DUPONT ENTERING THE ICE AGE ALBUM PROGRESS RELEASE: AUGUST 18, 2009 REVIEW: AUGUST 18, 2009

A lot has happened since Dupont's humble beginnings as an old school EBM band by the time of their debut album. Last full length "Intermezzo" showed a clear change in style where Danucci and Riccardo moved towards more sophisticated electropop, and "Entering the Ice Age" continues that trend. The sound has matured even more now, and we get a nice smorgosbord of tunes. They also got a little help from their skilled friends Eskil Simonsson from Covenant and Oscar Holter from Necro Facility.

I have a small problem with singer and main song writer Riccardo's voice though. It's a bit theatrical and the English pronunciation is not top notch. Other than that though, there's not too much to complain about. Maybe the production is a bit thin and plain sometimes, but instead we get a dose of inspiration from modern dance music which help liven things up a bit. This is especially apparent in "New Dawn" which is the highlight of the album for me with its housy synth stabs and crescendo towards the end. Other favourites are "Like We Never Loved" - released earlier this year on the Progress compilation "5 Years of Progress" - and the exquisite "N.A.S.A" with bleeping synths over vocoders and a techno beat.

All in all a good album marred by some uneven tracks and some overly deep dramatic vocals. Don't let this stop you though, I know some people who pick this album as one of the best 2009.

JOHAN CARLSSON