After being impressed by Finsterforst when I saw them supporting TrollfesT in London last April, I’ve been keeping a watchful eye on them for new material and 2015 has seen the outfit return with their latest offering, Mach Dich Frei. It’s a good album, that’s for sure, but there is times when it feels like it could be better.
Schicksals End’, really highlights how good Finsterforst is at writing long and adventurous pieces, and it features plenty of occasions for each member of the band to showcase their skills. Particularly great moments include the big orchestral moments in the middle, which makes the track feel like a full-blown epic, and the sheer energy behind the drums from start to finish. Title track Mach Dich Frei! is another great track, featuring some showy guitars, and is a rather atmospheric number that gives the vocals time to shine.
However, at times the album does drag a little, such as during the lacklustre Mann gegen Mensch which feels more like a background track in comparison to the others, and closing track Finsterforst just feels too long, to say the least. Clocking in at a whopping 23:55 minutes, it’s a struggle to remain focused on the track and there’s more than a few occasions where it does just seem like the band is padding for time and trying to eke it out for as long as possible. It just takes so long to get going and it’s like Finsterforst are just repeating themselves, so it ultimately results in a disappointing end to Mach Dich Frei.
Mach Dich Frei is perhaps best described as a divisive album. When it’s good, it’s really good, so is definitely worth checking out for those songs alone – but the weaker tracks really let the side down in comparison.
6/10
