Customer Reviews

Equlibrium

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I stumbled onto Girls Under Glass when I was searching for music like clan of Xymox's down-tempo masterpieces. I have to say that Girls Under Glass did not disappoint. Favourite tracks are: Radioaktivat, Hidden Track II, and Roses of Death.

Equilibrium is the U.S. issue of Girls Under Glass' 1999 album of the same title, out on the Van Richter Records label. The album includes the original 9 tracks, plus a cover of Kraftwerk's "Radioaktivitat" by the Girls Under Glass side-project Trauma, as well as two additional hidden tracks. The first track, "Roses of Death", sets the tempo for the album - slow, melodic and definitely falling somewhere between goth-rock and goth-metal. The mixture of male and female vocals on this album is quite a change from the previous album, Firewalker, a very hard-edged industrial inspired album. The interplay of guitar/bass/drums and electronics is well done, with the electronics not overpowering, but complimenting the rest of the sound, such as the song "New World Order". "Wings" and Future Assault" are some of the catchier songs, and "Desire Lasts Forever" has a unique, electronic vocal style that is refreshing. Equilibrium is a much mellower album than earlier works. The songs are well crafted, diverse, and stand the test of time, having been produced nearly seven years ago. This album would be a welcome addition to anyone who enjoys goth-rock/darkwave music with a bit of a metal edge to it

While this album was originally released in Europe in
1999, for many readers and listeners this is the first
time hearing this album. However, even if you happen
to have or have heard the original, this album
features three extra tracks that did not appear on the
original that might make it worth picking up for the
die-hard fan. But the main reason for this release is
to bring the excellent music contained therein to the
N. American audience, and the music on this album is
definitely worth having. The first question I ask when
I hear about a new album from this group is "what
music style do they use on this album?" because it
varies so much from one to another. Almost as a break
from the grinding harshness of Firewalker which was
the previous release to this album, the band really
uses a mellow tone and goes back to their gothic and
dark wave roots. "Roses of Death" kicks off the album
with a myriad of subtle electronics setting a very
somber mood that quickly gives way to the powerful,
mid-tempo percussion and grinding guitars that is
really such an integral part of their sound. The
emotional element runs deep throughout this album as
portrayed in this opening track that sets the tone and
overall mood of the entire album. Gothic ballads are
pieces that have long been favorites of mine and as
the album winds on through an emotional roller coaster
there are plenty of these ballads to please fans.
Pieces like "Protean Dream" really express this
overall feeling and put the female vocals of Jenny
Kahler in the forefront which is something that
appeared a little more often in their earlier years,
but never quite so prominent as on this release. With
tracks like "Love Is" and "It's You", it's easy to
tell the theme of these tracks and that these help to
form the moody and somber elements of this album.
While the overall mood remains somber throughout the
album, there are several tracks that pick up the
intensity and on a few of them even pick up the pace
to a dance-friendly beat. It's not just the dance beat
that sets these tracks apart as favorites, but the
overall moving and melodic nature that I really enjoy.
"Is This the Place" is the first of these that really
stands out in my mind with a nice harmony between
Volker and Jenny's vocals along with a great beat and
a perfect blend of the stand-out guitars and
electronics that easily identify this group. "Wings"
is another favorite with a great moving beat and
soaring vocals that form such a sweet tapestry and
foundation to this album. As the album starts to wind
down (and the finale on the original album), "Desire
Lasts Forever" is an incredible piece that I've been
enjoying since the appearance on the Frozen EP. The
somber moods are punctuated by the grinding guitars
and incredible climax that's reached through vocoded
vocals along with deep piano, synth and angelic vocal
accents. At this point we're left with the three bonus
tracks on the album. The first of these is actually by
the side-project Trauma and is a cover of the
legendary electronic artists Kraftwerk's track
"Radioaktivitat". This rendition takes the
spatialization to new levels with a myriad of
electronics to form a cross between sci-fi ambient and
dark wave. Carrying on in the somber moods of the
album we're left with two untitled tracks, the first
in something of a gothic ballad fashion and the last
and finale to the album delving back into a subtle
ambient mood that leaves the listener floating through
the ether. With that another great work is finished
and we're left with another masterpiece and for many
of us I'm sure will get many hours of play for years
to come.

Girls Under Glass- Equilibrium is Darkwave masterpiece. Ranging from floor stomping dance tracks to melancholic balads, Equilibrium offers up something for Industrial and Goth fans alike. Standout tracks are "New World Order", "Wings", and "Desire Lasts Forever", as wells as an enthralling Kraftwerk cover!