Yippee, I love indulging in my hobby and listening to free music just to be able to tear it apart.
This time it’s the Kellerratten from Dresden, who didn’t send me a long player but just a download link to their current CD. I’m just old-fashioned and like to hold something in my hands.
Regarding the CD. The intro that greets my ears initially reminds me of Die Toten Hosen from my beloved hometown Düsseldorf, which gives it bonus points right from the start. However, an intro lasting over two minutes is personally too long for me. On to the first song, titled “Jäger und Sammler.” Good melodic punk rock that quickly settles into the ear canals. Short, fast, and powerful… this is how it should continue. The next song “Auf der Flucht” seamlessly follows and starts to please as well. However, I notice after the second track that the short guitar solos don’t always necessarily fit the band’s musical direction, as I believe that sometimes less is more.
In any case, it continues. Melodic, fast, and always with the right hardness, just as punk rock should sound today. But hold on. The piece “Tödliche Liebe” suddenly brakes the entire mood. It starts in a SKA rhythm, which I don’t like at all because the guitars sound very off in the upper tonal range, and it simply sounds as if it was pressed in there as a filler. Sorry guys, in my opinion, that’s out of place.
But otherwise, it continues cheerfully, lyrically processing everything that comes to mind. Political hints, football, and the city of Cologne??? Why Cologne, can someone answer that for me? And of course, the typical party anthem, in this case titled “Lange Nacht.”
All in all, it’s nothing special, but if you’re into sharp, well-produced punk rock, I recommend this album. If you’re looking for something special or extraordinary, you should stick with Dream Theater.
A huge bonus is, of course, the free download.
