Blablabla, clever introduction, some snarky comment.
Let's dive in to another "First Time Listen" thingy!

1. Was ist hier los?

  • First single, listened to it several times already, great deep guitar riffs
  • The video for it is really great and the (YT-)comments about it are incredibly toxic ironic, complaining about "all westerners are portrayed as being guilty for all issues in the world" or "but what about" while in truth the lyrics are saying nothing in particular, it's more an outcry of all the injustice in many facettes on this earth, only fueled by the hatefilled comments, takes this whole song up a notch
  • All around not their best song, but already pretty heavy and a good opener

2. Besser

  • Interesting guitar riffing at the beginning, somewhat new for Eisbrecher
  • Again pretty deep guitar riffing until the Sprechgesang sets in
  • Lyrics hold the song a bit back, make it more pop-y
  • Very experimental but again great riffing when the guitar doesn't have to play along the vocals
  • Not too bad but starts to bore me around half, not enough to keep me interested
  • Generally an okay song, not bad per se, not outstanding either

3. Sturmfahrt

  • Uff, dat intro, hot damn! hooked from the start
  • Sprechgesang gives some back-to-the-roots vibes
  • Prechorus reminds me more of the Sünde era but the chorus is particularly different in a good way, going new ways, is Alexx accompanied by female vocals? I think he is
  • Best song so far (easily), very strong track with prechorus as breather for the chorus
  • Sounds nicely mean around the end, unusual for Eisbrecher and a direct competition for newer Rammstein songs, very, very heavy
  • One of the best songs of Eisbrecher in many records and probably even their heaviest

4. In einem Boot

  • Title melody of the German movie Das Boot
  • Iconic but not really my cup of tea
  • In contrast to Sturmfahrt very calm
  • Not the worst cover but ehhh

5. Automat

  • Sünde vibes, has more electronics but better than any Sünde song
  • Another very slow song, but better than In einem Boot
  • Catchy chorus (with deep guitar riffing again) but it lacks some fire, making me go nuts like Sturmfahrt
  • I can see myself coming back to this every now and then though

6. Eisbär

  • Eisbrecher are trying some new stuff on this record, I like that it's this time without alienating their sound as they did with Sünde and Eiszeit a lot
  • Kinda reminds me of a song from the (amazing) C&C Soundtrack on the instrumental parts
  • Cover of Grauzone's Eisbär song, good effort

7. Der Wahnsinn

  • They really nail the intros on this record
  • Noel Pix really stepped it up on guitar
  • Another instant favourite
  • Sounds a bit like an Oomph! styled song in their best years
  • Chorus sounds a lot like early Eisbrecher
  • I get a feeling this is one of the best records of this year so far, but we're only halfway through, sooo let's try to be patient with that assessment
  • Lyrics are a bit weak but fit the sound and the sound is killer, will work live pretty well I imagine

8. Herz auf

  • Another softer song, more in the direction of a ballad
  • Very slow, too slow even if the prechorus tries to speed it up with vocals
  • Not the worst song ever but I'll pass

9. Krieger

  • Rhythm feels a bit off
  • Sounds like recycled sounds from earlier works, not bad though
  • Still the song isn't really clicking with me
  • Outro sounds good

10. Das Gesetz

  • Another song hooking me from the start
  • Uplifting sound
  • Debut or second record vibes, I like it
  • Catchy chorus
  • Around half it sounds a bit balladesque in the vocals
  • Good song, nothing groundbreaking but likable
  • Guitar riffing reminds me of some Nordic indie band
  • Great contrast to the other songs, breaking up the previously set athmosphere a bit

11. Wo geht der Teufel hin?

  • Pop-y song
  • I'm not sure if this fits Eisbrecher in any way, although at half it sounds like previous pop-y songs
  • instrumentally good but it doesn't feel right
  • Mhm, makes me feel very indifferent

12. Wir sind "Rock'n'Roll"

  • Surprisingly electronical
  • Did I mention I didn't really like the Sünde era? Exactly for that reason
  • Prechorus has the same intonation and singing like Oomph! in one of their very early songs
  • One of the weakest songs

13. D-Zug

  • Great riffing but the train sounds are somewhat loud
  • Takes almost half the song until Eisbrecher make something of this song idea
  • The intro and the train sound is too annoying for me to enjoy it without distraction
  • Chorus is pretty uplifting, they could have done a lot better with this song than they did, not to say it's bad, rather the composition questionable, I like it nontheless (despite the distraction)

14. Das Leben wartet nicht

  • Wasn't there a t.A.T.u song sounding like this at the beginning?
  • Nothing really to say about this song, though, could be seen as a filler

Conclusion

The record does lose momentum after the half, yet it still belongs to the best records this year. It's also the best record since 2012 from Eisbrecher, I'd even say it's their heaviest record.
At parts a bit more experimental, guitar riffing is heavier than on past records, vocals are meaner, the overall tone seems more cynical. It has only a few songs I'd say I won't particularly listen again but generally a very good and very strong record. Much, much better than I anticipated.

grinning face
face with tears of joy
exploding head
clapping hands
partying face
thumbs up
sleeping face
pile of poo