Troller — Graphic

This might be Troller's second album, however it’s my first experience with the project. And given the press release I was really looking forward to checking it out. Here’s a snapshot of said press release “Lush, lugubrious sound ...heavy synths, slow-motion rhythms...haunting vocal melodies... brooding blasts of dark pop...the songs seemed to emanate from some cavernous subterranean chamber.”  So does it live up to the claims made? In my opinion sadly not. On the whole the album smacks of the year 1982, with it’s sub-standard light-goth &  hint’s at prog rock.

Opening with the intro “Hellscape” I can’t imaging Hell seeming as pleasant, the title does not befit the music, which is not hellish in the slightest. Following on from this intro is the title track, “Graphic”, & this is almost a direct rip off of Somewhere In Europe’s “Never Go Back”. And the drum machine sounds thin and is far too high in the mix.

After this we have “Not Here” & “Storm Maker” both are early 80’s synth pop without any charm or depth. The next, and most interesting track on the album, “They Body” it’s almost brooding, bringing together what sounds like a child’s musical spinning wheel time-stretched and put through an echo chamber, with huge distorted bass added. The tracks instrumental, and it is really quite splendid in its simplicity.

I really don’t know what Troller are trying to do. They seem to trying to recreate a synth pop sound that OMD, early Eyeless In Gaza and a host of others perfected 35 years ago and marry it to a gothic backdrop from the same period. To wholly unsuccessfully result I must add.

This is album is neither brooding nor lush; it does sound like it’s recorded in a subterranean chamber however, but that isn’t really doing the album any favours at all. If Xmal Deutschland, Xymox or Somewhere In Europe are your cup of tea, then stick with them, because this will disappoint. Anyone interested in Darkwave or light-goth would be better served digging into either Black Tape For A Blue Girl or Lycias’ back catalogues.