ATROCITY “Werk 80 II” /CD/

The eighth full-length studio album by legendary German Symphonic Gothic Metal band.
Atrocity's 2nd full-length cover album, sequel to the original "Werk 80" album released in 1997.
Eleven years after the first ''Werk 80'' release, Atrocity comes around with its follow-up featuring covers of national and international Pop and Rock songs of the eighties. What seems like an unoriginal idea at first sight turns out to be a quite interesting affair. While the first album had a martial Industrial Rock tone, this sequel sounds completely different and mostly focuses on a more Epic Symphonic structure. With this classical vibe, Atrocity explores numerous sub-genres and sounds even more eclectic than usual by its own diversified standards. This album offers pretty much everything from Symphonic Power Metal as in ''The Sun Always Shines on TV'' over Symphonic Gothic Metal in ''Hey Little Girl'' to Symphonic Death Metal in ''Relax''.
On the positive side, this release is much more diversified, entertaining and inspired than the somewhat lackluster first part. The song selection is also better since the first installment included some controversial tunes from German Underground bands while this record only features some of the very best commercial Pop and Rock songs from the eighties. While Alexander Krull is still an average clean vocalist at best, his performance sounds more skilled than eleven years earlier where his aqualung vocals sounded similar in each tune while he sounds more melodic and has a slightly higher range on this output.
Fans of '80s Pop may find Atrocity’s name all too appropriate when they hear "Werk 80 II", an album of Metallic synth-slick covers of hits from New Wave heavyweights such as Ah-Ha, Simple Minds, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood... "Werk 80 II" treats material often viewed as lightweight with the reverence and gravity that many of the songs deserve. Bronski Beat’s melancholy “Smalltown Boy” is inflated with Metallic grandeur and a mournful choir, and the dorm room staple “Don’t You Forget About Me” is juiced with a forceful chorus!
''Werk 80 II'' is a clear improvement over its first installment thanks to a more diversified, entertaining and skilled reinvention of classic Rock and pOop songs of the eighties. To keep it short, those who liked the first record should definitely check out the much better follow-up. It's also recommended to eclectic Symphonic Metal fans. Those who are missing the commercial Pop and Rock music of the eighties for nostalgic or closed-minded reasons might also give this a try! No matter your opinion on the source material, it’s definitely fun!!
CD includes booklet-poster.
Napalm Records Handels GmbH, 2008 (NPR 238). Made in Germany. 


Tracklist:
1. People Are People 3:43
2. Smalltown Boy 5:10
3. Relax 3:47
4. Don't You Forget About Me 4:27
5. The Sun Always Shines On TV 4:48
6. Hey Little Girl 4:27
7. Fade To Grey 3:26
8. Such A Shame 4:11
9. Keine Heimat 3:45
10. Here Comes The Rain Again 4:47
11. Forever Young 3:50
Total playing time: 46:21 min.

Track 1: Originally performed by Depeche Mode
Track 2: Originally performed by Bronski Beat
Track 3: Originally performed by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Track 4: Originally performed by Simple Minds
Track 5: Originally performed by A-HA
Track 6: Originally performed by Icehouse
Track 7: Originally performed by Visage
Track 8: Originally performed by Talk Talk
Track 9: Originally performed by Ideal
Track 10: Originally performed by Eurythmics
Track 11: Originally performed by Alphaville