Megaherz – In Teufels Namen
Megaherz – In Teufels Namen
Napalm Records
Release Date: 11/08/23
Running Time: 38:56
Review by Dark Juan
10/10
Guten Tag, liebe Leser. Ich bin es, Dark Juan, und ich bin hier, um Ihnen zu Ihrer Unterhaltung informative Rezensionen und allgemeine Bemerkungen zu liefern. You may well have guessed that there is a German language band rotating swiftly upon the FC St. Pauli emblazoned Platter Of Splatter™. You smart cookies!
I have recently completed another lap around the sun and am screeching towards my 50s and I am surprisingly cool with that, considering the weeks of misery I inflicted on Mrs Dark Juan when I was turning 40. She basically took me to Iceland to shut me the fuck up. However, a half-century appears to mean something profound inside the twisted mess that is my head. I just don’t want to get there at high speed, backwards and on fire. That would be slightly uncomfortable.
It’s also Bloodstock weekend. More than one person has asked Dark Juan why I don’t go. The simple answer is that there are too many fucking people there, and my general misanthropy coupled with severe social anxiety and a total lack of ability in small talk, even when absolutely off my tits, an undiagnosed Autistic Spectrum Disorder and a deep and abiding wish to not be away from Mrs Dark Juan for too long generally explains this. Dark Juan is a fan of Home Fest, where there is an inexhaustible supply of music, and comfortable sofas and beds and high-quality snacks (granted, I pigged most of them last night when I had my sesh on).
Today is a bit of an exciting day because I have my greasy mitts clenched tightly around the latest release from German Neue Deutsche Härte legends, Munich-based Megaherz. If you know Dark Juan at all, you will know that he is a rabid fan of anything vaguely Industrial and Neue Deutsche Härte is Industrial Metal taken to Teutonic extremes. Obviously you will all know that the pre-eminent band in this genre is Rammstein, but there are a number of others who have had great success on the continent of Europe – OOMPH!, Eisbrecher, Hanzel Und Gretyl and of course Megaherz.
This album opens with the title track, and it is an immediate statement of intent, all brooding German language vocals and martial tempo. It is marching music for the Metal masses for when we rise up and take over the world, when the tattooed and pierced people rule for the good of all and not just shitbags in suits and ties. Megaherz never disappoint Dark Juan, not even when he is recovering from a three-day absinthe binge and the Halifax Agricultural Show. ‘Rabenherz’ and ‘Engelsgesicht’ carry on with boot-stomping aggression and unstoppable power, all serrated guitar riffs and dour vocals (I maintain and will fight anyone who doesn’t agree, that German is the BEST language for Metal, be it Neue Deutsche Härte or the legendary Doro Pesch singing ‘Fur Imman’).
‘Kansst du den Himmel sehn?’ changes tack however and showcases the other thing that Neue Deutsche Härte is fucking amazing at, which is (sit down, this WILL shock you, if you know Dark Juan’s usual views on this) power ballads. It is a heartfelt screaming into the dark. It is the sound of a human mind encased in an armoured, heavily armed combat chassis screaming in constant pain and lamenting its lost humanity. It is very, very good indeed. ‘Der König Der Dummen’ also shows rather more variation in musical terms than the usual output from Megaherz, with a choppy Nu-Metal riff underpinning a spasmodic, dangerous sounding song with samples of shouting and swirling keyboards surrounding the whole song rather than just fading in and out of the song. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still kick-ass Neue Deutsche Härte but it just has something MORE going for it if you understand what I mean.
‘Amnesie’ also shows a bit of variation, a clear Synthwave influence on display as the band allows themselves to stretch themselves over an oh-so-80s synth line and permits them to have a full-on lighter waving chorus of considerable greatness. It also helps that Dark Juan could actually understand what was being sung as he is not a very good speaker of German. This is an obvious and fucking brilliant hit single in the making, its relaxed tempo and less-threatening-than usual demeanour allowing the band and their music to breathe and go in new directions, which is difficult as Neue Deutsche Härte is normally a fairly rigid and stratified genre. Look at Rammstein as an example – they never stray too far from the kinky sex and disturbing imagery blueprint that they have made their own. Megaherz are not quite so dour – their sense of humour is infectious and they have a poppier, more engaging edge than their more famous compatriots. Megaherz are open to other influences where the likes of Rammstein and Unheilig are not quite so adventurous.
Now for a standard joke about Germans and their sense of humour in the brackets (Dark Juan is British and the standard stereotype is that Germans are humourless and lost the 1966 World Cup) but ‘Alles Arschlöcher’ (‘All Arseholes’ or assholes if you are American) puts paid to that theory with a fun stomp-a-thon about the amount of total arseholes you come across as you live your life. ‘Menschenhasser’ returns to the militaristic stamping of New Rock boots across a landscape where the only sound is a million cyber-goths tramping to where Megaherz are, grinning their little German heads off while they can be heard miles away due to the egregious amount of amplification they are using.
DISCLAIMER: Dark Juan loves everyone and has some absolutely wonderful German friends who are funny and top-notch people and does not subscribe to any generalisations about people from any country. Hi, Stefi!
Like all Neue Deutsche Härte, “In Teufels Namen” is masterfully produced, having the machinelike precision and icy clarity that the genre personifies and every instrument, sample and vocal is wonderfully clear and easy to listen to – in the fact the whole album is an easy listen, although on repeated hearings you get the full benefit of beautiful little frills and fills sweeping underneath the main riffs and hammering tempos. In short, this is a Neue Deutsche Härte record for the ages and one that will be in constant rotation for quite some time in Crow Cottage.
Das patentierte Blutspritzer-Bewertungssystem von Dark Juan hört sich diese Platte mittlerweile zum vierten Mal an und kann Megaherz nicht umhin, 10/10 für ein Album zu vergeben, das überhaupt keine Schwachstellen aufweist. What a brilliant record!
TRACKLISTING: (With poor quality translating skills courtesy of Dark Juan)
01. In Teufels Namen (In The Devil’s Name)
02. Rabenherz (Ravenheart)
03. Engelsgesicht (Angelface)
04. Freigeist (Free Spirit)
05. Kannst du den Himmel sehn? (Can You See The Sky?)
06. Der König Der Dummen (The King Of Fools)
07. Amnesie (Amnesia)
08. Alles Arschlöcher (All Assholes)
09. Menschenhasser (Haters Of Man)
10. Ich Hasse (Epilog) (I Hate (Epilogue))
11. Auf dem Weg zur Sonne (On The Way To The Sun)
LINE-UP:
Lex – Vocals
X-ti – Guitars & Samples
Chris – Guitar
Wenz – Bass
Maxx – Drums
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dark Juan and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
