Nachtblut – Antik

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Sometimes it seems rather evident that a band wasn’t intended for an English-speaking audience. Such is the case with Nachtblut, who not only sing exclusively in German, but their own website is exclusively in German, too. So if German isn’t a language you can read or speak, feel deliberately excluded. But perhaps this doesn’t matter, as Nachtblut strongly fit a certain stereotype that we associate with gothic hard rock from Germany. From the band’s stereotypical gothic look through to their music – this is as German as it comes – though that’s not necessarily a good thing. Antik is full of very simple gothic rock songs, a watered down midway point between Cradle of Filth and Rammstein, with none of the technicality, intricacy or subtlety of either. The melodies are impossibly simple (The opening title track isn’t all that far from Pachelbel’s Canon), and instrumentation fairly bland and predictable. Frontman Askeroth also lacks the charisma and ‘oomph’ in his delivery that other better Germanic growlers have. Plus, none of the material on Antik has that same level of catchiness one would associate with this genre. It ultimately lacks anything inspirational or intriguing, so perhaps that English-translation on the website won’t be needed after all?

Written by James Donovan
More: 2011, Albums, Gothic, Quick.Play Reviews, Nachtblut