Klimt 1918

Talking about strange band names lately, KLIMT 1918 seems like a name that doesn't make sense at first, but if you do a little research on the web, you'll find out that Mr. Gustav Klimt was an Austrian painter and founder of the school of painting known as the Vienna Secession. And the 1918? Well, that was the year of Mr. Klimt passing. So what kind of music could you expect from a band that is named after a painter? Let's see.

First, for some purists, this could be hardly classified as Metal at all, but for me is it, a mellower, melancholic type of Metal. KLIMT 1918 mixes 2 types of music in their cauldron, we have in one side, Gothic Metal mainly influenced by Katatonia, Paradise Lost and Anathema; on the other side I found this very 80's influenced by bands like Depeche Mode, The Cure, Tears For Fears and even some U2, could you imagine both styles merged into one album? Well, here it is.

As I said , this is mellow stuff, very catchy but not too aggressive, vocals are great and the use of double bass in some songs give a special touch to many tunes. I found many hits in the album, like "Pale Song" a perfect opener track (after the intro), a lot of 80's influences here, until the guitar kicks in; "Parade Of Adolescence" is another cool song with the enchanting yet melancholic vocals of Marco Soellner; "We Don't Need Music" is my favorite song in the album, after the strange intro spoken in French, they start singing in Italian, and let me tell you that the Italian Language fits the music of KLIMT 1918 better than English, I was disappointed because this was the only song featuring Italian vocals.

"Undressed Momento" is a slow-paced melancholic song, and "That Girl" is like listening the cure with heavy guitars. The album closes perfectly with "Stalingrad Theme" a great song, really aggressive, filled with double bass, at first glance this could have been a Melodeath song, trust me, what a fantastic way to close the album!

As you can see, this album has a wide variety of emotions and feelings attached to every note, every melody, every song, I really enjoyed this one, is good to hear once in a while people that are ready to push boundaries and take things a step further to create something new and original, My vote goes to KLIMT 1918. - Metal Storm

One listen to _Undressed Momento_ should be all it takes to convince one that had this Italian outfit's moniker rolled off the tongue with greater ease, they would surely by now have been the black-clad darlings of the mainstream. With nine songs smacking of the increasingly popular Lacuna Coil's mid-tempo gothic rock chic, combined with a generous smattering of Katatonia's most pensive and thoughtful moments, Klimt 1918 have produced a record that, while not wholly inventive, manages to impress on several levels -- not least the beautiful warmth and clarity of the production, which almost sounds too good for a release as low-key as this. There's also the band's keen sense of song structure and melody -- a quality which binds together the impeccable performance of such gems as "Parade of Adolescence", "We Don't Need No Music" and "Stalingrad Theme". But what ultimately wins one over on _Undressed Momento -- and is indeed primarily responsible for the record's generous score -- is the depth of emotion explored throughout the opus, proving that on the rare occasions that it is done properly, music can be both accessible and genuinely soulful. - Chronicles of Chaos

What can I remember about this record? I was introduced to it per Spectre1982's 2005 albums list on the dredg fans forum. He had a massive list, and I checked out a bunch of new names from it, and caught on. This was 1 of the most addictive albums from that list. In 2006, I probably listened to this album 50 or 60 times. The energy was so infectious. I loved their style of U2 meets Heavy/Post rock, I suppose I might call it now. Some of the songs were very catchy. Namely "We Were Wed By the Sea." The pounding riff on that track I got attached to. So much so, I may even play it on KFAI tomorrow or another time.

But the whole record flows really well. I often found I had to play it beginning to end. The double bass in spots, dreamy element. I really would love to go back to the Winter and Spring of 2006 again..especially like January and February and put this on on my drive to work and while at work. Nostalgia, which is a word they used in the lyrics more than once I recall.

A romantic album. An uplifting album. An album that has the Italian element in small ways. Their singer does have an accent in his vocals, but it in some ways makes him sound more distinct.

I'm not surprised the dredg fans like this band. Some like their follow up more, Just In Case We Never Meet Again (Soundtrack for the Cassette Generation). I actually grew to love their previous albums more so. Even when they were heavier and used a bit of blackened Metal in their sound. 2014, could see their return as well thankfully, as they are posting on Facebook a lot over the last few months.

I also would say, bands like Alcest and Katatonia, while have had larger success, even with their differences, would find crossover for this band. Klimt 1918 aren't Metal anymore, but the "gaze" and melancholic element they share with those other 2, as well as a band like Anathema even.

"Snow of '85" is like the definition of nostalgia in song.
Nightdriver
Sleepwalk in Rome
Lomo
Rachel

f**k, I can't really say anything on here is bad. I even love the 2nd CD that includes some very soothing remixes.

Klimt 1918, oh how I have missed you. And this album remains my go-to disc still some 7+ years after hearing it. - All Media Reviews

There are two bands that come immediately to mind when you first hear Klimt1918. The most obvious is a certain band that's been around for a quarter century and has meandered here and there, but remained entirely recognizable through thick and thin. The other is a band that has changed its sound drastically since its inception just about a decade ago. The second band is hardcore-to-space rock pioneers Codeseven, a group that went from merely decent to flat-out jaw-dropping by finally realizing what their strengths and weaknesses were within the group and putting themselves in a position to do well and sound good doing it, releasing the jaw-dropping Dancing Echoes/Dead Sounds in 2004. The other is Irish rock group U2. It seems as if I can't go a day anymore without ranting about this band, how it's fallen off, how it's helped to cement today's musical landscape, no matter how much teenagers and 20-somethings refuse to admit it. If "They Were Wed by the Sea" doesn't make you immediately scream, "Hey, that's from Achtung Baby, you fucking bastards! That riff is from "One," to be exact," this point is most definitely lost on you.

Throughout Dopoguerra, you will hear The Edge being ripped off more times than a porn star's clothing has been. But it's ok. No matter what you think of present-day U2, if the biggest argument against your music is that it sounds too much like U2's heyday, I think it's safe to say that you haven't done much wrong. And if you're a hardcore band turned poppy space-rock group, so much the better. Klimt1918 is also that, by the way. Thanks for opening the door wide open, Codeseven. Did I mention that they're foreign? Just like U2…only Italian! And their vocalist sounds like a male version of The Cranberries's Delores O'Riordan.

Naturally, with their hugely-epic guitar riffs and voice-of-an-angel vocals, as well as their smooth, sexy Italian accents, they'll be sweeping America (and its women, especially) off its feet in no time. The smoothness with which Klimt1918's music can be swallowed by the ear puts pure water to shame (that is, if ears swallowed water and didn't later get infected by it, although the hooks here can most definitely be described as "infectious"). Unfortunately, they've got that annoying number tagged to the end of their moniker. I get tired of looking at it, even more maddened that I have to keep typing it, especially since Klimt looks nice by itself and isn't as pretentious and downright bothersome as Klimt1918.

If you hated the latest Codeseven album or only like "And All That You Can't Leave Behind," I guess Klimt1918 really doesn't have much to offer you. But then again, you really don't have much business beholding a band such as this in the first place, do you? The only way this band gets better is if they include an amazing cover of "Zombie" as the hidden track on their next LP.

--Ben Rice - Decoy Music

Quite a change this Italian band has taken since their debut, as despite a connection between the two records being rather evident, this outing is much less post-"Brave Murder Day" Katatonia and much more, say... Coldplay or something of that nature. The label cites potential comparisons as wide spanning as everything from The Beatles, The Cure, or U2, to Katatonia or Anathema, among others, and while I certainly wouldn't want to scare anyone off by going so far as to compare this to any of the former three, this is, without a doubt, much more "modern rock" sounding (for unfortunate lack of a better term). But shit, man, when the result is absolutely gorgeous tracks like "Snow of '85", with its harmonic intro and blends of lushly layered clean guitars and pulsing basslines with persistently delivered distorted chords and memorable vocal harmonies, call it whatever you want! I just love it! All of the vocals throughout are delivered in a relatively soft singing range that possesses just the right amount of feeling and emphasis to make such tracks true powerhouses, though this one in particular is the outstanding pinnacle for me. "Nightdriver" opens in an extremely chilled out manner with a soothingly moody vibe that really sucks you in before the distortion comes in to continue the progression, and this is another of the finest compositions offered herein. "Because of You, Tonight" gets a little quirkier with its use of jazzy percussive accents and rhythmic arrangements that at times do remind me of The Police or something like that (Oops, there I go making loose references that might scare people away, I can't help it!), but even still, most of the track falls back on the band's usual contrasts between those persistent distorted chords and ethereal clean parts. Later in the disc there are scarce moments such as the bulk of the title track that kind of test my limits as far as what I'm willing to take from the whole "modern rock" angle, as a couple of the jangly chord progressions and such are simply too "friendly" and lack the intrigue of the band's strengths. And take for instance the handclaps in "La Tregua": That kind of thing simply takes it over the edge and causes that area of the composition to be too far removed from the general musical vision expressed here. So while none of these songs are anywhere remotely near "bad", there are indeed a couple of snippets that push a little too far out there, you know? With regards to these specific two tracks, the zestier tempo and unexpected focus on tremolo picking textures in "Lomo" helps pick things back up towards a thicker and more vibrant energy level - certainly a well timed move. A lot of that zest continues in the rocked out tempo of "Sleepwalk in Rome", which actually allows more breathing room for all involved elements in the way that it spaces out the guitar parts and vocal arrangements (some of which are delivered in Italian, which is actually rare for the band). The recording is fucking perfect, too. I love the way they've somehow managed to keep the mix as clear as humanly possible despite all of the layering that's going on, so the percussion is always crisp and powerful, the basslines are always thumping away and adding color to the rhythms rather than mimicking the guitar parts (both the bassist and the drummer are really fucking talented and know how to create a stir without showing off), and the vocals swirl around within the confines of the instrumentation rather than overpowering the music or becoming a distraction. And the guitars? Very nice. The distortion's not that heavy or anything, which makes sense, but its volume and texture are just right for popping out and making for explosive contrasts against all of the shimmery clean guitars and laidback riffs. You won't hear me complaining about this one at all. I really like the layout as well, which is largely done in black and white with some prominent red on occasion, and oddly blends photography, sketchy handwriting, and collaged looking appearances that create an unusual aesthetic. Sometimes the lyrics are hard to read, but it all looks cool, and that's more important in this case, I believe. The lyrics walk a fine line between being somewhat bleak, yet still hopeful, which is a pretty good fit for the music, which tends to strike a similar balance: "I try to keep pain hidden when I roam, night takes care of wounds, I can believe, night driving away. Sky is freed from fears and with soft tears hides my eyes as they cry, I can float here, I drive me home..." This is just a great, great band. It took me a few listens to get into this particular disc when I first got the promo, but after I bought a full copy it didn't take much longer for me to really become a big fan. There's something special about this record right off the bat, and even though it's not for everyone, I'd encourage any curious parties to at least give it a chance, because this act's not getting nearly enough attention yet, and I think Klimt 1918's just going to continue to impress me as long as they're around. Excellent work. (8/10) - Aversiononline.com

Klimt 1918’s name sounds as clunky as ever, but their albums are still glorious. Such is the case with latest effort, Just in Case We’ll Never Meet Again. Luckily, this Italian group’s music isn’t as awkward as its album names, either. Just please contact a native English speaker before you go to press with any more albums, eh?

Klimt 1918 has changed styles a fair amount, moving its heavy rock music with occasional metal elements more into shoegaze territory, something accomplished with liberal amounts of bittersweet, warbling, shimmering walls of guitar. This element is the big star of Just in Case We’ll Never Meet Again. This is a bit of a surprise, not because the guitars aren’t good (they’re wonderful), but because the vocals take a relatively supporting role. Klimt 1918 has always had tremendous vocals, particularly in how they are in harmony with the music.

The expert handling of harmony continues in Just in Case We’ll Never Meet Again, albeit in a different direction, as outlined above, from previous albums like Dopo Guerra. Elements like occasional nods to U2 remain.

If it can be considered a downside is Klimt 1918’s continued habit of writing wonderful, tuneful albums that don’t really have individual songs that stand out. Rather, the collection of tracks stand as a single, pleasant sonic entity. Although this is anything but offensive, having more of an opportunity to choose one’s own favorite song can create stronger emotional ties to a given album. - Maelstromzine

Hypnotic paintings of melancholic soundscapes is what we are presented with on this album from the for me unknown Italian band Klimt 1918, and it is not like the promo material sheds any light on the band, it is as vivid, dreamy and weaving as the music.

Melancholic melodic post rock with an avant-garde approach might be the right words to describe "Just In Case We'll Never Meet Again" with, though the album is more complex than so. It is 50 minutes of hypnotism in various atmospherically forms. From bright and quite easy comprehensively post rock, to more noisy and complex universes where order and chaos becomes one unity, and there is only one to find top and bottom in it: you!

There is a good balance between the more catchy and quiet parts and the more vivid and grande soundscapes where heaven and hell becomes one and the listener is getting carried away by the wind and is left alone to decipher the code of Klimt 1918. The music is composed really well and offers a lot to the listener and demands just as much, if not more. Good musicianship and a great emphatic vocalist that keeps it together when it gets too far away from reality. "Just In Case…" is an album there have to be experienced if any of the above makes the least bit of sense to whomever that have read it, if anything is, then this is artistic music. Complex abstract cubism with parts of realism and expressionism, you have been warned or intrigued! - Nocturnal Horde

Named after the father of the Neorealist movement, Gustav Klimt, and his year of death, it’s initially hard to pigeonhole this Italian band. Formed in 1999 and then playing Gothic Metal, something pretty damn significant clearly happened along the way. At first, the general Emo-ishness of it all uncomfortably reminds you of mainstream whiny-voiced piano-abusers Snow Patrol, but once you realise the amount of influence that the band takes from Post-Rock, it all clicks. Big, spacey riffs that fill the aural atmosphere with cotton wool, epic hook-laden vocals, energetic drumming – it’s Sigur Rós meets recent Katatonia, as played by U2!

Clearly this isn’t going to appeal to the most necro of you, but if you don’t mind hooks with your ear candy, then you’ll be in heaven. This is quite literally teetering on the edge of the mainstream – one hit video and it’s easy to imagine them getting serious radio play. As it is, all that holds them back is the production, which makes the ensuing racket quite noisy at times, verging on a ‘live’ sound. There’s not a great deal of difference between the songs; you’re virtually guaranteed to find at least one hook every two minutes or so, and the frequent brief yet atmospheric instrumental sections came pretty damn close to earning this a ‘progressive’ tag.

That it ultimately didn’t is no reflection on Klimt 1918 themselves, as there’s much to be excited about on Just In Case We’ll Never Meet Again (Music For The Cassette Generation) – to give it its full name – to worry about genres. All musicians involved are more than capable, writing big epic songs that stay with you for a long time after; the only point of difference may be vocalist Marco’s voice, which has a noticeable accent. The odds are, though, that if you’ve read this far without grunting in despair you’re quite capable of enduring someone who can actually sing, and you’ll come to love Klimt 1918.

In the end, the best way to approach Just In Case… is with complete and utter open-mindedness – forget those Emo aspects, forget that it sounds vaguely like something you accidentally heard on the radio the other week, forget what your Gorgoroth-loving mates would say if they came across it in your collection – just listen to a band that makes beautiful music, and appreciate them for that fact alone. - MetalReviews.com

"Just In Case We'll Never Meet Again (Soundtrack For The Cassette Generation)" is the new release of Klimt 1918, the really atypical band from Italy. If you don't know them yet, you have to know that Klimt 1918 is a really original band and that's it's not so easy to classify them but if you need some informations about their music, let's say that they play a mix of Pop, Gothic and Progressive Metal, something a bit special for a basic Metalhead but if you like "soft" music I'm ready to bet some money that you'll like this really good album.

Even if Klimt 1918 is signed on a big Metal label, Prophecy Productions, it's hard to say that the band is a Metal band. Sure some of their riffs are a bit heavy but in general, their music if nearer of Pop than anything else. It doesn't mean that it's bad, at the opposite, if you like dark and melancholic music and little progressive touches "Just In Case We'll Never Meet Again (Soundtrack For The Cassette Generation)" is a must. The third album of the Italians sound Pop (a bit la Muse), "Doom" (a la new Katatonia) and even a bit Progressive (a la Porcupine Tree), though of course all in all it doesn't look so Metal but it's not really problematic because Klimt 1918 is above all a matter of ambiance and here the ambiances are simply amazing. Of course the melodies (especially on "Skygazer" or "Suspense Music") of the new album are excellent and the eleven songs all have choruses that you'll remember for a long time but what I particularly like here is that those songs are really deep. What I want to say here is that you'll find something behind the music, something that we call emotion. The music of Klimt 1918 is really poetic and the general melancholic ambiance of the record simply kick ass. I understand why the album has the sentence "Soundtrack For The Cassette Generation" in its name, a bit like with "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" of the Smashing Pumpkins this release has something really nostalgic in its music and finally this is really touching.

The last Klimt 1918 is really beautiful, of course you have to like Rock and Pop (with big Metal influences of course) to love this release but if you're looking for emotions and don't only want brutality, I'm sure that you'll enjoy the release. Well interpreted with a great recording and a superb cover which nicely represent the whole release, "Just In Case We'll Never Meet Again (Soundtrack For The Cassette Generation)" is a great confirmation that Klimt 1918 is a band which deserve its success. Honestly I really think that the band should be played on the radios and TVs, they're a lot better than the majority of the trendy British Pop bands that we can listen to nowadays.

Let's be a bit open-minded this time and let's enjoy the new Klimt 1918. Ok this is not really Metal but it's good melancholic music so if you like great melodies, poetic lyrics and dark ambiances, just have a look on this release and you shouldn't be disappointed. "Just In Case We'll Never Meet Again (Soundtrack For The Cassette Generation)" is not an album for every metalheads but it's highly recommended to all the people who loves the new wave of (dark) Rock bands. Great job, great release, "Just In Case We'll Never Meet Again (Soundtrack For The Cassette Generation)" is a really good discovery for me. - Metal Storm