PARANOIA come from the east of the republic, namely from the border town of Frankfurt / Oder. This city is home to several bands that operate in the realm of Deutschpunk and related genres, such as Bockwurschtbude, which is also mentioned in the booklet. PARANOIA have dedicated themselves to Deutschpunk and Oi. With "Stich ins Herz," the band has now released their debut album. After being recommended the band privately, I was of course thrilled when the record arrived at the Wahrschauer editorial office.
The eleven songs that the band presents on "Stich ins Herz" showcase a relatively wide musical range. Between Oi-Punk, there are also ska-influenced songs that come across quite well. The four guys can play more than three chords; however, most of the songs are fairly simple in structure. That doesn’t mean they are bad; the simplicity offers more catchiness, which seems to be important to the band. Especially songs like "Lasst uns feiern" and "Wieder da" serve as prime examples. Although the song "Wieder da" doesn’t really fit thematically on a debut album, that’s beside the point. The band doesn’t tackle big themes. Instead, it’s more about the small and not-so-big thoughts and experiences that life brings. This sometimes borders on banality, but overall it comes across quite decently. This is largely due to the melodies, which could be more refined but have potential. Singer Oli also knows how to handle his voice, so it’s not just growled but sung. This is not always the case in this genre.
Overall, PARANOIA remind me of concerts in youth clubs, where many bands can try themselves out, and after a few beers, the band is sure to be fun. If the four of them stick together, something good could definitely come out of it.
