seven

this is a 5-song release (plus one hidden track) from the band that i saw on many synth-pop compilations. the opening track ("panique") features pulsating rhythm, beautiful powerful vocals by schaefer (which is one of the main reasons i picked up this album - his vocal work on this track and throughout the album is simply amazing), rather complex song structure. "panique" is a strong club hit and a great example of intelligent synth-pop (and besides it is so damn catchy!). the second reason i picked up the cd is the name of rudy ratzinger (mastering) mentioned on the booklet (mmm... i guess it attracted my attention). other tracks on cd include slower and more delicate pieces: "a sculpture of bones" is a beautiful soft track with a dark atmosphere together with "i bleed in silence". noyce represents the "darker side" of synthpop (well, at least judging by this release), and this is the disk for you if you resent those "too happy" synth-pop acts and yet enjoy the genre.