Mundtot - Endzeit

Title: Endzeit
Artist: Mundtot
Genre: Gothic Rock / Industrial
Release Date: 16th April 2010
Label: AFMusic



Album Review

Reading MUNDTOT’s biography on their MySpace page I’m not sure whether it’s a description or part of an art school essay. It may read more like a manifesto in their native German, but the translation is disconcertingly full of pretence. I clicked play on the computer and hoped that their music had enough bit to back up their bark. Well it did. What came forth was nice gritty industrial rock - polished, well thought out and melodic. The first thing that came to mind was that the duo sound like a stripped back and minimal version of OOMPH! which is refreshing in itself as given the international success of RAMMSTEIN there have been way too many copycat bands in recent years.

Tracks one and two are the obligatory quiet-loud ‘Intro’ and then the album’s title track. ‘Endzeit’ really does have an OOMPH! feel to it to the point where it sounds like there is something wrong with the mix - all those layers and layers of synths and guitars are stripped right back to the bare essentials for a sharper attack. ‘Gaia’ sounds like it needs to be grittier - the production on this album is top notch, but the quiet-loud approach of this track should maybe take notes from SULPHER’s album ‘Spray’ for a bit more attitude. ‘Wintersturm’ is a bit of a let-down - it opens with a great frantic build and then… nothing - it’s a good song in itself but needs to get a bit harder. ‘Virus Mensch’ is more like it - it has the industrial menace, the grit and the rough edge that this band needs to take their good songs and make them great. ‘Xenophobie’ feels like a very big track in the way that the earlier tracks should have - the hanging synths and dirty guitars work well over the cleaner sounds for a nice effect. The final song ‘Haltet die Welt an’ finds that frantic rock edge at long last for a highly charged finisher.

This band is doing an awful lot right and with the right direction they could be onto something. The songs are very, very good - well written, brilliantly performed and with great production. They only fall down in two instances where they just feel like they need a little more attitude and feeling rather than polish. On the whole though it’s a damn good listen!


Tracklist
06. Xenophobie
07. Haltet die Welt an


Line-up

Tino
Davo


Websites

www.myspace.com/mundtot


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 7
Sound: 7.5
Extras: -
Total: 7.5 / 10


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