Review: Cold in Berlin "Destruction / What Went Wrong?"

On so many occasions, I have lost count of the amount of times a band has seriously impressed in a live situation, only to disappoint greatly when the recorded artifact is finally presented and thus it was with great trepidation that Cold in Berlin's debut double A-side Destruction/What Went Wrong? played out earlier on this evening.
I needn't have worried as Destruction/What Went Wrong? is good - very good in fact.

The opener, "Destruction", instantly grabs the listener by the neck and crunks in what can only be described as a late 70's New York churned post-punk style. Manic representations that worked well on stage also travel kindly to the studio.
Frantic vocals cut like razors reminiscent of Nicola Kuperus or Karen O, while the mix between the lone guitar, guitar and drums is fine enough that while each instrument is full on and charges hard, there is still enough space for each to settle in to.
The charge continues through to the single's second half, "What Went Wrong?", and while musically again there is that ever present nod towards the guitar shaped rock that is Siouxsie and the Banshees, Maneater and Le Tigre, it's not an affliction, but rather an attraction.
There are many bands that really try do it, but most don't do it well; however Cold in Berlin hit it on the head. What a shame that it is all over in less than five minutes...

A comment must also be made regarding the wonderful packaging that comes with Destruction/What Went Wrong? Rather than just lump a CD in a Jewel or slipcase, Cold in Berlin have gone all out and created something quite special. The limited edition version, of which there are only 50 (I got number 1 somehow) comes with a copy of a three track promo single by Cold in Berlin's previous incarnation - Death Cigarettes.
The two CD's have fake vinyl grooves pressed onto them and is packaged in a 7-inch cardboard sleeve that would normally come with a short playing record. Also within is a brief prose from the band, printed on fine grease paper.
Anyhoo, as well as the single, the good people at ArtRocker have released a free Cold in Berlin mp3 to go with the single launch - it is a remix of Total Fear by Micron 63 and can downloaded from here.

Buy the single from HMV.com, Play.com or iTunes.
Cold in Berlin MySpace
Rating: 4 out of 5


Leigh