die vorboten aufschrei

Released: 04 July 2011 Label: Sonic Attack

If you’ve read this far, you’ll have worked out that Aufschrei (Outcry) is a German language album. Now, I’m not a big fan of foreign language album, since I can just about manage English, and other languages tend to leave me feeling a bit left out of the party. Bands like Rammstein, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Ram-zet and Subway to Sally leave me cold. There is, however, something compelling and attractive about this album.

That is due in no small measure to the solid, uncompromising musicianship coupled with what has to be described as imaginative songwriting and clever arrangements. OK, we may not be German speakers, making the understanding of the songs a bit challenging, but the emotion that comes through the music and the vocal tones gives an insight to the bands thoughts. If you’re concentrating on the feel and the shape of the music, the lyrics become much less of an issue as you stop trying to understand them.

From the sinister and menacing Das Volk to the experimental Schmeide, Schmeidel to the rougher vocal in Dein Herz and the familiar melody of Krautsinfonie Op.1 presented in a surprising way, there is something to entertain all the way through this album. It’s worth adding to your collection if you like your music a bit odd, but with a solid musical base to it.

By all means make a bit of an outcry over this album, but I think it will remain a bit specialist for the majority of the UK market. Which is a shame, because it probably deserves a wider exposure than it will get.

by Alan Thomson