Super Eurobeat 197

1.Niko - Super Eurobeat (SinclaireStyle)
There definitely has been an overload of songs titled Super Eurobeat in the recent years. Asia started it all off with their awesome piece and the level of the songs from there on has been somewhat variable. Sinclaire throws in the biggest name they basically could. Maurizio pulls off the vocals with his traditional fierce style, the vocals really stand out as the best part of the song. The melodic structure sounds really pleasant to the ears and the slightly 90's eurobeat flavored sounds fit the track really well. The song fits perfectly as an album opener and it's fortunate that this very track is of the higher tier of eurobeat songs, so the Super Eurobeat-name doesn't get spoiled.
Rating : 9+
 
2.Go 2 - Don't Turn It Off (SCP)
The energetic performances just keep going onwards. While we've gotten used to hearing high quality energy from Go 2, this very track puts things on a completely different level. Don't Turn It Off has all the ingredients needed to be a bull's eye just like Not For Sale and Super Striker were. It fits like a glove on this sort of an album with masculine energy overflowing, just makes one crave for the full piece. It's a common trait for songs to sound addictive and really energetic in their nonstop forms, so although this very performance sounds every bit as memorable as the duets best tracks, I'm still slightly puzzled whether a full length song could create the same magic? An absolute high voltage blast of italian macho-culture.
Rating : 9½

3.Luke - The Champion (Delta)
When I listened through the album initially, there were a few tracks that instantly became my favorites, The Champion was one of the few. The best part is that even over a year after its release, the song sounds every bit as catchy and memorable. Excellent vocal performance is basically what patches this song together so well. While the melody is really memorable and the sounds are full of catchy elements, the vocals really steal all the glory this time around. There's just a really sensual tone to the vocals which makes them so pleasurable to listen to. Aggressive yet sensual, not a common feature in eurobeat.
Rating : 10

4.Fastway - Love Countdown (SCP)
If the previous track was memorable, then I must right off the bat state that Love Countdown might just be the best track that Fastway has ever released. Whether the nonstop version does the song more justice or not, that remains to be seen. On this album this track rises instantly to the forever memorable tracks. The hyper synth paired with excellent vocal work and a good song structure make this track a prime example of simple and addictive. The song itself does not throw in much new, aside for the few female extra vocals that spice up the track just perfectly. With an insanely catchy chorus this track really deserves to be remembered in the future and featured on more nonstops.
Rating : 10+++

5.Dave Rodgers Feat. Patrick Rondat - Fire Dragon (A-Beat C)
With an album that has such an aggressive attitude, even Dave has to pull off his best and show what he is capable of. Fire Dragon has a good structure with a memorable chorus and aggressive sounds, but the track still seems to be missing the final touch that would add in that special something. Vocalwise it does seem that Dave is putting out a more passionate performance than his other recent songs, which makes the song seem a lot more meaningful and important even to the producers. The song does sound good, but sadly it loses a lot of its edge over time.
Rating : 8

24.Powerful T. Feat. Alex De Rosso - King Of The Race (A-Beat C)
In the way the album has been built it's not easy to notice the distinct similarities between Fire Dragon and King Of The Race, but when doing this review and only listening to the new tracks I noticed how identical these two tracks sound. The sounds, the mood, the melodic structure, all seem like these two were produced around the same time, which sort of scrapes off a bit of the originality. King Of The Race itself is very much like Fire Dragon in terms of quality as well. The song has a lot of good going on for it, but it also seems to be lacking that finalization that could have made it more memorable. The chorus is catchy and the c-melody sounds really great, but the structure otherwise just seems to be lacking imagination. The synth this time around earns extra pointers for sounding generic but at the same time somehow really catchy, maybe the combination of synth with the guitars just makes it, who knows... Either way, a good track by all means, just not really longlasting fun.
Rating : 8+

25.David Dima - A Flash In The Night (Dima Music)
What would the album have been without Davide providing a healthy dose if Dima masculinity. Slightly surprising A Flash In The Night ends up being one of the slower tracks out of the new entries and therefore it seems to be slightly out of place. While basically the rest of the album keeps up the energetic approach, this piece somehow seems to get trampled by the testosterone of the other tracks. In a different setting the song would definitely have sounded much more fitting, now the mellow athmosphere and midpace tempo make the song seem even slightly dull. The reality is that the song sounds like a perfect chill out song when you're on the mood for something more mature and soothing.
Rating : 8-

26.Leo River - Don't Let Me Go (Go Go's Music)
Leo's 2nd coming is every bit as energetic and memorable as Runaway. The song has that chirpy and upbeat synth the Go Go's Music tracks in general do, and it also fits the track perfectly without sounding too thin or airy. The way Leo borderlines shouting in his vocalwork makes his voice sound really distinctive. With distinctive vocals it's way easier to rise above the crowds and it's definitely not hard for him to remain memorable. What helps the process is that his tracks so far have been solid pieces of dancemusic that could easily be sold to an even wider audience than just the niche eurobeat audience. Catchy and simple, I wouldn't definitely let him go.
Rating : 9½

27.Max Zero - Loved In Tokyo (Dima Music)
Some songs just don't do it for you, I tried hard to like Loved In Tokyo, but I just hear a generic song without much power. I'm not sure why this piece makes me think of vocaloids, the singing sounds pretty hollow and lifeless and I just can't get over that. The song itself doesn't really have many redeeming qualities either: The chorus is boring and the verses don't really manage to improve the situation at all. Kind of like a hollow carcass all the way.
Rating : 6

28.Alphatown - Ivanhoe (Asia/Saifam)
My past history with Asia has been anything but rosy, there've been times when I loved their productions above everything else. The past years have sort of made me feel desperate for a new bull's eye. I did not expect a song titled as cornily as Ivanhoe to be that song though. This song has a funny structure that makes it feel like a medieval battle cry at times, the chorus with the Ivanhooooooooooooe shouts sounds really awesome and memorable. The synth is very very very generic, but yet again it does not bug me when the song itself is catchy and memorable. A very strong piece of that good old Asia-elite music I've been missing for so long.
Rating : 10

29.Mad Cow - I Feel Like A Molotov (HI-NRG Attack)
I think these titles are crazy just for the sake of being wacky and dumb. I mean honestly.... a molotov? Mad Cow songs seem to be either straight hits or misses, so it's a bit of wager to hear what comes out. I Feel Like A Molotov is a relic of the good old days. The feeling the label had during euromach is back and the song comes off sounding really genuine and upbeat without having to force it out at all. Federico's vocals sound just as easily recognizable as always, the song does justice to his style pretty well. While the chorus and c-melody sound good the verses could really have been more original as well. A nice song with a bit of that old flavor.
Rating : 8½

30.Jordan - King Of Eurobeat (Eurogrooves)
Well where else could this song have appeared than on this album? Honestly, this album does earn pointers for placing the best entries as the opener and closing entry. Eurogrooves really bring their best guns around with this song. The melodic verses and great chorus really make the song stand out as a true eurobeat jewel. Vocalwork is as powerful as most of the album has been, so could not have ended on a higher note than this. Too bad there's hardly gonna be a Queen Of Eurobeat, the women just don't have the same upfront attitude in general. Next album could use some girl power.
Rating : 10

Final Words :
With the first of the 3 nonstop SEBs I do have to admit the quality of the new tracks was definitely much higher than I would have expected. The masculine energy really kept going sky high throughout the album and even the midparts with older entries the mixing was really high class. The new version of Space Invader among the other old entries was surprisingly catchy and memorable as well. So this album showed that nonstops really are a good wager as well, the only problem is if the full length songs aren't easily obtainable by international fans. Fastway's track really stole the glory on this high level album, but the other entries earning full 10s got nothing to be ashamed of. What made me pleased is that Eurogrooves and Asia that aren't my favorites in general could pull off two very memorable performances. Now bring on the women!

Final Score : 9-

The Best 3 songs

- Fastway - Love Countdown
- Jordan - King Of Eurobeat
- Alphatown - Ivanhoe

The Worst 3 Songs

- Max Zero - Loved In Tokyo
- David Dima - Flash In The Night
- Dave Rodgers Feat. Patrick Rondat - Fire Dragon

Honorable Mention

- Luke - The Champion

Labels present on the album:

A-Beat C: 2
Delta: 1
Dima Music: 2
Eurogrooves: 1
Go Go's Music: 1
HI-NRG Attack: 1
Saifam: 1
SinclaireStyle: 1
SCP: 2

Reviewed by Bore