Kanonenfieber – Die Urkatastrophe

We know that Sweden has Swanö, Finland has Saukonnen, and lately, Germany has Noise—an anonymous artist involved in countless projects, all receiving high critical acclaim. I won’t hide my bias: I want Kanonenfieber to blow me away. Its Menschenmühle had me more than impressed. Sure, the sound the band goes for isn’t exactly new, but the way it uses it, combined with the power of such an authentic and raw narrative, has turned it into one of the most fascinating acts in Black Metal. Excellent! But how about Die Urkatastrophe? Does it honor the dead? Join us in the trenches!

Die Urkatastrophe is elegant and simple in nature. There’s little speculation or wild experimentation. Kanonenfieber knows what to do. It doesn’t need complicated musical ideas to hit us right in the gut. The sorrow and tragedy of war are ever-present in all their inhumanity. The cynicism of nationalism and the generals who threw millions—practically children (once you get older, it hits harder, they really were just kids)—into the meat grinder for lost causes is palpable. Only 1914 or Panzerfaust come close to portraying war in all its immorality. Yet, it’s not a difficult listen; it’s Black N’ Roll for the win!

I could mention how this is still a melody-driven album, but what stands out most is how smooth and calm the production feels. Every album where Noise is involved has this warm feeling, despite the horrors it embodies. If anything, it only makes the album more unique. Also, Kanonenfieber is one of the few bands that properly integrates recordings into its music. What do I mean? Well, who else can make the sound of gunfire blend perfectly with music? Exactly—nobody but Kanonenfieber. The same goes for all the “military” recordings. They add so much to each song, giving the whole album a sense of awe that pummels you like heavy artillery.

There must be something less exciting, right? Well, my only real issue with this album is that it doesn’t make significant changes from its predecessor. If anything, it’s Menschenmühle 2.0. There are small shifts in its vibe, but in general, the structure, production, and song formulas are the same. That’s not necessarily bad, but Kanonenfieber already operates within a niche sound and narrative, so there’s limited space for repetition. Also, the same issue I had with Menschenmühle persists—the acoustic closure is nice, but it feels like a major pace change that I still need time to digest.

That said, I still like almost everything about Die Urkatastrophe. It’s an album that, despite its dark subject matter, can be put on repeat and still be just as enjoyable. That’s no small feat. I can imagine listening to all of Kanonenfieber’s albums back-to-back while reading All Quiet on the Western Front to fully immerse myself in the WWI experience. This is how we’ve transformed an unfathomable tragedy into consumable merchandise… let that sink in as you trudge through the mud of a cold, rainy trench.

Label: Century Media Records

Release date: 20 September, 2024

Website: https://www.facebook.com/Kanonenfieber/

Country: Germany

Score: Armistice at last, or 4.2/5.0