Artist: XE-NONE
Album: Dance Inferno Resurrection
Year: 2009
Xe-None is a band who doesn't need any introduction on our webzine anymore, and after sometime talking about it, they now finally did it - the release of their cover EP is a fact. 'Dance Inferno Resurrection' includes covers of songs and acts that inspired them to create the band they are today. It includes covers from Mo-Do, Liquido and 2Unlimited but also of more surprising acts such as E-Rotic and Aqua!
The release opens with the Mo-Do cover of 'Eins Zwei Polizei'. Some people might remember that there was as well a cover of this song on Xe-None's debut release 'Digital Fucker', but this version is different. It comes with powerful drumming, strong riffing and a diverse use of vocals. The recogniseable elements of the original track aren't only hidden in the lyrics, as well in the keylines and some sampling. 'Moscow Never Sleeps' - a DJ Smash cover - comes up next. Not knowing the original of this track it's impossible to compare for me, but I do dig this one. It has somewhat traditional (euro)dance keylines, a recogniseable and danceable rhytm and wellplaced riffing taking care of a certain powerboost. Another track of which I don't know the original is the cover of E-Type's 'Set The World On Fire'. It's an accessable version with recogniseable sampling and sing-a-long female vocal lines, blended perfectly well with the metal edge guitars and midtempo drumming. The cover of E-Rotic's 'Max Don't Have Sex With Your Ex' comes up next. It's a wicked, sometimes even a little hyperactive, track with excellent use of sampling and the diversity of both the male and female vocals. The drumming is accessable and invites you to dance immidiately. 'No Limit' - originally by 2Unlimited - was originally featured as well on the 'Blood Rave' EP - but yet again this version is different. This newer version is more accessable to the masses and has more elements of the house attitude the original song has, but the Blood Rave version was more fast and metal based - so to be honest I prefer that one. I can't help but smiling during the 'Doctor Jones' (Aqua cover) track. Remembering the reputation Aqua had and still has in The Netherlands, namely infantil dance music, the cover on this EP can't be taken very seriously by me. The song structure is good though, and the use of the keylines is exceptional. The EP ends with a fragment of 'Narcotic/Live At Electrogorsk' - which contains the original known Liquido tune pressed in Xe-None style.
The problem with a cover EP is always that people start comparing it with original tracks and such. Then, when an (industrial) metal band picks songs like these to cover, I fear that many people won't be able to take it very seriously. Still - I am happy Xe-None fixed this one, because not only the songs are brought in Xe-None style, it also gives me many good flashbacks to the time the original songs were smash hits.
Vote: 80 / 100
Review by: Gerardo
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