Chronique FYU (Belgique)

Review FYU

http://fyu.deathmetal.be/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=975&Itemid=26

PIN-UP WENT DOWN - "2 Unlimited"
Ascendance records - cd2008


The "metal incarnation of Remi Bricka" Alexis Damien (ex-Wormfood, ex-Carnival In Coal drummer) launched his new project one year ago. While travelling in Ireland, he noticed the Dublin native Asphodel O'reilly featured on the famous "page 2" of The Sun…. He instantly… damn, that's the unofficial biography!

Anyway, the half-italian (she ain't tall to say the least), half-french (big mouth) singer wasn't really recovering from the split of her most personal project Nowonmai and was spending (little part of) her spare time with Season Of Mist's artists Penumbra. It soon became obvious those two nut cases were set to work hand in glove and 9 months later, the baby is alive and kicking! For the record, Asphodel sent a few mp3's to Ascendance records one evening and received a deal offer the morning after!

"2 Unlimited" may be the most original female-fronted, metal-related record to see the light of day. Let's face it : if Carnival In Coal hadn't disbanded last year, they would have stolen half of these songs to their drummer who had just became the third official member due to his writing skills! And that's the main point here, all tunes possess their own identity, their own twisted structures you won't find on any (female-fronted) Metal record. The duet has never been brainstorming about how much Metal had to be shot in the mix, some of the tracks here having absolutely nothing related to the genre. Being jazzy, funky or surrounded by oppressing atmospheres, you only can expect the unexpected!

Alexis Damien excels in every domain : drums, guitars, bass, keyboards and grunts are perfect, mixing and production show no failure either.

Funny yet frustrating detail is I'm totally convinced 99% of the listeners will strongly believe that Asphodel's voice is pitched on many occasions. If you remember the movie "Babe" and the funny Mice with their weird voice, you'll think about them during the first part of "Cadavre Exquis" with the absolutely amazing sounds delivered by that witch! I won't do justice to her talent here having no possibility to describe all the countless sides of her art. What's striking me in the face and heart at each listening is the sheer maturity and emotion-laden aspects of her work.

Lyrical content sometimes deals with personal issues, giving an extra oppressing, almost insane feeling to some tracks.
The duet is currently rehearsing with a full line-up and should start touring before the end of the year, another crazy challenge that is!
Inadvisable to Cannibal corpse, Epica, Nightwish and Marduk fans. Only for open-minded freaks able to enjoy a mix of Devin Townsend, Tori Amos, Bjork, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and anything weird and emotional !

94/100
Reviewed by Steph PTC