Melotron's second effort, Fortschritt, proves that their debut was not a fluke.  Although they still retain a slight And One sound, on Fortschritt they moved their sound a bit to the left, giving their songs a life of their own.  The best way to describe their sound would be to say they produce thick synth-pop with a mild electro edge.  They utilize a lot of the same sounds as typical electro dance music, but they present them in a much subtler way.  Nur Leben has a hearty rhythm section, compiled together with Andy's smooth vocals.  The beats are strong, yet not overpowering, making for a great dance floor tune.  Similar in nature is Tanz Mit Dem Tuefel, the first single to be released from this CD.  On Tanz Mit Dem Teufel Melotron does push the beat further ahead in the mix and mixes it together with the crisp vocals.  Aside from the strong rhythm, the rest electronic portions of this track are held back, allowing the track to be more beat-orientated . My immediate favorite track was Gesindel.  I love the way in which Melotron throws in the operatic vocal samples and the crashing orchestra sounds during the bridges, breathing life into what may have well been a rather bland track.  Even though there isn't a lick on English on this CD, I still find myself attempting to sing along to many of the tracks, especially Es Brennt and Endstation im Labyrinth.  The former is a catchy little tune with a nice, hollow sounding beat and compelling vocals, whereas the later has a more bouncy beat and overall retro electro sound.  The CD finishes off with Ferne Welten, a beatless instrumental with comforting string arrangements and light piano sounds that end the album on a tranquil nature.  Fortschritt is one of those few crossover CDs (much like Neuroactive's Fiber-Optic Rhythm) that should appeal to both the synth-pop fans and the more electro-minded individuals.  With the increased popularity of bands such as And One over the years, it's quite easy to see that Melotron may be well on their way to a higher echelon of stardom.
    
BLOODLINE                        Melotron is:
Weingartstr. 41                      Andy / Edgar / Hilde
41464 Neuss                          Contact Melotron @
Germany                                 Postfach 2230
Fax ++49 (0)2131 779120      17012 Neubrandenburg
BLOODLINE homepage:    Germany
http://www.bloodline.de      e-mail: info@melotron.de
                                                 Melotron homepage:
                                                 http://www.melotron.de