BETONTOD has been around for quite a while now. With “Glaube Liebe Hoffnung,” they present their fifth album.
In recent years, BETONTOD has made a name for themselves through numerous performances across the country. However, they sometimes attract audiences that I can no longer associate with punk. Spoiled middle-class kids celebrate the band and think that this is punk. But punk is not the world-weariness of people who have everything and just can’t cope with their lives and their puberty. Punk is more than that. This brings us to the second question: is this band still punk? Well, musically, yes, and perhaps some of the spoiled middle-class kids will realize that there is more to it, which would certainly be a positive outcome. I could write many lines on this topic, but this is not meant to be an essay on punk, but a review of “Glaube Liebe Hoffnung.” Three big words.
According to their own statement, BETONTOD took a lot of time recording to let everything that should stand out do so. This plan has worked out. The recording is really great. All instruments are rich in detail and clearly audible, and singer Frank can utilize all the possibilities his voice offers. This is a high-quality delivery!
The songs come with pleasing to catchy melodies. The 14 songs want to be listened to, but also discovered. There is a lot of text and many emotions processed here. There is a certain depth to it! Due to the abundance of lyrics, it sometimes tends to lean quite a bit into the emo corner. When I think of the last albums I’ve heard, TOXPACK immediately comes to mind, as they also delve deeply into their lyrics on their current album. BROILERS should also be mentioned, as well as DIE TOTEN HOSEN.
With this album, BETONTOD has created a work that, while independent, also feels at home in the Bermuda Triangle of TOTE HOSEN, TOXPACK, and BROILERS.
BETONTOD are certainly not 100% punk anymore, but their roots are still there, and if German rock shines through here and there, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The aforementioned other bands are also not necessarily 100% punk anymore.
The record is also available in a limited edition, with rear window stickers! Is this era of rear window braggarts still not over? Does this have to be a thing?
Even though this is biased, this action inherently earns a minus point.
