Deko 2023
Lörrach metal collective’s debut invites their listeners to a post-juvenile crisis.
Reflections
Don’t blame a young ensemble for trying too hard on their first full-length effort – and an effort it is: all of the songs on this album sound as if the players are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, with opener “Young Heart Dies” serving as a signifier of sorts for what’s to follow. However, while such an approach from the German group can grate, they deserve to be admired for the unabashed, shameless even, display of emotions many older musicians fail to show – not for nothing there’s an arena anthem titled “Proud And Ashamed” – and though dropping the quintet members’ last names seems an adolescent thing, the AOR strains in the band’s DNA make them come across as rather mature performers. Sure, at fifty-five-minute mark the record may outstay its welcome, yet overt feelings at the fore of a female-fronted collective are understandable, and a different track sequence – like moving the platters finale to its start so that the catchy “Set Off” would launch it – will help improve matters.
There’s no denying the appeal of Jenny Gruber’s vixen vocals that grab the listener by the lapels and throw her victims against the wall built by Dennis Weber and Flo Bucher’s twin guitars and chopped by Chris Lehr’s bass in “As Long As I Love You” with its adorable dynamics which also fill the power ballads “Deep Blue Water” – the record’s intimate apex – and “Angel In Need” where Raphael Singh’s drums are so sympathetic. Turning to a delicate acoustic weave in “Guide You Home” is a welcome respite from the platter’s sonic onslaught, then, especially when “Pack Of Wolves” and, a little further, “Ferryman” follow this folk-informed cut with sharp riffs, and “Punchline” throws screamadelica in the mix for “Malicious Rose” to add a pop edge to the album’s aural image. As a result, the songs on “Reflections” won’t offer a walk in the park but they’re bound to endear metal lovers to the Lörrach bunch.
***1/2
