One of the latest bands in Teutonic Thrash Metal is ÜBERGANG, and they just released their second full-length, "Evolution". Full of rhythmic grooves, this album is fairly typical Thrash Metal, but there are some things keeping it alive. As a whole, however, the album is very lacking in structure. Listening to this record, the most pressing matter is the fact that the best songs are grouped in the first half of the album, leaving a gaping void in the second half. This sort of problem can be simply solved by rearranging the tracks so that the better songs are more spread out. However, what is already here is quite unimpressive as a final product. This album sees its finer moments before it's halfway over.

From what is presented on this album, it is clear that ÜBERGANG is a group of guys that knows how to play killer Thrash Metal, but they are unable to maintain an interest in their listeners throughout the entirety of an album. The first half of the album, however, was definitely exciting as each song had something new to offer. "Im Auge des Sturms" is most notable for its interesting and unpredictable riffing. Each riff has its own personality whether it's melodic or just fast and heavy. Not to mention the fact that the lyrical structure is very nice too, having unpredictable passages thrown in over the pre-chorus riff. Lyrical structure is one of this band's strengths, making impactful appearances in "Kampfgeist" as well as other tracks.

Another theme this band plays with often is acoustic guitar. Multiple tracks show an acoustic guitar intro that makes a reappearance in the chorus beneath an electric guitar. The best use of this method is on "Bis zum Limit", the slowest and longest track on the album. The song is not slow for the entire duration, as faster riffs quickly ensue, but the acoustic moments break up the heavier sections nicely.

The second half of the album is full of mediocre riffs and even songwriting issues. "Spiegelbild" is another song with an acoustic intro, but it is quickly interrupted by random riffing without a transition. This same mistake is made multiple times throughout the song, as the intro acoustics come back again. This issue is seen on the last track, "Neue Ufer", a track that despite its choppy intro, has a very strong conclusion, making it ideal to close the album. ÜBERGANG have created a nice sophomore release. The album shows minor songwriting flaws and structural issues, but the final product is just good Thrash Metal. While I don't see myself revisiting this album in the future, I would recommend it to fans of the genre, as it is a fresh sound to an oftentimes dull scene.