Blank Planet

My Cold Embrace might be a name which even most being familiar with the German underground scene have not heard too often. Although having been formed more than 20 years ago these lads have only managed to released three full lengths so far, with their latest from 2018 having been titled “Blank Planet” and published in classic DIY manner. Another reason for them not having made bigger waves so far might be the fact that their slightly proggy melodic death metal style might not be really “en vogue” right now. This is a shame though, as there is a lot of talent to be found here and this is in a way music that could also work at some bigger festivals.

The main formula of mixing well-known traditional main chords with some more modern chops and staccato grooves is in full force here. Each track has some remarkable riffs that are sliced and diced throughout and pitched against some impressive chunks of lead guitar work. The constant interaction between the crunchy and chugging main chords and the often crazy and outstanding lead guitar is breathtaking. The melodies are often weird and haunting, but always catchy at the same time. The two guitar players Marco and Volker really know their stuff and offer some fantastic moments.

The drumming is also spot on, with the man behind the kit throwing in insane patterns while keeping the rhythm groovy at the same time. There are quite a lot of rhythm and tempo changes implemented in each track, but thanks to the clever songwriting things never get too chaotic or hectic so that also non-musicians like myself are able to enjoy the music. The relentless drum attacks build a perfect counterpart to the moving and hooky atmosphere built by the captivating guitar harmonies. There are a
few moments in which the bass also gets a bit of the spotlight, and thanks to the well-balanced mix this is perfectly audible.

The combination of bouncy and complex rhythms and wild melodies is great but often fantastic instrumentation is ruined by two aspects: Weak vocals and/or boring songwriting. My Cold Embrace are lucky that problem number one is in fact one of their strengths, meaning that vocalist Dennis has great pipes and impresses with a stunning performance. His growling and screaming is not too deep yet immensely powerful. This approach perfectly fits to the often slightly thrashy nature of the music.

When it comes to songwriting you can see that these guys are no beginners. They make great use of their technical abilities, but they always keep focused on delivering songs that just fun to listen to. The basics here might be familiar to the Gothenburg school, but they do not shy away to throw in some crusty moments as well as groovy thrash riffs and even some slightly blackish harmonies. Overall this mix works really fine and should be of interest for any fan of heavy yet catchy music. The production is also great, crunchy and crystal clear without sounding too synthetic. “Blank Planet” is a nice little gem and it is great to see that My Cold Embrace play their brand of metal with a lot of passion and continue to follow their hearts.