Disco Ensemble

Warriors

Written by: TL on 12/10/2012 13:42:00

If you like bands that a) mix punk-rock attitude with electronic elements and b) stick to their proverbial guns, then there's virtually no reason in the world you should not like Finnish electro-punk institution Disco Ensemble. Judging from their five album discography (from which I must admit that I've so far missed their 2010 effort "The Island Of Disco Ensemble") it just seems like the band figured out what they do best at their very beginning, and have pretty much stuck to refining just that since their 2003 debut "Viper Ethics".

What Disco Ensemble do best is write electrifying signature riffs on guitar and synth, set them to energetic punk-rock beats and employ skillful rises from verse to chorus that show that they are a band that just knows the simple art of setting an audience off. They did it on "Viper Ethics", they did it better on "First Aid Kit" and they were at it again on "Magic Recoveries". So while I do not know for sure, I'd be surprised if they did anything but on "The Island Of..", especially because while new album "Warriors" is easily the most polished and mature-sounding Disco Ensemble record I've heard to date, the constituents very much remain the same.

It is a bit more polished however, which makes Disco Ensemble sound even more like other Scandinavian electro rockers like Carpark North, Veto and Blood Command than they have before, see especially the lead single "Second Soul" and late album slow burner "Your Shadow". Still you'd never mistake any of those for Disco Ensemble, because for that the full throttle romp of a song like "Chinese Sword" is just too unique to them. It's when the guys are a little slower than that - yet still driving and up-tempo however - that the band does its best work however, as can be heard on songs like "I've Seen The Future" and "Spade Is The Anti-Heart" which rock with the kind of reckless intent that inevitably makes listeners want to tear shit up.

For better and worse then, "Warriors" is an album on which Disco Ensemble continue to hone their craft, which means that if you are a fan you will likely love it, but if you were a hater then you will find little to change your mind here. For newcomers, it seems as good an entry point as any. The greatest obstacle to racking up high grades here obviously is that the record feels a little heard-before, and that outside of the up-tempo highlights, not all songs on "Warriors" are at all equally memorable. Like I said though, if you need a jolt of punk-rock energy with a twist of Scandinavian electronics, then Disco Ensemble continue to prove that they should pretty much be your go to band in that department.

7

Download: Spade Is The Anti-Heart, I've Seen The Future, Second Soul
For The Fans Of: Carpark North, Blood Command, Veto - all added a kick of punk-rock energy
Listen: facebook.com/discoensemble

Release Date 21.09.2012
Fullsteam / Columbia / Sony

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