Browsing Tag

German Rock

The trashy surf-punk powerhouse Astrokraut have launched their latest album, Trash Attack.

Any staunch Krautrock fans will definitely want to roll with the progressive punches in the latest album, Trash Attack, from the Germany-hailing garage/surf/punk powerhouse, Astrokraut.

With tauntingly ethereal female vocals that sit between Blondie and the B-52s and the frenetic furore in the complex time signatures in the guitars in the standout single, Invasion, you couldn’t ask for a better introduction to the outfit that formed in 2010 under the influence of Heavy Sabbath 70s sounds. If only more bands made that transition from assimilation to innovation.

A sense of chaos lends itself to plenty more than just the sonic textures in Invasion. It is practically a trashy surfy adaption of Fear and Loathing – and we couldn’t rate Astrokraut more for their fearless commitment to throwing themselves into their creativity completely. There’s no sense of pretence to be found here.

Astrokraut’s latest album, Trash Attack, is now available to stream in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Crimson Spirit – Poor Little Boy: The Darkest Alt-Rock Earworm You Will Hear This Year

Crimson Spirit

German-based rock revivalists Crimson Spirit are set to release their most absorbing single to date. After a Post Punk-Esque intro, Violet’s vocals creep into the soundscape with a timbre that haunts with the same phantasmal presence as Sophe Lux and Angel Olsen.

Poor Little Boy is an epic alt-rock track that teases empathy while allowing a sardonic undertone to run under the compassion. The instrumentals artfully and progressively mimick slips of patience in the realistically hard-hitting release that tackles tendencies to turn to self-destructive vices.

The founding members, Alexander Stieben and Jana Krieger (aka Violet Rigby), are experienced musicians; before assembling Crimson Spirit, they were part of black metal and psych bands, but Crimson Spirit captures both of their work at its most experimental. Their sound is inspired by the 80s and 90s alternative eras, stylistically, they dabble with elements of classic rock, hard rock, avant-garde rock, grunge and metal to forge their own alchemically immersive signature sound.

Poor Little Boy will be available to stream on all platforms, including SoundCloud, from June 18th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast