SCHWARZER ENGEL
“SINNFLUT” EP
EP Review By Dark Juan
5/10
“Rodney, you plonker!”
Right, that’s out of my system. This is a review of Schwarzer Engel’s Sinnflut EP, and I promise not to make any jokes about the hilariously (if you’re English and have ever watched Only Fools and Horses) named Dave Jason….
This is a Neue Deutsche Harte record. It is the very epitome of a genre that has given us some classic bands in Rammstein, Eisbrecher, OOMPH! and Megaherz. Schwarzer Engel, although entertaining, bring nothing new to the genre, apart from maybe importing some of the gothic aesthetic of bands like Deathstars into their overall image. Don’t let this put you off what is a damned fine record, though. All the requisite Neue Deutsche Harte tropes are here: Snappy guitars, deceptively simplistic but rock solid drumming and a deep voiced German language vocal line extremely reminiscent of the barrel-chested Till Lindemann’s style. Opening (and title track) song Sinnflut is a very heavy industrial metal song, the beat driving it like it’s a machine stamping on human faces forever, while swathes of Gothic keyboard enhance the brutality, rather than detract from it. Futter Fur Die See (there’s an umlaut in there somewhere!) is another mid paced Industrial bruiser, very similar in style indeed to Sehnsucht era Rammstein. OOMPH!s former keyboard player El Friede guests on the EP as well, playing a piano tune. A piano tune. On a Neue Deutsche Harte record. An EP at that. A four track EP. An opportunity to impress has been shamefully wasted. In fact, it’s pissed me off a bit, because it is needless and ultimately, pointless. It’s Dave deciding that today he’s bored of black lipstick and looking like he hasn’t seen the sun since 1993 and instead channelling Richard fucking Clayderman. Utterly appalling. The EP is closed by another pointless and annoying thing that totally gets my goat. A remix. The MOST cynical of all musical compositions. Dave Jason (Stick a pony in my pocket…….. I can’t help it!) has basically stuck some beeps and squelches over a decent track in Sinnflut and made it so some green haired teenage girls in improbable footwear and welders’ goggles can “dance” to it. This isn’t a bad thing, (if you like teenage girls with miniskirts and footwear bigger than the sasquatch might wear) and I am open to all kinds of new experiences, but this remix culture has to stop. With the exception of More Human Than Human by White Zombie, there HAS NEVER been a good remix of a song. Not even Fear Factory could manage it.
Conclusions then – I like Schwarzer Engel, because I like Neue Deutsche Harte. They are ultimately derivative, and Dave Jason’s name makes me wonder whether he’s going to see if Arkwright is visiting Nurse Gladys Emmanuel, but enjoyable. Mr. Jason can write a good tune and I like his voice. I don’t like his pretentiousness. I just can’t help but feel that this four track EP would have been better served by having four tunes on it, instead of two and a bit. Fun, but also disappointing.
The Patented Dark Juan Blood Splat Rating System gives Schwarzer Engel 5/10. That corresponds to the arterial spray of a prairie marmot having met with a bizarre accident involving a blunt tin can and a marble.
Schwarzer Engel are:
Dave Jason – Vocals, guitars, programming
Vincent Hubsch – Guitars
Timo Joos – Guitars
Bert Oeler – Bass
Carlo Schmidt – Drums
TRACKLIST
Sinnflut
Futter Fur Die See
Requiem (featuring El Freide)
Sinnflut (Club-Remix). Even typing those words made my hands hurt.
https://www.facebook.com/schwarzerengelband
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