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Atrocity - Werk 80 II review



Reviewer:
6.5

48 users:
7.06
Band: Atrocity
Album: Werk 80 II
Release date: February 2008


01. People Are People [Depeche Mode cover]
02. Smalltown Boy [Bronski Beat cover]
03. Relax [Frankie Goes To Hollywood cover]
04. Don't You (Forget About Me) [Simple Minds cover]
05. The Sun Always Shines On TV [A-Ha cover]
06. Hey Little Girl [Icehouse cover]
07. Fade To Grey [Visage cover]
08. Such A Shame [Talk Talk cover]
09. Keine Heimat [Ideal cover]
10. Here Comes The Rain Again [Eurythmics cover]
11. Forever Young [Alphaville cover]
12. Feels Like Heaven [Fiction Factory cover] [bonus]

"Werk 80 II" is the second volume of Atrocity's compilation of covers songs from the 80's. Released in 1997, "Werk 80 I" was full of mega hits (yes songs that you all know!) and you know what? This is the same with this new release, if you like 80's music and want to listen to their Metal versions I'm quite that you'll like this release even if, in my opinion, we have already seen better covers of some of those songs?

Atrocity is not a bad band and Alexander Krull is a good singer with great Death like clean voice. The covers featured on "Werk 80 II" are all mega hits, I will not give all the tittles but songs like "People Are People", "Relax" or "Such A Shame" are all classics and of course that's not really hard to transform them into Metal songs. When a song is great, you can use some of its samples to do Hip Hop, you can create a Eurodance version or even a Death Metal one, the melody worked on its original version and will also work with your new version? When a song is a classic with THE melody and THE chorus it stays a classic and it will ever be memorable. What I want to say here is that of course, the cover versions of the new Atrocity are ok because the songs are good anyway but unfortunately I must confess that I'm not so convinced by this release?

I suppose that you're wondering why I'm not so happy with this CD, well the answer will be short, the symphonic arrangements are just horrible! Just check Axel Rudi Pell's version of "Beautiful Day", check Paradise Lost's cover of "Smalltown Boy", that's Metal! All those cover versions played by Atrocity have some really kitsch symphonic arrangements which just don't help the song! All those 80's songs are already a bit cheap and unfortunately it cannot work if you add something which is also really cheap? I would like to imagine some strong and heavy versions of the songs played by Atrocity, actually they should just remove the symphonic "additions" on each song and it should work but right now despite a good production "Werk 80 II" is only an average album of cover songs.

"Werk 80 II" is not a terrible album and it works because it features good catchy songs but damn why did they have to play these songs like that? Atrocity is able to play heavy music if they want, I still don't understand why they didn't do that on this release? As you want in the end, if you use to listen to the last Atrocity's albums be sure that you'll like "Werk 80 II" but if you want real Metal versions with big balls, you can easily find better releases?

Written by Jeff | 17.03.2008




Comments

Comments: 25   Visited by: 149 users
17.03.2008 - 20:46
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Hmm Im nots o much band fan, maybe early DM albums, but that lady in this cover has sexy legs
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17.03.2008 - 21:48
crimsonoutlaw
Account deleted
i wholeheartedly agree with this review. while i've only heard the medley on their myspace, it's clear the symphonic arrangements are really weak.
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17.03.2008 - 21:56
Talvi

Written by Bad English on 17.03.2008 at 20:46

Hmm Im nots o much band fan, maybe early DM albums, but that lady in this cover has sexy legs


Pervert. Listen to the fucking music there!
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17.03.2008 - 21:58
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Talvi on 17.03.2008 at 21:56

Written by Bad English on 17.03.2008 at 20:46

Hmm Im nots o much band fan, maybe early DM albums, but that lady in this cover has sexy legs


Pervert. Listen to the fucking music there!


Like i sad im not fan of band I lik emaybe early DM albums how new albums
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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17.03.2008 - 22:52
+{Jonas}+
I R Serious Cat
Written by Talvi on 17.03.2008 at 21:56

Written by Bad English on 17.03.2008 at 20:46

Hmm Im nots o much band fan, maybe early DM albums, but that lady in this cover has sexy legs


Pervert. Listen to the fucking music there!

If K7's a perv I wonder what am I... I was not looking at her legs...
----
"Nobody wants to be the weird kid, you just end up being the weird kid. You don't know how you ended up getting there" - Rob Zombie

http://jonas-bs.deviantart.com My dA, mainly photography, go check it out!
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17.03.2008 - 23:30
Rating: 5
Jason W.
Razorbliss
I totally agree with you this Jeff. In my opinion this is the worst Atrocity release ever. Considering how long it was announced in advance that the band was recording this record (2006?), I expected at least a well thought out release. The original "Werk 80" from 1997 was such a great album, showing Alex and company in a renewed interest in life (and with Liv in his life then), and was a great addition to their discography. This release, however, is flat and uninspired, and a real letdown for me. I was a bit hesitant to feel such disappointment, but after about 10 listens to many of the songs, it hasn't changed!
----
"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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17.03.2008 - 23:40
Talvi

Written by +{Jonas}+ on 17.03.2008 at 22:52

Written by Talvi on 17.03.2008 at 21:56

Written by Bad English on 17.03.2008 at 20:46

Hmm Im nots o much band fan, maybe early DM albums, but that lady in this cover has sexy legs


Pervert. Listen to the fucking music there!

If K7's a perv I wonder what am I... I was not looking at her legs...


I love corsets too, yeah ;P
----
My account on other musical pages:
http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/
http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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17.03.2008 - 23:44
+{Jonas}+
I R Serious Cat
Written by Talvi on 17.03.2008 at 23:40

Written by +{Jonas}+ on 17.03.2008 at 22:52

Written by Talvi on 17.03.2008 at 21:56

Written by Bad English on 17.03.2008 at 20:46

Hmm Im nots o much band fan, maybe early DM albums, but that lady in this cover has sexy legs


Pervert. Listen to the fucking music there!

If K7's a perv I wonder what am I... I was not looking at her legs...


I love corsets too, yeah ;P


So who's the perv?
----
"Nobody wants to be the weird kid, you just end up being the weird kid. You don't know how you ended up getting there" - Rob Zombie

http://jonas-bs.deviantart.com My dA, mainly photography, go check it out!
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18.03.2008 - 00:45
Talvi

Written by +{Jonas}+ on 17.03.2008 at 23:44

Written by Talvi on 17.03.2008 at 23:40

Written by +{Jonas}+ on 17.03.2008 at 22:52

Written by Talvi on 17.03.2008 at 21:56

Written by Bad English on 17.03.2008 at 20:46

Hmm Im nots o much band fan, maybe early DM albums, but that lady in this cover has sexy legs


Pervert. Listen to the fucking music there!

If K7's a perv I wonder what am I... I was not looking at her legs...


I love corsets too, yeah ;P


So who's the perv?


All of us, of course! hahaha
----
My account on other musical pages:
http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/
http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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18.03.2008 - 01:13
Evil Chip

mmm nice corset... I mean music.
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18.03.2008 - 01:49
Spyroid
Rosetta Stoned
I'm a sucker for covers and this list is really interesting. I found the medley quite entertaining And Talk Talk rules!
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18.03.2008 - 03:48
jupitreas
hi-fi / lo-life
That is Dita Von Teese on the cover and she is the only good thing about this album, or about anything Atrocity has ever done. Such a terrible, kitsch and pompous pathetic little band...
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18.03.2008 - 09:56
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by jupitreas on 18.03.2008 at 03:48

That is Dita Von Teese on the cover and she is the only good thing about this album, or about anything Atrocity has ever done. Such a terrible, kitsch and pompous pathetic little band...


Finally someone who agress for the full 100% with me.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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18.03.2008 - 11:21
White Winter Sun
Laboratory's Rat
I heard very bad echos on this album, this review confirms it. But I listened to the album in order to see if it's an average album. Result: yes it's plus the Alex singing is really average.
I shall not go so far as to say that the band have a really chosen name on this album, but ....
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18.03.2008 - 13:46
iaberis
Advice Troll
Come on! Reviewers all over the word dig this album... It can't be that bad! I've looking forward for this...
----
Bitch! Please
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18.03.2008 - 13:48
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by iaberis on 18.03.2008 at 13:46

Come on! Reviewers all over the word dig this album... It can't be that bad! I've looking forward for this...


they probably like cause they were really into the original songs at the time they were released :-)

For me it's easy I ALWAYS hated those songs back in the eighties and have also hated Atrocity as well.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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18.03.2008 - 13:51
iaberis
Advice Troll
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 18.03.2008 at 13:48

Written by iaberis on 18.03.2008 at 13:46

Come on! Reviewers all over the word dig this album... It can't be that bad! I've looking forward for this...


they probably like cause they were really into the original songs at the time they were released :-)

For me it's easy I ALWAYS hated those songs back in the eighties and have also hated Atrocity as well.

Does this album have naked pics of that Manson girl inside the booklet like the first Werk had?
----
Bitch! Please
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18.03.2008 - 14:35
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 18.03.2008 at 09:56

Written by jupitreas on 18.03.2008 at 03:48

That is Dita Von Teese on the cover and she is the only good thing about this album, or about anything Atrocity has ever done. Such a terrible, kitsch and pompous pathetic little band...


Finally someone who agress for the full 100% with me.


I agree whit you here

and wt are talk talk dont know such band
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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18.03.2008 - 15:05
jupitreas
hi-fi / lo-life
Written by iaberis on 18.03.2008 at 13:51

Does this album have naked pics of that Manson girl inside the booklet like the first Werk had?


Dita was a popular model before Manson dated her, so don't insult her by making it sound like he is the only reason she is well known...
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18.03.2008 - 15:16
iaberis
Advice Troll
Written by jupitreas on 18.03.2008 at 15:05

Written by iaberis on 18.03.2008 at 13:51

Does this album have naked pics of that Manson girl inside the booklet like the first Werk had?


Dita was a popular model before Manson dated her, so don't insult her by making it sound like he is the only reason she is well known...

Well, I didn't know her before... A greek magazine gave this album a negative review just because Dita was on the cover! Because she's linked to Manson!
Once a Bond's girl, always a Bond's girl... same goes with Manson...
----
Bitch! Please
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18.03.2008 - 19:00
Rating: 5
Jason W.
Razorbliss
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 18.03.2008 at 09:56

Written by jupitreas on 18.03.2008 at 03:48

That is Dita Von Teese on the cover and she is the only good thing about this album, or about anything Atrocity has ever done. Such a terrible, kitsch and pompous pathetic little band...


Finally someone who agress for the full 100% with me.

While I do feel that this latest release is a bad one, statements like calling a band "pompous pathetic little band" are as elitist as one can get! I'd love to read a lengthier description in the regular forum on the band, tearing it apart, so that I can actually see what specifically is the roots of the comments.
----
"After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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01.02.2009 - 20:19
Ragana
Rawrcat
Written by Bad English on 17.03.2008 at 20:46

[..] but that lady in this cover has sexy legs

Good one.
I didn't like this album. No, wait - I really didn't enjoy this album. Freaky, boring and weak. Yeah, at least the album cover was interesting.

EDIT: There was only two good songs - "Here Comes The Rain Again" and "Feels Like Heaven". Classic. ^^
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01.02.2009 - 23:26
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Ragana on 01.02.2009 at 20:19

Written by Bad English on 17.03.2008 at 20:46

[..] but that lady in this cover has sexy legs

Good one.
I didn't like this album. No, wait - I really didn't enjoy this album. Freaky, boring and weak. Yeah, at least the album cover was interesting.

EDIT: There was only two good songs - "Here Comes The Rain Again" and "Feels Like Heaven". Classic. ^^


I almoust forgot about it
I like only firts 3-5 albums from band, all mid 90's works, never liked newer albums because ''Love is dead''
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
08.02.2009 - 18:01
VPeter

Spot on review. I enjoy a lot of 80ties pop songs but Atrocity did a poor job on covering them. Lot's of pop songs are already cheesy to begin with, so what is the use to put an other extra layer of cheese over it with the symphonic stuff? The guitars are also annoying and ruin the atmosphere just as much as the cheesy keys.
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09.09.2017 - 14:24
Metren
Dreadrealm
I just heard the A-ha cover with Liv Kristine. The worst thing I think I've ever listened to. The original The Sun Always Shines On TV is A-ha's greatest masterpiece and the cover is truly atrocious, like some kind of joke.
----
My one-man project's Bandcamp with free downloads: https://dreadrealm.bandcamp.com/
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