Techno Takover Episode 26

Evoke – Wumpscut

Originally I decided to review one song from the Evoke album. But there’s not much to work with on the song alone, so I’m reviewing the whole album.

Churist, Churist Review

So I’m diving into this review pretty much blind. The song is in a language Rudy made up and despite the puppy dog eyes via Facebook, my attempt to get a translation failed. So I’m going to try to review the amazing force that is the one song I’m obsessing over from the Evoke album.

Evoke came out during that awkward slump of albums I really didn’t care for because they only had one good song and the rest were boring unfortunately. I say unfortunately because I’ve really grown to love Wumpscut over the past year or so. Evoke was different though. Evoke decided to throw a curveball in the form of a random woman singing on some of the tracks and I don’t know what to do with this random guest vocalist. Hell I’m still decided whether I like the first track, “Maiden” because I just don’t know what to do with it. It’s not bad but it’s definitely confusing.

However track number two does a complete musical whiplash and throws Churist, Churist at the listeners. It’s just significantly better than Maiden because I instantly knew I loved it the minute it started. If there’s one thing Rudy Ratzinger is amazing at doing as an artist he can portray an emotion or feeling very well in his songs. Even without the translation this song sounds like something intense is going on with a slight hint of chaos about to take place. When the chorus, or what I can only presume is the chorus, rolls around the song turns ominous as hell. I feel like there’s a warning in this song but since the song is in a language he made up I’ll never know what he’s trying to say.

This song has proven to be the one mystery of my life I will never have the answer to. I wish there was a translation to the song somewhere, but Rudy has confirmed it twice and it would be pointless to ask for a third time. I even tried puppy dog eyes this time, but I got the same answer as the first time. No translation anywhere, but the puppy dog eyes were appreciated.

One last thing about Churist, Churist, I feel like there’s an overall tone of ‘shit’s about to get real,’ but since there’s no translation anywhere I couldn’t tell you if I was right or wrong, just that something’s about to go down.

Evoke Album Review

 (Maiden)

Before I get into the actual review itself I'd like to start out a little positive and say, the demon thing on the album cover is really coo. I like it a lot. 

Now for the start of the review: Evoke is a really boring album. Nothing matches the energy Churist, Churist or even comes close to it. It’s like all of the energy was put into that one song and then the rest were ‘filler’ in my opinion. The only exception would have to be “maiden” the opening track from Evoke. The only issue with Maiden, is the woman singing, I don’t know who she is, all I know is I hope I don’t encounter her again on any other albums. I don’t know if it was just the style of the song but her voice is so piercing it goes right through me. I was in physical pain after listening to the first minute of the song. Rudy’s part was fine though.

Despite that major annoyance, in my hunt throughout Google I came across other reviews stating that the vocals on Evoke are ‘cleaner’ than other albums. In other words it’s not as ‘mechanical’ as the other albums. I noticed that long before I read anyone else’s opinions on Evoke and can I just say, if that’s what Rudy’s voice sounds like with minimal effects on it he has a sexy singing voice. I like a little growl every once in a while and he perfected it.

That’s about all Evoke has going for it. It suffers the curse of the boring repeat, but is only saved by the fact I think the worst Wumpscut song ever has to be “You Are A Goth.” Nothing on Evoke reached that level of terrible I could throw maiden in that category but that’s not fair to the song because it had a really interesting concept. You are a Goth, had nothing for it other than a possibly interesting style to it but it was just butchered by filters and stuff until it became the pain in the ears that it is.

(Don't Go)

Speaking of pain in the ears, that woman comes back on track number three “Don’t go.” I swear that song is a trap, it starts off awesome, I think it’s some kind of drum being used, and it has a pretty awesome opening beat to it. Then once you think I wonder what the verse is going to sound like, she starts singing and I almost punched my computer. She’s even worse than she was in Maiden!

Moving on from “Don’t Go,” the album’s title track “Evoke” finally a song that is just Rudy singing. But that doesn’t make it any better, because the lyrics are silly.

(Evoke)

For example, here’s verse one:

“I'll wait for you
To make it true
I take your bones away
Here on your last day”

First off, you’re going to do what now? How the hell are you going to take my bones away? That’s physically impossible unless you’ve skinned the person first. On that note what the hell are the first two lines about? They don’t relate to the lines that follow it.

And then the chorus:

“And evoke
When I get evoked”

That just makes no sense. There’s a lot I’m willing to put up with in the realm of ‘lyrics that don’t make sense’ and this is not in that realm.

Verse 2:

“Innocent like a lamb for me
You can't feel the danger
You can't see

In context of the song, this is literally my response: Well as we already discussed, you plan on taking my bones away therefore my skin is gone so I’m just bones. I can’t feel danger because I’m dead and have no skin. I also can’t see because like I stated before I’M DEAD.

Chorus:
“Here in the darkness
Evoke”

Evoke what? What is being evoked? We will never get that answer.

Evoke tries it’s best to sound like something’s happening but it falls flat. It’s not creepy it’s not intense; it’s just a bunch of bland. It disappoints me more than “Don’t go” and “Maiden,” did. This song fails miserably at being a song it goes on for five minutes when it should have ended in three. 

(Tomb)

Tomb has no lyrics. It has no spark, nothing interesting; it just exists on the album. I can say no more about it other than it’s a relief from the previous tracks. Can I go back to listening to Churist, Churist?

Hold signals the return of an annoying woman singing again. The first time I heard this song I wasn’t sure if she was even singing words I just knew I hated her voice. Then I went to Google and realized, yes she is singing actual words. I think the song is about treasuring loved ones before their time, or your time has faded. Great concept except I can’t listen to her sing. 

 (Krolok)

Krolok has no lyrics, I don’t know if that word even has a meaning to it. Part of me doesn’t really care either. Does the same job that Tomb does, it exists. However it just sounds creepy because of the random clips from something. I want a penny for every time a song shows up with an audio sample from something that does not have a definite source. 

(Breathe)

Breathe has no lyrics, it starts with someone talking I don’t understand what is being said. Then it gets silly because it’s just breathing in and out set to some sort of randomness and is passed off as a song. I seriously laughed the first time I heard this because I pictured someone having this ‘song’ stuck in their head. There’s no way to singing it except breathe awkwardly and hum the music parts. 

(Rush)

Rush is a confusing song. It sounds like it’s about someone being hunted but I feel like it’s also about getting high… Don’t know why I just feel like it screams that’s what it should be about. Not like a drug high but like an adrenaline junky high. For a song called rush it’s rather sluggish and sounds like it doesn’t even care.

Also here’s verse one:

“Hide in a dirty hole
Run from pole to pole
Who is the hunted one
There comes the danger from”

There might be a dirty joke in there somewhere. I don’t feel the need to find it.

 (Perdition)

Perdition for some reason reminds me of “You are a Goth” and it angers me. It isn’t bad but it’s not good by any means. The first thought I had when I heard the chorus was it sounds like “You are a Goth.” However it doesn’t sound that bad.

“Afraid of all the things to come
We lose ourselves
Praying for the one
That helps us out and we adore
To go on like we did before”

This is really the only interesting thing the song has going for it.

(Obsessio)

Obsessio is not in English and I have no idea what language it could be in. I thought it was in a Hispanic language at first but then I also thought it looked French, then I realized I’m terrible and guessing languages at first glance.

“Res no te sentit els ulls en blanc
La ment buida sense llum

Res no te sentit els ulls en blanc
Mirada sense color l'ansia interior
La meva obessio no te un final
la ment buida sense llum

La meva obessio ets llum”

If anyone feels the need to translate that for me, go ahead, I have no interest in doing so because this album is a pain.

The last two songs on the album are remixes of Maiden and Churist, chruist.

I normally hate remixes of Wumpscut songs; I have not found one I enjoy at all. This proves that Wumpscut songs were not meant to be remixed especially ones with annoying female vocalists. The remix of “Maiden,” what little I heard from Amazon’s sample provided on their website, was worse than the original. Chruist Churist is available on YouTube which is where I listened to it and am disappointed to say it’s terrible. Rudy’s voice is gone and someone else is singing it. I'm not embedding them into the review Google them if you want but take my word for it, they're not that great.

Evoke had potential. A woman ruined that potential in my opinion. If Rudy had sang the whole thing it would have been better. If not Rudy than a woman with a better voice should have sang. Maiden wouldn’t have made sense if Rudy sang it from a male point of view and it might not make sense if he sang it from a woman’s perspective. Actually if Rudy had sang “Maiden” from the attacker’s point of view that might have made it twice as interesting. I don’t really know it could have made it worse, but I’d like to think if we got a double perspective on the song it might have done some good.

So there are my thoughts and feelings on Evoke. I didn’t like it one bit. Also if you have Audiosurf play Churist, Churist on Audiosurf because it’s amazing.