Markus Schulz – Scream 2 (Album Review)

Posted by Middy on February 27, 2014

Somehow, in between the marathon sets, constant travel and acting as a label head, Markus Schulz has found the time to release the follow up artist album, his fifth, to his 2012 effort, “Scream“. The DJ and the producer go hand and hand for Markus Schulz as what he makes has to be ready for a set that could last up to 12 hours, something he does more often than most. This album, like “Scream” delves into the more melodic side of his sound, but injects bigger and trancier melodies than the first edition. Stream the songs from album in a special episode of Global DJ Broadcast below, grab the CD, and watch the 25 minute behind the scenes documentary that goes into how the album was made, the stress of deadline day and details on the various collabs.

iTunes | Physical CD

At first when I listened to the album. I wasn’t really inspired by the melodies, the vocals and overall body of work. However, upon second and third listens, and watching the documentary about the the making of the album, I got to appreciate it a bit more and it started to speak to me.

Markus is known for his darker “Unicorn Slaying” tunes that plunge you down into the rabbit hole, and on the album, he takes you down that dark and foreboding path with tunes like “Destino”, “In The Shadows” and “Remember This”, but yanks you back out with cheerful, uplifting tracks like “Revolution” and “Fireworks”. There is a great balance of the Coldharbour sound Markus is known for and the style he pushed in the first edition of Scream. It looks to be well thought out and planned as a step to the future.

“Remember This” is the statement that Markus is trying to make with the single and the album. Originally released as a single on W&W’s Mainstage Music surprisingly enough, the tune acts as a notice to the world that people will remember this track for years to come. Much like “The New World” has had the same timeless quality from “Do You Dream”, “Remember This” will have the same effect for Markus.

Some of the melodies sound a bit plain like “Reflection”, however, most sound big and bold, ready to be pumped out in his live sets. Unlike most trance tracks, whose lyrics are pretty cheesy or meaningless, “Blown Away”, touches on a subject dear to Lady V’s heart, cocaine addiction and the struggle one faces dealing with it. He does not shy away from vocals and they add a key component to an album that will help to lynchpin his legacy as one of the trance greats and make us remember this through 2014 and beyond.

As he did for “Scream”, Markus will be hitting the road on a bus tour this spring to bring the album to the American people. Check out the dates blow and be sure to and get tickets for the show nearest you.

Scream 2 Tracklist:

01 Reloaded
02 Revolution (with Venom One feat. Chris Madin)
03 Blown Away (feat. Liz Primo)
04 Remember This
05 Erase You (feat. Lady Vee)
06 Destino
07 Muse (feat. Adina Butar)
08 Dancing In The Key Of Life
09 Lord Knows (feat. Liz Horsman)
10 Fireworks (with Klauss Goulart feat. Paul Aiden)
11 In The Shadows
12 Make You Fall (feat. CeCe Peniston)
13 Mango
14 Mardi Gras
15 Gravity (feat. Amy Kirkpatrick)
16 Reflection
17 Towards The Sun (with Rex Mundi)

Scream 2 Bus Tour Live Dates:

April 2 – San Luis Obispo, CA – The Graduate
April 3 – Chico, CA – Senator Theater
April 4 – San Francisco, CA – Ruby Skye
April 5 – San Francisco, CA – Ruby Skye
April 6 – Los Angeles, CA – Exchange
April 9 – Phoenix, AZ – Monarch Theater
April 11 – Houston, TX – Stereo Live
April 12 – Dallas, TX – Lizard Lounge
April 13 – Austin, TX – Summit*
April 15 – Bloomington, IN – Bluebird
April 16 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
April 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Altar Bar
April 18 – Baltimore, MD – Soundstage
April 19 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
April 20 – Montreal, PQ – Bal En Blanc #
April 23 – Syracuse, NY – Westcott Theater
April 24 – Boston, MA – Royale
April 25 – Clifton Park, NY – Upstate Concert Hall
April 26 – Atlantic City, NJ – mur.mur*