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Cyberya > Mindcontrol > Reviews
Cyberya - Mindcontrol

Sci-Fi Electro-Power Metal Album of 2001 - 93%

bound_to_The_sea, September 15th, 2010

Cyberya is a power metal band like countless other bands before it have tried to attain a gimmick by fusing two different genres of music together in an attempt to become memorable. Now 9 out of 10 times this is a formula for disaster, but this time I liked it. The band fuses electronic/industrial music quite well with power metal, think “What if Rammstein did power metal?” that’s pretty similar to what you’ll find here.

All tracks on the album vary enough so you can differentiate between songs, yet the band keep a constant theme/style throughout creating an electro-power Metal identity for themselves. The album is laden with crunching guitars, catchy choruses, with smartly placed electronic/industrial synths throughout. The production was well balanced; all instruments are heard as well as the Industrial/Electronic elements.

Luckily the band went in a more serious direction than I was expecting with songwriting. With track names like “Digital Heroes” I was expecting a lot of the cheese usually found in Power metal. So when I found out that the album that I was listening to wasn’t Spielberg’s “Star Wars”, but more in the vein of Orwell’s “1984” it definitely has become one of my favorite releases of 2001.

So overall Cyberya’s “Mind Control” is a well blended fusion of power metal and electronic/industrial music worth a listen. Unfortunately since the band split up, there won’t be a sophomore effort to look forward to.

Highlights: “Ministry of T.E.C.H.”, “Digital Heroes”, “Invisible”

Not stellar, but pretty fun. - 70%

Empyreal, September 15th, 2008

Cyberya is a case of what happens when a band asks themselves the question, "what should we do to be noticed?"

Well, they decided to answer it by producing...wait for it...an album that sounds like the lovechild of Rammstein and Angel Dust, with a bit of Gamma Ray added in for the chorii. This is a cross of poppy Industrial music and anthemic Power Metal, and while I don't like the abundance of songs that just plod along in the verse-chorus-verse mode (I'd like it to be less like Rammstein and more like Ministry, for instance), this is good for what it is. As long as you're not expecting anything brilliant, this is quite a catchy and charming little album, with its chunky, crunchy guitar tone, crystal-clear production, odd electronic flourishes, and of course the charismatic, flexible vocals of Paul Dahlmann, who sounds like a cross between Nils K. Rue and Kai Hansen. This is about evenly distributed between its two source genres, borrowing the riff-heavy approach of Power Metal and the repetitive, droning nature of Industrial.

You pretty much know what you're going to get here, as the first song, the epic, smashing "Ministry of T.E.C.H." sums things up perfectly - you have a cool intro, some decent riffs, a verse or two and then the poppy, layered and extremely catchy chorus, which will be hammered into your head about a million times before the song ends. This isn't a very complex album, and it gets dull on some songs, but with tracks as good as the aforementioned "Ministry of T.E.C.H.," the propulsive "Invisible," the catchy "Since I Loved You," the spacey title track and the best song here in the smashing "Addicted to Warfare," you can't go wrong with Cyberya when you're not in the mood for something too demanding. We probably won't ever get another album from these guys, but Mindcontrol is good enough. Recommended.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

Cyberya- the sound of the new millennium - 80%

Frederick, January 2nd, 2005

Produced by Stefan Kaufmann, known for his work with Accept and U.D.O., "Mind Control" marks Cyberya's debut album. The band had previously released two mini-albums under their former moniker, "Trinity". Cyberya distinguishes itself with a fusion of traditional German heavy metal and electronic synth-driven music. While blending metal with electronic and industrial sounds is not particularly new at that point, German bands like Rammstein or Die Krupps have long explored this amalgamation. Nevertheless, Cyberya's distinct approach anchors this fusion within a more classic metal framework, setting them apart from the prevalent industrial metal scene of the early 2000s. Despite incorporating electronic and industrial elements, Cyberya does not seek to align with the sound of your typical industrial bands like Rammstein. Instead, their sound can be compared to a more classic metal approach, augmented with electro arrangements.

Regarding the metal aspect of their sound, while the band claims influence from Megadeth, it is not particularly evident in this release, which undoubtfully aligns more with the bombastic sound of classic German heavy metal and power metal. Anyway, while the concept of this band is to incorporate electronic music into the metal sound, it won’t sound like your typical industrial metal band. The best way to visualize how they sound is to take the sound of U.D.O's riffs and production and add electro arrangements to them. Of course, if, like many fans of U.D.O., you're restive at the idea of external stylistic elements incorporated into the classic sound of metal, this may not be for you. Yet, I have witnessed many purists of the heavy metal genre getting seduced by Cyberya when they were touring with U.D.O. because of their proximity to the classic sound. The music here is very simple in terms of structure but crafted with powerful hooks. If you're into martial heavy metal with powerful guitar rhythms, catchy melodies, and anthems with punchy gang vocals (à la "Balls to the Wall"), you'll probably enjoy this album. The electronic dimension adds a modern flair to their sound, invigorating the heavy metal landscape. The album comprises a diverse selection of songs, with highlights including "Ministry of Tech", "Digital Heroes", "One Hundred Ways", "Mind Control", "Invisible", and "Since I Love You", predominantly positioned at the album's outset. However, the music does become somewhat formulaic at times, leading to a decline in quality as the album progresses. It seems that the most interesting ideas are exhausted in the initial tracks. The subsequent songs such as "Born", "Blood Brothers", or "Addicted to Warfare" are not particularly bad; they're quite honest but not particularly memorable.

Due to Stefan Kaufmann's involvement in the production and arrangement, the album employs many signature elements found in U.D.O.'s songwriting and arrangement, including massive gang vocals with Kaufmann's distinctive approach to choral arrangements made of significant layers of overdubs. Similarly, programmed drum tracks are utilized instead of a live drummer, a characteristic shared with U.D.O. in his studio recording. The difference is Cyberya openly embraces this approach live: no live drummer on stage, which is sort of coherent with their electronic cybernetic imagery. In contrast, U.D.O.'s tended to conceal that fact by having a live drummer to perform the drum parts in live performances. This difference of attitude is interesting to analyze as it reveals certain things about heavy metal fans' reception. In general, virtual instruments in the heavy metal scene are frequently frowned upon; there's some sort of dogma or cult of real live instrumentalists, and it is felt like an affront to metal's integrity and authenticity to use machines to perform certain parts. So, it was quite interesting and ironic to witness so many fans among U.D.O's audience complain about Cyberya's lack of a real drummer while being unaware that their own favorite band employs the same method but keeps quiet about it. That fact is particularly revealing of the lack of consistency of some postures of the fans, who appear to judge more on what they see than on what they hear. Despite their claim, they can easily be deceived by the appearance of modern virtual instruments as employed on U.D.O.'s records, revealing that their posture is more a matter of value and dogma than based on musical experience itself. Although the band has, as already said, a lot in common with U.D.O.'s sound, they also distinguish themselves on certain aspects. For example, aside from the electronic elements added to the arrangements, another element that stands out in their identity, in their approach to vocals. The vocals are performed by two vocalists, alternating between clean (Paul, the main vocalist) and harsh growling voices (Oliver, the guitarist), creating compelling contrasts throughout the album.

In conclusion, Cyberya presents a paradoxical formula: while it replicates many of U.D.O.'s gimmicks in terms of songwriting and production, it also introduces unconventional elements for the genre. While it may not be a masterpiece, it offers an enjoyable experience, particularly for fans of music related to Accept and Udo. As the band states, "This album reflects how metal sounds in 2001: Catchy songs, pounding drums, fat synths, and brutal guitars — that's the sound of the new millennium, that's the sound of Cyberya." It is unfortunate that Udo and his label have discontinued their support. Indeed, last year Cyberya lost their deal and are now relegated back to the underground scene.