Genre/Influences: Dark-electro.

Background/Info: German solo-project Dunkelwerk is back on track, unleashing its fourth full length album. Dunkelwerk released new work at irregular basis and “Waffengang” comes 5/6 years after the previous work “Operation: Duesterland”.

Content: First of all it’s important to say that the ‘main theme of Dunkelwerk is the moment of total defeat. No glory, no victory just the sweet smell of discomfiture. An atmosphere of leave, loss and comedown’. The numerous samplings and the global image of the project might be interpreted another way, but the ‘Losttrooper’ clearly claims to be not driven by any fascist thought.

That said, the album features 11 songs, which stand for pure ‘endzeit’ electronics. It however doesn’t sound like the darkest album in the band’s discography. The songs have been more accomplished and refined with delicate arrangements, choir synth passages and other cinematographic influences. All the songs have been sung in German although you now and then will notice a few English words.

+ + + : I think this project has gone through a serious improvement in the global writing- and production process. There where Dunkelwerk sounded rough and unpolished, “Waffengang” sounds more subtle and detailed. The global production becomes more artistic and achieved. The album again reflects the fetish theme of Dunkelwerk, which brings us back to the atrocities of WWII. It’s somewhat controversial because of the German samplings (while I also noticed sampled parts of W. Churchill). It creates a kind of confusion, which might lead to controversy. But controversy often is an excellent strategy of marketing and in times bands like :Wumpscut: and The Retrosic have disappeared from the endzeit radar, this album might become successful.

– – – : No doubt about it, “Waffengang” is the most accomplished work of Dunkerwerk so far, but I regret it’s less dark than previous productions.

Conclusion: I can’t really say this is the most classical dark-electro releases in the genre, but it definitely is an opus with a very own sound DNA based upon a sophisticated writing.

Best songs: “Waffengang”, “Schwere See”, “GxSTxPx 4c”, Hokuspokus”, “Holterdiepolter (Love Sees No Colour”).

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.dunkelwerk.de / www.facebook.com/DunkelwerkHQ

Label: www.alfa–matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix