It should remain the only album by the band around MONOSTARS guitarist and singer Norbert Graeser, but with THE NOTWIST currently back in the charts, SLUT returning soon and ABAY/BLACKMAIL still partly around, the opportunity should be taken to (re)discover this immensely strong piece of post-rock/post-hardcore including illustrious guests on vocals.

Classic black vinyl in gatefold sleeve, CD comes as digipak. CARRERA combines precision craftsmanship with chaos research.

If MOTÖRHEAD were to complete an instrumental watchmaker apprenticeship with MONO, they might sound something like this.

CARRERA consists of four very disparate musicians who pursue a common goal. Formed in the first spring of the new millennium as a side project, CARRERA soon developed a passionate life of its own, a beauty and gruffness that quickly transcended its beginnings, and perhaps its original purely instrumental intent.

The songs often start out controlled, being precise hardcore or post-alternative. Then suddenly the control is relinquished, the arrangements, the sounds get out of hand, but at times are allowed to cling to voices from another world: while Markus Acher normally sings and composes with THE NOTWIST and Christian Neuburger with SLUT, Aido Abay sets the tone with BLACKMAIL (now with ABAY).

"That Time Of The Year" is the Viva/MTV indie club hit of the time, "Anfield Road" ended up in the movie and its soundtrack"Führer Ex" (2002).

Perhaps the break between glossy cover artwork and independent attitude is too big and partly responsible for the fact that "Carrera" was somewhat underestimated afterwards and fell into oblivion.

That doesn't change anything about the musics impact 19 years later. Reissued in memory of drummer Andreas Daermann (1963 - 2020)! - Recorded at RedHead Studio, Munich, March/September 2001.

Produced and mixed at Uphon Tonstudio, Weilheim. Mastered at Bereich 03, Munich. Music by Blab, Bernard, Graeser, Daermann.

Distributed by Cargo Records Germany GmbH. Published by Headache Music Publishing, Hanseatic Musikverlag.

Cover model: Annie Henley for Munich Models. -