NO COMMENT UNDERWATER TALES ALBUM NANOPOP RELEASE: MAY, 2001 REVIEW: MAY 24, 2001

A step up from "Painkiller", sure, but I still don't see No Comment reaching the stars anytime soon. The reason is as obvious as it is annoying. Again with the vocals?
I'm afraid so. Franziska Kalb twists and turns her mouth, but the vocals are still overwhelmingly problematic for the band. It's a shame really, because several of the "Underwater Tales" tracks are very good. Kalb's voice can, and sometimes does, work wonders in the right environment. But on an entire album, her inability to vary her vocals becomes too dominating. The guest appearance by Robert Enforsen (ex Elegant Machinery, Enforce) in "Phoenix" may therefore sound better than it actually is, because of the most welcomed change of singing voice.
The sound is very close to that on "Painkiller" and "Bondage", a stale, rockish type of synthpop with a fair share of unexpected elements.

NIKLAS FORSBERG