Atrocity – Werk 80 II (2008)

It has been 4 years since we last heard anything from the band Atrocity. The German based band from Ludwigsburg has over 20 years of experience and is mainly known for their pretty typical gothic and goth rock music. More than ten years after the release of Werk 80, Atrocity try to recapture the 80s once more with the second installment in the series. The main idea behind the project is to rerecord popular songs from the 80s with a goth rock sound. Sounds simple enough and it seems to work.

Werk 80 II includes 12 songs and starts out with the really good cover of “People Are People” by Depeche Mode, followed by the equally good “Smalltown Boy” by Bronski Beat. The most original cover on the record is however “Relax” by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. It’s the only track that is performed in a really original way and not only covered with a guitar in the background. The orchestral background and the growls create the impression that there was actually some rewriting involved in this cover version. “The Sun Always Shines On TV” (A-ha) and the famous “Don’t You Forget About Me” (Simple Minds) are also among the highlights of this album. The worst song is probably “Forever Young” by Alphaville because Alexander Krull’s voice is not made for such solo parts. It sounds weak and ruins the song.

What disappoints me a bit about this record is that most of the cover versions are pretty unoriginal. Sure they use keyboard samples, orchestral sounds, and choirs along with the really good female singer, but it still feels like they just play the songs with electric guitars and don’t change much along the way. Listening to the originals will leave you with the same pleasure as Werk 80 II does. On the other hand this could be seen as a plus. If you love the 80s and can’t get enough of the music, you can probably buy this record without any regrets. The Special Edition includes the bonus track “Feels Like Heaven” originally performed by Fiction Factory. If you want both Werk 80 I+II you can also get them in a combi digipack at the moment.

Official Page

Myspace Page

6.5/10

cnspiracy

~ by cnspiracy on May 8, 2008.