The overhyped golden age of 'neo-EBM' is long gone, presently consisting of a handful of exceptions among a flock of hopelessly outdated projects. Innovation? Negative. FRONT 242's "Geography" and NITZER EBB's "That Total Age" clearly belong to another age – a fact that is widely ignored in spite of the cult surrounding these works.
But salvation is at hand: as was the case with SPETSNAZ at the beginning of the new millennium, the much-needed new blood for a weakening scene once again comes from Sweden. Equipped with power, attitude and character, MERGEL KRATZER enter the hard-fought arena, determined to awake the stagnating genre from its slumber. And they are dead serious: replacing combat boots, camouflage trousers and bald heads with two fistfuls of style. To the left and right of music addict and mastermind Joel Nygren, the two alluring damsels Thistel and Julia provide both musical and optical attractions. EBM was never sexier – that's a promise!
The Gothenburg-based three-piece storm through their debut "Isotop" and unleash a highly addictive energy seldom found in today's scene. Bone-dry beats directly from the EBM manual and the fusion of Joel's direct vocals with Thistel's seductive orders form the outline of a sound which is fascinatingly armed with the modern weaponry of electronic dance music. No doubt, MERGEL KRATZER pay adequate tribute to a classic genre. With smashes like the marching "Prisoner" and "Iso", the legitimate EBM anthem of the new decade, banging through the strobelight-riven fog, one thing becomes crystal clear: this is neo-EBM in its purest form: stylish, sizzling, full of cool energy... and at any time as irresistible as only Swedish girls can be.
"Isotop" is being released as a limited double digipack featuring three sold-out Sweden-only EPs on a bonus disc accompanying the revolutionary debut, tracing the Swedish act' development back to 2004.
Forget meaty paroles and goose-steps: MERGEL KRATZER are the new contemporary face of Electronic Body Music. And it is devilishly handsome.
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