To the Extreme

While everyone is complaining about the demise of classical music, the Crossover between medieval songs and Rock continues to win new fans. Questions about purity and artistic quality aside, there is no doubt that bands like Corvus Corax or Schandmaul are treating their trade with utmost sincerity and put an emphasis on presenting traditional tunes next to their own original material. The latter once again becomes aparent on "Mein Rasend Herz" (My frantic heart), the new album by German band In Extremo. They were one of the first to enter the stage with bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, and flutes next to guitar, bass and drums and through constant touring, they managed to establish a loyal fan base. While their last effort "7" leaned towards the danceable metal of their compatriots Rammstein (and featured the massive hits "Erdbeermund" and "Küss mich"), guitars have been tuned down just a little bit on the new CD. And according to the band, more medieval influences than ever are part of the programme. The track "Tannhuser" even derives from an ancient handwriting which the group discovered in their search for as yet unrecorded material.

Homepage: In Extremo