Occupying the poppier side of industrial dance music--or the aggressive side of synth-pop, depending on your musical orientation--are Evils Toy, a German outfit that does this sort of thing better than most other German ou... more »tfits who do this sort of thing. Not that it's a bad thing, either. The "Depeche Mode with teeth" genre has a long and proud tradition in Germany, and its enduring popularity in Central Europe is a good deal easier for Ausländers to understand than the German obsession with, say, David Hasselhoff. Angels Only! is Evils Toy's fifth full-length, and it's full of bouncy, danceable rhythms and dark, melancholic vocals. Gone (somewhat) is the harsh sonic edginess of the group's first two albums in favor of a greater emphasis on melody--it's a fine tradeoff. Tracks like "Transparent Frequencies" and "From Above Comes Sleep," with their anthemic electro properties, would be equally at home on the dance floor and in the headphones. "Forever?!" cleverly uses a vocal sample as a rhythmic device in what's otherwise a piano-led ballad. All in all, nicht schlecht, nicht schlecht at all. --Steve Landau« less
Occupying the poppier side of industrial dance music--or the aggressive side of synth-pop, depending on your musical orientation--are Evils Toy, a German outfit that does this sort of thing better than most other German outfits who do this sort of thing. Not that it's a bad thing, either. The "Depeche Mode with teeth" genre has a long and proud tradition in Germany, and its enduring popularity in Central Europe is a good deal easier for Ausländers to understand than the German obsession with, say, David Hasselhoff. Angels Only! is Evils Toy's fifth full-length, and it's full of bouncy, danceable rhythms and dark, melancholic vocals. Gone (somewhat) is the harsh sonic edginess of the group's first two albums in favor of a greater emphasis on melody--it's a fine tradeoff. Tracks like "Transparent Frequencies" and "From Above Comes Sleep," with their anthemic electro properties, would be equally at home on the dance floor and in the headphones. "Forever?!" cleverly uses a vocal sample as a rhythmic device in what's otherwise a piano-led ballad. All in all, nicht schlecht, nicht schlecht at all. --Steve Landau
CD Reviews
I have a new favorite CD!
Elysium | 05/26/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Evil's Toy is everything that is right with EBM/ Electro-Industrial music! In a time when as soon as you get attached to a band they let you down heavily, these guys just get better. After being disappointed by Haujobb's turn for the drum-and-bass worse and fearing for other favorites, Evil's Toy and :Wumpscut: and have let me know that all is alright and that there are still bands to take care of those of us who don't consider NIN, Marilyn Manson, etc Industrial or anything else but commercial trash. Highly recommended!!!!"
Another collection of speed anthems for Metropolis Records
L | 07/21/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"No, "Angels Only" doesn't let you down. It speeds you up. This is what most of us want from our EBM.I agree with most of the reviewers that this album is simplistic and we can argue for days about whether a band should evolve or stick with their creative roots, but the fact is that they deliver some fresh body-twitching electro. I don't look to EBM for artistic revelation and I certainly don't look to European bands for profound lyrics in English. EBM is primarily about a body high and this album gives you that.You can stubbornly listen to Apop's "The Apocalyptic Manifesto" for the 6000th time or you can buy something new. If you decide on "something new" consider "Angels Only"."
Great EBM/synth
Elysium | Norway | 12/24/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Musically speaking, no one can accuse Evil's Toy of being excessively adventurous. This is melodious EBM, and that is all it is. They stick to their tried and tested formula of simple percussion, relatively mellow synth lines, and dark, pretentious vocals. And why not? It works. Well. Most of the tracks on "Angels Only" are extremely catchy and not very hard. Actually, lose the vocals and you've got something not light years from certain commercial synth/trance acts (no, really!), only more complex and much better. I for one listen to this album a lot. The vocals sound great too, but the lyrics leave a lot to be desired. They are more than a little influenced by Lovecraft ("Colours Out Of Space"). Nothing wrong with that, but you don't need to be an intellectual to find them simplistic. They are at best acceptable, at worst cringeworthy. If you want some great melodious EBM and can ignore both the lack of `modern' elements such as drum'n'bass and breakbeats, and the cheesy lyrics, then you can't go much wrong with this album."
Angels Only!: The best Evil's Toy album yet!
neomurtle | Acworth, GA United States | 10/26/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Since people seem to have mixed opinions of this album, I will start off by saying that the sound is definetly different from previous Evil's Toy releases. The vocals are less distorted now, and Oliver Taranczewski's presence as a new third member of the band seems to have had an effect on the sound. The lyrics stay true to the Evil's Toy sound for the most part, while some of the beats to the songs are not as fast as the songs found on the Illusion or XTC Implant albums. However, I loved Angels Only!, and couldn't be more pleased by the results. I don't think Evil's Toy fans will be dissapointed with this album, even if it is a bit different. I also recommend checking out their newest album, Silvertears, currently available through import."
Silly but lovely
Shannon B Davis | Arlington, MA United States | 08/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Ignore the silly lyrics and just enjoy the beautiful melodies. A melodic, beat-conscious disk of what some might call EBM or synthpop. The themes, like Apop, are often about aliens. Sometimes I think we'd enjoy the music more if the lyrics were in german; Other times, it is fun to sing along with the silliness. The voice quality is great, and I thoroughly enjoyed this, their most popular work."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1