Fractured - "Fly Away" From the album "Beneath The Ashes" Dependent 2011 Tales of the legendary island of Atlantis, said to have sunk beneath the waves "in a single day and night of misfortune", have been told for more than 2,400 years. No matter that it never existed, the fabled continent has been the subject of thousands of books over the centuries, a testament to the enduring power of the Atlantis myth. Still, it is perhaps an unexpected theme to be taken up by a Canadian electro-industrial project. On the other hand, "Canadian electro" has always stood for complex and profound sounds identified with acts like Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Numb, and Decoded Feedback, so it's a small step to move from complex sounds to complex themes. This thematic challenge is taken up by Fractured on the second full-length, "Beneath The Ashes". Anyone expecting sterile or overly convoluted sounds is on the wrong track, as this time around Fractured have incorporated a range of organic elements such as acoustic guitars and orchestral arrangements to bring a new depth to their music. At times reminiscent of a soundtrack, this is a dense and compact album that never stays too long in one place, maintaining an air of tension throughout. In other words, never a dull moment: club-ready electro tracks alternate with gentle ballads, always keeping the listener on her toes. With their 2006 debut "Only Human Remains", Fractured established themselves as a remarkable and innovative force in hard electronic music. Immensely popular with fans, the album was showered with accolades from the press like "Album of the Month" and "Newcomer of the Month". Now, after five long years, comes the follow-up, an album of even more sophisticated arrangements and opulent orchestrations. Fracture move effortlessly between massive, soundtrack-like compositions and rousing tracks with unexpected and often very catchy melodies. The artwork in the 12-page booklet for "Beneath The Ashes", inspired in places by the trance-readings of the "sleeping prophet" Edgar Cayce (1877-1945), comes courtesy of Dennis Sibeijn, well-known for his work with bands like Slipknot, HIM, Slayer, Disturbed, and many more. A brilliant combination of sound and visuals, this is an album which couldn't be further removed from electro-mediocrity. Press quotes: "With 'Beneath The Ashes', FRACTURED deliver a multi-faceted body of work that at once seems familiar and new and is what should be played in clubs nowadays instead of mind-numbing 4/4 mediocrity. 9/10 points" - Reflections Of Darkness "CD of the month" - elektrauma.de "The dancefloor soundtrack for the last party of a lost generation." - Sonic Seducer Magazine "With `Beneath the Ashes´ Fractured shows, that the combination of synthesizer and hard rock is not impossible. 8/10 points" - Elektroskull "The duo have really pushed the boundaries here and brought their sound to a completely new level, without loosing the unique Fractured touch. It sound fresh and is without a doubt a great light brought into the scene. Definately one of the highlights this year. 10/10 points" - blackvector magazine " `Beneath the Ashes´ is a very credible album, and what is more, a very innovative one. It covers great lengths of genre and musical intent, and makes the hiatus spanning from their latest 2006 album not only worthwhile, but also plausible. A creative effort such as the one put in by Nick Gorman and Arc truly takes time, in order to give it lasting wings on today's musical scene." - darkwave.ro "It will be very difficult to overtake this album. 9/10 points!" - Orkus Magazine "This album brings an answer to the stereotypical dark electro productions." - Side-Line Futher information and order: www.dependent.de

• published: 06 Dec 2011
• views: 22340