Always time set aside for new discoveries, especially when it comes completely without any preconceptions, biases or history. Often, the decision is purely random, triggered by the cover art (an old 70s cliché) or suggested by another reviewing site. The trio is comprised of drummer Markus Missbrandt, vocalist and guitarist Dominik Mertens, and Lars Dreier on keyboards and bass. They have been getting many positive reviews, so let us see what all the fuss is about.
It takes off rather gingerly with a spidery guitar lick and a swelling vocal on “Seven”, calmly exposing one by one the various attributes this band has to offer, a rumbling bass current that ushers in a trembling riff, the active drums pushing the edges, and a subtle mellotron passage, all leading to a plunge into the starless heart of the sunrise. Mertens has a slight grumble to his voice which adds even more sorrow to the ordeal, with a long series of ‘whoa’ repeated, forging into the main chorus with leaden conviction. From then on, the arrangement is catapulted into an extended stretch of keyboard and guitar interlock, the bass snarly and a sorrowful synth each having their say. The final third is where the raging sturm und drang exaltation hits its apogee, only to fall back to earth in kneeling supplication, one more massive vocal apology. A more than convincing opening shot.
Another sonic present is “Gift”, an acoustic consideration for profound reflection on the human condition, where ‘crying and dying’ becomes just a routine norm, desensitized into oblivion. The galloping synth shuffles along in obsessive electronic mayhem, like a million pins piercing the skin, exploding into open wound fury , as Missbrandt pummels mightily on his kit. Tectonic orchestral backdrops provide all the cinematographic drama, leading to a narrated oath on lawful coexistence, a seemingly unattainable human concept as long as self-interest rules, whether overt or hidden behind layers of hypocrisy. Powerful statement.
Pinholes of light, a million thoughts and hundreds of gods are all to be found on the poetic rumination “Stellar Dust”, an acoustic interlude.
The title track “Four” serves as a fine companion to the opener, a similar sonic seed planted by a sincere voice and mellow backdrop, blooming into a more forceful configuration with bellicose guitars, robust bass and explosive drum patterns. Like the tide, the ebb and flow is expertly conveyed, as the swing between the sonic extremes are kept vibrant. Like a house of a thousand windows, impressions come and go, solitude now fully shared.
The odd mood on “Kipppunkt”(yes there are three ‘p’) shows a willingness to wander into more experimental realms, where vaporous dissonance is kept in check, like an echoing inner chamber within the mind possessed. The vocal pace is manic and disjointed, paralleling the drum attack, a ball of angst that leads to an immense crest where a crystalline axe solo runs rampant, bullied by hard drive beats and burly bass, an infantile piano supplying confusion, along with hushed voice effects.
Finalizing with an indie-post rock slant, raging guitars not withstanding and more ‘oh whoa’ choruses, “End” definitely comes across as a terminal condition outcry, leaving only a sliver of light open to a better tomorrow, hope remains eternal.
4 Engelskirchen (church of angels)