Apoptygma Berzerk – Harmonizer

Harmonizer is as much of a concept album as Welcome to Earth and 7 was. But while 7 dealt with Christianity, belief and Jesus, Welcome to Earth dealt with alienation, Harmonizer deals with love and relationships, and is by far Stephan's most personal album. While Harmonizer might seem like a superficial dance-album on the surface, if you look beyond it, you will find that the songs are surprisingly abstract and deep, and that you can always find something there to relate to.
Suffer In Silence, Unicorn, Until the End of the World and Rollergirl are all very good tracks to start with. While they all have a driving beat and catchy melodies, what makes them good is the actual lyrical content. If you understand what situation Stephan was going through at the time he wrote the songs, I think you will have more understanding for them. Until the End of the World is undoubtedly inspired by Stephan's then broken relationship with his wife. Pikachu is also a song about his daughter.
The track Photoshop Sucks is actually a surprisingly deep track if you listen to it. It deals with our modern age and how reality is distorted through computers, by the use of Photoshop. In the notes for the album, Stephan is actually saying "embrace the real things in life".

Nobody should judge Harmonizer for what it seems like at the surface. Don't compare it to older or newer releases, because Apop is a project in constant change, and Stephan takes it in whatever direction he wants. Harmonizer stands alone as Stephan's elegy after the breakup with his dearest treasure, now torn away. When I listen to Harmonizer, I feel sympathy, and although many of the songs are sad, they have a very positive and happy take to them. I don't think Harmonizer could've been done in any other way, and I wouldn't want it to either.

As much as I want to like this album, I just can't. When I first heard that Apoptygma Berzerk was back in the studio recording a new album, I was estatic. But then when I was looking at it on the internet and saw some stupid names for some of the track titles, it kind of turned me off from this release. Photoshop sucks and Pikachu, even a 12yr old could come up with better track titles. Then when I heard it, I was thinking to myself, "what the hell is this? This isnt Apoptygma". The only notable tracks on here are Unicorn and Until The End Of The World. If you are a die hard APB fan, then by all means, go buy this album. On the other hand, if you were expecting something along the lines of his older stuff or a sound similar to that of Welcome To Earth, just this one by. As far as the direction his sound is going, he's just trying too hard to be the new flavor of the week. Get some sleep Mr. Groth, as it seems that your getting delerious.

Though many question the change in the sound of the band, and the true meaning and intent behind this album, i find that the more i listen to it, the more i love it. Sure, it's a lot different than most (if not all) previous APB releases, but there's something so catchy and hidden that lures me to it whenever i'm in the mood for upbeat techno, which has a strong melancholic undertone to it. "Unicorn (Duet Version)" is an absolutely brilliant track in every aspect, and even those who don't like this album usually agree on this. There are some cheesier dance songs included, but even those tend to be good in their own way. Several of the tracks are shorter interludes, which link a couple songs together, but don't contribute much to the overall greatness of the album. Though many say this album is a lot weaker than <i>Welcome to Earth</i>, i believe the opposite. WTE is <b>a lot</b> cheesier and very boring at times, while <i>Harmonizer</i> is something fresh and enjoyable when it comes to APB material.