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One must therefore consider the individual case. TURBOSTAAT is an experienced band, and if they choose to create an album around an overarching theme instead of just a loose collection of songs, then that is certainly a bold step, but also realistically achievable. Broad introduction, straight to the point: With "Abalonia," they have succeeded. The story of an escape runs like a red thread through the album. War, alienation, death, and dealing with changes. Thus, the album can be well related to current events. However, if someone were to tell me that the lyrics were from the diary of a person during World War II, I wouldn't be surprised. Everything remains universally framed, even the goal of a fantasy land: Abalonia. Does this hint at the mythical island from the Arthurian legend? Perhaps a clever artistic move. This way, one might still be able to relate the songs to the then-current conflicts in years to come. Personally, I have been annoyed by this almost esoteric lyricism in earlier albums of the band. This is, in comparison to earlier works, a step towards clarity, despite everything; one will not get more concrete statements than this from TURBOSTAAT. Instead: Poetry, sometimes very good at evoking images and situations with just a few lines. And sometimes it remains in the dark.
But enough about the lyrics. After all, there is still the music! This partly aligns with what I know from the band: Stubbornly strummed punk rock with more shouted than sung lyrics. Phew, another thing. Jens Rachut should please apply for a patent on this spoken-scream singing and collect proper licensing fees, because it is not exactly so beautiful that I would want it from so many bands. And if I can't sing like Pavarotti – why should I do it in a pitch that is far too high for me? Ununderstandable. But again: You wanted TURBOSTAAT, and you get TURBOSTAAT. Those who like the band probably find exactly what I am complaining about to be cool.
Fortunately, the album has a lot of musical variety in store. Sometimes it gets quieter, sometimes wilder. At times, you can almost grasp the bombed-out wasteland with your hands, the tension, the alienation of the "Iron Man," who is honored with an endlessly rolled-out tribute. The band also allows for more space in the arrangements; not everyone has to play their instrument at the same time, and yet a piece does not drag. This is, by the way, largely thanks to the bass guitar, which grooves in all the right places throughout. The songwriting is solid to successful, even if here and there you can tell that they have deliberately experimented with stylistic breaks. At times, I feel like I'm in a play by Brecht, where the actors also speak in such oddly artificial ways.
Fans already have the record anyway. For anyone looking for a cohesive, versatile, and dark punk-indie-something album, this is interesting and worth listening to.
Video for the song "Abalonia":
https://youtu.be/FUWOnJdqI_k
