Before receiving this promo to review, I had not heard of this band.  Apparently, I have been living in a cave because the band formed way back in the summer of 1991.  Over the years they have switched genres a lot and at one point they helped create Gothic Metal.  Who knew?  At any rate, this new album from them is Metal, Pop, Punk.....and something else I can't really place.  What is this something else? I'm not really sure, other than the fact that it's very good.  Although the band is German, the album itself sounds oddly Irish; it has a bouncy, sort of swinging sound throughout it.  "Sleep Is Good," is the album's intro and it sounds like both a song I would hear at a funeral or what I might sing at a bar while drinking.

Flo's vocals hold a variety of surprises.  On the already mentioned intro, he sounds like an Irish folk singer but on the album's first proper song, "Every Man For Himself and God Against It All," he brings a scathing Blackened Death Metal voice; this guy growls straight from the gut and it shows.  "I Have Seen My Soul" he brings out some quiet, Pop like voice, reminding me of radio Punk bands, before going back into a sort of rough throat voice that wouldn't sound out of place on a Hard Rock band, although it isn't bland like most mainstream bands. One aspect of album I really enjoy is Flo doesn't try to repeat himself.  His Death growls are not over used and they sound different when he does use them. On "Blaze, My Northern Sky," he sounds extremely deep, leaving out the more raspy aspect he used in "Every Man For Himself And God Against It All."  Out of the blue, Flo drops back to his clean vocals on the last track, "Everlasting Pain," and adds a deep baritone, lending the song a very Gothic atmosphere that shows off their Gothic roots.

Musically, the album is also very adventurous and takes all kinds of sounds on all kinds of rides.   Along with Flo, Gizz Butt plays a wide variety of guitar styles, often times in the same song.  The after mentioned "Everlasting Pain," begins with a heavy Gothic/Doom laden riff.  During the over 13 minutes of running time, we are treated with a melodic scorching guitar solo, acoustics, and ambient atmospheres.  It ends in an acoustic coda but is no less Gothic and Doom than the beginning of the song. With "New Helvetia," we are treated to some intricate and melodic acoustic jams that remind me a lot of the earliest stuff of IN FLAMES.  These guys are just two very good, versatile guitar players who really compliment each others ever changing style.

Malte Brauer provides a solid foundation for the band's wide range of sound to always sound cohesive no matter what they play.  His rumbling playing on the title track keeps the flow going and offsets some of the songs quieter, more melodic moments.  He really shines on "That's When Everybody Gets Hurt," a unique song that focuses more on vocals than guitar.  The glue that holds the song together is the bass, which sounds interesting and has a heavy vibrato to it.  Likewise, Jan Rathje's pounding of the skins during the song gives it some much needed energy that, without his kit skills, wouldn't sound nearly as interesting.  He can play a mile a second like a traditional black metal drummer, or play more focused and detailed when needed, two things he does on "Every Man.."

This album, and band, was quite the surprise for me and I feel that I've been missing out on them for so long.  A great Rock/Metal album full of twists, turns, and even some catchy tunes.  It isn't going to be heavy as a lot of Metalheads would like but I still say you shouldn't miss this one.