Funeral Rain Press Corps

Listening to My Inner Burning‘s powerful brand of metal, you can be certain that they have lots of triumphant victories ahead of them. My Inner Burning have the determination it takes, and they’re ready to present their second album, Eleven Scars which will see a March 22nd North American release via SPV/Steamhammer – a surprisingly mature offering which highlights an impressive development compared to their already exciting 2009 debut. Eleven Scars sounds groovier and a little darker than their first self-titled release. Guitarist Torsten Sauerbrey explains the reasoning behind their darker sound “Probably the many concerts we’ve played since, and the stronger influence of our vocalist Becky, who penned the occasionally rather sinister lyrics.”

The group’s musical direction shuns all clichés and half-baked trends. My Inner Burning consciously steer clear of that tried and tested ‘faster – harder – louder’ dictum, preferring to impress their audience with multi-faceted songs, deep-tuned guitars and great melodies which come across powerful yet gentle at the same time. “We play unmistakable metal,” says Sauerbrey, “but we like to include gothic, rock and pop music elements.” Their listeners realize after a few bars that this dynamic sonic experience centres mainly on Becky Gaber. The instruments are oriented to the vocalist; the songs owe their forcefulness to her voice.

Eleven Scars sees Becky Gaber deliver eleven incisive stories – a clear reference to the album title – about broken friendship, unhappy love and other relationship dramas. Eleven Scars is no concept album,” says Sauerbrey, “but the record’s lyrics definitely have a central theme.”

The dynamic sound of Eleven Scars, which was recorded at the Metal Sound studio in Osterode/Harz and mixed by Sauerbrey, adds further to the excellent impression. The guitarist is one of the group’s mainstays: he wrote the majority of the songs, and also took care of sound engineering and production. This extremely accomplished album is complemented by the excellent artwork courtesy of Hanover photographer Martin Huch, who has worked with stars such as the Scorpions, Heinz-Rudolf Kunze and BAP and with Eleven Scars he has created a particularly atmospheric cover motif which focuses on Becky Gaber.

Eleven Scars Tracklising:
1. Masquerade
2. Analize
3. Electrified
4. For The Last Time
5. When I´m Gone
6. Demons
7. Done With Denial
8. Gone Wrong
9. Enemy Of Mine
10. New Breed
11. Home-Sick

EP OUT TOMORROW JANUARY 11, 2011 VIA SPV/SYNTHETIC SYMPHONY

AOL Music is currently hosting a full album listening party of the new Die Krupps EP Als wären wir für immer which is the first Die Krupps (mini) album with new material since 1997! The EP drops tomorrow, but check it out early today at AOL Music.

With this mini-album, Die Krupps again are breaking new ground, without denying their roots or moving away from their own unique sound… this album is 100% Die Krupps… Die Krupps 2011!

Dance floor killers meet groove monsters, moving through the room like a steamroller… catchy melodies, massive hooks and lyrics with a message are Die Krupps trademarks, and this album proves it again: body and mind are in perfect synchronicity!

The remixes complete the picture and show the broad spectrum of Die Krupps music – and prove that remixes can very well have a purpose… the Unheilig remix for example was a result of a show both bands played together 3 years ago, when Unheilig was not yet the headlining band they are today… out of pure sympathy, both bands agreed to remix each other’s music… the Die Krupps remix was the first to be released, but because the band is only now releasing a new album, the Unheilig remix of ‘Beyond’ wasn’t released earlier… fortunately, the track hasn’t aged a bit and sounds as fresh and exciting as it did when it was originally conceived.

‘Dr. Mabuse’, an ’80s classic by Ralf Dörper’s former band Propaganda, which has been in Die Krupps‘ live repertoire since the early ’90s and was played more frequently again in recent years, also found its way onto this album… it was decided that it was finally time to release a studio recording of Die Krupps‘ frenetic version of the cult track.

All new songs were again produced by Jürgen Engler & Chris Lietz… for the music, Jürgen Engler joined forces with guitarist Marcel Zürcher, who has been in the band since its reunion in 2005… Another featured track is ‘Beyond’ which is a collaboration with Chile’s best Industrial Rock act Vigilante.

After Too Much History now there is Als wären wir für immer (engl.: ‘As if we were forever’)… it seems like there is no end in sight for Die Krupps! The motto is as always: Full steam ahead!

Als wären wir für immer Tracklisting:
1. Beyond
2. The Chameleon Man
3. Die Macht
4. Dr. Mabuse
5. Als wären wir für immer
6. Beyond / Unheilig Remix
7. The Chameleon Man / Vigilante Remix
8. Dr. Mabuse / Memphis Remix

Genres: Mathcore, Techcore, Technical Hardcore
Label: Lifeforce Records

If it were a genre, I’d call this album Dillinger Escapecore. It’s definitely for fans of DEP, and probably Psyopus and other insane techcore bands that I honestly know pretty much fuck all about (I do know and love DEP though).
Starting off with a blast beat and a scream, War from a Harlots Mouth go for the jugular and don’t release it until they are done or your are dead, whatever comes first. MMX is not for the faint of heart or ear or endurance, because this is one intense mosh-a-thon.
Jazzy interludes, eight string guitars, and a hardon for The X-Files (“Cancer Man” and “C.G.B. Spender”) help to bring WfaHM into my collection. Fuck this promo crap, I’m ordering the real thing, and it’s gonna be on vinyl.
7.5 out of 10.

War from a Harlots Mouth on MySpace.

Genre: Heavy Metal
Label: SPV GmbH

This here is my first taste of Axel Rudi Pell, even though the band has been around forever and I’ve seen their ads in various magazines since I was thirteen and reading crap like Hit Parader. And I’m glad I finally got the chance to check this awesome shit out.
This is fucking METAL, man, and it’s great to hear an actual SINGER once in awhile (we all know I love my screaming and grunting, but really, singing kicks ass too). The guitars are minimalistic, simple arrangements, at least in comparison to a lot of the other stuff that Typhon and I are usually listening to, and the bass and guitar are pretty much standard classics as far as sound and feel go. The songs in general are verse, chorus, verse, repeat, and full of solid hooks with Metalgasmic solos (especially the song “Prisoner of Love”, the solo is just glorious). Like I said, fucking METAL.
It’s easy to see I’m loving this, and it’s hard to type the review when I want to pump my fist.
8 out of 10.