Vinyl of the week: Duesenjaeger – Die Gespenster und der Schnee

At first I was thinking about not translating this article into german, because I wasn’t sure whether english readers would be interested in a punk band from Osnabrück singing in german. But then I remembered that I sometimes love to listen to bands in spanish or japanese, that I don’t understand a single word of… but bands like envy, Viva Belgrado or this year’s emo highlight by Cosmic Sans still convince with haunting melodies and emotions. So here we go!

German punk music in minor

Duesenjaeger, which translates into jet fighter, just released their fifth album overall. Which is not a lot in nearly 20 years of the band’s history. “Quality over quantity” seems to be their creed, since they have yet to release a truly bad album. “Die Gespenster und der Schnee” (“The ghosts and the snow”) is their first album in seven years.

Duesenjaeger haven’t made many changes to their sound of emo, post- and whatever punk, and why should they? The fifteen songs on the album contain a lot of minor key melodies. The album starts with the lyrics “Ich male ein Bild / in allen Farben / bis es fertig ist: grau” (I paint a picture / in all colors / until it’s finished: gray), which exemplifies their music perfectly. The songs are raw, dark, melancholic, yet still melodic. Songs like “Too Little, Too Late” with a nod to Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics, “Midnight Crisis” or “Drahtseilakt” stick with you. And as always, it’s all carried by Tobi Neumann’s distinctive, deep voice.

Vinyl of the week on black vinyl or as a cassette

Exactly like last friday you only have the option to purchase the current vinyl of the week on black color. It will probably be difficult to find it in a record store outside of germany, but there should be plenty options to buy it online. For those looking to save some money, you can also buy the album on the Grabeland Schallfolien label shop for a slim €8 in cassette format. The tape comes in a beautiful blue color, complete with an insert containing the lyrics and a download code.