Search - Specimen :: Electric Ballroom

Amazing electric ballroom

T. Miller | west coast | 07/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Are you kidding me?



Remember those albums you heard for the first time thet were cockier then everything else you were listening to?

Raw Power

Montrose

Secret Treaties

Next

Switch

Cheap Trick

Own

154

From The Lions Mouth

Floodland



I thought these guys had disappeared. Holy Moly.

Comeback album of the year.



It's windmill time.







"

Return of the Beauty of Poison

Evil E | Left Coast | 04/23/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"First, I should say that this is a very good album, excepting the two remixed tracks at the end. If you are looking for techno, there must be better places to find it than this first wave goth/glam, outfit. I assume someone decided nine new tracks were not enough. They were wrong.



One of my favorite albums of all time is Specimen's Batastrophe; it was my introduction to the band (twenty odd years later I still listen to it). Then I bought the Brainburst/Indestrucible e.p. and it mostly hurt my head, while demonstrating an urge to experiment. Much later I picked up the Wet Warm Cling Film Red Velvet Crush CD, which included all of the Batastrophe material, plus some later tracks that (in my opinion) did not quite measure up to Batastrophe. If possible, get WWCFRVC for the Batastrophe material, and this one for new stuff that almost hits that same high water mark.



Other than Ollie Wisdom and Jon Klein, this is not the same band that created the early gothic rock masterpiece, as far as I can tell from the liner notes of my vinyl copy of "Batastrophe" and of this CD.



A different band perhaps, but much to my delight still great music! Added to the T-Rex style glam and Bauhaus style gothic rock are a couple of synth heavy pieces that sound like they may have been lifted from the very best new wave bands from the same period as Batastrophe.



This CD is edgy, haunting and morbidly vibrant. When I listen to "Nothing Lasts Forever" or "Whitespace" I feel I have a glimpse into the tragic side of this band's history. When I listen to "Death Drive" I assume somewhere young goths are dancing their hearts out. The only weak tracks are the jarring techno remixes at the end of the CD.



This band never seemed to get the credit/notoriety of Bauhaus or Siouxsie or Joy Division or the Sisters of Mercy and all their splinter groups and partners in crime. I believe Specimen belong in the same eschelon, as gothic rock pioneers. I am pleased to recommend this new music to any fan of said bands, or gothic rock and dark wave in general.



Five stars for an amazing comeback from out of nowhere, minus one for butchering "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." I just can't unhear it!



"

It's just ok in my book.

P. Buche | Chicago, IL, WA | 07/10/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I was so excited to hear that Specimen was back and comming out with all new material. What a bummer! Total electro-glam,...missing nearly all of the deathrock elements. I'm just not into this, but because it's Specimen, and because it has a couple cool traklits, I give it a three score."