By now, ramtatta.de has been around for a few years. It also happens that we accompany a band, like in this case SANCHO PANZA from Cologne.
In 2009, we reviewed their debut - CD-EP and now, two years later, the first album of the sympathetic band is here.
In 2009, they couldn't convince our reporter, and that was perhaps a challenge for the band, because the new album has, when I read the review from 2009, more direction, a red thread, and more power.
SANCHO PANZA has its own style, which can be called Punk-Melodic-Ska-Hardcore. The (German) punk influences from past days can still be heard in the vocal lines, but in terms of the instrumental section, hardly anything remains. Especially the drummer likes to go all out and drives the band with his playing, which is fun, but listening also leaves the impression that the band occasionally holds the drummer back. The bass and guitar do their job solidly, and one could almost say that SANCHO PANZA has delivered a decent debut. What stands out upon first listening, but actually becomes negative upon repeated listening, is the singing and the song lyrics. These are mostly quite lengthy, and in terms of word choice, they sound very much like a high school graduate or student, which comes off a bit as know-it-all. This is not to say that the lyrics are bad or not reflective; it’s more about the word choice itself. Additionally, the singing often comes across as somewhat strained and pressed, as if the singer cannot draw from the full range. This does not leave the best impression.
With the opener “Die Welt ist keine Ware,” the band has created one of the best tracks on the album. “Die Welt ist keine Ware” is a song that goes in the direction of Sondaschule and Die Ärzte, but possesses so much individuality that it sticks and encourages sing-alongs from the very first listen.
SANCHO PANZA is a bit like high school graduates who are convinced punk rockers wanting to make this music, but cannot hide the ambition and lyrical influence of bands like Tocotronic, Die Sterne, or Pascow. A band that still needs a bit of time, but is on the right track with “Fate Human.”
