BACKLASH SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME ALBUM MEMENTO MATERIA RELEASE: MARCH 14, 2007 REVIEW: MARCH 13, 2007

The new Backlash album continues on in that lovely super electronic, almost plastic sound of their previous record ”Heliotrope”. They have truly mastered their synthesizers and mixing desk. Unfortunately I don’t think they have mastered the art of song writing just yet, because some arrangements and melodies sound a bit awkward to me. Some songs sound sort of similar as well, and with fourteen tracks, it’s a bit difficult to keep them apart. The album opens pretty strong though, with more dancey material than we are used to.

Singer Erik Thorstensson still does a great job for the most part, but comes off as a little thin at times, especially in “Memory of Lost”, a song that makes me cringe just a little bit. He also sings in very much the same way all the time.

I don’t want it to sound like I’m slagging the album though, I like it a lot. It’s just that I think they could have done more. It’s quality synthpop, but let’s hope they liven things up a bit next time.

JOHAN CARLSSON