ALBUM REVIEW: Feuerschwanz – Das elfte Gebot

Ever wondered what the love child of RAMMSTIEN and ENSIFERUM would sound like? Give FEUERSCHWANZ a listen and that should give you a rough idea. They are due to release their latest record Das elfte Gebot (The Eleventh Commandment) soon. Due to the strong sounds that are both powerful and fun, this is a strong contender for my album of the year. Let me explain why.

The albums kicks off with Meister der Minne (Master Of The Minne). I have mentioned in previous reviews that a great opener either grabs your attention from the off or it entices you in slowly. It grabs your attention from the moment you press play. I can tell you now; once you have heard this track, merely reading the song title will be enough to ensure this song is in your head for days after listening to it.

This principle of these songs becoming ear worms the moment you read the titles carries on throughout the album. Before this album, I didn’t think that songs could be in your face and catchy. FEUERSCHWANZ prove that this is possible and trust me when I say that you will have a lot of fun when listening to this album. Below are just a few examples of the greatness bestowed on this album.

It was interesting learning about the song Im Bauch des Wals (In The Stomach Of A Whale) from vocalist Hauptmann Feuerschwanz, this song is inspired from the bible story Jonah And The Whale. The nautical melody at the beginning of this track now makes more sense after learning this information. You picture the crashing waves and the fierce storms when you hear the majestic melodies and the dominant vocal work. This song did well to portray these aspects of the story.

Fancy a bit of a Medieval jig? Mission Eskalation (Mission Esculation) and Totentanz (Dance Of The Dead) are the tracks to go for. The band RUSSKAJA come to mind when Mission Eskalation plays, particularly their song Energia. It will be interesting how these tracks go down at live shows, a Medieval style mosh pit anyone? I would like to partake in this if it were to happen.

The empowering chorus in Malleus Maleficarum (The Witch Hammer) has a similar sound and vibe to SABATON track Attero Dominatus. They don’t sound too similar that you can’t tell them apart. The rest of the track gives off power and triumph throughout, it makes you feel like you can conquer anything. I can imagine this song going down very well live.

The huge and catchy melodies carry on until the very last track Unter dem Drachnbanner (Under The Dragon Banner). Like the rest of the album, it is grand sounding, fun and catchy. It’s a fantastic closer; it’s a grand climax that leaves you wanting another round of this album.

It is worth getting the album including Die sieben Todsünden (Bonus Covers Album) as there are some brilliant ones. My personal favourite covers on this bonus CD are their renditions of SEED floor filler Ding featuring AD INFINITUM’s Melissa Bonny, POWERWOLF anthem Amen & Attack, the bouncy rhythms of Gott Mitt Uns from SABATON and even Ed Sheeran’s I See Fire.

From start to finish; Das elfte Gebot contains huge sounding melodies that make you feel powerful and thanks to the medieval sounds, you can have some fun too. It has a mighty power that will please die-hard fans and entice new listeners to join the clan.

Note: the only way to enjoy this album is to have it cranked to the max on the biggest speakers you have.

Rating: 10/10

Words: Lotty Whittingham