Label: Ulterium Records
Genre: Melodic Folk Metal
Line Up:
Bastus (vocals)
Svea (violin, hurdy-gurdy, nyckelharpa)
Coluber (bagpipes, shawms)
Comatus (keyboards)
Morti (bass)
Breacán (guitars)
Lasko (drums)
Tracklist:
Paranoia
Korinth
Himmelsstern
Immermorgenland
Schwarzes Kleid
Mephistopheles
Chronos
Leere & Chaos
Vanitas Vanitatum
10 000 Jahre
Frei
Wir sind das Ende
A giant eyeball graces the CD cover of this album… That alone speaks volumes about the excellence of Paranoia, BUT for those more discerning readers who require additional details, we’re happy to oblige.
After a 6-year hiatus, Reliquiae have returned with Paranoia – an album that immediately strikes you as the band’s most metal-heavy and brutal work yet. Reflecting on their 2019 release Babylon, the folk rock elements clearly dominated, but now the music delivers a crushing blow, as if declaring “We’re baaaaack”.
For those keeping track, yes, we did get the string-focused Streich in 2022, but this marks a genuine studio album from the group and serves as Babylon’s true follow-up. The release also marks their 15th anniversary celebration, which inevitably makes me feel ancient.
While the pounding drums and guitar crunch provide the album’s weightier atmosphere, the characteristic bagpipes, nyckelharpa, hurdy-gurdy and violin remain prominent, delivering that distinctive and captivating sound the band is known for.
It’s infectious, it’s made for singing along, it’s entirely in German… German albums always find their way to me, though I really should put more effort into learning such a melodic language – how challenging could it possibly be?
With Simon Michael at the production helm (known for his work with Feuerschwanz and as Subway to Sally’s drummer, among others), exceptional quality was guaranteed. My only complaint is the absence of a lyric sheet. The band has mentioned that the lyrics provide the album’s depth, and I’m eager to explore that dimension further. While the sound alone is captivating, the stories within these songs clearly deserve attention, as they promise new discoveries with each listen.
For this reason, I recommend getting the physical edition. Thomas Ewerhard (who has also created artwork for Amon Amarth, Dimmu Borgir and Avantasia, among others) designed the media book. The 20-page booklet features all lyrics in beautiful handwritten form. Time to dust off Google Translate.
Score 8/10
Reviewed by Adrian Hextall
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