[schema type=”review” name=”Finsterforst – #YØLØ” description=”Label: Napalm Records” author=”Basak Günel” pubdate=”2016-09-16″ ]
Warning: Trve metalheads, beware!
Every now and then, there are some interesting releases in the metal scene that make some happy and the others confused. While most of the bands in the pagan/folk/heavy metal scene deliver us the familiar tunes that we know, some bands decide to take a risk, gather the courage and come up with something extraordinary and unique… That’s exactly what Finsterforst have for us.. Get ready for “#YOLO”!
For those of you who are not familiar with the band, Finsterforst was formed in 2004 and they describe their style as ‘black forest metal’ since the band’s hometown is in the black forest region in Germany. To be more exact though, their sound is a mixture of pagan/folk and heavy metal. They have released 4 full-length records in the past and are one of those bands who gained a strong fanbase slowly but steadily. Their last full-length album was released last year. In the meantime, they have decided to do something crazy and surprise everyone with this EP.
What’s so special and interesting about this EP is that half of it consists of band’s own songs while the other half consists of weird and funny covers and this is where the fun (or shitstorm) starts. The first 4 songs are band’s own and you can tell it’s all about beer, football, alcohol and why it’s bad for you… (and the hipster God Yolo?!). The typical Finsterforst sound is definitely there; folk-ish and catchy melodies, aggressive and powerful vocals and riffs plus the diverse drumming that every metal fan can enjoy. But then the band totally surprises us with “#YOLO”, which is apparently about the hipster God YOLO. This song has become my favorite from the EP not only because of the lyrics, which I found extremely funny and sarcastic, but I just loved how diverse the band can get with that ska/swing/Balkan influences in the song.
This is not all though. Just when you are left baffled and maybe confused, the band takes this to a whole next level with the cover songs. Now depending on whether you are open-minded or not, you will be either laughing and enjoying this half or you will be hating it! The choice of the cover songs vary from shitty pop (Miley Cyrus), awesome pop/rock (Michael Jackson), German rap (K.I.Z.), German punk (Die Kassierer) and Irish folk. This shows the true crazy character of the band and I gotta say that it takes courage to do something like that knowing that most fans will not find this ‘cool’. Some cover songs such as “Beat It” and “Der durch die Scheibeboxxxer” stand out more than others though but I can’t deny that I just laughed the most at “Wrecking Ball” although I also thought that a Lana Del Rey cover would have not been bad as well! 😀 On the other hand, I think that “Wild Rover” did not really fit into the concept; although I love Irish folk, after all the interesting cover song choices, “Wild Rover” was too soothing and calm… and too serious. In between the cover songs, the band also indicates their love of alcohol one more time with “Flasche leer” (Bottle (is) empty).
Love it or leave it… Kudos to the guys for having the balls to do something like this. “#YOLO” is definitely refreshing, original and extreme for anyone who wants to have some fun. So leave your prejudgements aside, stop whining, grab something to drink and enjoy this EP!
Line-up:
Oliver Berlin – vocals
Tobias Weinreich – bass
Cornelius “Wombo” Heck – drums
Sebastian “AlleyJazz” Scherrer – keyboards
David Schuldis – rhythm guitars
Simon Schillinger – lead,- rhythm guitars & acoustic guitar
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Tracklist: 01. Battle Gods 02. Auf die Zwölf 03. #YØLØ 04. Hangover 05. Wrecking Ball (Miley Cyrus Cover) 06. Beat It (Michael Jackson Cover) 07. Der durch die Scheibeboxxxer (K.I.Z. Cover) 08. Flasche leer 09. Das schlimmste ist, wenn das Bier alle ist (Die Kassierer Cover) 10. Wild Rover (Cover) |
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