Verehrt Und Angespien

In Extremo

Metal Blade Records, 2000

http://www.inextremo.de

REVIEW BY: Christopher Thelen

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/01/2000

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.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

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.

Rating: A-

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© 2000 Christopher Thelen and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Metal Blade Records, and is used for informational purposes only.