Markus Schulz - Scream 2 [Album Review]

Posted on Feb 20, 2014 in Album, Brand New, Progressive House, Reviews, Trance

 

Markus Schulz is screaming again. The progressive/tech/trance DJ/producer has been an electronic music icon for a decade, and now he’s back with his fifth studio album (seventh if you include his work as Dakota).

Since his introduction through remixing in the 90s, Schulz has been named Best American DJ twice while becoming a staple on the DJ Mag Top 100. He has a long running Global DJ Broadcast Show, a label named after his ex-base on Coldharbour Lane, and has been awarded album of the month several times by Mixmag for his compilation work.

There is no doubting the US-producer’s passion and talent, but at this point… how much louder can he possibly become?

Much like its predecessors, Scream 2 is a vocal and theatrical album. The opening track “Reloaded” properly sets the stage for a dramatic performance with orchestral strings and an atmospheric background choir. The album takes off from here, developing a kind-of broken-hearted theme as it progresses.

From the stunning, slow-burn of “Erase You” to the edgier “Make You Fall”, there is plenty of varied brilliance on Scream 2. “Gravity” teeters genuinely between emotions and through harmonious vocal layers before really striking a chord on the drop, and on “Muse”, Adina Butar is incredibly convincing as she pours her hear out over a power-80s dreamscape. Not to mention the trance undertow of “Dustino”, “Mango”, “Mardi Gras”, and “In the Shadows” which help guide the albums powerful emotions.

Of course, none of this is all that new for Schulz. Scream 2 is, after all, a sequel. There are no big risks taken, but there doesn’t need to be. Schulz allows the vocals to lead the way through his tracks as usual, allowing them to develop a mood and melody for the instrumentation to wrap around – opposite that of most modern electronic music. It may not be new ground for Schulz, but it continues to stand out against the mainstream, and this is why the album will be a classic.

“I wanna make you reckless. I wanna hear you scream out. I wanna leave you breatheless.” Liz Horsman cries out on “Lord Knows”. If this is what Markus Schultz had in mind naming his album Scream, he’s certainly succeeded. Equal to its predecessor, Scream 2 will take your breath away.

Listen to the preview below and go grab it when it’s released February 21st now on iTunes (extended mixes on Beatport)!

 

STARTING A WEB SITE? Get $5.99 .COM domains.