Former OOMPH! frontman Dero Goi has released the video single for his latest track “Whistleblower”, a tribute to whistleblowers who risk their lives and freedom to expose serious crimes. This track is from his forthcoming debut double album, “1984”, scheduled for release on November 29, 2024.

“The lyrics of ‘Whistleblower’ and the theme of the video are directly related to the title of the track,” Dero Goi explains. “Julian Assange’s release was a surprise and a relief, but there are still many whistleblowers who continue to suffer in silence. It’s shameful that the German government remains indifferent to Edward Snowden’s situation, a critical voice in our fight for truth and transparency.”

“1984” marks GOI’s first major project since his departure from OOMPH! in 2021. Known for pioneering the Neue Deutsche Härte genre with his former band, GOI has since taken a different creative path, embracing electronic influences. His vast array of inspirations, ranging from industrial legends like Front 242 to icons like Depeche Mode and ABBA.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Neue Deutsche Härte act Stahlmann releases its last single “Asche zu Asche” before dropping the new album “Phosphor”, out on August 09th. The band uses German lyrics and bring a mix of alternative metal, industrial, new wave, and techno.

“Phosphor” is available on jewelcase CD and comes with a brand new Phosphor t-shirt design. The exclusive, strictly limited fan box contains the CD, a Stahlmann patch and sticker, a key chain, a handwritten, numbered certificate, and a high-quality lighter with a Stahlmann design.

Stahlmann, translating to “Steel Man,” is a German band formed in 2008 in Göttingen. Founders Martin Soer and Alexander Scharfe met in the same year and began writing songs, later joined by Tobi Berkefeld. Their debut EP, “Herzschlag”, was released in 2009.

Over the years, Stahlmann has seen several line-up changes. Original member Alexander Scharfe left the band for personal reasons but occasionally performs live. Other past members include Oliver “O-Lee” Schmidt, Dirk “Fire-Abend” Feierabend, and Ablaz. Current members include Martin “Mart” Soer on vocals and programming, Mario “Stahlmann” Sobotka on guitar, Dimitrios “Tacki” Gatsios on drums, and Eugen on bass​.

Stahlmann tour

• 29.11.24 Nürnberg/Cult
• 30.11.24 Affalter/zur Linde
• 05.12.24 Lübeck/Riders
• 06.12.24 Wuppertal/LCB
• 07.12.24 Hude/HS-Club
• 13.12.24 Dresden/Puschkin
• 14.12.24 Göttingen/Exil
• 19.12.24 Herford /Kulturwerk
• 20.12.24 Kaiserslautern/Kammgarn

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Moritz Lessing and Tom Zumbraegel) Dero Goi, the former frontman of the industrial / Neue Deutsche Härte band Oomph!, has just released “Resurrected” as the second video single of his new career as a solo-artist. Dero Goi’s forthcoming debut solo album will be released via Dependent Records.

The single was released during the Easter weekend and more precisely on Good Friday for a very good reason. Dero has openly embraced his Christian faith – which apparently is not well received everywhere – and that is also clear in the opening sequence of the song where he quotes Isaiah 53:5 which refers to the passion of Christ.

“Resurrected” also contemplates what it means to face one’s own dark side. Below is the video. Dero Goi also appears on the forthcoming Lovelorn Dolls album “Deadtime Stories”, namely on the track “Dancing At Your Funeral”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The German Neue Deutsche Härte band Stahlmann has returned with a new EP titled “Addendum.” This extended play offers a mix of alternative metal, industrial music, new wave, and techno, all set to German lyrics. A standout single from the EP is “1000 Gründe” (1000 Reasons), which delves into themes of past love, mortality, and lingering memories.

The band’s lead singer, Mart, sums up the essence of the song, stating: “Memories often come back to haunt us, particularly those of loved ones, sometimes even beyond their passing. There are a thousand reasons to both doubt and hope, as well as to accompany the one we love into eternity.”

Here are a few concertdates as wel if you want to see the band live at work.

• 29.09. Der Cult, Nuremberg
• 12.10. Factory Magdeburg, Magdeburg
• 13.10. Rider’s Cafe, Lübeck
• 20.10. Outbaix, Übach-Palenberg
• 21.10. Kammgarn, Kaiserslautern
• 03.11. MS Connexion, Mannheim
• 04.11. Live Club Barmen, Wuppertal

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Heilemania) The German Neue Deutsche Härte pioneers of OOMPH! have just revealed a first single and video with their new singer Der Schulz: “Wem Die Stunde Schlägt”.

“Wem Die Stunde Schlägt” is taken from the band’s new forthcoming album, “Richter und Henker”, which will be out on September 8, 2023. This new album will mark the band’s 14th studio effort. Oomph! has handled the album’s production and recording themselves promising “a mix of their signature sound with innovative elements”.

Here’s what the band says about the single: “The song is about recognizing what hour has struck and becoming aware of the situation you are in. It’s about not giving up. Even in hard times, you always have to get back up and try to come back stronger than before, instead of listening to those who would like to see you fail and only want to make you small. The title is borrowed from the bestseller by Ernest Hemingway, whose great writing style we adore.”

A video has also been released. The band adds: “The video is a symbolic representation of the song’s lyrics – stating that we always have a choice in which directions we go. In a flashback daydream of sorts, we’re told the story of a young woman at the turn of the century, who is condemned by mythical masked figures and led to the gallows because she apparently murdered her husband. The band is both the witness and the storyteller. The plot is not given away. In addition, there are energetic and powerful band performance scenes. The video was shot in the impressive baroque setting of Bückeburg Castle and its mausoleum.”

About OOMPH!

OOMPH! is a German rock band that originated in Wolfsburg, Germany, and was formed in 1989. They are known for pioneering the Neue Deutsche Härte movement. The band’s music incorporates various styles including metal, industrial, alternative rock, electronica, and gothic. They initially produced music with lyrics in both English and German, but in recent albums, they have shifted towards exclusively German lyrics.

Throughout their career, OOMPH! has undergone several changes in their musical style. They started with a dance-laden industrial sound and later moved towards a guitar-driven metal sound while still incorporating electronic elements. This unique blend of guitar-driven metal and electronic music has been influential, inspiring other bands like Rammstein, Megaherz, and Eisbrecher.

OOMPH! has released several albums and has had a number of successful singles. One of their most notable singles is “Augen auf!” (“Open your eyes!”), which was part of their eighth album “Wahrheit oder Pflicht”. This single became their first number one hit in Germany and marked a major commercial breakthrough for the band. Their album “Ritual”, released in 2019, became their first album to debut at No. 1 on the German charts.

As of September 2021, the band’s longtime frontman Dero Goi is no longer part of the band. The current members include Crap (Thomas Döppner) on lead guitar and keyboards, and Robert Flux (Rene Bachmann) on rhythm guitar, samples, and bass.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Heilemania ) German industrial rock band Oomph! has announced the arrival of a new vocalist, Der Schulz, who will be collaborating with existing members Cr4p and Flux after the departure of Dero Go.

The band’s upcoming album, titled “Richter und Henker” (Judge & Executioner) is slated for release on 8th September 2023. This new album will mark the band’s 14th studio effort. The first single from the album, featuring Der Schulz, is set to drop on 11th July 2023.

Oomph! has handled the album’s production and recording themselves promising “a mix of their signature sound with innovative elements”.

Cr4p and Flux say this regarding their new frontman: “Der Schulz was always our first choice. Since we have known and appreciated each other for a long time, he was the first singer we approached. Of course, we also met with many other promising applicants in our studio and tried out the collaboration. In the end, Der Schulz convinced us because he manages to revive the feeling of the old OOMPH! songs and we harmonize extremely well on a human and creative level. He is a strong songwriter and lyricist and has the exact charisma, presence and character we were looking for. We had the right feeling all the way from the start!”

About OOMPH!

OOMPH! is a German rock band that originated in Wolfsburg, Germany, and was formed in 1989. They are known for pioneering the Neue Deutsche Härte movement. The band’s music incorporates various styles including metal, industrial, alternative rock, electronica, and gothic. They initially produced music with lyrics in both English and German, but in recent albums, they have shifted towards exclusively German lyrics.

Throughout their career, OOMPH! has undergone several changes in their musical style. They started with a dance-laden industrial sound and later moved towards a guitar-driven metal sound while still incorporating electronic elements. This unique blend of guitar-driven metal and electronic music has been influential, inspiring other bands like Rammstein, Megaherz, and Eisbrecher.

OOMPH! has released several albums and has had a number of successful singles. One of their most notable singles is “Augen auf!” (“Open your eyes!”), which was part of their eighth album “Wahrheit oder Pflicht”. This single became their first number one hit in Germany and marked a major commercial breakthrough for the band. Their album “Ritual”, released in 2019, became their first album to debut at No. 1 on the German charts.

As of September 2021, the band’s longtime frontman Dero Goi is no longer part of the band. The current members include Crap (Thomas Döppner) on lead guitar and keyboards, and Robert Flux (Rene Bachmann) on rhythm guitar, samples, and bass.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: Neue Deutsche Härte, Medieval-Metal.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: German formation Tanzwut has been set up twenty five years ago now. They celebrate this happening together with their fans unleashing “Silberne Hochzeit” as a retrospective to this successful career.

Content: The work brings a nice selection of Tanzwut songs which have this common element characterized by the power and melody of bagpipes. Imagine a Metal driven formation where next to guitar, the magic of bagpipes emanate. On top of it all you get German vocals by their charismatic frontman ‘Teufel’.

+ + + : Except some very early songs from their debut album we get a nice selection of ‘older’ songs and recently released material. Tanzwut has always been  a very unique experience in sound because of the mix between Metal- and Medieval music; the fusion between guitar and bagpipes. Power and melody become one creating while driven by the fast cadence of the drums. “Dämmerung” and “Nein Nein” remain to me exceptional tracks illustrating the sound of Tanzwut. “Der Wächter” and “Lügner” both are other great cuts.

– – – : All over the years the band lost a bit of its initial magic although they remain very successful -mainly in their homeland.

Conclusion: A celebration opus for a very exclusive formation appealing for Metal- and Medieval fans.

Best songs: . “Dämmerung”, “Nein Nein”, “Der Wächter”, “Lügner”, “Labyrinth”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/TANZWUTOfficial

Label: www.nocut.de / www.facebook.com/NoCutEntertainment

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

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On June 9, 2023, Rammstein will release a remastered anniversary edition of their influential 1997 studio album, “Sehnsucht”. The album, which propelled the German Neue Deutsche Härte band to mainstream success, featured hit singles such as “Du hast” and “Engel”.

The “Sehnsucht Anniversary Edition” will be available as a CD, double LP (in white or black vinyl), MC, and digitally, including a newly-mixed version of “Spiel mit mir”. The revamped packaging was designed by Dirk Rudolph, the original artwork designer, and features an embossed silver foil slipcase with a 40-page booklet containing previously unpublished photos of the band by Gottfried Helnwein.

“Sehnsucht”, translating to “Desire” or “Longing” in English, was Rammstein’s second studio album and was released on August 22, 1997, through Motor Music in Europe and Slash Records in the United States. It remains the only entirely German-language album to be certified platinum by the RIAA in the US, and reached No. 1 on the Austrian and German charts.

All tracks on the album were written by Rammstein, with the exceptions of “Sehnsucht” (co-written by Rammstein and Orgasm Death Gimmick) and “Tier” (co-written by Rammstein and Jürgen Engler).

Tracklist:

1. Sehnsucht
2. Engel
3. Tier
4. Bestrafe mich
5. Du hast
6. Bück dich
7. Spiel mit mir
8. Klavier
9. Alter Mann
10. Eifersucht
11. Küss mich (Fellfrosch)
12. Spiel mit mir (2023 Mix)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Out now via Out Of Line is the new single of the label’s most recent signing Stahlmann. The single “Tanzen” offers Neue Deutsche Härte blending various genres like new wave, alternative metal, groove metal, electro-industrial and techno.

The band has this to say about the new single: “It was important to us, especially after the whole Covid craze, to create something that would bring the world a little closer together again… And what is better suited than dancing? We are really proud of the thing and can’t wait to perform the new single live!”

Here’s the single:

The band starts a tour in March, here are the concert dates.

• 03.03.23 München – Backstage
• 04.03.23 Frankfurt – Nachtleben
• 09.03.23 Hannover – Musikzentrum
• 11.03.23 Weiden – DUSK TILL DAWN Rockfestival 2023
• 17.03.23 Berlin – FRANNZ Club
• 24.03.23 Dresden – Puschkin
• 25.03.23 Affalter – Zur Linde
• 31.03.23 Osnabrück – Bastard Club
• 14.04.23 Trier – Mergener Hof
• 15.04.23 Siegburg – KUBANA
• 20.05.23 Dark Horizon Festival

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The German electro metal act Eigensinn have a new single and video for the track “Spring V2”. The single is out via Echozone and is actually a remake from a track from their 2009 album “Die Wahrheit”. The Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany) based act lifted the song from its original gothic metal approach towards the Neue Deutsche Härte genre.

Here’s the video for “Spring V2”.

Eigensinn was formed in Neuenstadt am Kocher in 2003 by Nemesis and Holly who had previously worked together in the band Weve. Gradually, the proportion of German texts in their compositions increased, so that in 2003 they renamed the band Eigensinn. The original line-up included Nemesis (vocals) and Holly (guitar), Marc Peters on bass and Thomas “Maschine” Paslawski on drums. The same year Eigensinn released the album of the same name, produced by Jens-Peter Abele.

In 2005 Marc Peters left the band and Pat McBazz took over as bass player. Four years later the 13-song album “Die Wahrheit” was released. Shortly after the release, Thomas Paslawski left the band and Ole “Das Tier” took over his position on drums. Three years after this last change, the EP “Endorphine” was released and another two years later, in 2015, Eigensinn released the album “Postmortem”. The band’s last release was the album “Persona non Grata” from 2017. Pat McBazz left the band in 2018 and Andi Viohl took his place as bassist in the band.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Set up in 2006 by Bettina Bormann and Michael Krüger the German formation Oberer Totpunkt doesn’t release new albums at regular basis. They this year strike back with their sixth opus “Totentanz” which is the band’s first album in five years. It became an eclectic work although dominated by an interesting mix of ‘Neue Deutsche Härte” and EBM. The work is their most accomplished production to date revealing multiple great songs. I talked about this masterpiece with both core members.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Oberer Totpunkt is now active for numerous years so what have been the main facts in the band’s history and how do you see the band today compared to the early beginning?

Bettina: We started in 2007 as a duo. A friend of us suggested us to bring our creativity together –that was when Michael played in bands as a drummer for years and I have been writing stories for years. So we tried it out –and Oberer Totpunkt was born! Just the two of us made the first shows on stage. Later we worked together with double bass player David Nesselhauf who accented our brand as a kind of sophisticated band.

In the next step we wanted to experiment with performative elements, so the idea of a ‘living stage design’ was born. We worked together with Gunter Laudahn on guitar and harp who since years is touring with artists like The Gregorians and Sarah Brightman. Then we had a longer period with Stefan Frost, who influenced our sound with his metal guitar. Also we have the live-keyboarder Denis Scheither and Performer Reaktor 4 in our staff for big stages or videos. Unfortunately Stefan could not accompany us when we were touring with the band Das Ich in the USA in 2019. This circumstance at last brought us back to our roots: Performing as a duo.

Each album is a contemporary document which shows the themes which we deal with in a certain phase of our creative work. The psychedelic-hypnotic song “Dystopia” describes the mood I was in while dark and disturbing incidents happened. What I appreciate is the fact that we present our very first song “Scharlachroter Schnee” on the new album “Totentanz” in a new dark-romantic shape. And for the very first time we made love songs!

Michael: All Oberer Totpunkt-albums are conceptual albums with a master-idea. Every album is a cocktail of music, lifestyle, experience you make. I´m always looking for the next song and album. “Totentanz” has a lot of tom-based drumbeats, melodic and dark elements and danceable songs. Emotional, dark, kicking and also experimental stuff like “Dystopia” (Psychedelic-Rock) or “Rien Ne Va Plus” (Jazz).  By the way, our first song we ever made was “Scharlachroter Schnee”.

Q: What kind of work did you want to compose with “Totentanz”? What is the album all about and how did the production took shape?

Bettina: In my eyes “Totentanz” is our most poetic album. The songs tell about human basic themes like fears, loneliness, fear of loss, fear of life, fear of death, but also love and longing –it tells about the demons in ourselves and around us. A line from the song “Rien Ne Va Plus“ describes the basic melody of the content: ‘We long for hope –and for the end of darkness.’

“Dystopia“ is about crisis, “Fake Leben“ tells about embellished life plans, flattering self-portrayals, skillful poses, staged images –behind this is the question: ‘Do we still feel who we really are?’ Or the song “Die Krieger”; so many self-proclaimed warriors roam our time coordinates, fighting for ‘what’s right.’ Bossiness, inability to tolerate and loss of a healthy sense of proportion included. We considered whether this song could be misunderstood in the current global political situation. But ultimately it is probably obvious that the ‘warriors’ are meant here in an ironic way.

Tracks like “Dia De Los Muertos”, “Totentanz“, “Fake Leben” or “Die Krieger“ clearly show: The spoken word rocks and lures onto the dance floor!

Michael: I love classic arrangements and loop songs with rhythmic shifts! For most titles the song comes first. Bettina selects which pieces she can relate to or has an idea for a text. For other titles like “Auf Der Dunklen Seite Des Mondes“ (“On The Dark Side Of The Moon”) and “Mitten Ins Herz” (“In The Middle Of The Heart”) she had ready-made ideas for the lyrics and ideas for the song. I usually start with the keyboard, then play the bass and then the drums. Most of the time, the song gets fatter and more complex –that doesn’t always work. With “Mitten Ins Herz”, an emotional framework turned into a wall-of-sound bombast that crushed the great lyrics. Then I went back and just used the piano with organ and soft strings –less is sometimes more. We also took out the beatbox on tracks like “Totentanz” and “Scharlachroter Schnee”. Of course, the song is less pushy, but once you get used to it, it sounds a lot more interesting and complex to mine, Bettina’s and Tom’s ears without the obligatory dancefloor dance drum.

In 2020 we recorded my 70s-Staccato and Northdrums. They are single-headed and so they can´t create a various and deep sound like a modern maple-kit. So we had the idea to record the drums acoustically with a modern PDP maple kit. Songs like “Totentanz” and “Scharlachroter Schnee” with the powerful tombeats simply make the difference to the drum-to-midi recordings with triggers and BFD/Affinity drums. The toms sound more complex and the snare simply punches more –the rim sound is also more poisonous. The real cymbals also convinced me –especially the ride and the hihats. Some songs like “Auf Der Dunklen Seite Des Mondes” or “Tänzer Im Regen” both have a classic songwriting structure with verse, bridge, chorus, etc. I worked out a second bridge and chorus variant for both of them –atypical for Oberer Totpunkt, but we enjoyed it. The overly long song is also an Oberer Totpunkt-classic. That’s two songs this time. “Rot, Schwarz, Herz” and “Rien Ne Va Plus”. We only separated them because we were afraid that with typical song zappers who only listen to a minute of a song, the jazz variant would be lost. Also typical of Oberer Totpunkt are loop-oriented titles, on a theme without change or refrain, such as “Dystopia” or “Die Krieger”. For “Zeit Verfliegt” (“Time Flies”) and “Jetzt Oder Nie” (“Now Or Never”) I used Simmons samples.

By coincidence we chose the title “Totentanz”, reminding the name of our label, Danse Macabre Records. First of all, we are happy to hold this multi-faced album in our hands. It’s a conceptual album again and like all our albums it’s actually a double LP with more than 60 minutes playing time and 16 songs! According to normal playing length, that would be our twelfth CD. We hope there’s something in the selection for most, depending on whether you prefer the quiet, hypnotic, lyrical, rock, or danceable side of Oberer Totpunkt.

Q: “Totentanz” reveals an interesting mix of influences reminding me to KMFDM and ‘Neue Deutsche Härte’ with extra EBM elements on top. How would you analyze and define the production? And did you handle specific criteria and references in the composition- & production process?

Michael: That’s a good analysis. We like EBM, Rock-elements like in Neue Deutsche Härte-Stuff and… KMFDM? Never heard that, but I like them and we are friends of the KMFDM-drummer Rudi Naomi. “Totentanz” opens musically with a rocking intro that we composed for the 2019 US-tour as support for Das Ich so that the audience can remember our name. That was a good idea –and that’s exactly how we wanted to start the album with “Oberer Totpunkt” and end it with “Unterer Totpunkt” with five bass lines grooving in competition until the double bass takes over and the whole thing then on the piano ends with the poetic finale by Bettina. With “Totentanz”, “Dia De Los Muertos” and “Scharlachroter Schnee” I have built three pieces on mystical sounding and different percussive tombeats. The album starts rocking, gets bombastic and more and more electronic and minimalistic until it ends in a quiet ballad. Then it gets Pop-Rock, Psychedelic and harder and harder until “Die Krieger”. Then comes our long song, which we have divided into two pieces this time: “Rot, Schwarz, Herz” and “Rien Ne Va Plus” –a crazy Jazz  track… we always wanted to do something like that. This is the song for Bettina with top hat and tuxedo! We have again combined many genres from purely Electronic to songs with a classic Rock line-up, for which I played all the instruments on some titles because of Covid-19. Last but not least, our guitarist Stefan Frost can be heard again with many cool Metal and Rock riffs.

Q: “Totentanz” clearly sounds as your most accomplished and successful work to date. So it’s not really surprising the album became number one in the famous DAC. What does that mean to you and how important are the ‘Deutsche Alternative Charts’ for German artists? Is there a kind of impact on sales, live shows etc?

Bettina: Of course we are very happy about this ranking which indicates the opinion of professional DJs and Radio-DJs. So that’s a creative statement which really means something. Yet we don’t know if this will have any impact on sales; let’s wait for the end of the year. In relation to live shows we don’t see a lot of possibilities this year. Because of the pandemic a lot of concerts and festivals were cancelled so there are still some line-ups to be caught up since 2020…

Another fact is that many small clubs and festivals didn’t survive the crisis, which means that there are fewer locations for live concerts. We hope for the next year!

Michael: But until then we are happy to present a video for each of our songs on the new album. We made 16 live-videos with 16 different outfits, 6 drum sets and 6 guest musicians! Not in 6 weeks or 6 hours! We needed 6 hours! We couldn’t agree on the songs so we said let’s take them all. Besides, a good opportunity to see how the singles of the whole album work live. We release them every week or month. Hope we can play the album asap live in a club.

Q: What’s the input of each member in the writing process of the album, the live shows, the artwork and who’s taking the final decision? And how does it feel to be involved with a music band as man and wife?

Bettina: The words are my part, the music is the part of Michael. Together we develop and rehearse for our live shows. Finding decisions is a process which we make together. Actually we are used to work together as long as we know each other. We started as colleagues working for a newspaper years ago. So it feels very common to share our creative work also.

Michael: That feels cool because when I played in other bands as drummer your partner asks you: ‘How was the show?’ and you answer ‘Great!’ That’s all and you know that means nothing! So we both know what it means and how it feels to make an album or to make a live show and know the hard work and creative process behind it, that most of non-music-friends and most part of the family never understand. They think it’s like meeting with a cooking club every week. At “Totentanz” I ran a beatbox on the loop songs and then jammed along live on the Nord Drum3P and my synthesizers. Just like a solo jam session. This is how you can use machines alive. If the songs are rough, I’ll get Frosti on board. He played the Metal riffs and good ideas for Grunge type guitar styles. His run to “Tänzer Im Regen’” is great. The Spaghetti-Western guitars are also amazing. Bettina had the idea of ​​recording the flute on “Tänzer Im Regen” and “Liebeleid” and a timbale solo on “Totentanz”. What I find particularly cool are the acoustic hihats I play live with the electronics. On “Unterer Totpunkt” and “Zeit Verfliegt” the 16th and 32/64th hihat fill-ins bring a casual swing to the basslines, that a non-drummer or DJ would never or could never program. Speaking of thunderstorms of rhythm, on “Dia De Los Muertos” three bass lines work against four percussion tracks and the drums. In the last song “Unterer Totpunkt” five basslines are grooving. I love songs in which the grooves with different accents and rhythms with linear, triplet and half-time/double-time resolution create trembling beats and restlessness. To sum it up. I´m not the biggest fan of complete computer generated Electro-Music –for me it sounds always a little bit like plastic. Electronics are cool but the taste of real instruments, drums, bass, guitars, percussions, live played keyboards bring the mud and life into music!

Q: Bettina and Michael, when taking a look at your personal homepage I discovered a person who’s not only interested in music but also in traveling, diving, poetry… so I can imagine getting in touch with other cultures and artistic forms must be enriching for mind and body. Tell us a bit more about it and how do you find a balance between all interests and activities?

Bettina: Writing for music or for poetry is familiar –often I am writing and don’t know yet how I will use it later, and sometimes I am writing especially for a music track. Then I listen to the music to find out what it tells me. Then I only have to write it down. On the other hand I love traveling and diving. These items are going together perfectly. But of course I am not in every second of my life in a productive creative phase. It is necessary to experience things and then to let thoughts grow inside yourself before you can ‘produce’ and write down.

Traveling and diving are things that Michael and I are sharing as well. It took years for us to build up the life we want to live as writer and musicians and as travel journalists. The year 2019 for us was an awesome year in relation to traveling and live shows as the US-tour together with Das Ich. The pandemic made an end to this –there were several lockdowns, clubs and festivals died in consequence which means less chances for bands to play live. Now we have to build it up again as many other artists too. We are looking forward to the next years!

Michael: If you don’t dive and travel, you’ll miss half of your life. Those who don’t make music miss the other half. And if your partner doesn´t share these things you’re no really partners. In fact, we are passionate divers, worked also as dive masters and still as travel journalists. Once in a lifetime we had the possibility to combine both passions, when we joined Das Ich during the Gothic Cruise 2019 in the Caribbean. We hope to do that again! I would say our Soundtrack is “Letzter Gang” from our album “Erde Ruft” – here is an impressive video about it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwwij1SmiRE 

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Metal, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Spanish formation Hasswut has already been active for a couple of years now. Earlier stuff was released on Mutant-E Records while they later on joined hands with Art Gates Records. “Mund Zu” is their newest work featuring five songs plus one remix.

Content: “Mund Zu!” seems like a mini-album. The sound remains driven by Neue Deutsche Härte. Bands like Rammstein and Oomph! will quickly come to mind but there’s a more explicit electronic touch emerging at the surface. One of the songs even sounds like the offspring between Tyske Ludder and Rammstein; EBM meets metal. The last song is a remix by Miseria Ultima.

+ + + : Hasswut is a formation I haven’t heard in years but they clearly reveal an impressive evolution in sound and songwriting. This is a powerful production carried by solid guitar playing and mixed with pumping kicks and Electro arrangements and bass lines. “Zünder” is an absolute masterpiece for the EBM-Metal fusion. The opening cut “F.F.F.” and the title song both are other noticeable cuts.

– – – : There’s nothing original in the band’s sound but as I often said I prefer a less original- and kicking work instead of an original recording without highlights.

Conclusion: Hasswut remains a somewhat unknown formation which I can highly recommend to lovers of Neue Deutsche Härte.

Best songs: “Zünder”, “F.F.F.”, “Mund Zu!”.

Rate: 7½.

Artist: www.facebook.com/hasswut

Label:  https://artgatesrecords.com / www.facebook.com/ArtGatesRecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

FleischKrieg is an American formation inspired by the ‘Deutsche Neue Härte’ calling their music ‘Brutal-Wave’. After a few singles they self-released the debut album “Herzblut”. This album is a mature and accomplished production. It sounds like an imaginary hybrid between Rammstein, KMFDM, Armageddon Dildos and Birmingham 6. A powerful sound with a perfect balance between guitar and electronics. “Herzblut” is a sonic bomb and you better can keep the band’s name in mind as they might become the ‘next big thing’! I asked a few questions to core members Richard Cranor and Thomas Crawford.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Let’s start by asking you how FleischKrieg saw the daylight? How did you get in touch and what kind of music did you want to compose?

Richard: I was a big fan of Synth-Pop and Industrial-Metal growing up. I’ve always related to the mystical and aggressive aspects of both genres. I wrote songs when I was in my 20s, but took a long hiatus from music. I honestly never had the self-confidence when I was young to really push as hard as you need to make a band work. So I did what grown-ups were supposed to do -stopped dreaming. That was of course until I started having dreams of Trent Reznor asking me to open for him -I had to tell him I didn’t have any songs. I guess that was a little nudge from my subconscious saying it was time to get to work and start writing again. I remember having a $200 light bill to pay. At the same time, there was a sale at Guitar Center for a 7 string guitar -same price. I made a fateful decision that day, and time has proven it to be the right one.

I met Thomas (FleischKrieg’s guitarist) while I was driving for Uber. I noticed he was wearing a RAMMSTEIN-shirt when I picked him up and we soon were collaborating on each other’s personal projects, one of which became FleischKrieg.

Thomas:  When we started putting together songs and wanting to play live, it was just the two of us.  We set up all the backing tracks and drums, and could play live with just the two of us.  But it didn’t feel full.  We were introduced to Nick Mason (FleischKrieg’s drummer) by our friend D-Punk from DK-Zero and clicked right away.  Shortly after, we collaborated with Nuda for our song “Reach”. She’s such a phenomenal EBM artist in her own right and worked so well together, we asked her to join as our live keyboard/sample player.

Q: The name of the band, but still elements of the music and the image are clearly evoking Rammstein and other ‘Neue Deutsche Härte’-bands. What do you like in this music genre and in which way do you feel connected with this -or any other band and what does the FleischKrieg sound stand for?

Richard: I don’t think there’s a more powerful form of music in the world than Industrial-Metal. You get all the power of Rock/Metal but also the seductive and mystical elements of Synth-Pop. I remember doing an inventory of all my favorite bands, and realized that the Germans had it all figured out just PERFECT for me.

Thomas: For most of my musical career, I’ve always been drawn to heavy music with industrial elements.  Be it Mushroomhead, Rammstein, Chimaira, or even more recently Lord Of The Lost.  I also love the opportunity to write music where guitar is the accessory rather than the focal point.  No flashiness, just pure energy.

Richard:  As for our name and meaning, I felt the band needed a German name. ‘FleischKrieg’ literally means ‘Flesh War’. So as to what our name/sound stands for -I would say ultimately it’s about reclaiming your power and personal sovereignty from forces trying to steal it daily. In my opinion, we are fighting a ‘Flesh War’ every day. Most of the songs reflect personal experiences dealing with the particular journey I’ve had with the subject. Just about everybody has some personal war to fight on some level. I’d like to think FleischKrieg can provide the soundtrack.

Q: You last year self-released the debut album “Herzblut”. Tell us a bit more about the writing and production process of this work? What was the input of each member? And is there any particular reason you self-released the album instead of getting signed to a label?

Richard: It all started with “Bloody Prophets”. I’d been having alien abduction nightmares and was too terrified to go back to bed. So I stayed up all night and wrote the rough demo of the song. Thomas filled in the guitars and recommended other arrangements, and we went and filmed our first music video. I think it was then I knew we could do something really great together.

Being the band’s founder, I drive the creative vision and do the main songwriting/arrangements with Thomas providing guitars and feedback on the compositions. I then work with Nuda and Nick on how the rest of the arrangements/drums should sound -and how the live show should work. At the end of the day, everyone brings their personal touch to the FleischKrieg sound. I am grateful to have met such talented and brilliant people.

Self-releasing is easier than waiting around for the cavalry to show up. We’ll see what the future brings. I certainly don’t think it’s worth waiting around for a label’s help -at least in the beginning.

Thomas:  Also, it’s so much easier for musicians to be independent now. While it was expensive to do it on our own, we were fortunate enough to receive some funding through a crowdfunding campaign. We also wanted to make sure that we were doing everything right. We worked with D-Punk as a producer who not only gave us insight into the mixing/mastering process, but also how to release it right. Because of this, we definitely have been successful for being a brand new band formed in the middle of a pandemic.

Q: You already made a few clips and especially the one of “Relax” caught my attention. It looks like a great ode to Frankie Goes To Hollywood. What does the original song mean to you and what did you try to express by the cover version and the clip?

Richard: What’s weird is Frankie spoke to me and Thomas from the psychic dimension lol. We’d both been contemplating doing an 80s cover… and on the same night, we called each other up and BOTH recommended the song to each other. It was kinda weird. It just popped into both our heads as THE song todo.

For me the song means freedom to be yourself without judgement. I tend to censor myself to please others often. I always loved how unabashed the song comes off. It’s literally about spraying semen everywhere. You can’t get more liberated than that, right?

Q: How do you see FleischKrieg as a live band? What have been your experiences so far and what are the further plans? Do you’ve contacts in Europe and other foreign countries? 

Richard: The live band has worked out exceedingly well, more so than I ever expected. Each member has great stage charisma and we truly love performing. It was a major affirmation to me when we played the Wasteland Weekend festival last year -people really loved our set. You could tell we had an impact, that our energy on stage and the quality of the music delivered the goods. We hope to do a lot more touring, in Europe would be fantastic.

Thomas: The interesting thing for me is how the crowd reacts to us for the first time.  Almost every single show, there’s a handful of people in general audience area with mild curiosity. Then by the end of the first song, everyone in the venue comes right up to the stage. By the beginning of the second song, there are people dancing.  I say again, ‘Dancing!’ That is truly a first for me as I’ve been in several bands and never had people dancing.

As for touring in Europe, we have been making contacts in Germany and the UK trying to set something up in spite of Covid.  However, we’ve recently started working with a booking agent. They’re confident that we’ll be able to get over to Europe once things start to die down.  We’re hoping for late summer of this year.

Q: I noticed a cool quote affirming ‘If Hell hosted a dance party -FleischKrieg would be the headliner’! What would be the other bands on the list that night? And how do you imagine ‘hell’? More seriously now, what brings the future for FleischKrieg?

Richard For me hell is more of a metaphor where individual spirits go to be themselves, to free themselves from the soul-crushing burden of being ‘well behaved’. I would definitely want all the Neue Deutsche Härte bands we could book, plus any 80s Synth-Pop band willing to show up. I have no desire to go to any actual hells lol.

I remember at one show a 20-something kid told me his favorite thing about our performance was that ‘it was real’. I’m not exactly sure what he meant, but I believe he felt we were there to really play versus just to get lots of new likes and subscribers on social media. I think that strikes as disingenuous to fans -just trying to look the part versus connecting an audience to a much bigger reality only music from the heart can reach. He could tell our songs meant something to us, and I think that made them mean something to him. I honestly think the kids are getting burnt out on the Instaworld we live in. There’s no filter for genuine connection.

I’d like to think FleischKrieg’s rebellion hidden behind heavy dance music can act as a form of subterfuge to the system, even if we someday get on a major label and have a similar success to what NIN had in the mid-90s. Just dreaming for now, but so far… our dreams do tend to become reality.

Thomas:  As for the future, the sky’s the limit.  We’re continuing to find ways to play more live shows in more and bigger places.  We’re dying to play some festivals in the near future. Additionally, we’re working on at least one more music video in support of “Herzblut”. And we’re currently writing our second album and if all goes well will be out in early 2023.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Medieval-Metal, Folk-Metal, Neue Deutsche Härte.

Format: Digital, 2CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Active since the late 90s and driven by their charismatic frontman ‘Teufel’ Tanzwut can look back at an impressive and successful discography. “Die tanzwut Kehrt Zurück” was originally released in the summer of 2021, but re-released with an extra disc  at the end of the year.

Content: Tanzwut moves on composing solid Metal riffs and carrying Medieval- and Folk driven choruses. The Folk touch has been empowered with accordion play while the Medieval parts are accentuated by their typical ‘troubadour’ melodies and some Gregorian chants.

The bonus disc features 5 songs, a club edit, remixes and unplugged versions.

+ + + : Tanzwut sounds like Rammstein infected with Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana”, but it first of all is a very singular band with an own approach and sound. They haven’t lost their initial magic and simply move to composing Metal infused with Medieval- and Folk music. That’s why they probably are one of the most original bands from the so-called Neue Deutsche Härte. The last part of the album is great. “Berlin” is a great piece -the city remains a major source of inspiration for numerous artists. But I also have to mention the last cut “Virus” carried by Gregorian chants. Another attention grabber is “Johann”, which sounds more Rammstein-like.

– – – : The bonus disc is a cool edition, but doesn’t brings a true extra. This is just for the heaviest fans.

Conclusion: Tanzwut is still driven by fire and magic!

Best songs: “Berlin”, “Johann”, “Virus”, “Pack Schlägt Sich”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.tanzwut.com / www.facebook.com/TANZWUTOfficial

Label: http://nocut.de / www.facebook.com/spvhannover

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Cyber-Metal.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: Pulse is an Austrian formation, which this year their second full length album. There’s a hiatus of five years between the debut album “Extinction Level Event” and this new work.

Content: After an instrumental debut track, which reveals a mix of Electronic ideas, Pulse rapidly moves into their sound, which can be defined as ‘Neue Deutsche Härte’. This is a typical German sound dominated by Metal-driven guitar parts and Electronic arrangements. Some songs are clearly reminding Rammstein for the guitar power and electronic melodies. The work also features a few more instrumental cuts, now carried by psychedelic elements and then becoming pretty space and ambient-like. One of the last songs is a cover version of the famous “Major Tom” originally composed by Peter Schilling.

+ + + : This production reveals a band with a mature sound composition. The style is not innovating and in the purest tradition of German Electro-Metal music, but Pulse has for sure the potential to conquer this scene. Their best cuts are the ones reminding me of the sound formula of Rammstein; “We Won’t Come In Peace” and “New Elastic Freak”. There’s also something to say about the cover edit of “Major Tom”, which is for sure a great song to play live.

– – – : The main point with this album is that it sounds like many others in the genre. I’m missing a kind of proper sound DNA.

Conclusion: You can feel this album is an ambitious project, but is it enough to gain a wider recognition? Time will tell, but you better can keep an eye on Pulse.

Best songs: “We Won’t Come In Peace”, “Major Tom”,  “New Elastic Freak”

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www.pulse-galaxy.com / www.facebook.com/pulseaustria

Label: www.nrt-records.com / www.facebook.com/nrtrecordsofficial 

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Gothic-metal, Neue Deutsche Haerte, Industrial-metal

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Dero Goi (singer/drummer of OOMPH!) and Chris Harms (singer/guitarist of Lord of the Lost) are two well-known names in German rock music. Both artists met each other in Leipzig in 2015 during a common dj-set and worked already previously together on the songs “Europa” of OOMPH! and “Abracadabra” of Lord of the Lost.

Content: This debut-album contains 15 songs and opens with “Die Kreatur”, an uptempo song that unleashes hell and hits you straight in the face! “Kälter Als Der Tod” was released as the second single and sounds more like a romantic rock-ballad followed by the third track “Unzertrennlich”, a dark song in the more general rock-genre. The dreamy tunes of “Durch Die Nacht” are luckily quickly alternated with “Zwei 100%”, a song that has some typical staccato-riffs and electronic tunes reminding me on older work of Rammstein. “Schlafes Braut” sounds like some kind of dark atmospheric sad waltz. “Untergang” is the highlight of “Panoptikum”, very nice guitar-riffs combined with deep dark voices and a very explosive harsh chorus to bang your head on! The very danceable electronic “Mensch/Maschine” could be a song from an old OOMPH!-album and the piano-parts on “Was Mir Am Wichtigsten Ist” reminded me a bit on Nine Inch Nails. Track 10 “Benutz Mich” is another cool uptempo song with an explosive chorus and tight drums! The calm folky miner-song “Glück Auf!” is undoubtedly one of the better songs because of the nice combination of the deep voices of Dero and Chris, the deep backing vocals and the catchy accordeon-melody. “Gott Verdammt” is one of the lesser songs while the first bonus-track, the very danceable Joachim Witt-cover “Goldener Reiter”, reminded me somehow a bit on And One and on “Algorithmus” of D.A.F. This limited digipak edition contains also two more remix bonus-tracks by Solar Fake and Faderhead.

+ + + : “Panoptikum” brings a variety of different styles including two calm sing-a-long songs, lots of uptempo Neue Deutsche Haerte parts and three danceable electronic songs. The album goes from very explosive to very calm and the lyrics are very well articulated. It also has splendid artwork and was also released as limited edition earbook and deluxe box-set.

– – – : The song “Durch Die Nacht” sounds too much pop/soft-romantic and is in (too) hard contrast with all the other songs.

Conclusion: A perfect first collaboration in darkness between two very talented frontmen. This stuff will please all fans of OOMPH!, Lord of the Lost, Eisbrecher and Rammstein for sure!

Best songs: “Die Kreatur”, “Kälter Als Der Tod”, “Untergang”, “Benutz Mich”, “Glück Auf!”, “Goldener Reiter”.

Rate: (8½) WH.

Artist: www.diekreaturband.de / www.facebook.com/diekreaturband
Label: label.napalmrecords.com / www.facebook.com/napalmrecords

The German band Die Kreatur, a collaboration of OOMPH!-frontman Dero Goi and Lord Of The Lost singer Chris Harms has released its debut album via Napalm Records. ‘Panoptikum’ is the name of this first album. It was released digitally, as digipak-cd, limited edition deluxe box, 3-cd earbook and 2-lp. The limited edition deluxe box contains the exclusive ‘Panoptikum 1920’ cd, featuring recordings of all songs in the style of the swinging 1920’s, recorded on an authentic piano, as well as two vocal microphones.

Both artists met each other in Leipzig (2015) during a common dj-set and worked already previously together on the songs ‘Europa’ of OOMPH! and ‘Abracadabra’ of Lord of the Lost. On ‘Panoptikum’ the Neue Deutsche Härte style is also strongly and clearly present.

Die Kreatur: “Panoptikum comes up with a dark arc of suspense that takes the listener into the gloomy, winding alleys of the 1920s, where they meet freaks and creatures of all kinds. However, true evil awaits them not in the hideous creatures on display at Panoptikum, but behind the stuffy façade of the normal, respectable citizen that delights in their gruesome appearance. Panoptikum is the ruthless reflection of a decadent, self-indulgent and sated society. Will we be able to bear our own cruel face?”

Tracklist:

1. DIE KREATUR
2. Kälter Als Der Tod
3. Unzertrennlich
4. Durch Die Nacht
5. Zwei 100%
6. Schlafes Braut
7. Untergang
8. Mensch/Maschine
9. Was Mir Am Wichtigsten Ist
10. Benutz Mich
11. Glück Auf!
12. Gott Verdammt

Bonustracks:

13. Goldener Reiter
14. DIE KREATUR (Faderhead Remix)
15. Kälter Als Der Tod (Solar Fake Remix)

The third videoclip ‘Untergang’ (‘Downfall’) was also released today and describes the third and last phase of a falling apart interpersonal relationship.

The band can be seen live on following locations, if the corona-virus finally will stop annoying us at least:

• 18.09.20 DE – Köln / Luxor
• 19.09.20 DE – Essen / Turock
• 25.09.20 DE – Hannover / Musikzentrum
• 26.09.20 DE – Hamburg / Gruenspan
• 02.10.20 DE – Berlin / Columbia Theater
• 03.10.20 DE – München / Backstage Halle

Out now is a brand new music video and single from Germany’s Neue Deutsche Härte ‘enfant terrible’ Sacha Korn: “Unsere Kraft”. The track is the first release from the album “Heimat”, which will be released next year.

You can check out the video and song below, or via Amazon. For the Neue Deutsche Härte / dark metal act it’s the first new single since the release of the album “Feuer” in 2016 on which Terence Trent D’Arby’s brother Daren D’Arby delivered vocals on several tracks.

And here is the video for the track.

The single is also available from Amazon (right here), Spotify etc..

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial-metal, Neue Deutsche Haerte, EBM

Background/Info: DIE KRUPPS are a phenomenon in the German music scene, active since 1980 and based in Duesseldorf. Together with bands as Einstuerzende Neubauten and Kraftwerk they are seen as one of the pioneers of electronic and industrial music. They inspired many famous acts like Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, OOMPH! and Rammstein.

Content: On the first song “Vision 2020 Vision” Juergen is rapping in a smooth way all over the pumping staccato metal-riffs, this is for sure the best song of the album! “Welcome To The Blackout” was released as the first videoclip of the new album and warns us that the end of the world has definitely started. “Trigger Warning” has a deep EBM-bassline while some musical parts reminded me on the sax of Yello’s “The Race”. After the calmer “Wolfen (Her Pack)” it is time for the nice uptempo “Extinction Time”, headbanger’s ball with an electronic sauce over it. The Genesis-cover “The Carpet Crawlers” shows another (softer?) side of singer Juergen Engler. It is definitely a surprise to hear this song in between so much guitar violence although the cover is well done. Time to dance again on the very melodic “Fires” on which Juergen also sings a bit different (read: more Bowie-like) than normal. “Obacht” has german lyrics and is for sure one of the better powerful songs. “DestiNation Doomsday” and the earlier released “F.U.” are 2 more songs dedicated to the “president of darkness” also known as Donald Trump. The anti-politics song “Alllies” has a bit of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” in the end. “Active Shooter Situation” is driven on a deep bassline followed by the uptempo “Human” to close the album.

+ + + : DIE KRUPPS goes back to their early 90’s crossover period. The artwork of the album is really amazing! The limited edition fanbox contains, besides the digipak cd and live at Wacken Open Air 2016 dvd, also a t-shirt, a pair of sunglasses, a postcard and a sticker.

– – – : Maybe “The Carpet Crawlers” should have been better as last song, because now it disturbs a bit the flow of the album.

Conclusion: Musically, this album takes us back to the “II – The Final Option” period. In this era (1993) DIE KRUPPS defined how crossover should sound. Lyrically, this album warns us that the end is very near and that the future is not looking good at all!

Best songs: “Vision 2020 Vision”, “Welcome To The Blackout”, “Extinction Time”, “Fires”, “Obacht”.

Rate: (9) WH.

Artist: www.diekrupps.com / www.facebook.com/diekruppsofficial
Label: www.spv.de / www.facebook.com/spvhannover

Genre/Influences: Industrial-Metal, Neue Deutsche Härte

Background/Info: Already the 13th album for OOMPH!, the German band from the area of Wolfsburg that exists of Dero (vocals/drums), Flux (guitars/samples) and Crap (guitars/keyboards), and that inspired bands like Rammstein, Eisbrecher, Megaherz and Unheilig.

Content: 11 tracks about war, politics and abuse are featured in this jewel-case edition that opens with the first released single “Tausend Mann Und Ein Befehl”, an anti-war song with a sing-a-long chorus. Fans of Disturbed will like “Achtung! Achtung!” that contains very nice nu-metal riffs and a dramatic chorus. Second single “Kein Liebeslied” has some riffs that reminded strongly on Rammstein, although no Rammstein without OOMPH!. “Trümmerkinder” starts with the sound of a marching army and is a very uptempo song with strong lyrics. “Europa” is a political song with a guest-appearance of Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost). “Im Namen Des Vaters” is another uptempo rocking song and has an aggressive chorus. “Das Schweigen Der Lämmer” and “Seine Seele” are the only two calmer ballads. “TRRR – FCKN – HTLR” is an opus about terror, porn and nazis, followed by “Phönix Aus Der Asche” that in the end sounds a bit like System Of A Down. “Lass’ Die Beute Frei” was for me the best song especially because of the very nice melodic voice of Dero and the very catchy guitar-riffs.

+ + + : Singer/frontman Dero knows very well how to use his voice in different ways, high and low, screaming and whispering, harsh and soft. The guitars sound very heavy but melodic and well produced. This album sounds more metal than ever before.

– – – : This album is very guitar-oriented, not much sampling and almost no EBM-style elements were included anymore.

Conclusion: OOMPH! still sounds as fresh as almost 30 years ago, when they started their career, and show once again that they are still the leading founders of this genre. Fans of Marilyn Manson, Fear Factory and Rammstein will surely like this album! “Ritual” is also released on vinyl and the limited edition digipak contains 3 bonus songs.

Best songs: “Kein Liebeslied”, “Achtung! Achtung!”, “Trümmerkinder”, “Im Namen des Vaters”, “Lass’ Die Beute Frei”.

Rate: (9) WH.

Band: www.oomph.de / www.facebook.com/oomphband

Label: label.napalmrecords.com / www.facebook.com/napalmrecords

On January 18th, 2019 the new album (number 13 already!) of German Industrial-Metal rockers OOMPH! will be released via Napalm Records! According the band it’s going to be as heavy, hard and dark as it has not been for a long time!

The accompanying European tour starts on March 1st, 2019! The band still will perform this year together with a big symphonic orchestra, live on stage, for the very first time in Moscow – Crocus City Hall (September 14th) and St-Petersburg – DK Lensoveta (September 16th). Before the festival season starts OOMPH! will do a show in Halle 02 – Heidelberg (DE) on June 7th and in Posthalle – Würzburg (DE) on June 9th.

European Tourdates 2019:

01.03.2019 DE Hannover / Capitol
02.03.2019 DE Berlin Astra
03.03.2019 DE Hamburg / Markthalle
05.03.2019 DE Bochum / Zeche
06.03.2019 DE Wiesbaden / Schlachthof
08.03.2019 DE Stuttgart / Im Wizemann
09.03.2019 DE München / Backstage Werk
10.03.2019 DE Dresden / Kraftwerk Mitte
12.03.2019 DE Leipzig / Täubchenthal
13.03.2019 DE Nürnberg / Hirsch
15.03.2019 DE Köln / Live Music Hall
16.03.2019 NL Drachten / Iduna
17.03.2019 FR Strasbourg / La Laiterie
19.03.2019 UK London / O2 Academy Islington
20.03.2019 FR Paris / La Machine
22.03.2019 ES Madrid / Sala Mon
23.03.2019 ES Barcelona / Razzmatazz 2
24.03.2019 FR Lyon / Ninkasi Kao
26.03.2019 CH Solothurn / Kofmehl
28.03.2019 AT Dornbirn / Conrad-Sohm
29.03.2019 CZ Praha / Nová Chmelnice
30.03.2019 PL Warszawa / Dark Electro Festival

The German Industrial-Metal band OOMPH! signed a worldwide record deal with Napalm Records (Austria).

The bands explains as follows: “We are happy to announce our signing with Napalm Records. Right between both of our last tours in Russia and Europe, we started to gather new ideas for our upcoming 13th studio album! With these first new songs we contacted various record labels and were able to choose from 8 very promising offers in the end! We are extremely happy to have found in Napalm Records a strong and broad partner worldwide, who has worked extremely successfully in all different areas of Rock and Metal with their artists in recent years. Napalm Records offers exactly the right prerequisites for our next steps and we look forward to a long-term collaboration!”

Thomas Caser, CEO Napalm Records states:
“With OOMPH! we proudly present one of the most exciting and influential German Rock bands as a brand new signing on Napalm Records! We are very much looking forward to a successful future with the band!”

OOMPH! are currently working on a new studio album – scheduled for a 2019 release via Napalm Records!

Eisbrecher are a German Neue Deutsche Härte band that consists primarily of Alexander Wesselsky (vocals) and Noel Pix (lead guitar/programming), with live support from Jürgen Plangger (guitar), Dominik Palmer (bass), Achim Färber (drums). The band’s lyrics and slogans often include terms of ice and sailing so it doesn’t come as a surprise that the band’s newest album “Sturmfahrt” holds artwork with a U-boat as centre piece.

You can order the album right now from this fine mail-order.

Over 15 years & 6 albums, Eisbrecher has become one of the most respected Neue Deutsche Harte acts. The band was born in 2003 when Wesselsky left Megaherz (as we reported back in time) and this due to creative differences. Wesselsky got together with Noel Pix, who composed the synths, guitars and programming for Megaherz’s albums “Kopfschuss” and “Himmelfahrt”, and in January 2004 the band released their self-titled debut album, “Eisbrecher”. The band would release their second album “Antikörper” in October 2006 and the rest is history.

The last album the band released was “Schock”, their sixth studio album, in 2015. Below is already a first track from the band’s upcoming album. Check “Was ist hier los?” below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The German electronic music project Cephalgy will be launching the follow-up to 2011’s “Leid Statt Liebe” in a few weeks from now. Titled “Gott Maschine Vaterland”, the album counts 14 tracks of which you can already listen to a first one below.

Pre-orders for the band’s new album are accepted right here. The band took the past 5 years to create the material which is a fusion of EBM and Neue Deutsche Härte.

Cephalgy was founded in 1997 by Jörg Göhler and produced its first material under the name Sven West. The band’s first demo “Warum” was released in 2001 followed by yet another demo “Cephalgy” later that year.

Here’s already a first track from the new album:

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Available online now is a live version of Sacha Korn’s “90 Millionen” track taken from the excellent Neue Deutsche Härte album “Funkenflug” originally released in 2013. Interesting detail, the track was recorded in front of fans in the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, the place where the album was also recorded.

There aren’t many bands who invite their fans into the recording room and play a live session. Sacha Korn is the exception, and you can notice that there is no stage, instead the band plays between some 50 selected fans and friends. Says Sacha Korn: “It was an unforgettable night to play live in these legendary recording rooms where such legends as U2, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave or David Bowie recorded many of their hits. REM just finished their very last album a few days before we hit the studio there.”

Note that Sacha Korn recently launched a Bandcamp page from where you can download his releases and get merchandise as well.

Enjoy this excellent live version:

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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We were quite surprised when we heard that the Neue Deutsche Härte act Sacha Korn had joined up with industrial electro act Acylum for the release of a 3-track single of the title track of Korn’s latest album “Feuer”. The result is absolutely smashing.

The single has, besides the single edit of “Feuer”, also 2 remixes, a slow Anti Club Mix (by Acylum) and the a-b-s-o-l-u-t-e-l-y brilliant Wir Schaffen Das Club Mix (again by Acylum).

You can listen to the single below or download it right here on Bandcamp. Let’s hope this duo keeps on working together because it’s pure chemistry. Highly recommend and that’s also why we have added the Wir Schaffen Das Club Mix of “Feuer” on our official Side-Line Spotify Playlist.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The Neue Deutsche Härte / dark metal act Sacha Korn returns with “Feuer” in January. Out now is already a video for the title track “Feuer”, you can watch it below. The album is available now from the Sacha Korn Bandcamp page both on CD and as download (including an immediate download of the track “Feuer”).

The “Feuer” album holds 9 tracks and comes 2 years after the release of “Funkenflug” and musically you can expect heavy guitar riffs mixed with melancholic melodies. The band recorded the album in Stockholm at Fascination Street Studios together with Jens Bogren, a record producer who has worked on albums by Paradise Lost, Amon Amarth, Dragonforce, The Ocean, Haken, and so on. Another part of the album was recorded in Berlin.

Lyrically, the album handles the current situation in Europe. Sacha Korn: “Lyrically it tackles the current identity crisis Europe is going through with a patriotic non-political correct touch to it. Patriotism has for years received a negative connotation in the European music world. But with the current immigration crisis and the recent terroristic attacks in Paris, France, being a patriot is no longer a filthy word, but something to be proud of as it stands for Western values which are more and more under threat. Being proud of the values of the real Europe is now more than ever the correct stance to take. This is not about religion, this is about our values which everyone willing to live in Europe should embrace.”

For those looking to discredit the musician (and there are many), know that Korn’s credits for instance include guest speaker appearances at music conferences in China and consultancy work for Afro-American 80ies super star Terence Trent D’Arby. Terence Trent D’Arby’s brother Daren D’Arby actually delivered vocals on several tracks on “Feuer”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Neue Deutsche Härte / Industrial Metal artist Sacha Korn, who in a previous life was consultant of afro-American 80ies super star Terence Trent D’Arby, sees his “Wie Lange Noch” album, originally released in Germany only in a sold out limited edition of 5000 copies, distributed digitally worldwide now for the first time.

The album is available via: Amazon DE, Amazon USA, Amazon UK, iTunes , …

In further news, you can now download the Funker Vogt remix of “Treibjagd” for free on Bandcamp.

Korn also announced a couple of live dates, with more to be confirmed:

• 04. December Dresden
• 12. December Berlin
• 28. November Moscow

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: Rock-wave, rock-metal.

Content: Amandas Nadel seems to be a recognized guitarist in Germany and his homeland Austria. He has been involved in bands like Roterfeld and Lolita Komplex and 2 years ago he decided to do his own thing.

The sound has been defined as ‘German-rock’ and/or ‘Neue Deutsche Härte’. I was a bit afraid to discover the album as I’m not exactly a fan of German rock-minded productions. I can already tell you “Sticht” took me by surprise and mainly because of the great guitar playing of this artist.

Amandas Nadel plays the guitar and sings while he has been joined by a few more artists to achieve this work. The debut sounds pretty powerful bringing a mix of rock, metal and new-wave music. The guitar playing is one of the main noticeable elements and the main strength of this composition. There’s a lot of diversified, which from song to song covers different influences. It often sounds pretty rock-like with some metal touch on top. It works well on songs like “Vampir” and “Die Wahrheit” revealing an impressive solo passage as well. The accessible goth-metal inspired “Männertränen” is another essential song while “Wie Du Willst” coming next moves towards heavier fields and explicit metal inspiration.

The last part reveals 2 interesting ‘dance’ remixes. This is the little surprise on ”Sticht”, but still a clever move to push Amandas Nadel to conquer electro clubs. The so-called “Dance Remix by Amandas Nadel” of “Vampir is pure lust. Next to the outstanding guitar playing this song has been remixed by efficient electronic arrangements, which makes the song ultra clubby. A similar formula can be heard at the remix of “Der Schwarze Mann”, but this one is not as high as the dance-level of “Vampir”.

Conclusion: I already discovered many ‘typical’ German rock/metal-orientated bands on Echozone, but Amandas Nadel definitely is one to keep in mind. “Sticht” is an interesting production for the great guitar playing.

Best songs: “Vampir – Dance Remix by Amandas Nadel”, “Vampir”, “Die Wahrheit”, “Wie Du Willst”, “Der Schwarze Mann – Dance Remix by Amandas Nadel”.

Rate: (Elise Din:7½)Elise Din.

Band: www.amandasnadel.com / www.facebook.com/amandasnadel

Label: www.echozone.de / www.facebook.com/EchozoneMusic

Inferno Sound Diaries

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.

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The German act Oomph! is back with a brand new video, “Alles aus Liebe”. The track is taken from the “XXV” album released on July 31, 2015 via Airforce1 Records. It’s the twelfth one so far from the Neue Deutsche Härte act. The track was originally released as a single on 17 July 2015 and now also sees a music video release.

“XXV” is available right now from Amazon.

You can watch the video below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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