Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe
Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe
Century Media Records
Release Date: 20/09/2024
Running Time: 51:36
Review by Oli Gonzalez
9/10
Kreator. Heaven Shall Burn. Scorpions. Rammstein. Just a small collection of the fine Heavy Metal talent that Germany has nurtured and exported over the decades. Relative newcomers and Blackened-Death Metal act Kanonenfieber are here to disrupt that though, and are experiencing a somewhat meteoric rise at present, having signed to Century Media Records this year. Let’s face it, they don’t sign nobodies! Spearheaded by creative genius ‘Noise’, the project was born out of his fascination with World War 1, and curiosity surrounding the raw artefacts he encountered from this bleak period of history, including the diary entries from his great-grandfather. I’m normally sceptical about Metal bands being centred around a war theme as it’s sadly becoming a bit cliché. Those were my thoughts at least, prior to watching the band perform here in Manchester in November of 2023. I was fully sold on not only the band’s stunning sound and overall performance, but also to their incredible attention to detail and authenticity that stands them apart from their peers. Performing in full authentic soldiers uniforms, that conceal the performers identities, allows you to become fully engrossed in the live experience (but makes identifying a consistent and reliable list of band members for reviewing purposes very challenging). On the eve of their latest album and debut release under Century Media Records, how will this authenticity and overall Blackened-Death Metal sound manifest in the studio? Let’s find out…
What became immediately apparent to me is, yet again, that level of attention to detail and raw authenticity seeping into the overall production, especially utilising voice overs from radio transmissions from this period. As well as undisputed raw and uncaged emotional energy stemming from the band’s sound.
I can see a blend of sub genres creeping into this sound; more Traditional Death Metal, and elements of Metalcore, all of which are underpinned by a wonderful Black Metal quality. This is what I admire about Kanonenfieber; how they’ve resisted the urge to mimic their heroes but instead have crafted their own unique blend of Extreme Metal.
The entirety of “Die Urkatastrophe” is designed to be listened to and enjoyed as one immersive experience. However, some parts certainly stood out to me. ‘Ausblutungsschlacht‘ has a slower, more ballad-like quality, whereas the instantly memorable and melodic vocal line in the chorus ‘Der Maulwurf’ will have you singing along even if you don’t speak a lick of German! ‘Als die Waffen kamen’ offers a much-welcomed change of pace from the aural assault, with an entirely acoustic effort. Get your neck ready for the disgustingly heavy breakdowns during ‘Panzerhenker’. This will cause some serious carnage in the pits when performed live…believe me, I’ve seen some crazy pits during a Kanonenfieber concert!
Now, my only gripe with this record and the band as a whole. I’m not a German speaker, never have been and, as much as I’d love to, will probably never be. This makes it very difficult to connect to and understand the narrative that Noise is attempting to portray. The authenticity may well be lost if the lyrics were in English though, so it’s a catch-22 and not exactly a solution with a quick fix. Still, music is a medium that transcends cultural and language barriers, and it’s safe to say that “Die Urkatastrophe” will be making its way into the hearts and ears of Extreme Metal lovers this autumn. Whether the band can make an impact internationally in the same vein as their countrymen remains to be seen, though efforts like this give them an excellent chance of doing so.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Grossmachtfantasie
02. Menschenmuhle
03. Sturmtrupp
04. Der Maulwurf
05. Lviv Zu Lemberg
06. Waffernbruder
07. Panzerhenker
08. Ritter der Lufte
09. Verdun
10. Ausblutungsschlacht
11. Als die Waffen kamen
LINE-UP:
‘Noise’ – all instruments, studio, and composition
Live – various
LINKS:
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