GOITZSCHE FRONT - "MONUMENT" (2016)

GOITZSCHE FRONT - "MONUMENT"
(Running time: 41:17 minutes; 12 songs)
("D.O.R."; CD; 2016):

Next post, next record review, next round, next 2016 album, this time from Germany's GOITZSCHE FRONT and here's their still current album "MONUMENT", released via the to me totally unknown "D.O.R." named label - and this like already mentioned last year in 2016; if I remember it now correct then it was at the very beginning of 2016 released. Beside this version of this album it was also released in one or two different enriched (and probably limited) CD (box) versions and I would bet that it was also released on vinyl, at least in limited numbers. This is, to say it that way, the basic version of this album and it features 12 "new" songs (back then in 2016 new songs...;-)...). GOITZSCHE FRONT are from East Germany and they started out as a very Rock oriented and influenced German Oi! band, but very "rockish" right from the start with their debut album "MUSIK IST MEIN BLUT" - and when I say very "rockish" then I mean very "rockish"; never saw them really as an Oi! band, so maybe "Oi!-ish" Rock (or Oi! Rock) would have been the better description right from the start, if you get my point. (But not that this would be so important anyhow anyway.) From there they moved on and developed heavily quite a bit with their second album "...AUS RUINEN" on which they already played a very versatile, varying, and diverse sort of (slightly) metallic and incredible hymnal/anthemic German Rock music in a thankfully very sympathic, authentic, self-contained, and clichee-free way, and this all in an impressive first-class-way and "...AUS RUINEN" was really a truly very huge step forward from "MUSIK IST MEIN BLUT" on. Their debut was and is pretty good and a solid to good album, but their second one was and is just sort of a close-to-a-masterpiece-album. So I was very curious when their theird one "MONUMENT" came out. And again they showcase(d) quite a big musical development and without any discussion it is incredible how far GOITZSCHE FRONT used to develop their style and music and themselves as songwriters and musicians over the distance of just three proper full length albums. That's quite impressive, and so it will be pretty exciting to wait and see what they will come up with the next time. And what I think is really pretty cool on top of it all is the fact that GOITZSCHE FRONT despise all huge developments always managed to create and maintane a very own character so that you always notice that it's not "any band" but that it's GOITZSCHE FRONT and no one else, that's cool. Thumbs up. So, okay, after all this "babbeling", what do we get here? Okay, we get self-contained and clichee-free, high-end-standard up-to-date German Rock, varying in between strongly metallic wrecking balls full of pounding drums, harsh buzzing bass, shredding guitars, and very heavy yet clean/clear lead vocals, over exhilarated and lively "punky" pogo smashers driven forward by hard yet melodic guitars and hymnal lead vocals, while the rhythm section delivers the beat and punch to push the songs massively forward, to very emotional songs that come even close to some "Emo Pop" stuff and that are really heavily marked by strong melodic guitar work with shining leads and astonishing clean and soulful lead vocals that even remind me somehow of the german Gothic Pop megasellers UNHEILIG (but maybe I'm also just a little bit on the slate, mentally), while the rhythm section recants a bit to give the guitars and the vocals enough room to carry the song(s) forward with them. The songwriting is very strong and like already more or less direct (or indirect) mentioned very diverse, and this guys are very well-versed musicians on top of it. The arrangements of the verses are pretty much always strong, and the sing-a-long styled hymnal refrains pretty much never get stale or become boring. Very good and also nicely varying lyrics, also pretty humoristic and (self-) ironic(al), a pretty good artwork, and a very clear and warm production sound then round it all up. My personal favorites are without a doubt "SCHWEINEPRIESTER", "STEINE IM WEG", "MÄNNER AUS STAHL", "ORKAN", "IRGENDWANN, IRGENDWO", and "NICHT GENUG". The anyhow somehow Oi! background of GOITZSCHE FRONT you'll get today at the utmost in the unbroken and authentic-rebellious (and very sympathic) attitude of the band, but music-wise there's nothing left of it, at most slightly some small parts in "ORKAN" and "NICHT GENUG"; but you know what, that's all good and fine with me. To compare GOITZSCHE FRONT with other bands is pretty hard for me, not at least and especially because I'm simply not that much into this whole German Rock scenery - but after from my point of view GOITZSCHE FRONT play a style of German Rock in their very own right and way that's maybe not that much of a problem after all. Somewhere between KÄRBHOLZ, TOXPACK, as well as BELA B. and DIE ÄRZTE you'll find the GOITZSCHE FRONT these days. A band that definitely grew up and pretty much still grows on (hopefully), while holding their roots still dear to their hearts, and this in a very comprehensible, authentic, and honest (and so sympathic) way. In my book the what I call "Emo Pop" influences make "MONUMENT" a little bit weaker than "...AUS RUINEN" but that's just a matter of my personal taste and takes nothing away from the unquestionable high quality of this very album. So, to sum it all up and make this review finally complete: "MONUMENT" is a damn strong and also damn good album that I can only recommend to you.

(8 of 10 points)

http://www.goitzschefront.de/ (the link to homepage of the band; you know the game: click on the link, copy it, open a new browser tab, click and copy the link into the headline of this browser tab, and then just go there and visit the band respectively their homepage)