Übergang – Zeichen Der Zeit
Demons Run Amok Entertainment
You don’t see a lot of reviews of metal, or even metal-influenced, releases on this website. For obvious reasons of course, else I would have named this page American Metal – or something similar. But despite that, I actually do listen to a lot of metal (black, death, thrash) in my ‘time off’, ever since I rediscovered the genre (as a whole) several years ago. Now what does this have anything to do with this review you ask? Not that much maybe, though Übergang’s debut album “Zeichen Der Zeit” can definitely be classified as a metal album – so think of it as a little disclaimer before you carry on reading this review.
The link between Oi! and this thrash/crossover band – and the reason I was asked if I had any interest in reviewing this album in the first place – is vocalist Cliff Nastii, to some of you better known as Sebi Stomper – of Stomper 98 indeed! Now I can recognize someone from a photograph, but Sebi’s vocals on this record are quite different, unrecognizable to say the least, compared to his work with Stomper 98. Now different doesn’t always have to mean better, but the completely pissed off, raging vocals on “Zeichen Der Zeit” definitely fit the style that Übergang is operating in. The fact that all songs are sung in German give them an extra violent touch, tending to complete lunacy – I love it!
Now when you think of German, or Teutonic, thrash metal, you think of Sodom, Kreator, Tankard and Destruction, all bands going at it since the early 80’s. Coming from the same country, it is unquestionable that the influences of ‘the big four’ returned in Übergang’s sound, although a summary of ‘newer’ (read millennial) bands such as Toxic Holocaust, Power Trip, Municipal Waste and Foreseen seems more righteous, as the Germans deliver pure crossover mayhem on their full-length debut that is absolutely ripping it up from start to finish!
Right from the get-go, you hear that Übergang is a well-oiled war machine, that instantly creates chaos and destruction as soon as the first chords blare through your speakers. Ironically is that both the song structure and production of and on “Zeichen Der Zeit” are anything but chaotic, yet wild, vicious and in your fuckin’ face! The manic vocals, the ear(th)shattering rhythm section, the buzz saw riffs, the shredding guitar melodies and brutal gang vocals will give you a whiplash, some good old mosh-bruises and cracks, or a combination of both!
Topped off with some killer artwork this is a must-have if you like killer thrash/crossover and don’t mind that all of the vocals are in German. Because if you don’t, Übergang delivers 33 minutes of insanity on their debut album “Zeichen Der Zeit”! Killer!
