Genre/Influences: Dark-electro & medieval-metal music.
Background/Info: Heimataerde once started as an original dark-electro formation with bagpipes on top. The sound of this German band became an instant success while the recognition never ceased to increase. Quite progressively the band evolved towards a more metal-inspired sound, which was quite noticeable at the last albums. Heimataerde now has a new full length (cf. “Aerdenbrand”) in the pipeline, but brings us first a solid appetizer.
Content: The title song makes me think of a kind of folk song sung by children. And that’s an essential part of the song that has been featured while rapidly joined by menacing guitar riffs and a great danceable kick plus dark electronics. No doubt about it, “Hick Hack Hackebeil” again is a new potential hit for Heimataerde. The carrying chorus is absolutely great and will convince you of the real potential of this song, which has been featured in 3 different versions.
Both B-side cuts are much more than simply EP-fillers. Heimataerde reworked and adapted an old medieval pilgrim-tune and a Jewish song from the same period. Both songs are absolutely great and in the purest tradition of Heimataerde. There’s a perfect twist between hard and furious guitar riffs at one side and powerful electronic parts at the other. The magic of bagpipes is doing the rest!
+ + + : This is an outstanding EP revealing a phenomenal title song and 2 brilliant B-side cuts. These songs have been clearly made for an EP format. It sounds heavy, powerful and carried by great choruses. Heimataerde strikes back in style while driven by a merciless power.
– – – : The only regret I can imagine about the song concerns the quite similar mixes of the title song. No remixes here, but just an album-, club- and radio edit. It would have been better to get a few remixes to inject some diversity.
Conclusion: Heimataerde strikes back with a real outstanding piece of music. This is the kind of EP on, which both B-side songs can become potential hits as well.
Best songs: “Hick Hack Hackebeil – Club Version”, “Tsur Mishelo”, “Stella Splendens”.
Rate: (8).
Band: www.heimataerde.de / www.facebook.com/HeimataerdeOffiziellLabel: www.outofline.de / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.