Yeah, it’s really been a while since my last review here. I used to write at least a review a day, but I can’t anymore. Not on purpose. Really. You know, I’m dealing with some deep personal issues relating to age and time. In short, I’m getting old and I’m still trying to deal with it… Feeling tired. So tired – by the way, there is an Ozzy song by this tittle. Check it out.
Okay, let’s quit the whining and go to what really matters here. The review. Here we’ve got an amazing band called Robse with their debut album “Harlekin & Krieger,” which, by the way, will have its debut with a big release show at the Summer Breeze Open-Air. Wow! Robse are the product of mastermind Robert-Martin Dahn, longtime frontman and party guarantor of the epic metal band Equilibrium. From the initial minutes of the album, my dear child of the night will be able to realize Robse are pretty different from Equilibrium. “Harlekin & Krieger” is, in short and reducing it the max, a Melodic Death Metal album with some dashes here and there of other Extreme Metal influences. Interestingly, German is the official language of this album, but, for sure, it’s the album with the most languages that has ever appeared here. There are tracks in Italian and Spanish as well.
“Harlekin & Krieger” commences with the epic journey “Sonata Arlecchino” which reminds a little Symphonic Metal bands as Edenbridge with a more classical touch. Well, the track gives a first wrong impression of the album because following track is album tittle “Harlekin & Krieger” with its pure Melodic Death Metal spirit which will be the motto of the album except for some other combinations. For the fans of Amon Amarth this album is a gift as “Hey Sturm” brings back the spirit of the band. Of course, I’m again reducing the album because “Amenthes” adds some Symphonic Metal touches in the background plus a killer main guitar riff. As the band’s imagery and iconography may suggest some tracks go little by little adding some vauderville elements from Black Metal as “Aus dem Gleichgewicht” or even more with the infame – in the good sense – “Kleine weiße Friedenstaube.” Symphonic Metal grips go on with “Lied der Nacht” with a beautiful female voice contrasting with Robse’s lead vocals.
In short, again, “Harlekin & Krieger” is an album that will please Amon Amarth fans plus a strong Symphonic Metal grip and some Black Metal vaudeville elements.
Robse “Harlekin & Krieger” was released on August 16th via Reaper Entertainment.
Track Listing:
- Sonata Arlecchino
- Harlekin & Krieger
- Hey Sturm
- Amenthes
- Aus dem Gleichgewicht
- Von der Schenke zur Taverne
- Kleine weiße Friedenstaube
- Lied der Nacht
- Nostalgia
- Flamme der Revolution
- Viva la Caida
Watch “Harlekin & Krieger” official lyric video here:
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!