Album Review: Schattenmann – Epidemie (AFM Records)

Schattenmann release their new album ‘Epidemie’ on 5th July on AFM Records.

Last year, the band lifted the secret of Schattenmann’s identity and took the Gothic scene by storm. Within two years, singer Frank Herzig raised the future of Neue Deutsche Härte, together with his band mates Luke Shook (bass), Jan Suk (guitars) and drummer Nils Kinzig completing the line-up, they brought the genre, invented by groups like Rammstein and Oomph!!!, back to life.

It is an album Frank Herzig noticeably feels comfortable with, how he confirms himself. “We
got more mature this way and shaped our own style much more without losing our diversity“ he describes. He worked on every single track and the production for a long time, “I wanted to give a voice to each aspect of Epidemie“.

If you’re like me and your familiarity with Neue Deutsche Härte starts and ends with Rammstein, fear not, Schattenmann certainly are cut from the same cloth. In fact, they’re so in sync with the German heavyweights that at times it’s a little too tribute like for comfort.

Tracks like Schattenland, Schlag fuer Schlag and Wahrheit Oder Pflicht have that recognisable industrial heaviness. The same intriguing electronica/metal proportions structured in a way that will appeal to a wider audience thanks to their catchiness.

That’s the overriding thought throughout the 12 tracks of Epidemie, just how damn catchy it is. It’s got sleazy groove, energetic rhythm, thumping bass and a vocalist who can sound intense and comforting at the same time. The title track will get a dance floor shaking and moving, Ruf der Engel is wonderfully mellow and utilises orchestral instruments really well and Schwarz Religion plays around with fun effects to deliver a banger.

In fact it’s really encouraging to see as the album gets further and further along they really start to sound like their own thing. So much so that by time Gewissen’s wicked guitar riffs come along, comparisons are mostly forgotten. It becomes far easier to enjoy the foot-tapping beat of Darkroom and air-grabbing epic that is Nadel Und Faden.

Schattenmann – Epidemie Full Track Listing:

1. Schattenland
2. F.U.C.K.Y.O.U.
3. Schlag fuer Schlag
4. Epidemie
5. Wahrheit Oder Pflicht
6. Ruf der Engel
7. Kopf Durch Die Wand
8. Schwarz Religion
9. Gewissen
10. Darkroom
11. Nadel Und Faden
12. Phantom

Links

Schattenmann Website | Schattenmann Facebook | Schattenmann Twitter | AFM Records