One might think that I am a sad sack. Well, at least sometimes. You just hang around, staring aimlessly and meaninglessly into the distance, asking yourself: "Why?" Strangely enough, such moments are also supported by certain music that has sounded similar since the last times; deep voice, relatively slow rhythm, and the use of synthesizers. That sounds familiar to me...
And right at that point, you get significantly closer to the matter. Yes, both the mood and the musical accompaniment are completely accurate and describe certain moments in my life quite precisely. Because often this mood is caused (or intensified) by the well-known band "Fleeing Storms". The successors of ChaosZ are known for their melancholic "Depro-Punk" and have brought along a loyal fan culture for many years. Now it's time to bring out the big guns again, because it's time to fire the rockets...
Yes, I admit it: The wordplay to make a connection to the album title has completely failed me, I'm sorry! But I just can't think of anything. But well, who can blame me? With the album title, I couldn't really imagine what I was supposed to understand by "Waiting for Rockets". But well, by now I know: I know what to make of it. It's not hard once you've listened to the album yourself. Those who already know the band can probably guess that in advance.
Because the storms are known for melancholic and depressive dark-wave punk that always strikes a deep chord and never misses an opportunity to showcase negative emotions. This has not changed in the new album "Waiting for Rockets".
The soundscape – that is, the instruments and the vocals – subtly tells you something about the end times, about downfall and destruction. The songs drag themselves over the speakers, the voice seems to sing from the depths of human hearts' abysses, and you don't even realize that you've long been captivated by them. It's not uncommon to come across songs that carry the infamous "Just-one-more-time-listen" syndrome. It may sound strange, but many songs have a magical allure that captivates the listener and pulls them into a completely different, distorted, and foreign world. Suddenly, your worldview narrows down to just yourself, and you begin to dreamily go with the flow (even if you usually don't intend to do so).
Lyric-wise, there's really not much to say. Actually, every song that a band makes (as long as it contains lyrics) is a poem. With the difference that it is musically accompanied. But with Fleeing Storms, it is the case that one tends to say: "THOSE are really poems!" True to the motto "Stay your ground", this album is also a collection of incredibly profound, vivid, and above all "dark" lines. Just the titles alone create a certain anticipation of what is to come: "Stars", "Steel", "Depth", "Silence", "Shadows". In the songs, the path is consistently followed to the end, as words like "Delusion", "Cruelty", "Loneliness", "Meaninglessness", "Oblivion", or "Sorrow" pepper the lyrical outpourings, which round off the album beautifully. You can tell that there is a certain "love" for detail that makes this band so unique. As always, "Fleeing Storms" operates on a lyrical level that cannot be compared to other bands. The perfect interplay of lyrics, melody, and atmosphere makes this band and this record so unmistakable.
However, there would also be something to complain about, although this entirely depends on the listener who listens to the three gentlemen. Due to their "Stay your ground" mentality, the musicians are strongly limited in their willingness to experiment. There is at most one or two songs between the albums that still sound really "aggressive". One immediately thinks that the guys are honoring their old ChaosZ days again. However, this is likely to be the only variation. Fleeing Storms – and thus also "Waiting for Rockets" – remain Depro-Punk. Period! Although I believe they exploit this possibility very nicely, it could be boring for some (if they know the other songs). Personally, I appreciate that the loyal fans will also know how to appreciate these songs!
Speaking of songs: The typical habit of having only 10 tracks on each album is also maintained in this case. It may sound like little, but this deficit is compensated by the length of the songs. Most of them go beyond four minutes, some even over five or six. It is rare for a song to slip under the four-minute mark. Nevertheless, it seems to me – although I don't really "know" this, but it's more of a feeling – that this album is a little shorter than the others. But as I said, one should really decide that for oneself... perhaps it will look completely different on another day.
Ultimately, I can only recommend this album to anyone who loves beautiful and great lyrics and appreciates negative emotions in a song! It may not hold up against giants like "Himmel steht still" or "Hinter Masken", but that shouldn't be the goal. It has its own qualities and convinces on all levels!
In that sense: Thank you for your principled loyalty! Awesome record!
