Nachtgeschrei - Am Rande Der Welt
Massacre Records
Folk Metal/Rock
11 songs (46:39)
Release year: 2009
Massacre Records
Reviewed by Thomas

Folk Metal is a rare feature nowadays, and not the genre that gets the most appreciation from this guy However, I never decline a folk metal band when the option is there, as traditional folk music has always fascinated me in different ways, and combined with my favorite genre, the beautiful metal-scaled music, the combination is definitely something I’m on the look for. The truth is on the other hand, that not many bands, except a few (Falconer, Arkona etc.) succeed in combining these two genres. Nachtgeschrei combine what they call medieval rock with modern metal and folk, which sounds interesting on paper, and considering their fellow Germans Equilibrium’s fantastic release from last year, my hopes were up and while I didn’t expect something quite as good, I sure was hoping to be captured by the magical atmosphere this music has the potential to create. This is only these guys’ second album, as their debut Hoffnungschimmer was released early last year, which proves that the band has not sat back and relaxed during the year that passed, but played loads of live shows, as well as recording their brand new album, Am Rande der Welt.

To be entirely honest, this didn’t impress me much upon the first rough listen. However, after several consecutive spins, I’ve got to say that these guys are pretty good, and mostly meet my expectations. On one hand, there are some pretty obvious flaws here like the slightly too monotonous vocal work and the sometimes a little uninventive melodies. The vocalist mainly stays in the middle section of his range which doesn’t light a lot of fuses to be completely honest. On the other hand though, there are a lot of calm parts here that fits his voice like a glove. There would however not be pointed any fingers at more exciting vocal-work. The melodies are often traditional folk-ish tunes that tend to get a little too similar. However, this is nothing big, as they’re more than often backed up by excellent rhythm work from both the guitars and the drums/bass-machinery. The fact that the band uses real flutes and bagpipes instead of the plastic sounds of a Casio, make this sound way more real and adds that little extra that lifts this up from one level to another. It’s hard to get used to the awful German language at first as the vocalist stays in the clean section, which make you catch every raspy R. CH and Ü. However, once you’re used to it, this is not any major problem at all.

Mixing traditional folk rock with the slightly heavier beats of metal makes for a pretty entertaining listen. Think a milder and less blistering version of Arkona, in other words perfect for those who find the Russian masters a little too harsh. This is a incredibly pleasant listen when you’ve spun it a bit, and are one of those albums that constantly puts a smile on your face with fitting acoustic passages like on the brilliant Fermweh, entertaining use of flutes and bagpipes, cool riffing and rhythm work, and lastly the good yet slightly flawed vocal work. Nachtgeschrei are one of those new bands you really want to keep a keen eye upon in the near future, as this did well to capture my attention with its swift touch of folk-ish magic. Recommended.

MySpace
Killing Songs :
Herz aus Stein, Fermweh, Glut in euren Auge
Thomas quoted 79 / 100
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