Wave Records W136 (2022)

Cinemascope is a New Wave / Dark Wave / Cold Wave band from Athens, Greece, and also the brainchild of Leo Skiadas, a well known dark alternative club / radio dj and concert promoter of the Greek underground / dark alternative scene since the early 90's. And even though Leo Skiadas is a man with an updated music taste listening and promoting a lot of various music styles when it comes to Cinemascope his love for the wave music of the 80’s is what prevails.

There have been eight years since Cinemascope released their debut album (stains of love / wave records). Eight years that brought a lots of personal changes, new experiences and a pandemic that besides all the tragedy that brings, it offered the band some time to slow down for a while and give shape to the eight new songs of the brand new album “a Crack on the Wall”. Songs overflowing with melancholy, betrayal, and self disappointment. But, this is not all about doom and gloom, since there is a strong urge to find this crack on the wall that might leave a slight ray of light coming in. 

On “a Crack on the Wall”, cinemascope attempt to write the perfect pop song dressed in a black velvet dress. Starting with “ocean” that brings in mind the early clan of xymox days and talks about the world collapsing and just watching and do nothing. An alternative soundtrack for the fight club’s final scene? Could be… The post punk “vicious circle game” is about love affairs that are condemned. The first single “in silence” is a powerful goth song that fancies to stand between the Sisters and She Past Away, on a dark dancefloor. On “Leaving is my way to breathe” the dance mood is getting an ethereal touch, while the lyrics are dragging you away from anything and anyone you love, seeking happiness while punishing yourself. “Die in Summer” is a teenage suicide indie / wave / pop song on the spirit of “I melt with you” or “just like heaven”, while “fall” which contains some of the rare political references the band brings out, takes you back to post punk roots. “Sometimes (on a place away from here)” brings some catchy synthpop elements on the surface just before the closing track “Let me be Angel” comes in and deep dive to a disintegrated optimistic death feeling. 

Cinemascope is Leo Skiadas, who composes the songs, writes and vocalize the lyrics, and plays the instruments. But, If you feel that “A crack on the wall” has a more impressive guitar sound than Cinemascope’s previous works, thats because this time, the guitars are performed by the great Johnny Papaioannou, one of the greatest alternative musicians in Greece. That’s the first time that someone “intrudes” on the cinemascope moniker and one of the best decisions that the band ever made. 

Influenced by iconic 80’s bands like The Cure, The Chameleons and Clan of Xymox and more recent sweethearts like Drab Majesty and Actors, Cinemascope are back in town with eight songs, mixed and mastered at Top Floor Studio by Panos Tsekouras, that consist a darkwave / indie masterpiece that is here to play with your heart and soul.