The short answer: no. But, don't click away just yet! It might not be the best of all time, but Krone Der Schöpfung makes for one of the best black metal albums I've heard this year.
The German title of the album, “Krone Der Schöpfung” literally translates to “crown of creation”, i.e. the crowning achievement or pinnacle of creation, often used in an ironic sense. The title made me immediately think of the opening track of another German album, Japanische Kampfhörspiele’s Kaputte Nackte Affen, in which the vocalist screams: “Das ist also die Krone der Schöpfung? Sieh sie dir an!” (“So this is the pinnacle of creation? Take a look at it!”). So, taking Japanische Kampfhörspiele’s advice, let's dare to take a look at this album…
The band in question, Mehrwertsteuer, is a brand-new, one-man project from Germany. And, while Japanische Kampfhörspiele play grindcore and Mehrwertsteuer play black metal, both bands have a similar lyrical objective: criticism of modern society. Everything about Mehrwertsteuer’s image, from the band name (“Mehrwertsteuer” = “valued added tax”) to the artist pseudonym (“Der Vorstand” = “the executive board”) is drenched in bureaucratic and economic lingo.
The songs primarily criticize taxation, which funds the shadowy projects of a corrupt government. The lyrics are cleverly and poetically written, with lots of metaphors that attempt to make the usually dry financial themes sound more dramatic and intimidating. For a metal album, the lyrical theme is quite unique, and, I must say, the topic is, unfortunately, quite pertinent. Still, for most of the audience that doesn't speak German, the lyrics won't be all that significant. So, how does the actual music fare?
The good news is that even without understanding the lyrics, a listener can have an absolute blast with Krone Der Schöpfung. The genre is black metal, but it's also infused with a death metal groove that gives the overall sound an additional punch. With a consistently fast-paced tempo, the fierce drumming and menacing guitar riffs perfectly complement the aggressive, blackened vocals. Mehrwertsteuer strikes a remarkable balance between catchy melody and vicious intensity. The militant German vocals set a harsh rhythm that never lets up, while, simultaneously, the guitar-work provides entertaining melodies that demand headbanging. It all vividly reminds me of Kanonenfieber, which makes for high praise, indeed!
In conclusion, I find Krone Der Schöpfung incredibly impressive, especially considering that this is not only a debut album, but also fully written and performed by a single artist! My favorite songs here are probably “Leidzins” and “Steuerlast”, but, really, the whole tracklist is pretty consistently great, and its total runtime of 40 minutes is nicely accessible.
So, what are you waiting for? Furiously fun black metal, fueled by the hatred for taxes, awaits!
