Der Füsilier

Excluding the single ‘Stop the War,’ Der Füsilier is Kanonenfieber’s second release of 2022, and it’s even better than the first one. It still adheres to the formula of Menschenmühle, but is still different enough that any of the two songs present on this EP would feel out of place on that album. This EP is mostly focused on the soldiers themselves and fighting in freezing weather, so it also presents a unique concept not yet explored by the band.

Compared to Yankee Division, which focused more on the “marching” parts of the music, Der Füsilier focuses a lot more on the melodic, more atmospheric side of the music, and makes for an EP that again shows Kanonenfieber’s exceptional musical ability. It still sometimes baffles me that everything by this band is just one guy. Especially with the amount of material that has been released, and the dozens of unreleased songs for the next album that Noise haven’t been satisfied with. All of this doesn’t even take into account his multiple side projects which all have even more material under their belt.

‘Der Füsilier I’ opens the EP with a melodic riff that immediately sets the tone for the rest of the release. The next section of the song reminds me a lot of ‘Die Schlacht bei Tannenberg’ off of Menschenmühle with the drumming. From here on the song keeps driving forward, eventually slowing down, before culminating in the chorus. The chorus might just be one of the best music that Kanonenfieber has released so far. It’s melodic, almost beckoning, and makes me get that intense unexplainable feeling in my stomach. It sort of reflects on how men keep on fighting when exposed to the horrors of war. Yes, all sorts of horrifying things are happening all around, yet the fusilier stands his ground and keeps moving forwards. The second song is a lot slower and a lot more melodic, and deals with a soldier walking home in the winter after a failed battle. This is definitely the most melancholic song Kanonenfieber has released, and shows that the band is also able to create such tracks, it even utilizes clean vocals near the end.

Der Füsilier is the Yankee Division’s melodic cousin, offering yet another two amazing songs that still feel unique, despite being similar to the music released beforehand.