REVIEWS

Nordschlacht
Silence, Beauty and Cruelty

Klangdynamik Records

Posted: Tuesday, June 10, 2008
By: Matthew Johnson
Assistant Editor

Nordschlacht may be old school, but the music this German duo creates is hardly primitive. Band members Arnte and Schmoun employ the sort of classic drum sounds and oscillating analog synths that fans of Skinny Puppy or early Haujobb are sure to recognize, but the way they're layered together and interspersed with pianos and sampled strings is an invitation to sink into the songs' dark atmospheres rather than comparing them to their predecessors. Given Nordschlacht's musical inspirations, Silence, Beauty and Cruelty is also a markedly less harsh opus than one might expect. "Don't Let It Go" and "Causality Paradox" in particular have an ethereal quality reminiscent of a number of Projekt label acts, thanks not only to Schmoun's wistful singing but also the moody bass lines, ephemeral pianos, and mournful synthesized violins, but even "The Sear and Yellow Leaf," which sees Arnte singing through a vocoder, is more melancholy than robotic with electronic bells tinkling through layers of foggy synths. If Arnte and Schmoun are more moody than angry though, they're still unquestionably an industrial band, as evidenced by the raw analog arpeggios of "Existence," the reverberating electro beats of "Conclusion," the distorted whispers and stomping rhythm of "Forrester," which gets an even more traditional makeover on a bonus remix by Faze. The particular instrument sounds and classic synth patches are ultimately a less integral aspect to Nordschlacht's sound than the duo's overall approach, however; Arnte and Schmoun aren't old school because they use drum effects from the Roland TR-909, but because they emphasize actual songwriting over throwaway club tracks. Like the best work of yelworC or even :Wumpscut:, every song on Silence, Beauty and Cruelty can be appreciated for its own sake, not just for what it can do on the dance floor.