“Elevator” is the 4th full length album in history for Endless Shame and the 2nd CD on EK Product. The Swedish band has always merged elements of EBM and synth-pop, which is a formula they hold on for this new work. But this band also catches attention because of the Autodafeh-members Mika Rossi and Anders Olsson.
“Elevator” is not exactly the most common synth-pop release. It constantly moves in between EBM, synth-pop and other parts where guitar play becomes more important. The songs are also moving in between rather powerful parts and other songs featuring moody passages.
The debut of the CD is very promising and more into EBM. “Freakshow” is not exactly a kind of ‘intro’ rather than a cool EBM song with a pop touch on top. The vocals of frontman Mattias Levin are alluring and well-produced. “Hear Me Now” coming up next moves a bit more towards pop fields and features a great lead. “Winter Skies” and “I Am nothing” both are excellent songs as well where the EBM input becomes stronger again. I especially like the bass line running through “I Am Nothing”, but the chorus is pretty cool as well. In a similar vein, I also have to mention “Universe”, which is a remarkable body-pop hybrid as well.
The 2nd part of the album is much more synth-pop like. The songs become quieter and sometimes a bit moody. “Twilight Zone” is a poignant example in the genre. “Savior” is a last noticeable song and also the final song of the album.
Endless Shame clearly is an enjoyable band. “Elevator” is a noticeable production filled with excellent ideas and great sound sculptures. There are several cool songs, but I’m just regretting the absence of an absolute hit.