Gothminster: Pandemonium II: The Battle Of The Underworlds

OK, what was it I was saying again…? Oh yes...

‘All too fleetingly Pandemonium lives up to its name, but for the large part what Gothminister have brought together here is an entertaining Germanic sounding metal romp that’s fun while it lasts, but then quickly…what was I saying again?’

Are the words that I closed my review of Part I in Gothminster’s Pandemonium series of albums with. So what with II: The Battle Of The Underworlds now upon us has this outfit anything more to say that might stay longer in the mind? Well, first up the formula hasn’t changed one iota, Rammstein ideals fed through a poppy mincer and garnished with smooth synths and some sub-Rob Zombie dance-beats. Add in the speak-in-growl vocals from Bjørn Alexander “Gothminister� Brem and you pretty much have a handle on everything. Along the ways some of the riff-buzz work from Glenn “Icarus� Nilsen and Ketil “Turbo Natas� Eggum does cut through, “I Will Drink Your Blood� snarling and biting in the best possible ways, while “We Come Alive� undoubtedly raises a smile - if the thought of ABBA goes industri-pop makes you chuckle. In between those spots that really click, “Aftermath� turns out to be nothing more than a minute’s worth of spooky noises, while “The Procession� is 46 seconds of growls and blood splattering. Admittedly, elsewhere there is a little more substance, “One Dark Happy Nation� pounding and preening as synths burble and gurgle above a swathe of hurtling but somehow remarkably polite guitars, while “We Live Another Day� hits like Rammstein on happy pills.

For me, the move of this kind of horror-metal away from anything actually resembling metal and into a territory that could be called pantomime pop continues at way too fast a pace. I can’t hand on heart tell you that what Gothminster do is terrible and they are undoubtedly very good at their chosen attack. The results, however, take me into a thumping, simplistic world that I can only spend a few minutes in before nodding off.

Track Listing
1. Battle of The Underworlds 

2. We Live Another Day  

3. Creepy Shadows 

4. One Dark Happy Nation 

5. I Am the Devil  

6. The Procession 

7. I Will Drink Your Blood  

8. Aftermath 

9. Tonight 

10. We Are the Heroes 

11. Monostereo Creature 

12. We Come Alive

Added: September 17th 2024
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Gothminster online
Hits: 142
Language: english

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