In Strict Confidence - Holy

For almost 15 years In Strict Confidence have fined and polished their sound to achieve a splendid result with their last full-length album 'Mistrust the Angels'. During the years their sound have become very differential for the band and I think they have become better and better, but they have made a slight sound change with their latest release 'Holy'. It's softer; more guitars are used and sometimes there's a little bit more gothrock than you have heard before. Already in the second track (after the first one which is an intro) you are able to hear the slight change and it goes further on through some tracks while other still have the sound you are used to.

Irrespective of this change of style it sounds really good, sometimes very good and well produced. They have used more female vocals than earlier and those songs fast become my favourites. First of all I'm thinking of songs like "Closing Eyes" "Emergency" and "The Darkest Corridors". The singer sounds like an evil, gothic smurf with a slightly darker voice. Truly fantastic. You should also mention tracks like "Seven Lives", "Heal me" and also "Babylon" that is the first single from this record, even though it's far from my favourite.

Consistently a really good album from a supreme artist that have given us many favourite tracks during the years. If I should make a pun I could almost say that In Strict Confidence is "holy" for me personally.

This review was written 2004 and initially published on Neurozine.com Jan 01 2004