We interviewed Swedish band Fatal Casualties a few tears ago and wrote about their last video for the song “O.N.G”, one of the singles of the album that we are going to review today. The darkwave/industrial duo has released a new work, entitled Lullaby for Helsinki published by I-Traxx Red Editions, a sub-label of Musex Industries, a label from Pamplona. Some of the songs of the new album by Fatal Casualties will work, definitely as lullabies, but others will give you nightmares. Well, who didn’t have a nightmare with the video of “Lullaby” by The Cure
Lullaby for Helsinki starts with “Repository World”, a track that takes you to nightmarish territories thanks to the sinister voices, industrial sounds and some distorted parts? “Fragment,” instead, is a proper electronic lullaby that really stands out with its minimal electronic and the beautiful work of the voices. It reminds me slightly of the more electronic albums of Xiu Xiu. “Punk Ghetto” is difficult to define, but we could just say that it’s an update of The Normal’s “Warm Leatherette”. “Tankevurpa” continues the vibes of “Fragment”, and the voice really covers us under some layer of the best electronica. In “It could have been you”, we have again a gloomy voice, quite a minimalistic approach and a beginning that made us think of Massive Attack. Despise the title, “Cafe Art”, starts with ferocity, has a very interesting electronic production and the chorus is really catchy. “A Think Layer” is disturbing and deep at the same times and some sounds remind us of Depeche Mode. In “O.N.G.” we still can hear some influences of Dave Gahan’s band in another great track sang with intensity. The album finishes with three short pieces: “No heaven” is one of the most aggressive moments of the album, “Rapid” is a disturbing instrumental and “Lullaby for Helsinki” at only two minutes, complete the quota of lullabies.
The album has really surprised me, in a good way, of course, especially for the production that even sometimes seems minimalistic is always full of details. The album is very varied, so you will find a track for every moment of the day.
