Year: 2024
Label: Zoharum
And we’re back at it again. Another Zoharum release, another release entirely in Polish; in other words, yet another time we’ve not the faintest idea what the album we’re reviewing is all about. Argh, it’s Galaktyka Mięsa all over again! (click)
Except this time around, the language barrier isn’t quite as insurmountable. The reason is quite simple: Alles are musically much more approachable.
The very first impression of Now almost forces anyone familiar with Zoharum’s discography to do a double take. Wait a minute, this sounds like retrosynth! And although that’s a more or less misleading association, there are indeed prominent similarities to retro tinged synthesizer music, from synthpop to synthwave.
At its core, essentially, Now is some form of electro-industrial. Maybe not all of the time, but ever so often EBM is not too off the mark. But a lot of the sound design flirts openly with all things retro and even 80’s, without crossing over to synthwave territory.
This means driving, arpeggiated basslines and bright, sweeping pads, as far as the 80’s element goes. And undeniably, there’s a somewhat catchy, poppy element to both how the album sounds and the melodies. But this is still electro-industrial, meaning a certain pseudo-cyberpunk and bleak vibe. Now is not imbued with the idealized nostalgia of synthwave or the naivistic idealism of synthpop.
But the above is why Alles, despite the language barrier, remains far more accessible. There’s far more focus on conventional melody both in instrumentation and vocals. The poppier elements mixed with the more somber sentiments of electro-industrial give Alles an evocatively melancholy element. Combined with the bright vocals of Paweł Strzelec, I find myself remotely reminded of the wistful poppiness of Pet Shop Boys. If they did electro-industrial in Polish.
Granted, there are no “hit songs” to be found on Alles. The poppier elements don’t go that far. And that’s actually my one major issue with the album: Now sounds good, it has some nice atmospheres and some nice melodies, but no track as a whole rises to become memorable. I couldn’t for the life of me mention a single track as a recommendation to check out.
That notwithstanding, Now is a fine album, and after the initial bewilderment turns out to be a fine addition to the more danceable, poppier end of Zoharum’s industrial spectrum.
Only Death Is Real 