Band: Letzte Instanz
Title: Schuldig
Label: Drakkar Records
Distribution: Sony - Suburban Benelux
Release date: 27/02/2009
Review: CD

Along with bands as Subway To Sally and In Extremo, Letzte Instanz is one of those bands that sort of invented a new genre, or better, they broke through existing borders to create a new audible art. The principles are based on a harmonious combination of Rock music at the one hand, and Folk elements on the other. The Folk-influences are strengthened by the use of ‘traditional’ instruments, and especially violins are of importance. The band also introduces acoustic pieces (yet, in contradiction to their acoustic album, this one is especially Rock-oriented, not acoustic-laden), but the bigger part is dynamic and up-tempo. In a modest way, there’s a certain link to the Gothic / Wave-scene, partly caused by the German lyrics too, I guess, which brings my thoughts from time to time to bands as Lacrimosa, My Insanity or Dreams Of Sanity. The melodic songs are filled with emotions, but this emotionality isn’t of the pathetic pseudo-romantic kind, luckily. And from time to time, the band even experiments more than before (e.g. Feuer). The production on Schuldig (which means ‘guilty’, by the way, in both German and Dutch), done at the Principal Studios (Die Toten Hosen, In Extremo, H-Blockx etc), is clean and polished, but the album doesn’t exhale a poppy sound, which could be disastrous. Total running time: 50 minutes.

70/100

Ivan Tibos.