Megaher's triumphant return.
Doom | Someplace, Unit of States and America | 08/27/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Megaherz ranks easily as one of my favorite bands and one of the most influential groups I've ever listened to. That said, I was certainly nervous when I found out that yet another lead singer was leaving, and they were replacing him with a total stranger. I was worried that the new album wouldn't live up to standards set by previous albums, and that Lex would be merely "passable". My fears were completely unfounded. "Heuchler" is a triumphant return from obscurity. The music is rich and complex as it has always been, backed up by meaningful and passionate lyrics. Lex, in my opinion, surpasses Matthias by leaps and bounds; within the first few songs he shows a substantial range without resorting to that unpleasant growl that Matthias did so much in '5'. He also has a deeper, darker voice which seems more fitting with Megaherz's dark, serious tonal and lyrical style.
The music itself immediately recalls songs from "Wer Bist Du" while establishing this album as completely new; for one, it's more refined and deeper than the instrumentals present on "Wer Bist Du". Also, this album does not hide the fact that it is dark, though never depressing or "goth". I've already stated that this sticks with Megaherz's overall dark and serious tone. Megaherz's songs tend to adopt new or different elements with each new album; "Heuchler's" songs have a much heavier bass kick, as well as stronger industrial elements, with some instrumental bits I don't recall them using before. But that does not mean one song sounds like the next on each album.
"Heuchler": The opening song should set the tone for the album, and this song does it beautifully. Moves along at just the right pace while not being too heavy or dark, and the chorus is classic Megaherz. 5/5
"Das Tier": When translated, the lyrics for this song seem fairly generic for dark, German songs. However, this song carries itself on presentation and execution: I would describe it almost as an orchestral ballad; slow paced, powerful and rather spooky. The added church bells and various other sounds add quite a bit of atmosphere here. 4.5/5
"Ebenbild": Slower like the previous song, but heavier. While it is less atmospheric than "Das Tier", it is more complex; adding in some electronica to a few previously unheard instrumental elements in addition to the heavy bass kick. 5/5
"Mann Von Welt": The music sounds similar to "Heuchler" at times, though not entirely. It's a decent song, but the generic sounding chorus drags it down a bit. 3.5/5
"Fauler Zauber": Possibly the best song on the album; the actual verses are frantic and harsh, almost rap-like (as "Kopfschuss" was, and this is good). Simple music with a nice pace and beat make it all the better. 5/5
"Mein Gral": And thus, we follow up the best song with the worst. It starts out promising, then quickly devolves into tepid drivel. Reading the translated lyrics only reinforces this. 2.5/5
"L'Aventure": While it sounds a bit mainstream for Megaherz, the singing and still kicking bass save it from mediocrity. 4/5
"Schau In Mein Herz": I can't say much about this song, as it's merely tolerable. It's not bad, but it just doesn't appeal to me that much. 3.5/5
"Kaltes Grab": The verses are faster, the choruses slower and heavier. It runs a bit long, but it is another excellent song. 5/5
"Alles Nur Luge": Another slow song to round out the album, this one sounds a bit sad and also features some english in back-up vocals. 4/5
"Morgenrot": Megaherz's first true instrumental song in quite some time. Like many instrumental songs, the complexity of the song increases as it goes along with some electronica sounds thrown in for good measure. A very nice wrap up to the album. 5/5
My expectations were not that high for "Heuchler" given Megaherz's difficulties and events, but they proved that they're still with it. Fans may be put off by the fact that they're on their third vocalist, but I will reiterate what another fan wrote by saying that you need to focus on the music as a whole, not just the lead singer. Do that, and you won't be disappointed. While any review is only subjective, I think fans will find that this album is reminiscent of the old Megaherz while proving that they can keep their sound fresh.
But if you're honestly wary of Megaherz's "new" sound, listen to it on Itunes first. Go on. You know you want to."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1