On June 23, 2011, the review of the EP “Hisst die Flagge“ by the guys from PIRATENPAPST went online at ramtatta.de. The review can still be read here:
http://www.ramtatta.de/reviews,id-1031,go-piratenpapst+_+hisst+die+flagge_.html
There, the band's album was already announced. The album took some time from the release date to arrive at my place, but that's just how it is with pirates. A bit delayed, as there was still a privateering trip, and suddenly it's spring 2012.
While the sound of “Hisst die Flagge“ was still a hybrid between punk rock like Fahnenflucht and streetcore like Toxpack, “Gegen den Sturm“ has clearly chosen the sound of the hour. It is a streetpunk-Oi brew that finds its home between Toxpack, Krawallbrüder, Soifass, Broilers, Betontod, and Dritte Wahl (in small doses, like in “Tal der Tränen“). Has the musical success become the focus of the band?
Or is this truly the sound that the band wants from the heart?
Let’s take the album as it is.
The CD, which comes in a stylish digipack, presents itself with eleven songs. The band focuses lyrically on themes like “Get yourself together,” “Solidarity,” and “Hang in there.” These are topics that are also the most popular in the currently trendy sound of German rock. However, PIRATENPAPST is not a classic German rock band. There are certainly parallels, but they are not as strong as, for example, with Krawallbrüder.
Songs that stand out lyrically are the first two tracks “Puppenspieler,” which is about how people unfortunately keep letting themselves be influenced by the wrong people without even realizing that they are just puppets in their hands. “Unsere Zeit” is lyrically brief, yet so catchy, powerful, and fast that this song will be a great pogo number live.
Calmer and at seven minutes clearly above the normal punk playing time is the song “Piraterie.” It is enjoyable to listen to this song, which sometimes almost resembles a radio play. The band has put a lot of effort into this. Bringing such an epic to the record is no small feat. You have to be brave to attempt that.
For those familiar with the EP “Hisst die Flagge,” it should be noted that the songs “Warum,” “Piraterie,” and the grand “Mutter Natur” in my opinion are also included on this CD. However, they are presented in a better guise, as the recording of this disc is very professional and perfectly suited for the band.
Anyone who enjoys powerful streetpunk in German will love the band. The same goes for fans of German rock.
As the band has moved away from the punk of the early days, some may classify this record as too brash and perhaps too forced.
That's always been the case with pirates; some liked and supported them, while others did not.
I am convinced that with “Gegen den Sturm,” the band will receive scene-wide attention.
