Fictional – Some Great Constructions (Digital/CD Album – RepoRecords)
Gerrit Thomas is someone who needs little introduction. The German musician is known as a member of Funker Vogt, Eisfabrik, Ravenous, Fusspils 11, and several other projects, including Fictional. With Fictional, he released two albums and returned at the end of 2025 with a third album after more than 20 years of absence.
Gerrit, of course, took care of the music himself, but this time he enlisted a number of guest vocalists: Christian Schottstädt, Patrik Hansson (Vanguard), P-O Svensson (Colony 5), Rocco Schulschenk & Nicky Schulschenk (both N-Frequency), Christian Schottstädt (Forced To Mode), Nils Upahl (Beyond Obsession), and David Erdmann (Digital Energy). Some of them even appear on multiple tracks. In the music, you can clearly recognize the unmistakable DNA of Gerrit Thomas. It lies in the sounds and arrangements, and you quickly pick up elements reminiscent of Funker Vogt and Eisfabrik. The new Fictional album sits somewhere in between. There is a clear Pop accent, but it is delivered with the necessary power. The tracks are perfectly produced, and the choice of vocalists creates an ideal balance with the music. At times, a faint Depeche Mode vibe emerges, but above all this remains a distinctive, unconventional, and successful form of ‘Power-Pop’. For me, the track “Dreaming,” featuring Nicky Schulschenk, is by far the strongest song, though there are several other highlights to be found on this release.
Fictional is back and sounds as if it never went away. Fans of Gerrit Thomas will be more than satisfied. (Rating:8½).
Listen to “Dreaming”:
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