From Germany With Love Mixtape
Curated by Ralph of Planks

This compilation assembles 20 bands with their origin in Germany. I chose the title not only because I love Bond movies, but also because the hardcore scene in Germany always had a lot of heart. This is in many ways: Politics and emotion were huge influences and motivation for acts over the years. It was more about ‘heartcore’ than ‘hardcore’. Most of the bands I compiled here have their roots in this very movement. At first I wanted to add more classic acts, but then decided to go with a more contemporary mix. People around the globe know Acme, Systral, Morser, Enfold, Chispa and likes. Their unique blend of chaotic but melodic heaviness became a trademark tons of acts copied.

The other “love” factor in this scene: I think I know at least one person from each band I chose. One scene – unity? Not really, but even though Germany is big, you know the people. This DIY “hand washes hand” mentality is still very healthy here.

One thing these bands share? A very critical view towards the country they come from. Enough said. Wait, one more thing: I wanted to call this mix “Golden Shower Of 20 Hits” at first, but not many people outside Germany would get it.

I’m sure I missed out on some great bands, but these were the first that came to my mind.

Enjoy.

– Ralph

Stream From Germany With Love
[audio:http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/01) Perth Express – Schon Gewusst.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/02) Lentic Waters – The Small Boy And The Sea.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/03) The Gentle Art Of Chokin’ – Herrenwahl.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/04) Omega Massif – Ursus Arctos.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/05) Glasses – Your Terms.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/06) Gunmob – Dreiaffenland.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/07) Fear Is The Path To The Dark Side – Von Heterogenitaet Und Konvergenz.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/08) Resurrectionists – Alles Wird Anders.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/09) Radare – By The Flood.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/10) Deathrite – Black Reign.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/11) Trainwreck – The Dead Next Door.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/12) Black Freighter – Molosser.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/13) Tephra – Big Black Mountain.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/14) Union Of Sleep – Death In The Place Of Rebirth.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/15) Hungry Lungs – Phillister.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/16) Black Shape Of Nexus – III.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/17) Alpinist – Yarncarrier And Break.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/18) Blackwaves – 0131 BQ.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/19) Goldust – Blue Smoke.mp3,http://staging.cvltnation.com/wp-content/audio/20) Kodiak – Town Of Machine.mp3|titles=Perth Express – Schon Gewusst,Lentic Waters – The Small Boy And The Sea,The Gentle Art Of Chokin’ – Herrenwahl,Omega Massif – Ursus Arctos,Glasses – Your Terms,Gunmob – Dreiaffenland,Fear Is The Path To The Dark Side – Von Heterogenitaet Und Konvergenz,Resurrectionists – Alles Wird Anders,Radare – By The Flood,Deathrite – Black Reign,Trainwreck – The Dead Next Door,Black Freighter – Molosser,Tephra – Big Black Mountain,Union Of Sleep – Death In The Place Of Rebirth,Hungry Lungs – Phillister,Black Shape Of Nexus – III,Alpinist – Yarncarrier And Break,Blackwaves – 0131 BQ,Goldust – Blue Smoke,Kodiak – Town Of Machine]

Tracklist after the jump…

01] PERTH EXPRESS
For me the best and most important band from Germany ever. I met these guys some years ago and we became friends, did a split (my old band) and toured with them. A lot of bands here try to copy their sound, but none of them has the songwriting ability they have.

02] LENTIC WATERS
A relatively new band my band PLANKS will do a split with in the not to distant future. A blend of Escape Artist heaviness and “Bremen Style” chaos.

03] THE GENTLE ART’ OF CHOKIN’
The famous “Bock-Beat” is fucking go! Ex-Stack/My Own Lies playing fastcore in the vein of Capitalis Casualties and Siege.

04] OMEGA MASSIF
Probably Germany’s biggest instrumental metal band. Call them doom, call them sludge – I call them awesome songwriters that bring a very distinct sound and feeling to a genre so many ISIS wannabes almost killed.

05] GLASSES
An all-star band with members of PERTH EXPRESS, THE 244 GL and TRAINWRECK combine…well….if Mastodon and Blacklisted teamed up to cover Thin Litty it would sound like them.

06] GUNMOB
Benny, the drummer in PLANKS, plays drums here to. Besides Alpinist one of the most intense, original bad-ass crust bands around right now. We played tons of shows with them and they always made me feel bad, if we had to play after them.

07] FEAR IS THE PATH TO THE DARK SIDE
Another band from the Mannheim area. “Darth Metal” feat. members of Stack/Diavolo Rosso etc. His Hero Is Gone with less patches and screamed vocals. Unfortunately they broke up years ago.

08] RESSURRECTIONISTS
They share a drummer with Lentic Waters. Spazzy Screamoviolence not many bands play anymore. This really shreds.

09] RADARE
Epic close-to-instrumental music. Long moody and melodic jams with heavy eruptions. They moved more towards the Bohren & Der Club Of Gore direction on their second record, but this track is still my favorite of them. If you see them live you will see absolute perfection. I hardly see bands which play this precise.

10] DEATHRITE
Everybody talks about them and the kill everything. Germany’s answer to TRAP THEM. The bets are still on, if Southern Lord or Deathwish will sign them first.

11] TRAINWRECK
I played bass for them for some shows. I have to admit, I was glad when I was relieved of my duties – it is WAY more fun to see them play live! Super intense emotional hardcore with smart lyrics and again killer sense for melodies and songs. This song was always my favorite to play and listen to. I’d say they share the throne with Alpinist as Germany’s best live act.

12] BLACK FREIGHTER
Well, what can I say. It was so sad, to see a band with such potential suddenly break up. We recorded four song for a split with them (which ended up to become “Solicit To Fall”) but they never made it thus far. They took the Perth Express recipe to Coalesce level.

13] TEPHRA
These guys are almost seniors in this country, if you judge by the time they have been around. The German scene was always pretty fast-lived. Hardly any band made it over three records. These guys were among the first to take the Isis/Neurosis branch and make it their own. They grew from a very good copy to genuine act with great ideas and a powerful live presence.

14] UNION OF SLEEP
Also a band that gets better and better from release to release. Imagine Down without hillbilly feeling in a mix with Celtic Frost.

15] HUNGRY LUNGS
This band has been around for a couple of years now and only made it to a demo and a 7” – which is sad, as all their stuff is intense. The other candidate besides Deathrite where you can bet they will end up on Southern Lord or Deathwish.

16] BLACK SHAPE OF NEXUS aka B.SON
Amp worshiping downtuned sludge doom monstrosity with a very political background. They decided not to play with Neurosis when played, as they rather take a summer vacation to the beach – how cool is that?

17] ALPINIST
What can one say about this band that has not been said. Great people, killer live act, good songwriters and sick musicians.

18] BLACKWAVES
A fairly underrated instrumental metal act. They have a really odd, spacy sound to them. It’s catchy and heavy, yet disturbing.

19] GOLDUST
A black metal band stuck in shell of a hardcore act. They have quite a big back catalog including Splits with Full Of Hell and soon Deathrite. Rips!

20] KODIAK
A band that really invokes “The End” – so I chose them to close this mix. They just recently decided to call it quits and move away from the music they play right now. Categories were an equal pain in the ass for them as they are for us. They’ve been called Sludge, Doom, Metal and whatnot…but what they really did is so different. I suggest you get their whole discography and make a picture for yourself.