Band: BlutEngel
Album: The oxidising angel EP
Released: 2005
Label: Out of Line
Everybody in the scene must have heard of BlutEngel. Started as the Terminal Choice side-project Seelenkrank and was later renamed BlutEngel. With BlutEngel did Chris Pohl deliver two very good albums (Child of Glass and Seelenschmerz). Unfortunately the downfall of BlutEngel began with Angel Dust. Angel Dust was some sort of compilation of sleepy romantic songs. With it’s follow up, Demon Kiss, Chris must have tried to put the ‘B’ of beat back in BlutEngel. This resulted in the tragic album Demon Kiss. It had the same über-romantic touch as Angel Dust but the songs were shallow and too poppy.
On 31st of October 2005 BlutEngel returned with the EP The Oxidising Angel. I was very curious about this new BlutEngel release, were they climbing out of the gap they fell into? The answer is simple… no! I have to admit, my limited edition has a very nice book-like black cover with golden letters, and the artwork of the booklet is also more than ok (except that I like Constance better without the wig). Yes, there is a lot of eye candy on this limited luxury edition; it’s almost as if they put more money and effort in the cover than in the music. On the enhanced CD is also a video clip of The Oxidising Angel. I have to say that it’s a very nice video.
The first track, The Oxidising Angel, is a nice mid-tempo song, but has awful lyrics about a guy who creates some sort of Monster-of-Frankenstein-like-girlfriend. Too bad the lyrics are so bad, otherwise this song could be more than ok. The cover-version of Cry Little Sister is also mediocre, but not annoying to listen too. The next two songs are slow and über-dramatic. The bottom is reached by A Little Love… It’s so depressing… or shall I say sleepy?
The best song of the EP is the 5th song: Leave the day. But that song also can’t match with songs like Children of the Night and Bloody Pleasures.
Then there are a few remixes that vary in quality. The EP closes with the instrumental track Change the future and the single edit of The Oxidising Angel. Why the hell did he put up a single edit? Is there going to be a single? The single edit is almost the same as the regular version of the song. There also is hidden instrumental track behind the last track. I don’t know the title of this track, but it is a song that shows that BlutEngel still knows how to make music. I will remain hopeful…
Until then, buy Child of Glass and Seelenschmerz (if you don’t have those already.)
Rate: 5/10
