Dope Stars Inc. - Ultrawired

'Ultrawired' is the new CD and probably the one that should have been released as a successor to their first hit album 'Neuromancer'. I instantly became a fan of Dope Stars Inc when I heard their first CD since it basically had everything from guitars and fast beats combined with melodies.

After that they released a CDM, which also had a few good news tracks on it, but then they released a second album, which in my ears was just terrible and not half as good as the first one. It is a shame when something like this happens and I don't really know what causes it. Anyway, now they are back and they have created something that isn't far from what the debut was.

'Ultrawired' consist of no less than 14 tracks that vary quite a bit from each other. Let's pick our three different tracks shall we? I'd go for the ones I find most distinct and good in their own way. "Better Not Joke" is the first one which is also the first track of the CD. It's very catchy and has a real drive to it and the bassline is probably the thing that makes this track stand out the most, combined with the almost shrieking vocals of Victor Love.

My second choice is "Save the Clock Tower" which is also ironically the second track of the CD. This track is a bit more laid back in the beginning with an arpeggio jumping back and forward in the background. Then it breaks out into a more metal like sound a little now and then and then back to the more laid back parts. I think it creates a really nice harmony, but the best part is probably the middle play where they incorporated a arpeggio that plays for a little while, until the guitar and beat comes back again to finish the job.

And the final track is called "Lies Irae" which sounds a bit like a sampled opera track which gets brutally violated by the Dope Stars Inc. sound. The thing is that I recognize this song, but I can't really put my finger on where I have heard it before. Either way this is probably one of the most distinct tracks on the album but it sounds really nice.

This isn't 'Neuromancer', but then again I don't think it's intended to be. However, I am glad that Dope Stars Inc. is back with something close to that great release and hopefully their next release will be even better. Jun 26 2011