2ND Civilization must be one of Belgian best hidden secrets or is it just like a ghost leaving behind the past and forgotten times to start a new life? This Belgian combo was mainly active in the late 80s and early 90s. “Report From The Dark” is the resurrection and reworking of old songs that got lost in a fire. While most of the members remained active over the years by being involved in different projects, the band now reformed because of EK Product. The EBM label based in Napoli is a huge fan of Belgian electro bands and this is just one more on the list.
It’s always something special listening to some of your compatriots, but 2ND Civilization clearly is not my favorite band. Well, there are some real irresistible electro sequences and sounds running through this album. The heavy electro sequences remind me of Dance Or Die, which is simply more than a reference, but the pop & rock touch running through most of the songs is not always that exciting. It for sure evokes some lost memories and other late 80s influences, but I don’t find a real coherence between the strong electro-body sequences and the guitar parts. The electronic parts running through “Hurt”, “D69” and “Iris Is God” simply are amazing.
The rawness and energy from these sequences literally blow you away, but the more pop-sounding choruses and guitar parts seem to ruin the brilliance of the compositions. I guess it’s all about taste, but I think if this band would have simply concentrated and elaborated their electro sound, we would of had a genius release.
“Report From The Dark” sounds like the duality between very strong components and less inspired parts. The band has announced new songs and is already working on new stuff. I hope they’ll mainly focus on the electronic influences.