Battle Scream- Suffering vs. Salvation

Artist: Battle Scream

CD Title: Suffering vs. Salvation

Label: Attack Promotions/ Danse Macabre

Reviewer: Robert Eaton

Date: 3-01-10

Germany’s Battle Scream is a guitar-heavy electro/rock project. The band’s album “Suffering vs. Salvation” is a dark, energetic collection of 15 songs--and the album features remixes by Agonize, Projekt Pitchfork, Accessory, Das Ich and Die Krupps. The album is a follow-up to 2007’s “Stalker”. “Suffering vs Salvation features tight percussion, crushing guitars and lush melodic synth lines. The album’s first 6 tracks are simply the band, but the rest of the album features it’s impressive collection of remixes. Of the album’s opening tracks, “Blood” is most notable. The song has a wicked opening with distorted screaming, and a powerful melody. The Agonoize remix of “Child of Fire” is much more EBM than the first part of the album, but the song works as an EBM song. The Straubkind remix of “Child of Fire” slows the song down and adds delicate piano lines. Projekt Pitchfork’s remix of “Animus Tuus Sum” matches crunching guitars, EBM synths and choral chants. The Das Ich remix of “Hevchler” is stellar, and bears a lot of what is distinctive about Das Ich. It is definitely the latter part of the album that includes its best tracks, but that is hardly surprising considering the collection of talent that’s represented in these remixes. That's not to say that the song is only worth listening to for its remixes, the whole album features strong songs, not just the remixes. “Suffering vs. Salvation” is an impressive and expansive album. There is quite a diversity of tracks here.