Rammstein

Stahlmann – Kinder der Sehnsucht Review

Stahlmann – Kinder der Sehnsucht Review

“In 2017 I reviewed the fourth album by Stalhmann with the coarse name of Bastard. It continued their adoption of the Neue Deutsche Härte sound modeled on a more electronic version of Rammstein. Album five goes by Kinder der Sehnsucht (Children of Longing) and remains on the straight and narrow path of their style already well-established.” Kinder bar.

Eisregen – Fegefeuer Review

Eisregen – Fegefeuer Review

“The metal underground has many virtues: ingenuity, a give-no-fucks attitude, and in many cases listener loyalty. How else does one explain a band like Eisregen, who have cranked out album after album over a twenty-year career, while still clinging tightly to the shadows? Fegefeuer marks these Germans’ thirteen release, one shrouded in mystery, teased as it was with a simple ‘Satan loves you.'”

Schwarzer Engel – Kult der Krähe Review

Schwarzer Engel – Kult der Krähe Review

“Ever get that queasy feeling in the pit of your stomach when you commit to something that’s absolutely foreign to your comfort zone? You know what I mean… you say “yes” to something before you get a good, hard look at what you’re about to do, and all of a sudden, Internal You is “nope!”-ing at record speed? Folks, that was me upon accepting Kult der Krähe, the sixth album by German one-man symphonic machine Schwarzer Engel, upon looking at the cover without hearing a single note prior.” Kult ov One.

No Return – The Curse Within Review

No Return – The Curse Within Review

“My first plunge on that trip occurred somewhere late 2003, almost half a lifetime ago. It was the release of Dance of Death by Iron Maiden, though I had been primed by popular bands such as Rammstein and System of a Down, and my father’s extensive classic rock collection before that. Soon I found myself rocking out to the unprecedented brutality of Children of Bodom and Norther, diving headfirst into the world of melodic death metal. Listening to No Return, I am transported back to those halcyon days, despite never hearing the French band before picking The Curse Within from the promo bin.” History-core for dummies.

The Hirsch Effekt – Eskapist Review

The Hirsch Effekt – Eskapist Review

“Drawing from a variety of influences such as math-metal, metalcore, industrial, prog and even pop, The Hirsch Effekt aren’t afraid to challenge convention, but in doing so, they run the risk of being swallowed by their own ambition. The inclusion of a bold language like German could prove to be a volatile addition to an already fractious mix or it could be the epoxy that holds everything together. A salivating proposition.” Die Bart die.

Stahlmann – Bastard Review

Stahlmann – Bastard Review

Stahlmann are the new decade’s flag-bearers for Neu Deutsche Härte (NDH); a genre hailing from Germany in the 90s, featuring groove, industrial, and electronic influences, and popularized by the likes of Rammstein and Oomph!. While they’re both still active, Stahlmann deemed these big names needed support and so their first record was released in 2010. Bastard is now their fourth and I’m forced to consider its title. Is it a puerile scream against a shitty world or the unwanted child which they’ll ditch upon its release?” Illegitimate.

Aborym – Shifting.negative Review

Aborym – Shifting.negative Review

“Listening to Shifting.negative makes me want to apologize. To all members of Aborym, and particularly mainman Fabrizio “Fabban” Giannese – I’m sorry for whatever conditions existed in your lives that caused you to think creating this album was a good idea. I also want to apologize to curious listeners, who may have seen Aborym’s past works compared to Anaal Nathrakh and Blut Aus Nord and assumed Shifting was another misanthropic, industrial black metal romp.” The apology tour has begun.

Varg – Das Ende aller Lügen Review

Varg – Das Ende aller Lügen Review

“The arrival of 2016 finds the tides turning for Varg, now signed to Napalm Records. Das Ende aller Lügen (The End of All Lies) is here and with it Varg presents their latest direction—one encouraging impulsivity, unpredictability, revelry and brute force. All packaged in nice bright red war paint.” Madam X is here to tell you about the creepy German dogs she dragged home. Who’s not interested in that?