Arcanum, The Spoken Scream- Bob Gajarsky

(2Surreal)

And everything we once loved came back again...

Once upon a time, Duran Duran ruled the pop world, and Depeche Mode and New Order were providing a dancefloor alternative to bad remixes of generic pop songs. The mid 1980s don't quite seem so long ago with the volumes of Just Can't Get Enough, Flashback Favorites and Living In Oblivion. Rising out of the ashes of this not-quite-forgotten era comes Marietta, Georgia based Arcanum, set to kick up the 80s with all new music.

Think of post-Vince Clarke Depeche Mode, or even Martin Gore's solo album of covers Counterfeit, combined with early-mid 80s Duran Duran. As thoughts pass of those hairstyles (and yes, lead singer Shaz *does* have the floppy-hair and long sideburns), ignore the image and remember the music. Catchy synthesizer-driven, pounding (but not heavy) grooves with vocals which could seemingly drive anyone to dance. The lighter side of Trent Reznor, or even Ministry's long since-disavowed With Sympathy.

Arcanum captures these images with a flair far greater than associated with an indie band. Key tracks on The Spoken Scream include "Rhythm Is A Sadist", which would fit in nicely on DM's People Are People, and "Love Like A Loaded Gun". "Losing Control" periodically threatens to veer off into any number of New Order songs before returning to its base roots, and much of the album continues down the same path: familiar keyboards and guitar sounds which excite the ear and fulfill the longing for a new wave of new wave.

Curiously enough, some of their more recent work (not available on the CD), such as "Phantasm" is a driving combination of Nine Inch Nails, Enigma and the Prodigy, coupled with Martin Gore's vocals. Guitarist/keyboardist Brett Schieber noted that the band is "really getting into the drum and bass/techno scene coming out of Europe", which makes it likely that the band's future projects will continue down that path, without completely abandoning their starting point. Keep an eye out for these guys.

If the Durannies modern music or Depeche's twists into more guitar/less keyboard have you yearning for days gone by, Aracanum might save the day. And at 70 minutes, The Spoken Scream packs a lot of bang for the buck.

For ordering information, contact the band via e-mail at arcanum@mindspring.com, or check out the band on the web at: http://www.mindspring.com/~arcanum