Energetic, batty and highly catchy, Vitja’s new album marks a departure from the Germans’ earlier work. Even powerful opener SCUM, which features guests Sushi and Kevin from Eskimo Callboy, isn’t a complete indicator of their new direction.
The dark fury, mammoth riffs and infusion of electronic sounds have stayed strong but the djent is dialled down and clean singing is suddenly championed. Vocalist David Beule jumps between enraged, anxious and emotional, and the result is dramatic even if his melodic voice isn’t always strong enough. Regardless, the choruses of Roses and No One As Master No One As Slave are so catchy it’s indecent. The same genre-skimming approach lives throughout tracks like Find What You Love And Kill It and the quietly gothic, melodic, and angry Six Six Sick, featuring Nasty’s Matthias Tarnath on guest vocals. Even if some songs never quite find themselves, the writing is exhilarating.
