Die Urkatastrophe

When I first listened to Menschenmühle (the album, not the single from this album) I vividly remember saying, "holy hell, it doesn't get much better than this!" I was still new to blackened death at the time, and the album completely hooked me. I stand by what I said - it doesn't get much better than this. But, now I realize that instead of soleley referring to that album, it refers to the band as a whole.

Kanonenfieber are an absolute powerhouse of blackened death metal, seamlessly weaving melodic elements into their brutality while Noise, the sole member, spews vocals that sound acidic. They are occasionally sung like a general telling his soldiers to charge head-first into battle, and other times get into choruses that are quite melodic and catchy, such as in Der Maulwurf. The album has lyrics relating to the first World War, inspired by the fact that Noises great-grandfather was a German veteran of said war. This provides a much-needed fresh look into the genre, as there is certainly no shortage of bands singing about the second World War, fewer about the first, and fewer still based on personal experiences. The lyrics do not glamorize war, as many bands do, they condemn it. Nothing about it makes you want to be found in the midst of battle, rather it makes you feel anxious, wondering how we allowed so many young men to die.

The instrumentation and mixing is impeccable. The guitar parts are simultaneously brutal and melodic, fitting between the drumming, vocals, and bass without burying or being buried by anything else. The riffs are dark and heavy, creating an atmosphere of dread and uncertainty. The second to final track, Ausblutungsschlact, adds some violins to the mix making it feel even more epic and grandiose. There are samples throughout the track, speeches and interviews from survivors from the war, which adds even more layers to the lyrical composition.

The album ends on a sombre number, an acoustic track with clean singing. It once again adds onto the lyrics, telling us how after the war no one got much happier. Sure, the war was over, and that was undoubtedly a good thing, but at what cost? Soldiers lives had been upended and many perished in the struggle. No one was truly happy, just relieved.

The one thing I would have to give the album a bit of criticism towards is the fact that many of the tracks sound very similar. Even still, the formula works so well that it negates that entirely. On top of that, there are exceptions such as the previously mentioned Ausblutungsschlact.

Kanonenfieber is an absolutely essential band, not just within blackened death metal but for metal as a whole. This album solidified their place among the greats of blackened death metal, a place that they had already begun to occupy with Menschenmühle. I look forward to seeing what Noise creates in the future, as I will certainly be keeping a keen eye on the band moving forward