From their Facebook page, “Our eighths studio album “Übercode Œuvre” has officially landed. It’s a genre-bending journey with 16 musicians across 10 mind-melting tracks. Jazz meets Metal meets…you decide. Listen loud, and maybe... don’t operate heavy machinery. “Übercode Œuvre” takes PANZERBALLET’s musical vision to new heights, featuring contributions from world-class drummers like Virgil Donati, Marco Minnemann, Anika Nilles, and others. With compositions that blend classical, jazz, and metal influences, the album explores new sonic territories while maintaining the signature humor and virtuosity that the band is known for.”

The album has eight songs, and “Bleed” is first. The level of advanced calculus that was used in the composition is what strikes me first. Unorthodox rhythms, odd timing meters, and a general sense of some dissonance are spread throughout the song, and the sax notes add flavor, but some bites and tasty while others are bitter. It’s Metal for sure, but there are a myriad of other flavors in the salad. “Seven Steps to Hell” is even looser, and at times, it sounds like there isn’t much of a connection with all of the instruments. Make no mistake however, all of this is probably premeditated. The oddest part about the music so far is finding the intended audience, but with all music, they are out there.

“The Four Seasons” has a more traditional Metal attack, with a firm, sharp riff and not a lot of extras. Here, the band stretches out and showcases their immense talent, and it is difficult to comprehend how one might approach composting this, let alone playing it live. There are even classical runs here. “Alien Hip Hop” is a beast, at close to nine minutes, again, with a more traditional Metal sense. The bass work here is outstanding, and it’s every bit as hard as you might want. At times, it has that DEVIN TOWNSEND sort of tongue-in-cheek madness, and if you are a fan, you know what I am taking about. “Andromeda” hears much of the madness dissipate and is replaced by gentle, smooth, and melodic tones. Here, the sax notes follow the melody line.

“Ode to Joy” is indeed the familiar church number that some of us are familiar with, but they key in the vocals doesn’t match the key in the music. It’s at least an interesting take on the classic song, especially the harsh vocals. “Pick up the Pieces” also has a familiar ring, and I am reminded of a TV jingle. Much of the song is jovial and bouncy, and the band makes good use of odd timing meters and other backing instruments to complete the sound. “The Devil’s Staircase” is the final song, and, oddly enough, the title is exactly what comes to mind when I think of the music…it climbs, up and down, in a maddening patter that seems to get you nowhere in the end. In sum, their level of musicianship is off the charts, and many of the songs were quite fun to listen to. This is niche music in many ways however, and just won’t appeal to some Metalheads, although I thoroughly enjoyed it.