Coming out of Berlin, NERVÖUS find themselves caught somewhere between the post-punk and hardcore punk scenes. This five piece band is able to construct tracks with a post-punk main structure and feeling, while enriching their sound with hardcore-esque intensity and groove along with some influences from the 70s garage scene. The result of their efforts is Konfetti & Mutwillige Zerstorung, an uplifting, energetic offering which becomes addictive the very instant you hit play.
Starting off with the weird intro, “Skit I,” the band sets a strange mood, disorientating you and making you anxious about what will follow. But soon enough the unreal bass line of “Im Puls” comes, lifting the whole track while the heavy guitars’ rhythmic play offers further impact. The realization is instant… this album is fucking fun. Not in a bad way obviously, the music itself is quite playful and positive in an elevating manner. The bass sound is immense, creating a solid brick wall when combined with the great feel coming from the drumming, while the guitar lines are very cleverly arranged within the sonic concepts of NERVÖUS.
The uplifting parade continues with “Schere.Stein.Konfetti,” while the start of “Phanomen” gets you all worked up and excited for what is going to follow. But that does not mean that NERVÖUS do not have their darker side, as is the case in the beginning of “Philosymfonie.” Of course the band cannot resist, so they let their punkish ferocity take over completely with their positive attitude and use their deadly riffs overwhelm the listeners. And then the highlights of the album come: “Schwermutwillig” sees the band adopting an almost epic sound, putting everything they’ve got into the track to make it sound massive and impressive. On the other hand, in the closing track of the album, they embrace their maniacal self with the overall sound and outlook of the band focusing more towards their aggressive side, making “Empatheorine” as brutal and energetic as it can get.
The interlude of the album “Skit II” further explores the weird ideas of NERVÖUS, while the outro of the record; “Skit III” closes the album in a twisted manner. The inclusion of those short intros/interludes/outros is a quite nice touch by the band, offering moments of confusion and uncertainty to the listener, making the whole process more unpredictable.
In the end of the day, NERVÖUS were able to conjure an album that is interesting, positive, uplifting and energetic. Konfetti & Mutwillige Zerstorung is an intoxicating offering that will captivate your attention for quite a while. Do not miss it.
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