Customer Reviews

Collapse & Sever

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

with the considerable talent that Clint Sand and Victoria Lloyd both have within their own realms, this combination of their two styles is kind of like painting over something without using primer; they dont stick... Victoria's vocals have definitely been better. Her work on Claire Voyant is fabulous, but here she seems too stretched, almost whiny. And the programming, although it definitely has its good moments, is a bit sparse. Overall, it sounds like they got the idea to work together, and maybe they tried too hard to make it fit. It is good music, but there is something slightly unsatisfying about it. Even in Assemblage 23's remix of 'riveted' it seems as though the extraordinarily talented Tom Shear could not seem to improve the track.

Taking maybe the best ethereal vocalist around today and backing her with some great EBM type electronics is a recipie for a successful album. and Mono Chrome's debut "Collapse and Sever" certainly delivers that. There is a melodic and often soothing quality to these songs and a sublime and excellent vocals and lyrics which are very seldom seen in the "EBM/Industrial" genre but will be be very familliar to Claire Voyant fans. The result is some very dancable high energy songs which at the same time never sound harsh and abrasive. If you have heard Claire-Voyant's remix album "Time and Again" you will have some idea what to expect from this album. But while "Time and Again" was a very good album, the songs on "Collapse and Sever" have the advantage of being original creations and not reworked songs which originally sounded quite different. comparisons could also be made to the Machine in the Garden and perhaps the Tear Garden's masterful debut "Tired Eyes Slowly Burning" Those who like a high BPM will certainly be energized by tracks "This Life", "Riveted", "Awakened" and "Sold" among others and the absolutely exquisite song "Liquid High" which perhaps best represents the fusion of and tension between grace and engergy on this album."Thunder" has an almost trip-hop feel and the somewhat slower tempo counterpoint "This Death" is a beautiful song which would be very much at home on a recent Claire Voyant album. All tracks on this album are good and most are great. This album is a perfect fusion of grace and technology and the masculine and feminine. It is darkwave at it's absolute finest and will be a definite contender for the best album released in 2004 in my opinion.

I'll admit, this isn't the greatest EBM album ever made but there sure are some highly addictive songs here. I've owned SEVER & COLLAPSE by Mono Chrome for several years now and still have the desire to listen to it from time to time. And, frankly, you can't go wrong with anything Victoria Lloyd (best known for her work with Claire Voyant) is a part of. Blend her ethereal vocals in with the electro-dance beats provided by members of Cut.Rate.Box and you've got yourself a sort of mix of the two groups. There's a great remix of "Riveted" by A23 as well, and "This Death" is a haunting, more mellow counterpart to "This Life" (mostly same lyrics, just different feel).

Overall I found this album to be quite enjoyable.

Ever since I heard "Sold" on a Metropolis Records compilation a few years ago, I have been meaning to buy Mono Chrome's Collapse and Sever cd. I finally got my hands on a copy of the cd and have been listening to it non-stop. Claire Voyant's own Victoria Lloyd provides lead vocals while Clint M. Sand provides the music. It took me several listens for Collapse and Sever to sink in because the music tends to sound the same. The repetitive synth beats unfortunately brings down the cd. The beats are danceable but generic beats that you would hear in most EBM bands. What keeps the music afloat is Victoria's vocals. The production wasn't all that hot but it wasn't terrible either. It certainly could have used some improvement. On the other hand, there were lots of solid pop hooks. My favorite song is both versions of "Riveted". I especially loved Assemblage 23's remixed version. I wished the rest of the cd sounded more like that song. If Victoria and Clint ever made another Mono Chrome cd, I hope that they branch out more musically. I was left a bit unimpressed with Collapse & Sever.

Collapse and Sever is outstanding futurepop with angelic vocals by Lloyd. The programming is very reminiscent of Tom Shear's (Assemblage 23), but it has a flavor that blends very well with the beautifully ethereal female vocals. Lovers of Dead Can Dance to Covenant will appreciate this album. Like Assemblage 23's Storm, every track has a similar feel but enough difference to make it a worthwhile addition to the album.