Chrysalide - Personal Revolution

Brothers Arco & Syco Trauma formed Chrysalide back in 2003, utilizing a love for cyberpunk literature to form their outfit. However, a year before that in 2002, they started their collective label Audiotrauma catering to the digital and corrosive cultures based in Strasbourg, France. From this label they formed their act, using the name as it relates to gold, and as butterflies had brighter pupa than other insects, the metaphor relates to how behind every person, every being, there is a butterfly.

It was in 2005 that Lost EP was released on Audiotrauma, and used the album to focus on dystopian themes, the devastation of the consumer society, and much darker elements. Now, from this they were able to play upwards of two years all around Europe, and they finally released their first full length album Lost in a lost world. Richer in sound, this album began their solidification in the underground scene.

It was in 2009 that they decided to add fresh meat to the act, and welcomed Amnesy, formerly of Neon Cage Experiment, to the band. Easily assimilating himself in the act, he soon was able to influence the visual aspect of Chrysalide, and in 2011 the trio produced Don't Be Scared It's About Life.

Making a lot of noise in Europe with their 2011 album, always fresh, always moving and evolving, they garnered the attention of Artoffact Records and Dependent Records equally. Both re-released Don't Be Scared It's About Life, and that brings us to now.

With such a great stronghold already solidly gluing them together, 2014 sees the release of their latest album Personal Revolution. Fourteen new tracks of harsh sounds melt together to form a creative album worthy of anyone's attention.

Welcome To The 21st Century gives off a very stark, very vociferous speech with ambient backing tones; immediately, we see what type of themes shall be involved throughout just from the intro. Question Everything drops the speeches, and dedicates its time to hitting off some harder electronic notes, delivering angered chords that match the ferocity of the music.

Tomorrow Is Too Late has some decent piano music, a slower beat, but still the same inflammatory voice that hits nicely as always. The other slight effects, from glitchy electronics to synths remaining as the background noise, was fantastic. Perhaps with a bit more of a slower EBM beat, We Are Not Cursed was awesome during the slower points, but slammed in heavy during the chorus, making for two different segments, both of which were astounding.

Allowing the drum work to echo and clash in a paced manner, Another Kind Of Me slowed down, definitely had a spacious sound to it with the slight reverberation, but still came off nicely. Cynicism Is A Poison begins off almost like a little lullaby, but changed immensely when the dragged out, but crunchy electronic notes flush in. The chimes that ring out only serve the song better.

It Gets In The Blood followed the intro, using samples and speeches with ambient backing to make for a wonderful interlude. The next song, Vote For Molotov was fantastic in its own right, delivering a high energy performance within a short minute and forty five second burst.

All Demons I think, if anything, had a bit of a hip-hop influence on it, but, even then, it certainly masked itself over with dark and gloomy make up. Keep Calm had some quieter chords in it, and brought us back into the electronic territory, bits of IDM kept within.

A bit minimal in presentation, Beside The Impossible traded in all the harsher tones for less sound, making each note count as it struck through. Substance Over Style brought forth another not-as-quiet, but not-as-loud-as-the-rest track, and Personal Revolution sort of threw the album back to the beginning tracks. The final track on the album, I Had A Dream let out some cyber vocals, sounding like a digitalized machine was trying to get a point across, but the otherwise sacred sound to the song delivered a final blow that will leave an impact.

And, it's easy to see why so many have fallen in love with this project, and also pretty easy to see as to why two different record labels picked them up to release their albums in their prospective territories. The hard electronics, the mere talent found within, and the basic input of making each song hit a different bell at every corner contributes to another fine release for this trio. It makes me wonder as to what they'll be releasing next, and I look forward to that. Sep 26 2014