Restricted Area - Core Excess

Before I begin this review, I simply want to clarify that the promo version I got of this album is only of the first CD in this double CD release, therefore, I have neither information nor knowledge about how the second CD is.

With that out of the way, it's time to get on with it. The first time I heard Restricted Area was on the Tinitus festival back in 2000. I had just turned 18 a few weeks before and coming from a small town with very limited selection of electronic music, I think I kind of liked it, but during that period, I pretty much sucked in and liked everything new I heard. When I later got the album 'Realtime' and later on 'Fun and Fearless' my state of easily impressed was long gone and I pretty much disliked both of the releases.

With 8 years passing by between 'Fun and Fearless' and this new album 'Core Excess', I had much hope in that they finally would have found their sound and got their shit together. Unfortunately I still stand as a hater.

I get the feeling that Restricted Area has been pumping up for 8 years, then just like a promised firework experience; it ends with a disappointing puff of smoke and not even a bang. It starts out pretty alright with the tracks "Voyager" and "Too Much", but with that being the puff of smoke, it's pretty much over. Someone force-fed them opiates, because after that everything slows down into a mellow cloud, leaving me restless and with a feeling of wanting to move on. With the exception for "Big Spender" and "Rise", not much is happening worth keeping your attention for the rest of the album.

During some parts of the album, I get the feeling of imitation or at least inspiration from the latest Nitzer Ebb album as well as the latest Fixmer/McCarthy album. But it fails to keep you on your toes, waiting and wanting every new sound. Here, you pretty much just waiting.

A decade has passed and I'm still not convinced, perhaps time for me to finally give up, or at least hope the second CD is a whole lot better. Aug 23 2011