Feuerschwanz
Warriors – Napalm Records
Twenty years after their founding German medieval rockers Feuerschwanz have put out their first record with entirely English lyrics. Ten of these are re-writes with new arrangements. You also get two brand new songs and a cover of ‘Valhalla Calling’. So how does that impact on the music? Well it’ll likely appeal to a wider audience generally although countrymen Rammstein haven’t really been impeded by sticking to their native tongue. What really does make ‘Warriors’ the band’s best effort to date is the way the eight piece’s (Two are dancers mind you) full sound is distributed and the balance they have managed to get in the production. Yes it’s all sing a long choruses and imaginary swords and armour. But it’s also a wonderful mix of rock and folk including a wild variety of instruments. Do any other bands feature both a set of bag pipes and a hurdy-gurdy? One or the other but not both. The fresh arrangements work brilliantly giving the sound a more edgy feel to it. This is the perfect way to delve into the world of Feuerschwanz no matter what language you speak.
Review by Gary Trueman