Promo – Quality Control Review

Posted by Ool on Mar 22, 2009 in Hardcore, Reviews | 3 comments

Exactly nine months after his latest CD release under the Rude Awakening alias, Sebastian Hoff is back with a new double album full of Promo tracks. According to a message posted on his site, he is again trying to push the boundaries of hardcore with his unique, experimental sound. The Revolutionist, Promo’s previous album, was indeed groundbreaking and revolutionary, even getting a positive review from a well-respected national newspaper. Has Hoff managed to fulfill the expectations The Revolutionist created, as the title of this new album suggests?

The first two tracks, both completely fresh, would suggest ‘no’ as an answer. They do have that typical Promo sound, but it is used to such an extent that the songs lack innovation. Which is not to say that they are bad. The already released and rather more unique, but straightforward Battling Ignorance paves the way for one of the few collabs on this album. With Silence Surrounds Me, The Wishmaster joins Promo in an effort to create a mainstream dancefloor smasher with a twist. A drooping synth and mysterious vocals manage to make the melody sound a little disturbing instead of cheesy: mission accomplished.

Song number five is in accordance with another classic Promo theme: a melody that is overly happy in essence, but sounds strangely detuned in combination with the chords and kicks. You will not find this kind of music anywhere else. This Is How We Rock is followed by a number of previously released tracks, including modern classics such as The Tablet and the D-Passion remix of Running Against the Rules.

Those slightly older pieces of art are followed by one of the winners of this release: Fuck That Mashup. About as mainstream as Promo gets, its effective melody and rolling, heavy kicks will rip any dancefloor to shreds. Delving further into the ‘rolling kick’ domain, Refuse to Recognize ends the first CD with a by all means recognisably UK hardcore sound.

We are introduced to the second CD by an Asian Drum Lesson, a funny, yet well-produced gimmick track that would work perfectly as a set opener. My Beating Drum resembles the first song’s title, but is a more modest mainstream track with a wonderful melody and well-chosen samples. Another couple tracks from recent Promo releases that seem to have gone by largely unnoticed are interrupted by Rhythmics of a Badboy. Tough kicks and rough screeches make that one live up to its name.

Sebastian Hoff is no stranger to vanity and with Promo for President, he shows a tad of narcism again. However, as with all songs on the album, it possesses some undeniable quality, once again proving the bold title justified. Taking Your Life contrasts sharply. The tempo is whacked up by 25 BPM, thus creating a no-nonsense, bad-ass banger. Another modern classic, Back on the Map, brings the tempo down again, only to be followed by the massively impressive The Grower.

Released on the Demolition 10 sampler, The Grower is one of Promo’s greatest masterpieces. Most of the hardcore scene seems not to have picked it up though, maybe due to bad luck, maybe due to its high ‘difficulty level’. Hopefully, its being paired with another true masterpiece will raise its popularity somewhat. Because indeed, the Meccano Twins remix of Different Breed of Men is an outstanding effort at creating the hardest, heaviest kicks known to man. Adding the addictive vocals and wacky industrial screeches to the equation, not a single point of criticism remains.

Quality Control finally comes to an end with another collab with The DJ Producer. This one, however, is about a year and a half old, leading us to the first conclusion about this album: although it is filled to the brim with quality material, it is not so much a new album as it is an overview of Promo’s work since the release of The Revolutionist. Therefore, it sounds more like a random collection of tracks, whereas The Revolutionist was a brilliantly composed, fresh and innovative whole. Ironically, the large number of already released tracks can make it boring rather quickly for the avid Promo fan.

So all in all Quality Control does not live up to the massive expectations its predecessor created. Looking at the tracks individually, however, we still find more quality than on your average MOH compilation or Hardcore Yearmix. Especially for those who are into hardcore but do not know too much of Promo’s work, this album could be an eye-opener. Promo enthusiasts might find it contains a little too many ‘old’ tracks for their liking, but there is still enough new and potentially classic material to warrant a purchase.

Tracklist:

CD1:
01. Promo – My Future Destiny
02. Promo – Rising Out Of The Dark
03. Promo – Battling Ignorance
04. The Wishmaster & Promo – Silence Surrounds Me
05. Promo – This Is how We Rock
06. Promo – From Deep Within’
07. Promo – The Tablet
08. Promo – Follow My Movement
09. Promo – Weapons Of Divine Temper
10. Promo – The Grower
11. Promo – Fuck That Mashup
12. The DJ Producer & Promo – Mark Of High Renown

CD2:
01. Promo – Asian Drum Lesson
02. Promo – My Beating Drum
03. Promo – Always Futile
04. Promo – Your Love Is gone
05. Promo – Rhythmics Of a Badboy
06. Promo – Time To Shine
07. Promo – Promo For President
08. Promo – Taking Your Life (With A Song)
09. Promo – Back on The Map
10. Promo – Running Against The Rules (D-Passion Remix)
11. Promo – Different Breed Of Men (Meccano Twins Remix)
12. The DJ Producer & Promo – Refuse To Recognise

Verdict: 83/100

Note: In this review, the 3 hidden tracks the album contains are not discussed, but they are included in the verdict. It is probably more fun to find out what they are for yourself. Discuss on our forums.