STURMGEIST
Meister Mephisto
Season Of Mist Records
8/10
"Meister Mephisto" offers a listener an industrial strength dose of metal that succeeds in melding thrash and black metal influences. A bit more evil than Hanzel Und Gretyl and considerably more impacting than the latest Mortiis offering, Sturmgeist have a lot to offer those who enjoy the militant tonality of industrial music, yet crave the sheer chaos that black metal has to offer. An album which maintains a grim feel throughout its nine tracks, Cornelius von Jackhelln excels in crafting material that would make those pretty boys in Rammstein whimper in fright. If Rammstein are your cup of blood however, and you are partial to vocals delivered in Deutsch (at times) combined with ominous ambient overtones and crunching metal guitars, this is a record that you'll no doubt find to be very interesting.
"Erlkonig" is an anthemic statement that oozes with dark emotion, while "Shock and Awe" is a vehement attestment of the forces of war mongering. A chunky, galloping metallic riff ushers in "Army Of Odin", relaying von Jackhelln's Nordic influence, accented by pulasting keyboard accompaniments reminiscent of The Kovenant. The spacy, hollow tones which grace "Master Hunter" provide a bleak tone as von Jackhelln chants "Jagermeister" during the chorus.
Buzzing bass tones give this music a violent distorted feeling that is severely crushing on this, the showpiece of the album. "Rattenfanger" contains an enormous, howling refrain and an overallsound that resonates with sonic electricity. "Meister Mephisto" closes with a two part black symphony entitled "Walpurgisnacht" that is simply a wall of buzzing, voraciously amplified haterd that is as overpoweringly overwhelming as it is a celebration of exhilarative wickedness.
"Meister Mephisto" is nothing short of remarkable, as von Jackhelln has generated one hell of a bandersnatch of a metal album.
ERIN FOX © 2005 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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