Band:	Kanonenfieber
Album:	Die Urkatastrophe
Style:	Black metal, Death metal
Release date:	September 20, 2024
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Grossmachtfantasie
02. Menschenmühle
03. Sturmtrupp
04. Der Maulwurf
05. Lviv Zu Lemberg
06. Waffenbrüder [feat. Maik Weichert]
07. Gott Mit Der Kavallerie
08. Panzerhenker
09. Ritter Der Lüfte
10. Verdun
11. Ausblutungsschlacht
12. Als Die Waffen kamen

Die Urkatastrophe tells us about one of history's most catastrophic events, WWI. But, for fans of black and death metal, the music is anything but catastrophic.

Kanonenfieber is a one-man black/death project established in Germany in 2021 by the anonymous black-masked Noise (Non Est Deus, Leiþa), whose reason for keeping his identity secret is a reference to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. As well as covering his face during live performances, he also wears a World War I uniform which fits within the band's theme. The band's music is a combination of black and death metal, with a touch of modern post-metal and an atmosphere that vividly captures the devastating horrors of World War I in a similar way as Minenwerfer, 1914, and Bolt Thrower. Noise unleashed in 2021 the full-length debut Menschenmühle, an album inspired by the diary written by his great-grandfather whilst on the frontlines during World War I, and now he returns 3 years later to present the much anticipated sophomore album Die Urkatastrophe.

Die Urkatastrophe's 50-minute duration follows a similar theme as its predecessor, only this time based on original documents and letters sent by soldiers of the First World War. It's an album commemorating the countless victims of World War I, telling the tragic stories of the nameless, and offering a mere glimpse of the horrors they had to endure. Featuring a haunting recorded passage taken from the dark days of WWI, "Grossmachtfantasie" begins as an ideal introduction before exploding into action with the relatively short, bombastic main opening song "Menschenmühle". Furious hypnotic blackened tremolos are unleashed from the off, along with relentless pounding drum rolls and blast-beats, crushing bass, and howling shrieks of anguish and desperation. For modern black metal, the structure is rather simplistic, but the daunting hellish soundscape and tone created is more than fitting for the album's horrific theme, and, throughout the album, you'll find each song equally intensifying and melodic.

When we think of the black and death combination, we tend to naturally think of the blackened death sub-genre, and usually that means overwhelming heaviness, suffocatingly dense production, and a dissonant structure. But that's not the case with Kanonenfieber at all. In fact, the band's approach is rather more traditionally melodic, but, between the two genres, Kanonenfieber are clearly on the more blackened route. Although I won't go so far as to say in the vein of Dissection, there's certainly a hint of meloblack in their approach, "Lviv zu Lemberg" perhaps being the closest example with its highly ferocious tempo and classic meloblack style riffs, whilst even managing to throw a short traditional solo in during the slow tempo section. On the other hand, the most death orientated song featured is "Ausblutungsschlacht", being the closest to blackened death and certainly being one of the heaviest and most intense songs on the album.

Those familiar with Noise will more than likely have heard of his project Non Est Deus and the 2023 release of Legacy, an album which certainly placed that project on the modern black metal map, having contained some of that year's finest and most memorable looping hypnotic tremolos. There are occasions here where he presents such quality riffs in that very fashion, particularly on the songs "Sturmtrupp", "Panzerhenker", "Ritter der Lüfte", and the exceptional stand-out song "Waffenbrüder". However, the album is not all about the amazing riffs, there are several stand-out moments from "Der Maulwurf"'s mechanical war-like sound effects, to various vocal styles (from background singing as if coming from the soldiers themselves), to various soft post-black interlude build-ups, and the closing acoustic folkish war ballad "Als die Waffen kamen").

Die Urkatastrophe certainly won't be remembered for breaking new ground in terms of originality, but this one man's raw passionate performance and exceptional songwriting that tells the stories of those who suffered in unimaginable ways during WWI will certainly be remembered. There is no glory in war and Kanonenfieber's intentions are not for WWI glorification; through Die Urkatastrophe, you can really feel the pain and sorrow from those who suffered on the Frontline of WWI. If this is what WWI felt like to those who suffered unbearably on the Frontline, then they have my deepest respect and sympathy, and I hope to never have to endure those horrors myself, or others for that matter. With a debut and sophomore of such a high quality standard Kanonenfieber have proven to be a band of huge potential, and could become a real force in extreme metal (if the band's not already), this is an outstanding feat when you consider the fact that only one man/musician is behind the project.