sounds. Waehle sounds very interesting, but I have no clue what it means. The beats are great and moves us all into dancing! Erinnere Dich sounds very retro and very industrial. It feels like old stuff mixed with new stuff (a real drum versus old synth?).
After this we get more extra’s. First one is Das Zweite Lebe (v2015, from the album Terminal Breath): another bomb track! Feel the beats and dance! Soundwise it’s very hypnotic and a bit into repetition, but it works! Wings of Darkness (original mix) is very interesting and sounds a bit more into dark wave. Five PNE remixes follow and concludes with these pearls: ‘Erwache’ (it gets’ a lift and sounds great), ‘Kill What Kills You’ (I adore the live version, but this album version is also great, just as the lyrics and as far as it concerns me: one of the best tracks ever!), ‘Killer Agency’ (another great and very hypnotic version with a great live on stage vibe) and ‘Protection’ (feels a bit like the old school PNE, with great vocals and sung in English, enjoy the industrial and clubby feel). The last tracks are 3 coming from the album Terminal Breath. As last one we close it down with the previously unreleased track ‘Second Life’ (it sounds very close to The Neon Judgement, with a more robotic and EBM kind of a sound, very into party time and very catchy! I wander why it has never been released before, seen the quality of this one!).
Yeah: it was a double KO! No need to give it points! It’s a must have for old school EBM lovers or fans of PNE and Serpents! I simply enjoyed the trip and took my time to review it and enjoy it even more, so I hope the fans will follow and spread the word!
