The German band does a great job of setting the mood with the opening track that carries a creepy tribal feel. The death-rock feel of the bass line brings it all together. This album came out in June and fell below my radar. I am not sure why as we hunt inner webs in search of stuff like this. I like that real instruments are being employed and this is not just a bunch of button pushing and mouse clicking. The resonant baritone vocals are not a direct imitation of any one singer, which is an accomplishment at this point in time for the genre. The key is can this band continue to keep things as melodic and varied?
My first thoughts are these guys are more goth than they are post-punk, as there is a romantic emoting of darkness, rather than a stark static tension, but we shall see where they go from here. They support my initial theory by expanding upon the mood with an elegant brooding, contrasted by the strum of the guitar adding to the aching ambiance. The vocals might be the sticking as they are delivered in pretty much an identical manner as they did in the previous song, but this is not yet a deal breaker. There is a folk feel to the swing of the guitars here. The arrangements are really well done as there is a great deal of room for ebb and flow.
"Looking Glass" is the first song that does not feel as inspired to me. I prefer the steamier brooding of "Sacrifice in Paradise" as it carries more of a Fields of the Nephilim feel. "Rites of Rage" finds them moving in a more metallic direction, not unlike Woods of Ypres final album. The gritty baritone of the singer earns this comparison. It is still in play when it comes to the moody musing of "Bitter Sweet". I think when they are in this more straightforward rock mode, fans of the 69 Eyes could appreciate what they do. These guys are more goth and devoid of the LA-tinged cock leanings the 69 Eyes picked up during their time on the west coast.
"Trees Falling" lands solidly in the middle ground of what these guys do. Dancey enough for goth night, but not devoid of organic rock elements. The pace picks up for "Wherever" it captures a slight dark country undertone to the guitars. This brings the chorus to a place where it might be the album's most upbeat moment. I was surprised that "Heartshaped Box" was not a Nirvana cover. Instead, we get a song that sounds like the Cure aside from the bellowed bravado of the vocals. It works well, but a Nirvana cover might have been more interesting. His voice drops to a lower more Sisters of Mercy-like place for "After Glow" . They are joined by female vocals that add another dynamic layer. There is a rock sense of jamming to how the song unfolds.
The last song is a dramatic outro that comes close to being a song on its own. I will give this album a 9. It is well written and does not find the band painting themselves into any stylistic corner aside from the fact they are making goth-flavored music. Its done with actual instruments in an organic fashion which puts the at the head of the game in that regard.
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