Schattenmann
Día de Muertos – AFM Records
There’s something about the hardness of the German language that lends itself very well to heavy music, and in the case of Schattenmann’s modern metal/industrial amalgamation it’s a marriage made in rock n’ roll heaven (or a heavy metal hell). Occupying a similar sonic space as Rammstein, this Nuremburg quartet deliver a groove-laden sound that’s characterised by thunderous drums, layers of samples, razor-sharp guitars and, of course, those hard vocals. Yet, no matter how heavy things get, the band never lose sight of melody, and there’s a swing present that pins these songs together. This oscillation is enhanced by the loud and quiet dynamic employed, it creates a push and pull effect to constantly reposition the listener. It’s a sound that’s akin to a heavyweight boxer; it is at once cumbersome and lithe and, like a prize fighter, packs a serious punch. When you factor in lyricism examining life and death, corrupt media, and Transcendentalism, you have a heady mixture and songs such as ‘Menschenhasser’ and ‘Haters Gonna Hate’ all coalesce to create an album that’s not for the faint hearted. Schattenmann’s fourth album, Día de Muertos,finds them growing exponentially as a band and as songwriters, and next stop is surely global domination.
Review by Peter Dennis