(c) Super Pure Linen
Not satisfied with the status quo of his beloved gothic rock genre, Joakim Knutsson was looking for a band that would bring back the ideals of the 80’s. So he founded without further ado The overlords regarding current and former members of Ghost and The Coffinshakers. Roasting gloom, bitter sweetness, occult presentation and ominous themes accompany the first album „Die By My Hand“.
The opening “The Horned One Stabs” shows directly where the journey is going. The sextet gropes its way ominously and makes itself comfortable in both uncomfortable and attractive realms. The powder keg is fueled with catchiness, the quasi-chorus is catchy and yet is presented in a wonderfully edgy way. From the constant flow of the opener, “By The End Of The Shore” finally develops, which works with significantly more rough edges, whose grumpy basic mood collides perfectly with infernal keyboards. Here Die Oberherren live out their penchant for Occult Rock, shine through puristic malice.
“Guns And Pills”, on the other hand, strives for calmer tones and turns out to be a bitterly angry, grimly suspended dark ballad. Between a beguiling second voice and thundering drums, a wonderfully unreal atmosphere builds up within a very short time. On the other hand, if you like direct Gothic Rock, “The Blood Or The Wine” will serve you wonderfully. Yes, the track turns out to be a bit long, but for long stretches it moves forward with growing enthusiasm and unpacks its elbows. The concluding “Something Wicked” is also regarding malice, skilfully dismantled by biting harmonies.
After Beastmilk or Grave Pleasures and Messa, Die Oberherren are the next uncrowned dark kings from the House of Svart, who obviously have a knack for leaden, melodic heaviness. Of course, “Die By My Hand” plays with well-known, more than familiar ingredients, but that doesn’t bother at any time. The occult and at the same time quite puristic Gothic approach suits the northern lights well and throws off wonderfully edgy song pearls non-stop. Here, too, great things lie ahead.
Rating: 8/10
Available from: 01/27/2023
Available via: Svart Records (Membrane)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/people/Die-Oberherren/100084144110543
Category: Magazin, Reviews
