Artist: Unheilig
Title: Lichter der Stadt
Genre: Goth Rock/ Synth Rock/ NDH
Release Date: 16th March 2012
Label: Universal Music
Album Review
UNHEILIG was founded in 2000 and is mostly a project of their singer Der Graf a.k.a. The Count and his live musicians. They’re no strangers to wide audiences these days and don’t need too lengthy an introduction. Their new album ‘Lichter der Stadt’ (City Lights) is said to pay a tribute to Charlie Chaplin’s tragicomedy of the same title. Just imagine driving or walking through the city in the very late hours, the way it invites you for introspection, as it’s still Goth Rock, of course expect melancholy and nostalgia to be the faithful followers as if dogs by your side as you’re shrouded by your solitude. Or at least that’s what you’re led to believe at first till you also realise there’s some poppy stuff there that makes you feel as if Eurovision sneaked into your music system. Der Graf composed most of these songs whilst touring so the city blends into many offering differing experiences on this journey, which makes the concept feel loose.
‘Das Licht’ is posed as an intro but sounds more than just a musical prologue. It’s slightly cinematic with its reach towards epic quality. The more pop-to-electro songs have this feel of “Schlager”, catchy German-flavoured pop. The album has heavy moments like in ‘Herzwerk’ (Heartworks) with the heavy, chugging RAMMSTEIN-like guitars adding the Industrial edge. Third, ‘So wie du warst’ (Just as you were) is the first of the ballads and has a feel of retrospective wonderings, the “what-has-been”, even if one is not a German speaker, there’s something within the vocal that tells it’s maybe too sentimental. Its plus point is when the others join The Count on the vocals. ‘Tage wie Gold’ starting notes makes me recollect slight DEPECHE MODE mood, but it soon gets out of that with bit of a more Indie flavour, with the electro melody only reaching to the initial impression here and there. It’s a nostalgic track and an improvement on the cheesiness and sentimentality of the preceding song.
‘Wie wir waren’ is interesting with it being a duet with Andreas Bourani, very European pop-ish. ‘Unsterblich’ puts its strength on the piano and presents another balladic moment, beautiful and quite safe piece of music with no surprises; by the second half you feel it should have been shorter. ‘Feuerland’ is danceable and reminiscent of the best of UNHEILIG, harder, edgier and darker. ‘Ein guter Weg’ is a ballad that works out the best from the others on the album; it’s livelier and more unique. The other songs follow within the outlined ways. ‘Die Stadt’ made me wish for more of this album to be as atmospheric, more evocative, moodier and even cinematic and simply more unique. As an album it’s diverse in a way it will appeal to different kinds of fans. I’m not too convinced it’s the album’s plus, it gives me far too mixed feelings about it as a whole and leaves me a tad disappointed.
Tracklist
01. Das Licht (Intro) (Light)
02. Herzwerk (Heartworks)
03. So wie du warst (Just as you were)
04. Tage wie Gold (Days like gold)
05. Wie wir waren (As we were)
06. Unsterblich (Immortal)
07. Feuerland (Land of fire)
08. Lichter der Stadt (City Lights)
09. Ein guter Weg (A Good Way)
10. Ein großes Leben (A great/wonderful life)
11. Brenne auf (Burn on)
12. Zeitreise (Time travel)
13. Das Leben ist schön (Life is beautiful)
14. Eisenmann (Iron man)
15. Vergessen (Forgotten)
16. Die Stadt (Instrumental) (The City)
Line-up
Der Graf – vocals, programming
Henning Verlage – keyboards, programming
Christoph “Licky” Tremühlen – guitars
Potti – live drums & percussion
Websites
www.unheilig.com / http://www.myspace.com/Unheilig
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 9
Total: 8 / 10
Buy the Album here!
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