Band:	Klimt 1918
Album:	Sentimentale Jugend
Style:	Shoegaze, Atmospheric rock
Release date:	December 02, 2016
A review by:	tea[m]ster

Disc I [Sentimentale]
01. Montecristo
02. Comandante
03. La Notte
04. It Was To Be
05. Belvedere
06. Once We Were
07. Take My Breath Away
08. Sentimentale
09. Gaza Youth (Exist/Resist)

Disc II [Jugend]
01. Nostalghia
02. Fracture
03. Ciudad Lineal
04. Sant'Angelo (The Sound & The Fury)
05. Unemployed & Dreamrunner
06. The Hunger Strike
07. Resig-nation
08. Caelum Stellatum
09. Juvenile
10. Stupenda E Misera Città
11. Lycans [bonus]

It's become an annual occurrence in my music listening curriculum for an album to completely blow me away just before the turn of another year. Italy's Klimt 1918 has the honor this time around with their double album, mega-release Sentimentale Jugend. I will be honest, I had never heard of the band until I checked my first-ever email/news letter from Prophecy Productions record company. This is the same company that houses two of my favorite bands of all time, Alcest and Lantlôs, so I figured, let's give Klimt 1918 a shot. I am so glad I did.

Klimt 1918's sound is a well-thought out, well-executed style of shoegaze, post-punk, gothic and new wave. Retro feelings resonate throughout both sides of the album because the brilliantly staged sonic arrogance reflects the extraordinary class of melodic inventiveness. In addition to thoughtful, almost-drowned-in-effects guitars and purposeful percussion, it is above all the keyboard parts that provide a true melancholic, bathing sensation of emotion beyond any restraints. The same applies to the vocals, which are integrated organically into the music and moistened like a single green leaf dotted with little beads of precipitation.

Because of the complexity and the brilliantly well-balanced compositions, a more acute listen will uncover multi-layered soundscapes. Sentimentale Jugend is a gigantic project, glistening with 110 minutes of music. The two sides of the album are pretty much identical sans a couple of welcomed exceptions: Sentimentale is more straight-to-the-vest, contains the two singles and features a tasteful cover of "Take My Breath Away," the hit song from the movie Top Gun. Jugend is a bit more looser. Darker, longer songs are more evident and the overall aura seems more temperamental.

This undertaking is clearly aimed for rhetoric fans of '80s bands like Slowdive, The Cure and Depeche Mode but also for today's acts who have managed to pull off this nostalgic sound, like This Social Coil, Constants and Vaura. The production is glamorous, the album artwork is gorgeous and the musical spectacle is one of melancholy, almost unreal atmosphere. However, the overall vibe I get while listening to Sentimentale Jugend is one of happiness, an absolute feeling of satisfaction. A reward like an astral projection into the highest spheres. This phenomenon shouldn't be missed whether considered metal or not. It's been 7 years between releases for Klimt 1918, and I am thoroughly impressed with their ability to create sound worlds that cling to the soul.

Try it here: bandcamp