Harmonizer

by

Apoptygma Berzerk

Edit

First of all, I've read some reviews elsewhere that complained that APB is selling out...WHAT!? If this is what's popular where you live, please tell me where you live so I can move there! This album is amazing. I honestly did not expect it to equal Welcome to Earth. I was very pleasantly surprised, though, when I first listened to it and found out it's even better than Welcome to Earth. There are so many songs on Harmonizer with single potential. The only skippable track is "Detroit Tickets," which isn't even that bad - just kinda boring. Every other track is a masterpiece. I don't think I could pick a favorite, but some highlights are "Spindizzy," "Suffer in Silence," "Unicorn," "Until the End of the World," and "Rollergirl." Okay, I just named half the album. But really, it's that good.

I am definitely not a fan of his older stuff, though. The growly vocals, the dark industrial sound, and the not-so-great production didn't do much for me. Welcome to Earth was an enormous evolutionary step for APB, and this evolution only continues with Harmonizer. He's not selling out. If anything, he's moved away from the stereotypical goth-industrial growly stuff that to me seems more of an image than something that's actually from the heart. He's realized his musical strengths and true interests and spun off on those. So glad he did.

So if you're a fan of his old darker growly stuff pre-Welcome to Earth, then you probably won't like this album. But if you love "Starsign," "Eclipse," and "Kathy's Song," you should love Harmonizer. It's definitely bumped something off my "top 5 albums of all time" list.

Another future pop style album one of the most important artist in regards to the future pop genre. Much like the prior and far better album (Sighns) this album is verry poppy...verry emotional...verry dancey. However, it is missing all of that fun sci-fi weirdness that was on the 'sighns' album and sadley, most of the darker elements of Apop's early material seems to be long gone. This album is catchy, and well produced...but it has no edge to it whatsoever. A good album...but a further step into the mainstream, and a long sprint away from the days of songs like "Deep Red" and "Bitch". I wish that Stephen Groth (creator of Apop) would go back to his dark side again...his music is loosing it's meaning.