Cynical Existence - Ruined Portrait

Two labels in a year is damned good going in this climate - such is the demand of 'brand' Croona. Already famed for his vocals in numerous projects, this is Fredrik's first solo outing - some of you may recall the demo review I wrote previously.

"Misery" doesn't suggest for one minute that Fredrik is relatively new to making music - it could pass off as a track from numerous artists, and coupled with his noticeable, aggressive vocal, there's little reason to criticise this effort. It's slower than Menschdefekt, on par with some of Project Rotten's work, but what makes this interesting, as discussed above, is the fact that no-one else has influence on this - marking the first time Fredrik's vocals compliment Fredrik's music.

"Am I Alive" starts off with an intro that's more evil and brooding, and the tempo picks up quickly. The quality of the release i'm listening to isn't optimum (like all A-M promos, it's dubbed and has a lower bit rate than industry standard), however it does enough to get across what is necessary. Nothing in the production is flawed or over/under exaggerated.

"My Shining Halo" is a little more complex on the song writing front, and the added involvement only amplifies the confidence and ability that Fredrik is gaining day by day. It has a section where the song radically slows down (like a reverse version of 'Freakshow'), before exploding again.

Reactor7x's remix of "Let's Play Dead" is EXCELLENT, and additional remixes of earlier tracks by Freaky Mind, Implant and Mindstate conclude the digital EP.

Criticism's aren't huge - I'd like to see songs from the EP remixed on the EP, as it's slightly awkward to track down the original and compare it - unless you own the limited edition disc in the first place, but it's a double-edged sword - they also generate extra interest.

I can't wait for a full-length. Nov 29 2012