Showing posts with label german. Show all posts
Showing posts with label german. Show all posts

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!

Sunday, 3 March 2013

AngelFlayeR

AngelFlayeR is a German/Swedish melodic death metal project, which was founded in 2012. It consists of two members, Heiko Lange and Daniel Friberg. When hearing the song "For My Betrayer" I immediatly think about a cross between In Flames and Amon Amarth. The sound is very unique and in this song in particular you get a flavour of melodic guitar roaming over heavy guitar riffs. The vocals are well executed and it goes well with the instrumental part.

The second song I listened to is called "Crown of Thorns". This song is truly amazing. The music is indeed very cool and catchy, but what really makes this song is the lyrics. Reading the lyrics while listening to the track makes me shiver, and it is not often I react like that to written words. The lyrics seem so honest and sincere, so that might be the explanation why I feel this way about the song.

You can clearly hear that this band consists of experienced musicians. The music flows so easily, and the songs are mixed to a very high standard. It is easy to forget that the band was founded just a year ago, because when listening to their music they could've easily been around since the 90s, growing and getting recognised with other bands from that era such as At The Gates.

As a big fan of Swedish metal, this band lives up to the standard that has already been set by the older bands. It is reassuring and amazing to see that bands like this still exists, even 20 years later.

The band has uploaded their songs to their website www.angelflayer.com
Make sure to check it out, you won't want to miss out on this one!