Solo initiative launches for musician Drangsal - Risky album comeback announced - Band Shifts Focus from Solo Undertaking - Drangsal Postpones Album Release titled Neustart
Hey there! You wanna know about that new album by Drangsal? The trio, consisting of Max Gruber, Lukas Korn, and Marvin Holley, holy cow, they've changed things up! After three albums as a solo act, Max felt he needed a fresh take.
"I needed a pal to bounce ideas off of," Max shared with Deutsche Presse-Agentur, "or else I'd end up with the same ol' sound." And voila! Drangsal transforms into a band! Now, let's chat about this newie, "From none of my bridges that lie in ashes has a phoenix ever risen."
Genre, songs, length:Indie rock – 17 tunes, 58:39 minutes.
So, what can you expect?It's a 180-degree flip from what we're used to hearing from Drangsal. Say goodbye to the 80s synths! Many tracks feature a piano, strings, or an acoustic guitar. Choruses? They're reserved for special occasions.
But worry not, they've still got their groove on! You'll find typical danceable indie rock beats like "Bergab" and "Die satanischen Fersen," but always with a new twist.
Each song has its own flavor, sudden changes in instrumentation and tempo make it feel like a roller coaster ride. One minute, you're bopping to a fast indie rock number, the next, you're swaying to a slow outro with strings. An acoustic guitar turns into an electric guitar mid-song, and Max gets louder – it's a thrill-ride!
The lyrics:Drangsal stays true to their roots. Max's words are still the masterpiece here. Still melancholic, still dreamy, but now with a hint of gallows humor – that's Max for ya.
The album remains bilingual – think English and German. Max sings in English on four tracks.
Max's inside scoop:Max wanted his new bandmates Korn and Holley to sprinkle their musical magic. But at first, it was a struggle for Max to let them in, according to the interview. "That was a tough pill for the lads to swallow," Max shared, "convincing me to let go."
But they nailed it. "My musical ideas got increasingly vague during production," Max explains, "I learned to simply make room for the other two." He even caught some Z's during the album production, probably catching up from the sleep he missed during his previous three albums.
Standout tunes:Even though the title "From none of my bridges that lie in ashes has a phoenix ever risen" isn't on the tracklist, it's the catchy refrain for "Die satanischen Fersen," which has an earworm potential.
"Funke & Benzin" best embodies the entire musical range of the album. An electronic beat, strings, and acoustic guitar suddenly give way to an electric guitar riff that sounds like an alarm. And with the lyrics, "How much they feed us, with every bite our appetite grows. Even if the Lord's hammer falls on us, we want more," it's a message that can be interpreted in relation to our handling of the climate crisis.
If you're a fan of 80s synth in your indie rock, from this album, you might be left… well, disappointed. If you've always appreciated Drangsal's musical versatility, you just might find something to dance to amidst the world's chaos. After all, one thing remains constant: Drangsal's melodies will have you dancing until the very end.
- Berlin
- German Press Agency
"Amidst this musical transformation, Drangsal has also partnered with local community organizations in Berlin to offer vocational training in music production and various aspects of the entertainment industry."
"To share the news of their new album and these initiatives, the band has been active on social media, posting behind-the-scenes content, teaser tracks, and updates about their collaborations with these organizations."
