Artist: Weto
Title: Schattenspieler
Genre: German Rock
Release Date: 26th August 2011
Label: F.A.M.E. Artist Recordings (Sony Music)
Album Review
WETO from Germany started out around the year of 1996, they played various gigs around Munich, their first demo took shape in 1999 and soon after the band took a back seat to the its members other projects to begin again with a renewed line up. They found their new style in “Harsh guitars and time-critical German lyrics, which reflect the present,” according to the singer, Thomas Lindner (also front man of SCHANDMAUL). They are releasing a new album ‘Schattenspieler’ (‘Shadow player‘) where they take on themes own to the times when many find themselves to be low and depressed, if not completely burnt out. The band tries to explain the complexity of the issue against the social habit of trivializing the problems and dismissing them with lack of understanding. They also attack social isolation and many other topical themes such as child molesters, the hidden dangers - time bombs waiting to explode within a society - but also they take on the motif of eternal love represented by ravens, monogamous birds in ‘Zwei Raben’ (‘Two Ravens’). The point of their ‘Schattenspieler ‘ is that in the thickest dark there’s always light to be found, thus tackling serious issues with a hope-giving edge.
The album certainly sounds very well narrated even if I don’t understand German perfectly, I still get that the music has a message - it has much to speak about and I get a sense that if I did understand it I would enjoy its richness in terms of language as well as its thought-content. The music is hard, but not harsh; the hardness is more of a dramatic element rather than an aggressive one. Their style is termed as German Rock and I think in their take it’s possible to get beyond the borders of Germany, though I don’t think that they’ll be as successful as RAMMSTEIN. Most of their songs are quite catchy; their atmosphere is built with simplicity but it is simplicity that betrays its meaning as it ends up with a more complex feeling. I think that their main strength rests with their singer, Thomas Lindner, he lends the music its true character and makes it distinguished. Mostly it’s his powerful interpretation rather than technically honed- to- perfection vocal skills. The album is closed by a radio-edit of one of their most prominent songs ‘In das Licht’ (Into the Light), I find it a nice touch as most of their songs are close to being danceable and this take of the song tips it right over there. So not only the album offers enjoyable music, there’s also some fun to be had. And indeed it’s that “enjoy-ability” that “sells” the album to me.
Tracklist
Eiszeit – 3.44
Feuertanz – 3.44
Was bleibt - 3.52
In das Licht – 3.57
Orient und Okzident – 4.27
Glaubst Du noch – 3.17
Krank – 3.02
Schattenspieler – 4.36
Reise – 3.32
Ausgebrannt – 4.12
Zwei Raben – 6.21
In das Licht (Radio Edit) – 3.36
Line-up
Thomas Lindner – Vocals and Keyboard
Daniel Stevens – Rhythm -Guitar
Martin Duckstein – Electric Guitar
Mick Ochs – Bass
Florian Schäffler – Drums
Websites
www.wetomusic.de/ / https://www.facebook.com/WETOMusic
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
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