Kinder Der Sehnsucht is the latest offering from the German band, Stahlmann.  In the vein of that other German band who sing in their own tongue, Rammstein, Kinder Der Sehnsucht (translated as Children’s Longing) is a good, solid album. The beats are grooving, the guitars blasting and the almost spoken lyrics in German give it that real grungy feel.

Recorded in Trak Shak Studios, the album was produced by Dennis Ward and Martin Soer (vocals); the album is at times, a reflection on society today.  Accurate as a painter, frontman and Stahlmann-mastermind Martin Soer is confronting a modern society with their own portrait. “Our society is more socially connected and flooded with information and incidents more than ever before and at the same time it is lonelier, more meaningless and more un-orientated than ever.“

On the other hand, this album can also tell positive aspects of our society.  The song Die Besten is a hymn to friendship.  “Friendship is the most precious thing that exists“, Mart states. “Being able to rely on someone and talking honest with people is something that should be celebrated and honoured much more often. Real friendship is worth that.“

When I originally reviewed the last Stahlmann album, Bastard, I compared them to Rammstein and I think I may have been a bit harsh as there is only one Rammstein.  These guys put out some impressive music in their own right.  Building on the best tracks from their last release, the opening track, Vom Himmel Verloren (Lost by Heaven) is a rip snorter.  All the elements are there, an up tempo beat with some great hooks and I find my foot tapping with the intro. Heavily distorted guitars accompany the heavily accented German of the verses before the chorus kicks in with a great beat to bang your head along to.

Next up, Wahrheit Oder Pflicht (Truth or Duty), a song that kicks off with what sounds like a child singing a nursery rhyme before breaking into a drumbeat driven that flows nicely.  While I wasn’t a great fan of Die Besten (The Best) at first, it keeps the album chugging along with that up-tempo sound.  After a few more listens I find it growing on me.

The album goes through a range of tracks that all but one, have that driving beat of industrial metal that I’ve come to really enjoy.  Wenn Du Gehst (featuring Blue May Rose) is a balladic track which feels a little out of place with the rest of the album, but is quite a good song. What this album does better than Bastard is that quality level is up, and I find that it is a much stronger album overall.  Best tracks being:

Vom Himmel Verloren, Wahrheit Oder Pflich, Mein Leben Fällt (My life Falls), Schliess Deine Augen (Close Your Eyes).

Kinder Der Sehnsucht is out now through AFM Records.