GODS OF BLITZ
REPORTING A MIRAGE - SPLATTER (LONESTAR RECORDS)
"Reporting a Mirage", the title of the Gods of Blitz album aptly describes the fast-paced history of this band.
A nationally quite unique story of great overtaking maneuvers and successes. Nonetheless, one that is based on a tremendous amount of work.
Jens Freudenberg (guitar), Olli Wong (guitar), Jakob Kiersch (drums) and Sebastian Barusta Gäbel (vocals, bass) worked like crazy for two years.
Let's just take the first months after the band was founded in autumn 2004: only a few months passed from their surprising signing with Four Music to the recording of their debut "Stolen Horse" and the first tour as the opening act for Maximo Park.
In terms of content, it is about a sometimes angry social criticism, about pointing out grievances, but also and that is new here and there about relationships.
In individual cases this can drift into really grotesque science fiction stories. We just think ahead to scenarios that can be imagined.
And where does this socially critical streak, which is unusual for such devoted rock, come from? We can't help it, says singer Sebastian with a wink, we just have this intellectual streak.
Sometimes it's just about thinking and not, as is often the case with rock, just about emotional worlds.
But the best thing is still when the two are mixed. Just take "A Live Replica", the aforementioned science fiction story, which is quite complex in terms of content: Who won't be looking forward to this chorus at one of the upcoming concerts while listening to it to shout fervently? Who won't tap to "Just A Hero" like a mad speed freak, or gratefully turn up the volume every time the radio (or spotify) plays the single "New Wave Wipe-Out"? A punch with a sophistication has already judged an Australian music magazine about the debut.
And it is a statement that can be transferred directly to "Reporting a Mirage", a remarkably timeless, crisp, engaging, entertaining and, by local standards, unquestionably unique international album.
In 2008 the band broke up and in 2020 there was the much-anticipated reunion. In keeping with this, this is probably the band's best album on vinyl.