UMBRA ET IMAGO - Machina Mundi
Songs: 11  Time:  66:34 
Umbra et Imago is a metal / electro / goth outfit from Germany.  Their fourth album, Machina Mundi follows their previous efforts by being equally as sexual in both lyrical content and music.  Gothic Ritual is a German sung piece with deep, male-dominated vocals, subtle bass guitar chords, operatic string arrangements, dense rhythms, and thunderous beats.  Don't Stop To Learn is one of a pair of English sung pieces.  This track has more in common with electro than many of the others.  A cascading electronic sequence is put into place early on and added to it are shared male/female vocals, rhythmic bass guitar, and non-electronic drum beats.  Beginning with the sound of a heartbeat, Mein Herz Und Meine Seele is a slower piece with mild beats, backing slide-guitar sounds, and breathy male vocals.  The title track begins with a nice piano arrangement and an early Cure-esque bass guitar pattern.  Added to it are lead guitar riffs and angry sounding male vocals.  Erwachet is another piece that starts off with a more electro feel to it, but actually ends up being a more mellow, vocal driven track with sporadic, crashing beats and a clanky, trippy rhythm.  From what I understand, Umbra Et Imago puts on an amazing (and sexually explicit) live show which should not be missed, but being the sheltered Americans that we are, we'll just have to settle for their CD recordings instead (as I don't think that most Americans are open-minded enough to attend such a show.)
        
OBLIVION / SPIRIT PRODUCTION / SPV         Umbra Et Imago is:
PO BOX 72 11 47                                                          Lutz Demmier / Jochen Ritter / Mozart / Freddy S. / Matze B.
30531 Hanover                                                              Contact Umbra Et Imago @
Germany                                                                        76 137 Karlsruhe Germany
                                                                                        e-mail: umbra.et.imago@usa.net
                                                                                        Umbra Et Imago homepage:
                                                                                        http://www.fly.to/spirit