Anderes Holz: Continuo

A German avant-art trio, Anderes Holz have only just begun, but already they are asking us to Continuo with what appears to be their second offering. A quick glance at the album art of an undead looking figure twisting their neck unnaturally, while some sort of wolfodile barks out a thorny rose in full bloom, sends out a signal - and if the frequency you’ve picked up is filled with jagged, darting themes and progressive music that, while hinting at the classics, sure ain’t ‘prog’, then you’d be pretty much correct.

With the vocals sung, hollered, hooted and snarled in the trio’s native tongue - both Dominique M. Tager and Tine Tager ‘sing’ when the mood takes them - for an English speaker, already the tone is set. You’re welcome in here… on our terms… and that’s an ethos the band stick to whether oozing their way through the slippery slide of “Fase� or offering up some bizarrely Germanic, riff totting Latin rhythm infused antics courtesy of “Schwan�. An easy journey this was never meant to be but Anderes Holz are still clever enough to offer up numerous ways into what it is they do. “Stereo Indigo� mixing off-kilter whistles with a hammer smash riff and chanting vocals, whereas the almost easy listening of “Morgenwelt� squeezes some smooth meanders in amongst squealing saxophone and bizarrely boinging backing vocals.

The closing song splits into three, “Buto� a strange little mix of clock chimes and whispered words backed by a crazed music box that bursts into the most aggressive shriek of guitars and vocals. Then “Copor� shelves all of that with honking horns and a driving beat, before “Pjilia� offers up a beautiful play of acoustic guitars and a tip and tap of footsteps that meander us out of the album.

Straight forward Continuo is not, but it certainly demands you stay the course to see which way things turn out. In truth, once I had done exactly that, I wasn’t truly motivated to experience the journey again. Proggers with a much more experimental side may well feel differently, and if they do they will be rewarded, because this is all expertly put together, but it’s not really designed for me.

Track Listing
1. Şıfr

2. Morgenwelt

3. Stereo Indigo 

4. Fase 

5. Globus 

6. Neume 

7. Schwan 

8. Buto 

9. Čopor 

10. Philia

Added: October 19th 2022
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Anderes Holz on bandcamp
Hits: 378
Language: english

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