EISREGEN is a German Extreme Metal band that has a history spanning almost two decades. Following the release of their tenth full-length album "Todestage" last year, EISREGEN have now released an EP entitled "Floetenfreunde" at the end of April. This EP contains 5 tracks, some of which are brand new. The CD also contains two music videos, namely "Lang Lebe die Nadel" and "Der Mann mit dem Koks ist da" (FALCO cover). For diehard fans, there's even a limited Digipak with glow-in-the-dark effects and embossed print. And for vinyl collectors: 666 hand-numbered 10" records are also available.

With a total play time of just over 20 minutes, "Floetenfreunde" is a relatively short EP that showcases the different and distinct facets of the band. The first track "Rotes Meer", which translates to "red ocean", is a darker song incorporating murky atmospheres conjured by choral parts and keyboard-driven melodies with its main driving rhythm being a militant like marching that immediately captures your attention. "Tausendschweiner" is a much slower-paced tack that is more along the same path that EISREGEN has been following more and more in recent years, which will probably be better received by fans of EISREGEN's newer style than by fans of their more classical sound. The flute passages in this song can be a bit overwhelming at times, and detracts from the overall song. The third song, "Blut Saufen", which translates roughly to "drinking or guzzling blood", is a somewhat unexpected song with its heavy Electro influences, and with the vocal style morphing into an almost spoken style, and is perhaps the weakest song on the album in my opinion. "Mordlust" is a redefined version of one of the band's classic songs, "Herzblut", a track that will most strongly appeal to fans of EISREGEN's older music style. The final song "Tot Untot", which crudely translates to "dead undead", is drawn from the latest album "Todestage", and also lies more in the vein of EISREGEN's older sound. This demo version is rawer and less polished than the version found in the album, which in my personal opinion actually works well with the song. With their lyrical themes covering a variety of morbid and violent topics, this EP too has the classical decadently disturbing and disgusting themes albeit with a slightly watered-down twist.

Overall, this EP is highly varied, given its brevity, and it goes some way in bridging the gap between EISREGEN's older musical style, and the newer style they have been following in recent releases. This may not be enough to appease older die-hard fans, but it certainly is a start, and leaves me eagerly anticipating what will be done next on their next full-length album planned for their 20 year anniversary next year.