Band: Cold Rush
Title: The Illness
Label: Artist Service
Distribution: Music Buy Mail
Release date: 30/01/2009
Review: CD

Cold Rush are a pretty quintet from Germany, founded in 2006 by guitar player Klaus Lange (ex-Toxsin) and producer / bass player / keyboardist / programmer Ralf Ramirez Reiche. Together with talented vocalist Sebastian Müller, Stephan Lanzl (d), and Martin Alexy (g), Klaus and Ralf recorded this debut album at Ralf’s home studio. The Illness, which lasts for 35:35 minutes, contains eleven songs that can be defined as Electro / Gothic / Industrial Metal. Each song combines elements from Goth-oriented Electronics and somewhat mechanical Metal with varying vocals and an oppressing and chilly, sometimes even spacy atmosphere. The tempo is mostly slow to mid-tempo-oriented, which fits well to the dark and ominous sound. Comparisons are legio: Front Line Assembly, Ministry, Deathstars, Doncker, Die Krupps, Kovenant, Rammstein, Das Scheit, Ewigkeit, Laibach and Sisters Of Mercy amongst others. However, Cold Rush never sound as a copy-cat, even though they add only few renewing elements, but what’s more, the band knows how to keep the dark flame burning. The Illness, and that’s a certainty, is highly recommended to fans of higher mentioned bands, or in general to everyone who can appreciate a darkened mixture of stomping Metal, electronic beats, industrialised elements, gothic spheres and a rocking groove.

78/100

Ivan Tibos.