4 years after their first release, the all Italian band Act Noir release their second album, Shape a New Start. Released in January 2010 under Milan’s Eibon Records, the new album features the new vocalist Gaetano Notarnicola. Their music and vocals blending sounds like a mixture of Depeche Mode, A perfect Circle with a spice of Placebo. Although their electro rock roots still remain strong, this time their musical direction is more melodic.
The overall album construction is like a spiral in which the electro music, rock and vocals fit very well together. It all starts with the loud ‘Shatterproof Beauty’, featuring good heavy guitar riffs and drum works, accompanied with very catchy electro beats. The way guitars and synths exposure changes, fit well the vocals style. With a mixture of heavy electro beats in ‘Set Fire’, excellent drum loops and guitar melodies in ‘Wrong Places’ and a perfect balance of synths and guitars on ‘Redemption’ make this album a must listen to.
The closing track, ‘The Higher I Went, The Deeper I Feel’ is most probably the best track on the album. After this electro rock journey, it is only appropriate to close with a slow, melodic and atmospheric track, which suites well the theme of the lyrics. The lyrics explore the need to shape a new start, as the album title suggest. Personal redemption of the past and the need to make changes and amendments is a need which cannot be ignored. A journey back to the roots of humans and a look forward to start the much needed change!
and I cannot see the end
all my efforts all my hopes
to give this world another go are lost
down in the deepest blue
where everything is staying still
and no one wants to rise above and see the truth
The album is available from Eibon Records, where some samples from the album are also available.
