Published on Aug 1, 2000
Back when I reviewed In Extremo’s
Weckt Die Toten!, I knew that the band had just released a
new album. I knew this because that disc,
Verehrt und Angespien, was sitting in my “to be reviewed”
drawer, awaiting the chance to impress me when it finally made it
onto my CD changer.
Well, the waiting is over – and the band (whose lineup I’ve
given up on trying to keep track of, simply because I can’t read or
understand German) who dares to merge the worlds of heavy metal and
Medieval music comes through in the clinch again to deliver an
album that is sure to set unsuspecting listeners on their ears.
It’s a solid kick in the ass that has been needed in a genre that
often doesn’t show enough originality, and putting this kind of a
twist on the scene is welcomed by me with open arms.
The septet does provide one shock on this disc – they dare to
perform a song in English, “This Corrosion”. Sounding a little bit
like Die Toten Hosen, In Extremo does a brilliant job on this song
– and it makes me wonder why they don’t consider doing an album
that is half-and-half language wise (or at least printing the
English translations as they once did).
If you’ve never heard In Extremo before, the opening of
“Merseburger Zaubersprüche” might sound a little like Manowar
in its operatic seriousness – that is, until the mixture of
hand-crafted acoustic instruments like bagpipe and flute chime in
with the electric guitars and drums. Granted, this does take a
little time to get used to; I even had to re-adjust my musical
center again. But once you’ve reached a personal equillibrium with
the music, you’re ready to be taken on an incredible ride.
Tracks like “Herr Mannelig,” “Weiberfell,” “Miss Gordon Of
Gight” and “Spielmannsfluch” are so entertaining that you don’t
need to understand a single word In Extremo are saying to
appreciate the great songwriting and execution that
Verehrt und Angespien demonstrates. At times, it’s almost
like “Riverdance” meets – oh, I dunno, the Scorpions. Don’t let the
combination scare you, though; it’s highly entertaining.
In Extremo continue to prove that they are a band not afraid to
shatter the barriers that other metal bands have created, and
Verehrt und Angespien is proof that a little challenge can
be a healthy thing. And as long as In Extremo keeps making discs
this good, I’ll keep welcoming the challenges.