Artist: Ad Inferna
Title: Trance:N:Dance
Type: Album
Label: Dreamcell11 Entertainment

Harsh EBM, Gothic Metal, and Black Metal vocals, it sounds like it really shouldn't work but as we all know The Kovenant, The CNK, and T3chn0ph0b1a have been peddling this blend with some degree of success for a few years now in different forms, though all similarly keeping to the metal structure while using the electronics heavily but still as embellishments.

Ad Inferna seem to becoming at it from a different angle – the songs feature the heavy electronics in a more central role, but the metal guitars don't seem to have been an afterthought either. This is surprising to me because the first Ad Inferna album L’Empire Des Sens fell very comfortably into the Melodic Black Metal drawer. Basically what I'm getting at is, this is pretty much 50/50 Electronic Body Music and Metal... it's EBMetal...

First thing is first. This is one of those albums that is either going to hit the nail on the head or go back to the drawing board. At first listen, the albums opener – a cover of 'Fade to Grey' by Visage sounds more like the worst fears confirmed – it sounds terribly bland despite being recorded as an obvious “summing up” of the band's manifesto. However the second track 'Metamorphose' ticks the box nicely sounding like a cross between ASP and The CNK - it would have been better as the album's opener in my humble opinion. 'Redemption' falls more into the harsh EBM category opting for bare and dark electronic treatments for a more dance floor orientated track – one to appeal to neon wool-dread-extension wearers. 'SM for SM' returns to the structure of 'Metamorphose' to whip up something that might make drive you to try to “big box, little box' as you simultaneously head bang. A song title like 'Suicide Girl' these days really does smack of unoriginal thinking and the song itself does feel a little familiar with a diet Ooomph! aura about it – or maybe its just that one very prominent late 90's Apop/VNV synth sound that is used throughout. 'Transcender L'extase' is one of the more interesting songs on the album with it's tempo shifts and dominant Black Metal via an EBM remix sense – I'm guessing this one would transfer to the live circuit really well. 'Vertige' is a rather good dance floor track that seems to be a few years too late for the original cyber-goth bandwagon of the late 90's, though I'm sure there still are plenty of DJ's that will give this a few spins. The official closing track, 'You As My Own Drug' has a very Neue Deutsche Härte edge to it that recalls acts like Letzte Instanz and Megaherz by way of a strong dance beat. For good measure the band have tacked on some remixes of 'Vertige', 'Transcender L'extase', and 'Redemption'– some good (such as Combichrist's remix of 'Vertige'), and some not so good (such as Soman's remix of 'Transcender L'extase').

Overall it is a bold album that is very much geared towards shaking up the band's image and asserting itself anew. The musicianship is without a doubt very good, and the songs are well performed and produced. That said the track list is still very hit and miss – when the band get it right they get it very right... but when they get it wrong the might as well be faceless EBM hangers-on from yesteryear. If you're feeling brave I'd check this out, especially if you are into NDH, Industrial Metal, and Industrial Black Metal – but keep in mind it is more dance orientated than your usual fare – if that’s not your bag then avoid.

http://www.adinferna.com

Sean M. Palfrey

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