Nachtmahr or nightmare is the band / solo project masterminded by Austrian Thomas Rainer whose musical style is best characterised as Techno Body Music. There`s a new album `Verboten!` or Forbidden / not allowed released this week. The band have been involved in controversy over the use of sexist and fascist imagery in their music videos and album covers. Rainer has denied the allegations and described his stage persona as “militaristic”. He also acknowledged that Nachtmahr’s work could be misinterpreted and controversial.
The album opens with `Sirenen` or `Sirens` which does have some kind of alarms that seem to predict danger. The number is a thumping pounding slice of EBM with the singer`s vocals shared atop. There`s a faster paced synth led texture to `Gegen` which may well translate to Against.
`Luzifer` seems to be about Lucifer, which in Christian theology is the name for Satan, the leader of the fallen angels. The name Lucifer means “bearer of light” or “morning star” and refers to his former status as the greatest angel. It begins with spoken word and a pounding beat that grows in volume as the number progresses with some off kilter synth like tones. It almost halts midway with some choral or gospel like harmonies before resuming its previous pathway. There was a gentle start to `Keine Lieder` or `No songs` before it veered toward a more aggressive kind of tone.
`Stimme In Mir` which may mean Voice in Me is a melodic wavering rhythmic composition with vocals that kind of float above with a slight questioning menace. We have a piano instrumental in `Nachtetüde` or Night tune which gives the impression of being played in a haunted mansion.
`Amboss Und Hammer` or `Anvil and Hammer` isn`t a clanging piece as you`d expect but a more measured almost floating fast paced EBM submission. We have a further thumping pounding creation with `Der Schwarze Mann` or `The Black Man` a bogeyman from Germanic fables and legends.
`Wiedersehen` or `See you again` is another throbbing slice of industrial electronic music that virtually races along while `Blut` or `Blood` has an insistent almost violent ambience with a spoken word segment shared at the halfway mark.
The album closes out with `Spuren Einer Nacht` or Traces of a night which has a kind of swagger with vocals that mirror this strut or confidence.
Sadly, I’m of the generation that was taught French at school so was unable to appreciate the subtleties of the full lyrical content shared and it would have been easier to just pass this up but it kind of drew me to it and I’m glad it did. I imagine Nachtmahr would be a really interesting in a live scenario but until they head to the UK, I’ll content myself with `Verboten!`
Rating 8/10
