Germany´s Rammstein are back with new full length opus. This time, they offer eleven songs of their trademark industrial metal. But, this is just basic description of their music. Rammstein is only Rammstein and can not be accurately described. There is metal, there is industrial, there is Laibach, there is goth and punk in their song structures. This opus is very melodic and the songs are very atmospheric with couple of typical Rammstein straightforward anthems to attack the speakers like Zick Zack or Angst. But, there are couple of more atmospheric almost ballad songs on this one that make your skin crawl with pleasure like Zeit or Meine Traenen. Lyrics are again top, pure poetry but one can relate to between the lines, I know German so I am so happy to be able to understand what Rammstein sing about on this opus. Rammstein also sarcastically criticize modern world with Dicke Titten tongue in cheek song but containing bitter reality in itself. This is not their best album for me, but in top three of four definitely. Great one.
Destruction are back with new opus on Napalm Records and these legendary thrashers from Germany are part of Big Three of Teutonic Thrash Metal, along with Kreator and Sodom. I remember that I watched them live for the first time back in 1999 in Austria, place called Oberwart on an open air festival on Saturday afternoon, that being one of their first re union shows. I remember Abbath from Immortal who played later that evening holding old school rudimentary cell phone up almost the whole gig, then I read somewhere that Fenriz was on the line listening to the gig hehe. Anyway, there are 12 songs on this one plus a cover of GBH revealing once again Destruction´s punk hardcore influences back in the eighties when they were spawned. This is also first record without long time guitarist Mike, introducing new guitarist Furia. Founder´s bassist vocalist Schmier´s voice sounds better than ever like he hasn´t aged for a day although he is 55 years old hehe. Besides speed and thrash metal aggression, what I always loved and will love about Teutonic thrash is melody and that dramatic punk hardcore energy in the songs and this record doesn´t lack that. Songs like Diabolical, Hope Dies Last, The Lonely Wolf are superb and I can´t wait to catch these guys somewhere live again. Great record by the legends.
Axel Rudi Pell is a guitarist and a member of legendary German metal band Steeler. After he departed that band he formed this one, and who would say, this is a full length number twenty! Yes, twenty! Every two years this band treats us with a new full length and this opus contains ten songs, two being intro and outro. This is true metal with melody, steel, energy and up tempo, musicianship of the guys in this band along with Axel is superb, with Bobby Rondinelli(ex Warlock, ex Black Sabbath, ex Doro, ex Rainbow…) on drums, Ferdy Doernberg(ex Therion, ex Freedom Call…) on keyboards, Volker Krawczak who also played in Steeler on bass and Johnny Gioeli (Eridan among other bands/projects) on vocals creating eighties old school heavy metal for new century and decade with energy, hard rock stamina, metal gloves and heartfelt melodies. No Compromise, Survive, Down on the Streets are street metal anthems and also there is a ballad jewel on this one in shape of longer and atmospheric Gone with the Wind, and it only reminds me that metal ballads are only really great ballads. This album is a great album by these German veterans.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 