ALARMSIGNAL has now been around for a quarter of a century.
Phew, that's a long time, and in the German-speaking punk rock or Deutschpunk scene, the half-life of many bands has already been exceeded after 25 years.
ALARMSIGNAL continues on, unwavering in their path, and releases their ninth album, “Insomnia.”
When I heard about the release and saw how the whole thing was presented, I couldn't help but think of Fahnenflucht. They released their new album on September 13, 2024, and prominently featured the colors yellow and black for it.
Interestingly, the same is true for ALARMSIGNAL. Same label, same appearance?
This is not a comparative study of these two very important punk bands, but it is noticeable.
What also stands out when listening to “Insomnia” is the change in sound. There are more walls of guitars. One could also say it’s noisier or perhaps, forgive me for the remark, in a certain way more suitable for festivals.
The small clubs where ALARMSIGNAL used to play are no longer venues for the band. This is a development that is certainly to be acknowledged and shows that the band is relevant to the scene, to the people.
Speaking of people. They play a significant role in “Insomnia.”
Be it the heartbreaking story of “Rest your Eyes” or the view from above of the city and its people, as in “Neonlicht,” or the way of dealing with oneself in this cold, heartless, hopeless world, as in “Dystopia” or “Scherbe Licht.”
What I find very positive, as it is rather rare in German-speaking punk rock, are two songs about animals and our treatment of them. “Laika” (the probably most famous dog in history) is sung about, and there is a very strong song called “Nichts sehen, nichts hören,” which reminds me of “Schreie hinter Glas” by Dritte Wahl.
But there is also hope, where... I don’t know, the band doesn’t know exactly, maybe because we are human and humanity resides in all of us? Here, the “Manifest” should be mentioned.
The fourteen songs are dressed in more or less dystopian sound, dominated by the aforementioned walls of guitars.
It is a different sound from ALARMSIGNAL than what one has been used to from the band. One has to want to listen closely.
Lyrically, in my view, the album is one of the best that the band from Celle has ever released. Ambitious lyrics in vivid and personal language. Here, too, a certain closeness to Fahnenflucht is recognizable.
So, what can be said about this album?
Difficult.
On one hand, it is a very positive development that shows that even after 25 years, there is still something to say. Life experience has also shown that much has not improved. Perhaps a certain resignation has emerged from the anger that the band once screamed out?!
What weighs negatively for me is the sound, which no longer resonates with me as much; of course, that is a matter of taste and is subjectively assessed by me. It may also be that the album feels a bit too sad for me, as despite the hopeful and empowering songs, a dark shadow always remains.
As I said, purely subjective, only from my perspective.
How the album will be presented live and how the band manages the balancing act between old and new songs can be experienced in April on the band’s small tour.
Some festivals have already been booked.
