Schwarzblut – Maschinenwesen
Label: Alfa Matrix
Release Date: April 27, 2012
Website: schwarzblut.com
Review by: Jeremy Davey
Blasting in like a cold wind out of the Netherlands is the latest release (Maschinenwesen) from that country’s electro/industrial/gothic visionaries, Schwarzblut. Maschinenwesen is an album packed full of variety, imagination, and spectacular sounds. One minute you’re getting throttled by the buzzsaw industrial smashing of songs like “Schlusspoetik”, with it’s harsh but not over-processed vocals, and the next minute you’re listening to the beautiful voice of Angelika belting out the beautifully moving ballad “Der schere Abend”. I don’t even know what’s being sung (because I don’t know German), but the emotion of the song is conveyed extraordinarily nonetheless. And I would be remiss to not mention the cinematic, often martial sound of killer tracks like “Die Fabrik” and one of my favorites on this album, “Nomen est Omen”. These bombastic interludes really put images in your mind like few others have before. I guess my only complaint is the bands steampunk image. It really doesn’t effect the music at all, but I just find the whole steampunk thing silly and cartoonish. If you want to mix the future and the past in such a way, throw in some kickin’ accordian solos and maybe a big band bridge. Hey, if that’s what you’re going for, then that’s what you’re going for, so you might as well take to the extreme! Of course, I kid. This is more of a stylistic preference than it is a commentary on the kick-ass music contained on Maschinenwesen. Sometimes I just can’t help myself…because I’m a douche’canoe. If you want something that’s a bit out of the ordinary and has a definitely original stylistic edge (musically), then you should really purchase this album in one format or another. It’s definitely worth your time and money.
Tracklisting:
1. Schlusspoetik
2. Ein Schatten
3. Der schwere Abend
4. Nomen est Omen
5. Heimfahrt
6. Die Fabrik
7. An den Totesengel
8. Der schwarze Tod
9. Einst – Gesang der Geister uber den Wassen
10. I Des Menschen Seele (adagio)
11. II Strompt von der hohen (scherzo)
12. III Schicksal des Menschen (rondo)
Purchase Maschinenwesen from Storming the Base
Download Maschinenwesen from Amazon MP3
