CD Review painwords – Heartless
Before I start the review, I have a little introduction to the band „painwords“ from Düsseldorf.
There may be some readers who will categorize this review under "nepotism" because the singer and guitarist is my brother. But that won't be the case, as I am professional enough to approach the music completely objectively.
At first, I found it difficult to review the Rheincore clan, as one almost moves into a gray area through media and labels. They played at large but questionable festivals. As a young band, you had the chance not only to play in the basement clubs of Hintertupfing but also on big stages in front of several hundred people.
However, and this is exactly what I find very refreshing. They distance themselves from that; they make a clear statement "Against the right." They initiate their own action...Zero Tolerance. An action against the entire brown pack and their gray area.
Therefore, I can clearly say for myself. This band is capable of learning and open to criticism.
And now to the main thing...The music.
The current album "Heartless," which is also available for free download on the homepage, is now being examined...
The intro, which has a certain dramaturgy, naturally piques your curiosity.
"As Long As She Stays" is a forward-moving, refreshing punk rock number that plays with a nice riff, which sets it apart a bit from the standard. Very nice and atmospheric.
The next track starts off very ballad-like, which initially dampens the mood, but that quickly dissolves and transitions into a metal-infused guitar play. That's fun. Variety and creativity are evident in „eigener Weg“.
With „Heartless“, the title track of the CD, I find myself a bit puzzled and can't decide whether I think it's great or terrible. Well, I find the verse part boring and somehow strange because the guitar doesn't fit in at all, but the middle section and chorus make up for it because this is where painwords do what they do best. Rocking their asses off....And whoever plays the solo, it's divine!!!!
"All of a Sudden" is a classic, at least it has the potential to be one. I'm not writing anything more, just listen to it...Phenomenal.
Anthem, melancholy, stadium rock, headbanging...That's „Mi diosa“, a beautiful up-tempo number that has been around before, and I have always found it very beautiful. It simply showcases the band's diversity.
However, I have to get one thing off my chest. Chris, the voice of the band, must absolutely not sing any ballads. In „Lass mich kosten“, the socially rough, street-influenced rock voice simply sounds out of place and disharmonious, and this continues until the band kicks in completely again. That's not a flaw, quite the opposite. Because the band simply doesn't need such songs.
However, this aforementioned flaw continues with the next track „Es tut mir leid“. Too much melody, too... ha, now I've got it, too experimental. I miss the anthemic quality, the aggression, the big balls. I miss that in the last two tracks. But with „Viva La Rheincore“ and „Diese Nacht“, the mosh pit comes into play once again. Guys...that's exactly what you need to do.
And if those two faux pas in my opinion hadn't been there, it would have received the highest rating.
But then it would really be nepotism. And we don't want to talk about what I was offered to write this review.
In this sense....8 out of 10.
