Band:	Mein_Ganzes_Heer
Album:	Zwiestunde
Style:	Progressive metal
Release date:	2009
A review by:	Lucas

01. Mit Dir (Durch Die Nacht)
02. Schleier Der Diskretion
03. EinBlick
04. Freitodtraum
05. Das Meine
06. Verheerende Aufmerksamkeit
07. Die Vorletzten Dinge
08. Morgenstern
09. Endliche Klarheit
10. Nunmehr
11. Fassende

The problem with promises is that you have to keep them. If there's one point I'd like to get across to the writers of press sheets, it's that specific one. You don't have to be world's biggest critic when it comes to writing a short introduction text on your own band, but really, do not dub yourselves "heroes" and your band "extraordinarily unlimited extreme metal". Especially, especially, if you are nothing of the sort. We'll be the judge of that.

Well, now that I've got that off my chest, I won't further hold it against Mein_Ganzes_Heer, the band that's up for discussion today. After all, they are a young band and the ambition suits them, I suppose. But they have a long road still ahead of them. "Zwiestunde", "Twilight Hour" in English, is their first attempt at worldwide metal fame and although it is a technically proficient release, it lacks adventure and energy.

The dominating element on this release is the clean vocals, which is a song writing-decision they may want to reconsider. While there is not much wrong with them, they are utilized too commonly and monotonous, so halfway during the album you'll probably be pretty sick of them already. The vocals shift to growls on the moments that the music gets more intense, but even then the atmosphere of the record is pretty tame. That's what you get for mixing an overkill of melodic, half-assed and stereotypical guitar riffs with monotone and non-exciting clean 'chants'. And adding calm, 'passionate' and 'sensitive' (read: boring) interludes isn't going to help your case at all...

Positioning themselves are extreme metal can be called a mistake on their part, as although they do have extreme elements here and there, they are far too tame for the average Death, Black or Thrash fan. Power metal with extreme touches is more like it. Therefore, I'd rather recommend this stuff to fans of Norther or Kalmah and the likes. But that is an area of music I don't dwell in, and don't have any desire to, so don't run to the record store before you've heard this yourself. And I doubt the fans of those bands see any musical challenges in this, either. Unless you're playing a game of 'remembering the riff', of course.

To sum up, my problem with this band is two-folded: a) they are not an extreme metal band and should really stop presenting themselves as such, for their own good & b) although they are technically skilled, they lack fresh ideas and originality, causing them to sound really forgettable. And that just happens to be the biggest possible crime in music one can commit. So no insufficient from me, because they are not bad, but not much more either, because they really need to step up their game next time.