A relatively large portion of RMR’s 2024 crop o’ records originates from the predominantly German-speaking part of the world. Bands like Ellende, Weltenbrandt, or again Agrypnie come to mind. And now, late in the year, Kanonenfieber1 finally appeared dead-center on our radar. And I reckon they deserve a spot on our august list of bands on this year’s roster.
The band’s bread and butter in metal or, more accurately, guns and bullets, comfortably settles in darkly colorful depictions of war, notably the terrors of World War I. A storyline that eerily reminded this crew of the meatgrinder currently in hot action over in Ukraine.
Right off the bat, you can feel the tremendous power Die Urkatastrophe2 freely dispenses. This is precision writ large on a canvas of densely constructed songs, some of them razor-sharp and heavy and others almost dreamlike. The record comfortably resides on a rock-solid foundation with the band jumping through hoops to provide a storyline as near to the gruesome realities of long-fought wars as possible.
In addition, Kanonenfieber sport a knack for storytelling, similar to the Dutch fiends of Carach Angren. You won’t find any of the bluster and glorification of bellicose themes that some slices of the metal multiverse are so fond of. Instead, almost surgically applied lyrics will finally instill that feeling of dread Die Urkatastrophe tries so valiantly to depict. In other words, Noise‘s hoarse croaks, dark growls, haunting monologues, and clears inject much-needed emotion into the mix. From utter outright fear to upbeat war talk, you’ll find the whole spectrum.
The record does this through a thunderous, pounding mix of Black and Blackened Death Metal. And this, with a seamless and almost symbiotic inclusion of subtle melodics, shows you the true power this record so effortlessly serves you with. A mix of powerful Extreme Metal oscillating somewhere in between Panzerfaust, 1914, and a good serving of Varg.3 Noise – the mastermind behind Kanonenfieber – left nothing to chance.
Die Urkatastrophe darkly shines with a solidly constructed stellar theme. An outstanding arrangement, seconded by a caustic mix, and backed up by a pretty vicious master driving the messaging home. The RMR crew much enjoyed the often thrashy yet tremolo-heavy riffing, scratchy leads, acid-laced solos, and the thundering ferocious drum work, heavy with deafening blast beats endlessly torturing your eardrums. And after a while, the record indeed starts to feel like being under one of those artillery barrages. Those that darkly glowed in infamy in this first global war. And for once, the artful use of samples, complete with battle sounds won’t gripe with the rest. Put differently, expect an outstanding and well-balanced production, nothing less.
And the band does this by evoking some of the most grueling battles of the First World War. Let the tracklist be your guide. You’ll find events such as Lviv to Lemberg and struggles such as Verdun addressing the horrors of this here Ausblutungsschlacht.4 But it is not only blood-drenched encounters in trenches that fill the tracklist. Gott mit der Kavallerie, Panzerhenker, and Ritter der Lüfte dazzle with a lustier pace and steamroll over you with – I daresay – a more upbeat note. Or – perhaps – a less grim tonality found its way into the mix.
But finally, a confession. The RMR crew usually ain’t too fond of war-themed bands and their creations. Yet – for once – Die Urkatastrophe truly convinced us and became the proverbial exception to the rule. This is a hyper-precise, greatly executed piece of Extreme Metal. One that will always try to pound you into the dust, as it should. A great example of astute and true-to-tale storytelling without glorification of the horrible meatgrinders these gruesome battles always entailed. And we appreciate that.
Ed’s note: And the record made it onto the 2024 Top 10 Records. Congrats!
Record Rating: 8/10 | Label: Century Media Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 20 September 2024