Monday, 5 October 2015

Why Kurt Cobain’s death scene photos should not be released to the public


A new lawsuit is urging the release of Kurt Cobain’s death-scene photos. Richard Lee, who runs a public-access show, sued Seattle Police Department to release the never-before-seen images. This has stirred up a chain of reaction amongst Cobain’s family, friends and not to mention his fans.

A week after Cobain’s death, Richard Lee hosted ‘Now See it Person to Person: Kurt Cobain was Murdered’. He claimed there were several discrepancies in the police reports, such as multiple changes in the nature behind the gunshot blast. Since then, Lee has maintained that Cobain was murdered through a conspiracy involving government officials.

So why now, over 20 years after his death, are people demanding the case to be reopened? In 2014, four previously undeveloped rolls of 35mm film from the 1994 crime scene were analysed by Seattle Police in advance of the 20th anniversary of Cobain’s suicide. According to the department the pictures were “underwhelming”. However, in light of this news, Lee took it upon himself to try to get the pictures released to the public for further investigations.

Of course this meant other conspirators, or fans as they like to call themselves, decided to join in and campaign for the release through social media, showing #justiceforkurt. All the while Cobain’s widow Courtney Love and his daughter Frances Bean fought against the lawsuit because the pictures would arguably make their lives pretty miserable (as if losing their husband/dad wasn’t bad enough).
Nirvana fans claim they have some sort of right to see these pictures, because they want to know the truth about his death (suggesting that Seattle Police Department weren’t capable of doing their job 20 years ago, and they’re still not capable of doing it). Fans also want to nail Love down for the murder because apparently he was leaving her, and she’d be left with no money (none of these theories have of course been confirmed or proved).

Here’s what fans need to realise - none of them were there. None of them are sitting on any real evidence that would suggest Cobain didn’t kill himself. Some people claim they do, like Lee’s video footage shot from a tree in Cobain’s back garden. According to Lee (who, by the way, is no forensic scientist) there was not enough blood at the crime scene. For the purpose of this feature I have watched this footage and you can’t even see Cobain’s body in it, yet he claims he can see so much in it.

Lee has also suggested in one of the episodes of his show that Cobain’s head was intact (he of course knows this without seeing the body himself), meaning there was no way Cobain could’ve shot himself with a shotgun because his head would’ve been destroyed...whereas police reports (written by police officers who were at the scene) say that Cobain could only be identified through his fingerprints. What is more likely - that a person who climbs trees on private properties to film a dead person through his window, then distributes the footage to profit off of it, would be more capable of concluding the cause of death, rather than all the trained professionals who were actually involved in the investigation?

None of the fans have any clear evidence suggesting that Love had anything to do with it. They have theories that are fuelled by their hate for her. “Hey Courtney, how come you NEVER allow a full investigation on Kurt’s death? How can you be satisfied that he committed suicide? What a wife! Stop spreading your legs you are not Sharon Stone, bitch! #FuckYouCourtneyLove,” Sandra Alberqueque wrote on Facebook. Well, there was an investigation, and it was concluded that Cobain committed suicide. What more is needed? And a woman’s right to spread her legs is none of your business and is of very little relevance to this case.

Fans need to get over it; all these theories will not bring the singer back to life, and if there was any doubt that he had killed himself Seattle Police Department would not have released his body after the autopsy, and then declared it as suicide. What makes the fans think they have any kind of right to see the crime scene photos anyway? Is it normal for the police to release pictures of other suicide cases? “What are people going to gain from seeing pictures of Kurt Cobain lying on the ground with his hair blown back, with blood coming out of his nose and trauma to his eyes from a penetrating shotgun wound,” Detective Mike Ciesynski said. And I add to this quote, how come people don’t take into consideration the horror his wife and daughter must be going through in all this?

Then ask yourself this; a close family member of yours blasts his head off after struggling with drug abuse and depression for years. You put him to rest and try to move on with your life. At the same time fanatics constantly remind you of his tragic death, and often blame you for it. What good would images of his brains spread out over the floor and walls in the home you once shared together do to you?  

Monday, 21 September 2015

Masks, cloaks and Satan: Inside the esoteric cult-rock band Ghost

Lincopia, Otrogothia, 2015. “The clergy has adjourned and the Nameless Ghouls are summoned…” A new and very much anticipated album is about to be released, and it’s time for Papa Emeritus II to step down and let a new pope take office in the Ghost clergy.

This event is marked through a ritualistic video, where the band is praised for their efforts so far - two album releases, one of which was a gold record. But they are told there is still room for improvement. The cardinals have elected a new pope, and the smoke burns black as a symbol of the Ghost and the arrival of the new member of the cult band. One of the cardinals, who remains nameless in the video, says: “This man will take the band further than any of us could ever have imagined. I present to you now Papa Emeritus the third.”

The unique delivery of the vocalisation and the harmonics has always been one of the Swedish band’s staples. Their music takes on an ethereal atmosphere that reminds you of going to a church. The only difference is that this is a church that is being led by the band, which is kind of the point whenever you consider the structure and naming of everything that they do - and the fact that Papa looks like an inverted pope. It is one thing to have a theme, but it is another thing to have the music actually remind you of that. With each theme it is as if you are involved in some sort of parochial environment, one that is illuminated towards the dark cultish side, which is what Ghost have done throughout their career.

Opus Eponymous

When Ghost released their first album, Opus Eponymous (2010), they caused mayhem within the music industry. No one knew who these masked geniuses were; nor did they care. The music spoke for itself, and it made no difference whether the members were well-known musicians or not. Releasing an album influenced by 60s, 70s and 80s rock, with bands like Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult and Pink Floyd at the centre of it, was exactly the breath of fresh air the metal and rock industry needed. Ghost came in with such grace, but managed to blow everyone away with their Devil worshipping theatrics.

It didn’t take the band long to get recognised for the simple yet majestic music they had produced - soon after the release they were touring with bands like In Flames and Trivium. A lot of musicians have been mesmerized by their act and you will often hear big artist such as Phil Anselmo (Pantera and Down) praising their work. Anselmo, wearing a Ghost t-shirt, invited Ghost on stage to close their set at Download Festival 2011. They finished off the set with Bury me in Smoke, but Anselmo changed the lyrics to Bury me in Ghost. In an edition of Sweden Rock Magazine the album was named the third best in the past decade, with the first two being The Final Frontier and A Matter of Life and Death by Iron Maiden.

Each album has thus far been based around a theme. A Nameless Ghoul said: "The first album is about the forthcoming arrival of the Devil, spoken very much in biblical terms, much like the church will say that doomsday is near.” The album ends on the song Genesis, the birth of Antichrist. Their second album, Infestissumam, continues from the Antichrist’s birth onwards. The Nameless Ghoul said: “Everything on the first record was about a coming darkness, an impending doom. Whereas Infestissumam is about something present. And literally, it deals with the presence of the Antichrist. But subliminally, the meaning of it is more what mankind - predominantly men - have deemed to be the presence of the Devil, throughout history and even nowadays. That’s why the record is so fuelled with sexual themes and females.”

Infestissumam

Musically, Infestissumam took the band to a new level. It was more thought through and even more theatrical than the first. Now, being on an American label, the recording process wasn’t as straight forward as it had been with Opus Eponymous. As they were recording in Nashville, the band struggled to find a choir to perform their satanic lyrics. One of the Ghouls said: “We told them what they were supposed to sing, and one of the guys almost cried as he took offense…So we ended up recording the choir in Hollywood, where people have no problem with worshipping the Devil.” The album was finally released in the beginning of 2013. It reached number one in both the Swedish album charts and in the US Billboard Hard Rock Albums.

Meliora

Meliora was released August 21; still keeping the cult rock theme alive, with prog interlaced within it. The album has a mixture of different kind of tracks, all working together in harmony, but also as stand-alone pieces. Each song uses its own energy and its own atmosphere, encapsulating the ministerial feeling of being in the house of Christ (or Antichrist). The album is musically constructed with much finesse, with elements of ABBA and The Beatles, and some heavier elements of early Black Sabbath present - a strange combination that somehow seem to work euphonically.

Being an unusual group, openly worshipping the Devil, the band has been met with some controversy. The band recently had to postpone a concert in Pennsylvania, as it coincided with Pope Francis’ visit. Show promoter Sean Agnew of R5 Productions said the event - billed as “Ghost vs. Pope” - was to be a religious “head-to-head battle for Philadelphia.” He said: "The band wanted to get really creative, and have their own Ghost motorcade where the singer would go around the city. We had these great ideas to create an alternative to the pope. But more and more stories started to come out about the lockdown. We had to scale back."

As for the members, the band has revealed that only their closest friends and family know who they are. Some critics have said that the decision of remaining anonymous is to gain more attention. The band quickly disputed this and said that the idea behind removing their personalities would allow their audiences to focus upon the artwork itself. Speculations and rumours are of course all over the internet, with the most recent being Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) on drums.

It is confirmed that Grohl produced and played drums on the If You Have Ghost EP, but if he is a permanent member has not been confirmed. In an interview with Rolling Stone a Nameless Ghoul said this about Grohl: “Well, we can’t really know, can we? I can tell you this much: He has played Ghost material in a ghoul suit. And he might or might have not have [performed onstage], and he might or might not in the future. How’s that for a commercial cliffhanger?”

As they embark on their Black to the Future world tour, it now remains to see what Papa Emeritus III will bring to the band and how he will utilise his time in office until the next Papal Conclave.

Who are they?

The identities of the six members are something which has been speculated on since their first release and appearance. These speculations will remain so until the band (if ever) decides to unmask. For now, this is Ghost: Five Nameless Ghouls and Papa Emeritus III. Each Ghoul has been allocated a symbol (pictured on their cloaks). When signing autographs they will stamp their symbol.

The lead guitarist:              


The bassist:                         


The keyboardist:                 


The drummer:                      


The rhythm guitarist:          


Papa Emeritus will sign his name as P.E.

Saturday, 6 December 2014

Krimh - Czarna Śmierć

YouTube musician Kerim "Krimh" Lechner has just released a new single - Czarna Śmierć - for his nearly 50 000 subscribers to check out on his channel.

I came across his videos five or six years ago, when I was heavily into Lamb of God among other similar bands. Krimh mainly uploaded drum covers, blasting his double bass to songs like Laid to Rest, but he also uploaded his own material, and it was very exciting to watch him grow.

His ability to never miss a beat and almost flawlesly playing his way through each song astonished me. The fact that he could play drums as well as guitar and bass was something that 15-year-old me never could get enough of watching.

The Austrian musician is probably best known as the drummer of Polish death metal band Decapitated. He has also been a session drummer for Behemoth for a short period of time when the original drummer was in hospital.

Lechner auditioned through his YouTube channel to be Slipknot's new drummer when Joey Jordison left in 2013, all while working on his third self-released album Krimhera. The album will be available from his website on 10 December. A review of the full album will be posted once it's out.

Saturday, 9 August 2014

Composing for games: Kristin Burdal

The music industry has always been and still is a very difficult industry. Making it as an artist is not a given, and it is therefore not enough just to have good qualifications. Years and years of education can only get you so far, what really matters is talent and the drive to be a good artist. Today we are going to take a look at one composers which was a topic of this blog a while back.

Norwegian composer Kristin Burdal, behind Stegosaurus on Marshland Acidic Trip, has come a long way since last time she was featured on this blog. Kristin has been offered a number of opportunities since then. She has composed the soundtrack for two games.

The first one is called GearCity which is an open beta game where you can simulate owning your own car company. The game is now available on Steam. This is a short review of the music, not the game.

The music in GearCity is lively and comfortable when listened to by itself, but has the ability to just act as background music when players want to concentrate on the game. It creates different dimentions and feelings to the game, it sets the atmosphere. GearCity's programmer, Eric B from Florida, really got his hands on a great musical talent when searching for the perfect composer for his game.

Although a lot of the pieces have a typical "background music sound", which is often the case in simulator games, there are a lot of hidden gems in the different tracks. The piano part in "In Total" is beautiful and can easily send chills down ones spine.

"One Time or Another" is fun and playful. It could be used in so many other types of games. Overall the soundtrack for GearCity is good, almost too good for a game like this, where sometimes simple is often the best. Kristin's creativity shines through each and every track.

Breakage is a free point and click adventrue game. The game consists of different "worlds" which has its own theme song. Together with the game, the music helps tell a story. The introduction theme song captures bits from all the worlds. It is a fun and adventurous song which sets the tone for the whole game. The tranistions between minor and major in "Outside" makes the piece seem somewhat sad, but the melody is picked up by a cheerful piano and light violin strokes.

My personal favourite from the game is "The Witch". It paints a picture of a witch, but not an evil one, as they often are portayed in mainstream television/media. This witch is a bit clumsy and very witty,  like a modern version of Disney's "Madam Mim".

"UFO" is mysterious, just like anything in the outer space. The wavy sounds makes you think of aliens, or what we on this planet have come to believe aliens sound like. The piece is quiet, calm and slow, and it makes me think about the fact that there's no sound in space.

"Dungeon" creates the perfect feeling of being down below. The song sneaks its way around, it has a few jump scares here and there, it stops to listen. Is anyone there?

Just like the intro, the outro captures the feelings of all the tracks you've heard earlier. It is happy, and so should you be. You've just completed the game!

To listen to all of Kristin's tracks, go to www.soundcloud.com/fruluna

Wednesday, 10 April 2013

New album by Ghost - Infestissumam

Although the album won't be realesed for another six days, Ghost have published the album online for their fans to stream. Make sure you check out Infestissumam, and let me know what you think!

I absolutely love the opening track(Infestissumam). It is powerful and epic. It is everything I believe Ghost are really about. It is the perfect start to yet another great album. Though I have to say, the new album has a lot to live up to. Opus Eponymous has become one of my favourite albums (ALL TIME). That is because the whole concept of this band is unique. The music in itself has a 70s vibe to it, and I'm sure this comes from various inspirations, for example Mercyful Fate and Blue Öyster Cult. There's nothing wrong with being inspired, especially if you manage to use that inspiration to create something new. This is what Ghost have managed to do.

I heard some of these songs before when I saw them live on the Jägermeister Music Tour. For example Year Zero, Secular Haze and Monstrance Clock. Ghuleh/Zombie Queen is a really cool track as well. Not only are the lyrics catchy, but the song as a whole is quite impressive. It starts out as something I can imagine hearing on the radio during the 70s or 80s...then it speeds up. Such a funny song(listen to it, I don't want to reveal too much).

The album has a perfect opening track, but it has also got a perfect ending track. Monstrance Clock is such a cool track. Especially when it is played live. I'm sure that now the song has been released, concerts will turn out wuite epic when this song is played.

After listening to this band, I have realised it would be useful to know latin, as they use quite a bit of it in their music. I get an impression of what the songs are about, but to fully understand the album as a whole, I wish the language wasn't holding me back. Anyway, all in all, this album has swept me off my feet. I will definitely buy it when it comes out.


Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Band of the Week - Jefferson Airplane

Classic psychedelic rock is what Jefferson Airplane can be described as. Their album Surrealistic Pillow is their most famous album, and a very iconic album in the history of rock. It features songs like «Somebody to Love», and of course the song most people will think of «White Rabbit». Who hasn't seen the extraordinary performance the band did of this song at Woodstock in 1969? I'm sure very few remember the performance in person (either because they weren't born yet, or because they attended the festival high as nothing else...oh the sixties). BUT, the beauty of modern technology, is that we can see this clip over and over again. Have a look here.

Grace Slick was a beauty. I'm sure many teenagers had her posters on the wall during the 60s and 70s. Her voice was incredibly cool, she is my favourite female singer all time. One of my favourite songs are «Somebody to Love»(which I mentioned earlier). With a little vibrator here and there, she creates her own sound which you can easily recognise anywhere. I really enjoy the instrumental aspects of the song too, it has a cool vibe, and includes some great riffs and solos. Sometimes this resulted in some messy performances, thoug...

Embryonic Journey is a cool little track, well worth listening too. Besides from being mellow and nice to listen to, it creates a little break in the album. Plastic Fantastic Lover has Marty Balin on vocals. I must say, this is a perfect ending to the album. It is catchy song, both instrumental and lyrical. And it makes you want to just flip that record over and start from the beginning again (or press play, which ever you prefer). 


Monday, 1 April 2013

Band of the Week - Amon Amarth

You might have thought vikings are a thing of the past...well, you're wrong. They still exist, and today they go by the name "Amon Amarth". The name Amon Amarth comes from J.R.R. Tolkien's books about the  middle-earth (in other words; The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings). "Amon Amarth" means "mountain of faith". Although the band isn't your typical viking(they don't invade countries, kill the men, rape the women, steal all the valuables and burn down their houses), the music illustrates a time which is difficult to forget. Through the lyrics, the band brings us on a journey back in time.

Avenger(title track of the 1999 album) is one song that I love in particular. The lyrics are about a man who loses his family to a fire, and he decides that he wants revenge on the man who lit the fire. He makes a sword, which is named "Avenger". Suitable, I suppose. In the end he manages to get his revenge, and slays his enemy's throat. The way it has been described is quite grim, reminds me a bit of old Scandinavian folk tales, they didn't hold back on any details. The sword has now served its purpose, and I guess the man realises that he doesn't have anything left in his life but emptiness. He ends up stabbing himself. Tragic story, but as I said, it reminds me very much of how the old folk tales used to be. The music compliments the lyrics well. It is a sad and tragic song, and you can hear the despair in the guitar riffs.
I never get tired of seeing them live. This is from Bergen, 2009.
Another favourite is of a newer album called Twilight of the Thunder God (2008). The song is called Embrace the Endless Ocean. Why do I love this song? Listen to it. The melody is so beautiful. The lyrics are really sad too. It's about a man (I assume), who has been a prisoner for a long time. Finally he is a free man, and can sail the seas back home. Unfortunately his ship gets wrecked in a storm, and sinks. "Won’t feel the breeze of my home shore. Nor see the lakes or winter snow. My hopeful dreams lie ripped and torn. Father, I die alone, I die alone". His dreams has been crushed, and he dies alone in the endless ocean.

One thing is for sure, the band knows how to write lyrics. All their songs tell a different story. Whether it is about a tragic death or a hero, all the lyrics illustrate Norse mythology and the viking time well. The songs I've written about here are just two songs I really enjoy. Make sure you check out other songs as well. What's your favourite Amon Amarth song?


Live in Bergen, 2009.

Thursday, 28 March 2013

TEN reasons to listen to 'Nexus Polaris'

Funnily enough, the 1998 album by The Kovenant consists of ten songs. I am going to give you ten more reasons why you should listen to this creation of art!

1. The album is created by a bunch of talented musicians. We have Nagash (The Kovenant) on vocals/bass, Blackheart(The Kovenant) on guitar, Astennu (Dimmu Borgir) on guitar, Sverd (Arcturus) on keyboard, Sarah Jezebel Deva (Cradle of Filth) on vocals, Hellhammer(Mayhem) on drums. No wonder this album is so amazing.

 2. All the songs has a beautiful melodic(symphonic) sound. The album includes a lot of piano, synth and violins. And choir/opera song, which creates an epic atmosphere (in your head, while listening). I can imagine falling asleep while listening to this album would be some experience. Oh the dreams you'd have then...

3. The lyrics are well written, and brings you through some epic stories. 

4. The vocals are cool and different. Together with the opera/choir, it creates a big contrast in the music. While Nagash' vocals are rough and raw, Deva's vocals are softer and "prettier".

5. The album has won the title Best Hard Rock band at the Norwegian grammy's(1998). This is the first time in history this prize has been won. That's a damn good reason why you should listen to this album.

Awesome album art! The album came out before they changed their name to "The Kovenant".
6. When the re-release of the album came out in 2002, the songs where exactly the same as the 1998 recordings. Why? Because they are fucking awesome, they didn't need to be re-recorded.

7. Chariots of Thunder. Need I say more? THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST METAL SONGS EVER MADE, NO SHIT! The opening of the song includes an amazing, catchy guitar riff on top of an incredibly cool drum beat. Then comes the song of Deva. Her singing on this track is really what completes this song! After listening to this song, you'll be going around singing "ah, ah, ah, ah" (like she does) for days. Trust me, have a listen to it, and you'll figure out what I mean.

8. This album is considered The Kovenant's best album (the majority of the fans seem to think so anyway). That must be reason enough to check it out.

9. I can't think of any other bands that had a sound like this at the time the album came out (can you?). Which means this album is a revolution to the history of metal (the history of music, even).

10. While the album all in all sounds quite serious, the artists show that you are allowed to have some fun with the music as well. Just listen to the last track "New World Order". It is so funny. All the instruments are played in a funny way(a happy beat, and happy chords). The lyrics/vocals are also very funny. Honestly, the song makes me want to get on my feet and bounce around. But I have to say; listen to the original one, not the re-release.

I was one of the lucky few who got to see the band perform THE WHOLE ALBUM (Nexus Polaris) live! This was a special tour, which I don't think they've done before/since. This took place at the Inferno festival in Oslo(2010).

With that I will link you to the album on Spotify, that way you can listen to the WHOLE album. If you don't have spotify, get it now! (Or buy the album).

Monday, 25 March 2013

Anders Fridén - 24 Years of Awesome Music

As a tribute to Anders Fridén's 40th birthday today, I thought I write a bit about him and what he's been doing. First of all, happy birthday Anders. It must be amazing to think about that you've been creating mind blowing music for over half your life?

Anders has been active within the music industry since 1989. He started out as the vocalist for Dark Tranquillity (based in Gothenburg). You can hear him on the first album Skydancer. Check out the song "Crimson Winds". This is how the earliest melodic death sounded like. Incredible how it started! (You could say it started with three bands: At the Gates, Dark Tranquillity and In Flames. They are the source of melodic death metal, or Gothenburg metal as it is also called). Fridén joined In Flames soon after he left Dark Tranquillity, which is the band he is most famous for. His first appearence was on In Flames' second album The Jester Race. Have a listen to the title track, it is amazing! The sound on this album had in many ways changed since the first album Lunar Strain, but they still stayed true to the Gothenburg sound!

After this, the band went along to become one of the most successful metal bands in Sweden's history. Metal fans all over the world wanted to buy their music and see them perform live. In 2001 their only live album "Tokyo Showdown" came out. It was a sensation, becuase not only had they recorded their first ever live album, but it was also recorded in Japan! People all over the world could now experience the live magic In Flames created, back home in their own living room(or wherever you may choose to listen to In Flames).

Anders is a really great live act. He knows his audience well, and has a relationship with his fans like no other artist. When you see In Flames live, it is difficult not feel like you're getting a special bond with him! He speaks to you through his lyrics! But you also connect with him when he talks to you either in person on between songs on stage (at least that's the way I feel). 

Anders Fridén live on stage!

The first song I ever heard of In Flames was "Trigger". I remember thinking that this music was something I'd never heard before. Not long after, I was hooked. I started buying their albums and checking out everything from Lunar Strain to their newer albums (at that time the newest album was Come Clarity). In Flames was my favourite band in the whole world. And they still are one of my favourites! Whenever I listen to "Trigger", it brings me back to that first time I listened to it! I love that song!

I know there's been some discussion about their albums after Come Clarity (A Sense of Purpose and Sounds of a Playground Fading). But honestly, I don't really care. Their new music will never change how I feel about their old music. And also, what is a band if they never change and never develop? On that note, I will end this post. Make sure you check out In Flames and Dark Tranquillity (and his other prjoect Passenger).

Me with Anders Fridén and Daniel Svensson. (November 2009)

Sunday, 24 March 2013

Band of the Week - Eisbrecher

Ich dachte, es wäre angebracht auf Deutsch zu schreiben, weil Eisbrecher ist eine deutsche Band... Just kidding. Yes, this is a very German band, playing a very German genre called "Neue Deutsche Härte"(new German hardness), which basically is industrial/elecronic metal. The reason why I say "very German", is because I feel only the Germans can get this sound right. Yes, you have bands from other countries which have tried to do a similar thing, but it isn't quite the same as the German sound. It is a bit the same as with Norwegian black metal or Swedish(Gothenburg) melodic death metal. 

Eisbrecher has been around since 2003, and they have made in total five albums in that period of time. My all time favourite is the second album "Antikörper"(2006). Yes, they play the same genre as Rammstein, but Eisbrecher is a bit more meoldic than Rammstein. The synth and electronic parts play a much bigger role in Eisbrecher's music than in Rammstein's music. However, what is similar is that the guitar riffs are quite simple, and recorded with a heavy tone. The vocals are very deep and they sing in German (of course). The vocals are a bit more distorted, and therefore it sounds a bit more metallic (industrial metal, you say?). 

I can definitely hear the inspiration from bands like KMFDM and Rammstein, but they have managed to find their own path. Take for example the song "Leider"(Antikörper, 2006) It starts off with a cool piece of percussion, and I can't help but tapping my foot to it. The vocals are pretty straight forward, but what I love is when the guitar riffs kicks in(yes, it is as if it's "kicking"). And with the synth, it sounds like you're in a haunted house. I'm sure we're supposed to feel that way. Maybe that's how the main character in the song feels like inside his head.

I love the lyrics, I think they are very well written, simple and straight forward. They are quite easy to understand. For those of you who know German, you might have the same impression as me... The lyrics make me think about being in pain, or a need to feel. As the chorus suggests, the main character feels very sorry for himself and therefore feels like he has to hurt himself. This person is clearly not in control of his own thoughts, because he feels he have to hurt himself all the time. He seems like a very vunerable person. "Ich muss, ich muss mir wieder weh tun. Ich tu mir leid, so leid. Ich muss mir wieder weh tun, weil nur der Schmertz mich heilt" (I must, I must hurt myself again. I'm sorry for myself, so sorry. I must hurt myself again, because only pain heals me). Whether the song refers to actual physical harm or mental harm, is something you will have to decide for yourself. The lyrics definitely match the sadistic image industrial German bands tend to have. 

Another song you might want to check out from the same album is "Ohne Dich". It is one of the most beautiful love songs I've ever heard. It is beautiful and raw, so sincere! "Gothkiller"(Eiszeit, 2010) is a bit different to their other songs. First of all it's in English, and secondly it is a bit more pop than the other songs. But what I do love about this song is the guitar solo! 

...This is only me mentioning a few songs I like, do make sure you check out their other music too!