Laced with techno beats, gothic attire and the grinding of machinery, industrial rock and metal is pretty much a solid, artistic definition of its era. While the diverse genre can consist of both maxed out guitar lines or steady electronica, most of it is a healthy combination of the two. Germans are well known for their industrial act and ominous, often controversial lyrical themes. Brilliant contemporary bands like Rammstein or old-school epics like Einstürzende Neubauten have paved the way for more to follow. SCHRAMM, a Berlin-based group formed in 2006 and steadily rising to fame in their motherland, are no exception.
After the success of their self-titled debut in 2012, the band is now releasing a brand new 15-track album Nuclear-Fetisch on the 28th of September with Cleopatra Records. The album, while purely in German, is promised to be ripe with funky dance beats, pleasantly morbid attire, and straightforward guitar riffs that are bound to get you headbanging in no time. And from the looks of their music video for their new single “Schreie”, they seem to deliver, alright!
Being fans of Mad Max, the band were blatantly obvious about paying homage to the franchise. Relishing the wasteland theme, political turmoil and multi-dimensional characters, SCRHAMM did a solid artistic tribute. Filmed in the dry terrains of northern Germany, where an abandoned nuclear power plant still resides, the dystopian video is a wonderful foreshadowing of what is to come with the lengthy sophomore album. The song was both 90’s-style upbeat and politically suggestive in every possible way, and according to the band themselves, that appears to be the intention.
“It’s all danceable, but you can also shake your head. We sing in German without exception and address dystopian and bizarre topics. But also serious and political statements are included,” the band was reported to say.
Hilariously so, they replaced their need for a female cast with their drummer, Roman, and found themselves oddly satisfied with the outcome. It gives for an even more outlandish scene that suits the theme at hand.
SCHRAMM gives birth to the wonderfully grotesque industrial rock that is both dance and dystopia, art and politics all in one. With all the raw, vivid on-stage energy they’re known for, as well as their epic music videos, their new album is sure to kick ass.
Stream “Schreie” on Spotify here.
