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Rorschach.jpgBandname: Rorschach
Genre: (Industrial) Metal
Release Date: Autumn  2004
Record Company / Label: Self-Financed






Rorschach. I bet no-one has ever heard of these 4 Dutch contestants to the Rammstein throne. The biography (or “Autopsy Report” as the A4 tells me) doesn’t give much away about the history of the band besides the fact that they met in 1892 at a gig organized by Jack the Ripper. Followed by a long lasting stay at mental institutions and the endurance of all kind of tests, after which they disappeared from the public eye until now. Though it doesn’t say in the bio or on the cover, I can give away that this band exists of experienced musicians.

Line-Up

Casandra – Vocals
Herr Dr. Joseph Dops – Guitars
Herr Dr. Carl Dops – Battery
Transparhans - Bass

Contact

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Song Review


1. Stalker – 4:02
A massive guitar-riff start this song off and the first thing that pops in my head is Rammstein. The keyboard sound does sound a little more retro and the vocals by Casandra are not in German but in “plain” English, but the massive sound and simplicity of the guitars and the drums do stigmatize. All of a sudden in the middle the song turns into an acoustic and dreamy piece. But no fear! The drums pick up and the band is off again. A powerful song that is catchy through simplicity and the urge to start banging your head is too strong to resist.

2. Glimpse of Darkness – 3:48
Straight into an even more up-tempo song. Pulsating keyboards, straight forward blasting drums/guitars. All in the name of what they want to achieve. Dark and aggressive metal. They succeed easily. The sound is immense and way above the average self-financed EP. Despite the fact that there are a lot of different things happening, everything stays clear and nothing gets pushed out of the spectrum. Every detail is clear. If they keep this up, my neck muscles are going to be numb for a week.

3. Pleasure and Pain – 4:10
Opening strong, it falls back into a more open passage without guitars. An interesting detail are the high backing vocals that really compliment the lower and darker vocals that are in the foreground. Though of slower tempo than the first 2, I think this song is probably the better one when it comes to composition. It’s diverse, there are a lot of different things happening. The band really used a lot of resources which makes this interesting to listen to even after you heard the EP several times already.

4. Soul – 5:28
A step back from the battering we had to endure in the last 3 songs. Muffled drumbeat, sampled guitar sounds and some keyboard leave a lot of room for vocalist Casandra. The vocals are layered, which gives the start of the song a lot of depth. Then the guitars kick in and I’m surprised how professional and clear this production sounds. Tight and in your face. There’s actually not much to complain about the sound. The tempo stays mid-tempo, which gives the entire track a more threatening feel. The composition actually is a mile away from the before-mentioned Rammstein comparison. This could be a single that a wider audience could enjoy.

5. Come to Me – 4:04
Another blunt guitar-riff kicks in and we’re off again. Every now and then a keyboard sound or passage comes by that reminds me of 80’s electro and wave. Half way through the song the band even takes out an acoustic guitar and fiddles with a pitch shifter on the vocals, only to push the gear up again and ram through to the end of the song.


Technical information


Total playing time: 21:33
Total numbers: 5


Cover picture
 

Rorschach.jpg

Conclusion

A surprisingly strong EP from a Dutch band that tries to fill in the gap that still exists in the Netherlands when it comes to Rammstein-like music. They also try to expand from their teachers and venture out to discover their boundaries; which makes it even more interesting. The music has its sophisticated details, but is mostly just blunt, harsh and powerful. A slap in the face. This is also complimented by the very strong production of this 5 track EP, which has been recorded in the famous Excess Studios in Rotterdam (also After Forever, Asrai, Severe Torture, Sinister, and many, many more). It’s not very clear if this EP can be ordered (the band hasn’t got a website as far as I know), but if you’re interested after this review, don’t hesitate to contact them. A great “newcomer”!

Rating

Music: 8
Sound: 8,5
Extra's: n/a
Total: 8,25

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