ROTERSAND WELCOME TO GOODBYE ALBUM DEPENDENT RELEASE: JUNE 6, 2005 REVIEW: JULY 19, 2005

I thought Rotersand’s first album was pretty good. It had some stomping dance tracks, coupled with a desire to go beyond standard futurepop. That desire is here now as well, but it sometimes results in poor Pet Shop Boys style ballads, where the singer Rasc wanders beyond his capabilities. A few more run-of-the-mill “rave” sounds have snuck their way in as well – especially in “Undone”, the most shamelessly futurepoppy track here. Aren’t there any other sounds you can use than the one that says “rave lead preset 01”?
Things aren’t all bad though, because “Welcome to Goodbye” contains some good music to move your ass too. “Storm” is basically just a frantic beat, with someone chanting “storm” on top of it, but it kind of works anyway. Don’t ask me how. It builds steady upwards, until it becomes a fiery storm on its own.
“By the Waters” is a pop song with fabulous tightness to it, but the singing is atrocious unfortunately, especially in the chorus.
The current single “Exterminate, Annihilate, Destroy” features suitable Dalek-like voices (remember Dr Who?) over a massive beat and abrasive electronic stabs, creating a menacing atmosphere.
Towards the end, we regrettably reach “Angels Falling”, the ballad I was talking about. The less said, the better.
To sum it all up, we get a wild mix of crappy futurepop, sappy ballads and great dance music. Plus points for variation, minus for execution.

JOHAN CARLSSON