Watch out! Earworms inside... CREMATORY are back! After a two years break they're presenting their new album Pray. Whoever will expect any Christian lyrics now might be disappointed...

I really was looking forward to do this review, because I personally haven't listened to this band for years now. Anyway CREMATORY are well known by me since I was a teenager. They were one of the first bands leading me into metal music in the beginning of the 90s. They are naming themselves the most famous German gothic metal band, but what they offer now is slight fare. Somehow everything is sounding accommodating without any hook and eye. It all sounds very clean and sleek – I am missing some pep in it. Listening for the first time the record appeared to me like a trendy one close to pop-music. Every time the guitars start to rock out a little bit more, and you think that the band will start a musical attack now, CREAMTORY fall back into boring and tootling melodies for swinging and swaying, but not for headbanging. Especially this terrible high-pitched whistle in second song Left The Ground was disturbing me much directly at the beginning of my listening-session.

I do not want to bash it – there are some really good parts on this record. If I would have to choose one I would pick Burning Bridges as my favorite song from this album. Anyway I cannot get rid of the feeling that they musically stepped on the break to make the music more pleasant for the masses. Listen for a second time and you will be able to hum along all songs. Whoever can imagine a cross between Rammstein and Zeraphine may find something here and there on this record. For beginners in metal music and their fans and especially for a place in the billboard-charts this album maybe the right thing, but I truly have expected much more by CREMATORY and Pray after that long time I haven't listened to them...
Nevertheless I had some earworms after all, but you can get them some caused by bothersome ring-tones as well, right...?