Artist - Hanzel and Gretyl
Album - Scheissmessiah
Label - Metropolis Records (2004)
Reviewer - Erik Beyer
The intro, much like an extremist Christian cult preacher, speaking,
and backed with appropriately supportive music and sounds, is a
beautiful beginning to the hard driving brutal sounds. With an almost
electronic metal vibe, Hanzel und Gretyl has combined two powerful
genres and made an amazing album, Scheissmessiah.
This powerful quartet has since generated a nice following for them,
and last fall of 2004 was opening for and playing with Ministry and
Thrill Kill Cult. The metal influences combined with the sampling,
then matched with live drums, bass and guitar, give a killer sound that
is incomparable. Lead guitar work, vocals, and some programming done
by Kaiser Von Loopy, lead vocals, guitar, and additional programming
done by Vas Kallas, Jon Osterman on drums, and Anna K. on bass, make
for a fantastic four.
After the killer intro track, you are fed with the sounds of a
pulsating kick drum and a complimenting guitar riff on track 2, “Fikk
Dich Mit Fire,” which if you ever learn what that is, tell me. It
sounds cool! Well, this album continues with the Deutsch/English
vocals all the way to the end, so for those of us American folk who
love the sounds of metal and the more harsh European languages, you
will love this. I can’t help but compare some of the sounds to
Rammstein, but almost crossed with a little more industrial feel with a
serious metal edge. Track 3, “Kaiser Von Shizer,” is full of sweet
guitars and a tempo you can really get into. Jumping down to track 10,
“Hellalujah,” you will get a grin from this song. The classic
“Hallelujah Chorus” is not accompanied by industrial sounding live
drums, and an appropriate guitar track with some effects to turn it
into a version you will want to show your friends.
This entire album has kept me rockin’ pretty good since I got it, and I
love every minute of it. Sheissmessiah is a very innovative album with
an approach to music like you have never heard before.
Track Listing:
1. Lust
2. Fikk Dich Mit Fire
3. Kaiser Von Shizer
4. Disko Fire Scheiss Messiah
5. Blut! Sex! Fire!
6. Sheissway To Hell
7. And We Shall Purify
8. 10th Circle
9. Hellalujah
10. Purity
