In 2019, BRUTAL KRAUT signed a worldwide contract with Boersma-Records for their second album. In the middle of 2019, the longtime guitarist Lukas Ludwig left the band. But also due to the positive feedback at live shows, the remaining musicians decided to become a trio in the future. 2020 sees the release of their latest album, titled "Progression in Madness," which contains eight tracks.

"Broken" leads off the album, with a heavy guitar riff and harsh vocals. The leads provide some melody to the otherwise fairly bleak landscape. A breakdown of sorts occurs around the half-way mark, then some ambient tones come into play. They are sad but quite satisfying. The riff darts in and around, finishing on a fast note. "Hesitation" begins with a faster pace and some inventive riffing. Some semi-clean vocals come in at the chorus, but the sound is fairly harrowing at most times. Rouven lets some melody take center stage just before the half-way mark. Then, he goes for broke through the ending.

"New Ways" begins with a slower, more grinding and dissonant riff. The vocals here are mostly guttural, but there are also some shouts. I like the variations in the riffing here. He really unveils everything but the kitchen sink. "Like God" features a mid-tempo pace with plenty of pig squeals in the guitars. Again, the overdose of riffing reminds me of early MEGADETH. It begins to get even heavier towards the end. "All I See" is the shortest song on the album, and perhaps the most chaotic. It settles into a slower groove, with utterly angry vocals, while the guitars switch riffs over and over.

"Perceive the Insanity" opens with clean guitars and some more mellow tones. The vocals start as whispers, and darkness settles in. Then, an angry and powerful riff drops, and in come the guttural vocals. A clean vocal passage is followed by a great guitar solo. "Twisted Tongue" begins with a faster and more hateful sound, with vocal shouts augmenting the harsh vocals. Later, the breakdown features utterly hopeless tones. Rouven is very good at many different techniques here. "Progression in Madness" closes the album. It might be the best track on the album. It begins with a creative riff and some dual vocals. Darkness lurks in the background, as the ever-changing riff keeps the listener on their toes. The guitar solo section changes the game completely, proving that Rouven has some tricks up his sleeve.

For a one-man project, this album is both inventive and dark. The sheer amount of different riffs he switches between during the songs is impressive, and the transitions are seamless. He switches the sound as soon as you begin to vibe with it, and then you vibe with a different sound. The entire album as a whole is harsh and uncompromising, but he also dabbles with moment of melody and an amalgam of various styles of Metal. Although he doesn't play every instrument, this is quite impressive for a single composer.