Band:	StrommoussHeld
Album:	Halfdecadance
Style:	Industrial avantgarde metal
Release date:	November 05, 2004
A review by:	Azhidahak

01. Larva And Butterfly
02. Enceladus
03. Mezzanine
04. Era Depression ("Materia Of Depression") [Maels remix]
05. Restless Souls (... From The Bruised Nest)
06. Horisun ("Solar Scream") [C.H. District remix]
+ D.E.C.E.P.T.I.O.N [video]

Metal Minds production seems to have a big interest to sign bands with lots of keyboards and synth these days, and Strommousheld is not an exception here.

It's very difficult for me to categorise this band, I have seen some people calling it Avant-garde metal, but I completely disagree with this labelling. I can't hear much avant-garde in this release and neither can I hear much metal in it. So I don't even think this can be considered metal in the first step. I think this is more towards the line of industrial music actually.

Musically, the keys have total control over the sound. The electric sound of the band almost creates some sort of trance like feeling, but it's not a "mellow" or relaxing atmosphere but rather rough and sticking. Atmospherically, the album is very cold and somehow creates a roof out of ice that is hard to break from the outside, and from the inside, well you're trapped.

The band themselves have been around since 1999 mostly releasing some underground demos and one full length album so far (Behind the Curtain), but they are apparently a very well liked band in their home country - Poland, while I think they still remain as a rather unknown band in most other countries (at least I didn't know anything about this band for only 2 weeks ago).

If you like your music to have lots and lots of keyboards and synths in it, then this is your thing. If you like your music to rely on heavy riffs, up tempo drums and at least some sort of vocals in it, then this is definitely not your thing.