Imagine, if you will, an evening in Eastern Europe's underground night life, where the discotheques are damask and dark, more like dungeons, and the music is loud, aggressive, yet cathartic. You feel like you might be in danger, but it is oh, so alluring. This is exactly what comes to mind when I listened to Berlin's own Gothic/EBM powerhouse, XTR HUMAN. The one-man army that is Johannes Stabel brings us an entire album of industrial soaked dance ready beats that are primed to tear any club to the ground with his new release, "Schrank". Evocative of legends like Leaether Strip, "Schrank" starts off with a bang in its opening track "Frust". The bass and percussion form a tandem attack that will pummel you into submission before Johannes' direct and aggressive vocal performance. Sirens and swirling synthesizers lead the way on "I Want More", as the infectious energy of the track will make you chant "I want more" right along with Johannes. Anthemic in the same way that VNV Nation captured its audience with "Control", "I Want More" is a song that deserves as much club play as possible. That same energy is carried across all nine tracks, with the exception of the closing song "Letzte Chance", as it carries a more sinister ambience in its intertwining melodies. With nothing but bangers, "Schrank" will certainly leave you whimpering.
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