ALBUM REVIEW: Das Album – We Butter The Bread With Butter
The sheer amount of noise that just two guys can make is simply astounding; a concept understood no greater than by WE BUTTER THE BREAD WITH BUTTER (WBTBWB). After over a decades-long absence from founding vocalist Tobias Schultka, Berlin-bred (bread?) death-electrocore duo return to their roots after a failed experiment toying with a four-man line-up and “making real music” with Das Album (The Album). It’s a fitting title for a project that captures the band’s ethos better than any of its predecessors. WBTBWB are back and they demand your attention.
Das Album is, by all means, a reason to rejoice for breadheads both old and new. The reformation of the band’s original line-up from 2008, with Schultka handling vocals, drums and synths alongside guitarist/bassist Marcel Neumann, marks the end of a six-year hiatus from one of Berlin’s finest, and the original dynamic duo from Deutschland clearly have no intention on mincing their words, or their riffs. Das Album is an eclectic mixture of ravenous beatdown death metal infused neatly with peppy synth-wave and a constant sense of humour throughout; the pair essentially grinds the listener to a pulp with tongue firmly in cheek. What’s most refreshing about Das Album is that WBTBWB have finally hit upon what makes them ‘them’ after numerous attempts trying to unearth an identity that was never there. Das Album is precisely what the band needed. No frills, just huge riffs, memorable songwriting and a big grin the whole way through.
From the departure of Schultka in 2010, the band’s bakery was left without a star baker and forthcoming projects proved unable to rise to the heights of their debut. Der Tag An Dem Die Welt Unterging, Goldkinder and Wider Geil! all lacked a signature personality, and despite retaining the key genre-blending sounds, they were largely diluted by bland songwriting and production that failed to amp up the band’s real potential.
If all the band needed was a six-year break and a few personnel changes then perhaps good things really do come to those who wait. Das Album Intro invites us into the fray with a hypnotic and sinister electro beat that would make even Lavendar Town’s skin crawl before the utter mayhem of Dreh Auf! is brought down with the weight of the earth and the urgency of some of Mick Gordon’s finest DOOM tracks to make for a rather firm welcoming handshake.
This is a home run start that could never be recovered as, from here, we simply glide from banger to banger, breaking necks and raising spirits. Schultka keeps mouths grinning as he dives in and out of his impressive range from demonic tyrant (seen best on Jump ‘n’ Run and Schribwarenfachverkaufer) to the endearing innocence and zaniness that take Das Album from being just ‘another’ metal record, and WBTBWB from being just ‘another’ metal band. WBTBWB also avoids the pitfalls of previous outings with a focus on tight and memorable songwriting being crucial to the album’s mission statement. With the exception of the expected hooks, which perhaps do follow a similar blueprint but are still a solid reason to stretch your vocal cords, Das Album rarely re-treads the same ground and keeps its 13-track runtime well clear of self-plagiarism. Expect twists, turns and the odd slap in the face around each corner.
This is precisely the WBTBWB we were missing – let alone the one we needed – for the past 13 years; direct, punchy, memorable metal with generous helpings from other sub-genres to enrich this already enlightened concoction. Das Album is the album to return the duo to the centre of the limelight, having thoroughly overpaid their dues, and marks what is hopefully an auspicious fresh slate in the band’s biography. As dramatic as it is droll, Das Album is a return to form like no other.
Rating: 9/10
Das Album is set for release on September 24th via AFM Records.
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