Zorn "Todesschwadron" CD

No doubt, the violent and unpitying cover gives a good impression of the forthcoming storm. It sets the bar high in terms of brutalisation. Nonetheless, it makes no promises that the music cannot keep. Zorn's mission is not to bring peace into this world. This death squadron (= "Todesschwadron") sees no reason to search for compromises. Its musical project is devoted to the principles of fierce black metal. Eight songs show the splendour of the most brutal form of the sub genre. The album is influenced by groundbreaking masterpieces like "Pure Holocaust", "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" or "Transylvanian Hunger" and holds icy leads in abundance without reaching the extraordinary class of these milestones. Well, nobody had the expectation that the dudes of Zorn would be able to surpass the works of the Norwegian trendsetters, but that's no problem at all. It is okay that their creativity is not focused on reinventing the wheel. They just add another brick to the constantly growing monument called "true black metal".
The band is undemanding. It does not offer many riff variations. The result is that the individual songs do not have an unmistakable face. But they build a prickly ball of iron that rolls over the unsuspecting listener in order to scratch his skin until he bleeds from multiple wounds. No matter whether you listen to the fast-paced "Parasitäre Drecksschergen" or the mysteriously titled "Auf fleischlosen Schwingen in die Ferne" (freely translated: flying far away on fleshless wings), Zorn create a violent storm. Filigree techniques remain disregarded. Sabnock, the lead vocalist who is also responsible for the maltreatment of the drums, shows no interest in sensitive forms of expression as well. Quite the opposite. This Grand Master of monotony brilliantly manages to sing eight songs without any kind of variety. Honestly spoken, there is no necessity for variation. His raw, pressed voice appears as the prototype of a black metal vocal performance. It is always great to listen to this hostile mixture of growling and nagging. Due to his unclear pronunciation, I do not understand the German lyrics. But this is of minor relevance, the delicate titles of the songs indicate their lyrical contents. "Gotteskinder im stinkenden Schafspelz" can roughly be translated as "Children of God in a Stinking Sheepskin". What more do we need to know about the gentle poetry of Zorn? Not much, I guess.
The band varies the tempo without visiting the realm of doom metal rhythms. Either the songs wallow in mid-tempo or the fans of high speed get their money's worth. But a misanthropic feeling is omnipresent. Zorn do not suffer from a lack of orientation. They represent this kind of bands that head for total destruction. I know this sounds stupid, but it is nothing but the truth. Therefore, I beg your pardon for this wording and I am also sorry that I cannot provide you with a lot of information concerning the sound of "Todesschwadron". It is a typical genre release that offers an appropriate sound without revealing any kind of grave deficiencies. Two songs do not fully convince, but listen to black crushers like "Der Wind und sein klagendes Heulen" and enjoy their intoxicating flow. If you really do not like it, I fear that the Todesschwadron is coming to visit you - and these guys can't take a joke.

Sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...