The title of the record and a look at the effect of colors firstly trigger ominous association to attributes like distance, dispassion and functionality. Fortunately the violet color gradation on the cover of IN MITRA MEDUSA INRI’s fourth album Kalte Farben emanates a rather comforting impact. Similar the music – the two Germans from the town of Moenchengladbach don’t bank in their German- and English-speaking songs on apparent aggressiveness or bold phrases, but create a subliminal dynamic and atmosphere. They use thereby classical elements of dark wave like often monotonous sequences from the drum computer and spare electronic arrangements; instead the adoption of electric guitars at the important point brings a breath of fresh air. The duo doesn’t deal economically with melodies. The striking singing joins all this.
You can’t say that IN MITRA MEDUSA INRI run after short-dated trends. Uninspired dance beats you will search for on Kalte Farben without any result and despite partially German-speaking lyrics the album is far away from platitudes of bands like Unheilig. Still the album is nothing to write home about, because when listening to it you have the back of your mind the name Diary Of Dreams. Sadly IN MITRA MEDUSA INRI don’t reach refinement and emotionality of the band around Adrian Hates.
Kalte Farben is not a bad album; however there is a lack of needed variety in the round dance after the good introduction with Nimm die Lügen von mir or Keine Fragen. The more solemn songs like Come On or Say Goodbye don’t suffice as an antipole.
After all there only rests the judgment: solid stuff, not more not less. But Kalte Farben will find its friends for sure, because of its timelessness.