The leading riff of the title track “Viva Hades” it’s just a huge take off from “Personal Jesus” by Depeche Mode. Still, the album was nominated by the German ORKUS Magazine as “album of the month” and got 10 out of 10 points. Well, I was always a little bit skeptical about artists praised by media. Mono Inc. delivering German taste like Gothic Rock, blending melodious vocals with heavy guitar riffs and tones, synth layers and pianos with Metal sounds, they have a few better riffs – “Admiration Hill” which reminds me of Marilyn Manson – , they have some fine choruses and pumping themes (“C’est La Vie”), but still, I think Mono Inc. suffers from the same linear, repeating and mainly “pale” symptoms of musical constructions as most of the German artist/bands dose. Well, not everybody can be Faust or Einstürzende Neubauten, not even Rammstain, isn’t it?
But still, focusing exclusively on the German Gothic scene, bands like Umbra et Imago seems to be miles above Mono Inc. Polishing the edges softer, taking off every wildness and extreme (or bizarre) accessories from their music seems to be the path chosen by Mono Inc. to gain access to a larger audience, eventually to the mainstream, but exactly by taking off all that “accessories” from the Gothic Rock, its loose all it sense. Some things are meant to be staying underground and be rough.
