When I hear the genre "Grunge," my brain's "prejudice segment" kicks in, and I start thinking of bearded guys standing in front of me with axes and flannel shirts, welcoming me with a dreamy (not to say: high) gaze.
The Myspace page announces the friendly band (they even wrote to me by hand, big thanks for that!!) as "Grunge," which surprised me quite a bit. Somehow, the band Nirvana – which doesn't exactly sit well with me – overshadows this music genre, which is why I've never really engaged with it. I wonder if the guys from Lübeck can surprise me?
Of course they do, damn it! Why are there 8 points as a rating up there? Quite simply: The Tomahawks march in with a silver coin that has plenty of surprises to offer. These surprises ensure that I view the genre "Grunge" not only in a completely different light but also count a few other influences: for example, Rock’n’Roll or Hardcore.
The singer makes sure that the styles are always clearly recognizable. His "warm" voice is groovy-rocky on one side, and in the next moment, he roars the entire place down, which in turn is not only relatively new (compared to the "high singing" usually found in the Hardcore kiddie pool) but also sounds damn great! The "Shouting" comes across very professionally and very coherently ("Axiomatic System," "Tomahawks"), which can definitely hold its own against some Hardcore heavyweights. But anyone who has heard the Rock’n’Roll voice of this band will know that they don't necessarily want to catch up with others but rather try to create their own direction. Especially the song "Journey" has something of "biker bar" or "listening to trucker radio on the seemingly endless highway towards Rock!".
Otherwise, you can always look forward to a mix of different vocal ranges that you find multiple times on the album. "You" and "Chances" stand out as very calm and beautiful songs that differ from the other tracks. Here, singing is delivered at a high level, which some might find "too cheesy." Well, I personally like it.
The instruments are also very well crafted. Depending on the situation, the noise-making devices vary between different moods and complement the vocals. This is mainly because the Lübeckers understand a bit about their craft.
The guitar faithfully follows the vocals: No matter where, the guitar accompanies properly and never seems out of place. There is a great harmony, and both elements expand each other. Either the guitarist (who is also the singer, by the way) pounds out brutal riffings from his string instrument or plays very melodically and harmoniously. The variety of sounds definitely proves to be a strength here.
The drums are also very convincing, especially the drum roll in "Running" has captivated me. Otherwise, the muffled, dark tones of the drums sound very good and do not miss their effect in any song. The drummer seems to see himself not just as a timekeeper but as a "bang-bang man" who can really turn it up at times. This way, he always comes "forward" instead of constantly functioning in the background. So one can confidently say that the drums definitely fulfill their universal role.
However, I want to pay special attention to the bass. In my opinion, a band always scores very well when the bass plays an important and damn good role. This is not only due to the partly excellent playing style ("Axiomatic System," "Gone Astray") but also because of the sound. The bass has a slightly "metallic" character, which I personally find just brilliant and far too rare in the music industry. With this, the Tomahawks secure an important and damn atmospheric point. I love sitting next to it, closing my eyes, and letting the bass just work. Awesome!
With 10 tracks, the trio may not have many songs to show, but they make up for this shortcoming with the length of the songs. However, there are two candidates – namely "Ready For Take Off" and "I Am" – where the lengths of 8:41 and 12:02 seem a bit too excessive. The suspicion of the infamous filler arises. Even though there is good handling of the instruments at these lengths, less would have truly been more. But that doesn't mean that the two songs are bad! It's more that two very good songs have a few minor flaws that can be easily overlooked.
What else can I say? The album "Ready For Take Off" has consistently pleased me and has recently found its way into my speakers again and again. If you enjoy variety and have a broad taste in "Rock," you should definitely give this musically successful work a chance. It's best to start at Myspace and let the music convince you directly. Come on!!
I personally will be on the lookout for live performances, hopefully taking place in the Wolfsburg-Braunschweig-Hannover area. I want to experience these three people live as well. Hopefully, something will come up soon!
