Leaving modern rock

So one of the biggest reasons that I deviated from listening to American modern rock was what I considered a lack of talent. Most of the bands I ended up hearing didn’t have real melody with their voice. Granted, they were excellent at screaming in a high-pitched voice normally reserved for girls. This really didn’t work for me. So instead I looked for foreign bands that could give me what I wanted.

After a bit of searching around I ended up with Oomph and Eisbrecher. Now I love these bands. Both are quite talented and filled that gap that modern rock was leaving me with. At the time I really didn’t know how well known these bands were, but I found out quite quickly.

Eisbrecher is definitely the lesser known of the two, but not for any lack of talent. Eisbrecher is formed around two main people, Alexx Wesselsky and Noel Pix. Both left the band Megaherz because of creative differences and created the music project Eisbrecher. Known for performing shows in naval and military attire, Alexx brings a very strong presence to the stage. Watching him on stage, one can’t help but be brought to dance and sing. This was the case when I saw him perform at Amphi Festival ’09. The small stage that they were performing at was inside, and completely packed. Many people never actually made it inside to watch this spectacular performance. One thing I have noticed from many concerts is that hearing it in person can be completely different from a cd. This wasn’t the case. Alexx’s vocals hit perfectly and the whole set went without a single problem. I can’t wait to get back over to Germany to see them perform again. I know they won’t disappoint.

Make sure you check out their website!

www.eis-brecher.com


Now for one of my favorite bands. They are considered the first of their kind, and even inspired Rammstein to follow their style. They incorporate many different styles into their music, going from fast upbeat songs to slow ballad-like ones. Oomph’s long career of twenty years has made for many changes in their music over time. One of the most disappointing things that I find in bands is when their style changes so much that I no longer enjoy them. This was not the case with Oomph. In the beginning of Oomph’s career their music was definitely more harsh and heavy hitting, but I really enjoy the melodic way they went. They still have parts of songs that let you know they remember their old style. The band has never had anyone leave the band, making Dero, Flux, and Crap the original founders. These guys put on an amazing show and absolutely love their fans. I must say, seeing Dero repeatedly stage dive is pretty epic. He did the whole show in a straightjacket as well. That is one concert that all of you should see at least once in your life. And on that note I implore everyone to check out their site right….. NOW.


www.oomph.de   (and yes, they have an English version of the site too)