CD Review: Exile Paradise, by In Strict Confidence

German industrial/Goth band In Strict Confidence's 2004 album Holy was an absolute  masterpiece, yielding such hits as "Seven Lives", "Heal Me" and the fabulous duet between vocalist Dennis Ostermann and guest Nadine Seltzer "Closing Eyes".  I purchased the album after discovering the band on Myspace, and it quickly became a favorite.

So it was with equal excitement that I purchased ISC's 2006 release, Exile Paradise (thanks Gather!).  I was already familiar with three songs, as they are featured on the band's Myspace page, and I really liked them, so of course I was certain I'd love the remainder of the album. 

Unfortunately, that was not correct.  Sadly, Exile Paradise pales in comparison to Holy. It was a hard act to follow, and ISC didn't quite succeed.  Don't get me wrong, it's not horrible, just not outstanding.

The album starts out with an instrumental, "The Harder They Come..." which segues into the best song on the album, "Promised Land", a duet between Ostermann and band member Antje Schulz, formerly of the band Chandeen.  Schulz has a nice voice, although it's a bit little-girlish, especially when compared to Seltzer's classically trained voice.

Next is the amazing "Forbidden Fruit". I say amazing as much for the video as the actual song. This song stands out because it is so different from the other songs, and really, from anything ISC has done so far.

"Fading Light" brings Schulz and Ostermann together again, and it's a good thing. It's easy to imagine this song being a club favorite, especially the remix.

"Wintermoon" is the last 'good' song, in my opinion, and it's not that great, it pains me to say. 

The remaining tracks are:

"Manchmal Redest Du Im Schlaf", "Regicide" (not bad), "Der Teufel", "Away From Here", "In Favilla", "Something To Remember" (yuck), and another instrumental, "...The Harder They Fall."

Following on the heels of ISC's controversial artwork for Holy (the cover sports a topless nun), Exile Paradise's cover art doesn't disappoint. Although not as disturbing perhaps as Holy, it's still a bit shocking. The album follows an Adam and Eve theme, never more apparent than in "Forbidden Fruit" and the artwork inside.

Something that might have made Exile Paradise more enjoyable would have been to mix the better songs in with the others.  Having the three known songs right at the start makes the album top heavy. Most of the time I don't even get past the fifth track, "Wintermoon."

Listen to ISC here: www.myspace.com/instrictconfidence

"Forbidden Fruit" video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS-Ny602fYE