The Pitch: Gottwut (roughly German for "good rage") is a Russian industrial metal band, formed in 2015 in Moscow. They characterize their sound as a modern interpretation of industrial metal influenced by bands like Rammstein, KMFDM and Nine Inch Nails.
What I Like: I hope that you really dig Rammstein (I know I do), because that's more or less what you get with Gottwut. I can't really give the band a hard time about it either, because a) it's not like there's a glut of bands in that specific niche and b) Rammstein don't put out much new material these days to compete with. More importantly, Gottwut largely delivers the goods. Konglomerat serves as loving tribute to my teen years with a few special touches along the way.
All of the best ingredients are on display: simple-but-catchy 90's, industrialized guitar riffs, quirky keyboards, and even a vocal delivery that could be Till Lindemann himself. Hell, tracks like "Angerlove" (personal fav) and "Oil" sound like they could have been B-sides (ironically the name of another song) from Sehnsucht or Mutter. But there are some stylistic departures along the way. Some of the earlier tracks in particular like "My Duty" and "Sin" have a more melancholic, rock-oriented approach. Yes, this calls back in some ways to "Klavier" and "Stein Um Stein," but they never explode into the same monolithic choruses.
Critiques: Again, I'm not going to give Gottwut too much grief for the strong similarities to their peers, but this still serves as my main complaint. The risk of playing it so close to such an instantly recognizeable sound is coming off as That Band Lite. In the future I'd like to see them branch out more to put their own stamp on it. Regarding the album itself, it doesn't truly pick up steam until the title track. I might have led with this and sprinkled the softer moments later on.
The Verdict: Gottwut is a band that stands firmly on the shoulders of their predecessors, but they do so in a respectful and talented way. I've shared the album with a few people in person, so far with a positive response. Maybe it's time to pass the torch, and I haven't come across another group that seems so worthy of the honor. Who knows what a little more time and support could bring. Listen below, I'd recommend starting with some of my highlights.
Flight's Fav's: Angerlove, Konglomerat, Oil
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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