Germany famous for its Goth festivals is a country that can lay claim to the original and barbaric Goth movement. Lichtgestalt translates as Shining Light according to my knowledge of fellow German Gothics Lacrimosa and their 2005 album of the same name. These young upstarts, who started to make music together in 2013, are anything but copycats however.
Lichtgestalt sound more like the Onklez (later) on techno. While it’s not a strange integration of styles as it has been an increasingly popular if not dichotomous choice with many musicians since nu-metal pressed the proverbial demo key and used it for hip-hop/metal. Lichtgestalt use it sparingly yet boldly while showing a greater preference for rocking out with classic inspired heavy metal riffs played from that most tenacious of instruments, the guitar.
Tempus Fugit, the second album from Lichgestalt, is rich with great hooks but what really sets this album apart from the many industrial metal acts that have spawned from Germany isn’t their amalgamation of styles but the strength of which they make good old fashioned metal riffs a thing of the future.
Fun, daring and most importantly (in a Goth album) dark these guys are really riding with the devil on this one. The thrash influence with punk leanings tends towards a fresh take on a stagnating scene. Where the home grown studio production sound compliments the authentic passion inherent in their expression. Each song in some way inherits that energy and these songs, all in their own way, embody the dynamics of love in music.
8/10
