Sober Truth sind:
" Sober Truth legen mit „Outta Hell“ ein homogenes, dennoch abwechslungsreiches und vor allem spielfreudiges Werk vor, dem sich kein Metalhörer, sei es aus der Thrash, Classic oder Modern Metal-Ecke, verschließen sollte. Schließlich kommt es nicht von ungefähr, dass die Rheinländer Anfang Februar im Finale des Unholy Underground Metal Band Contest stehen werden – und mit ihrer unnachahmlichen Mischung und den genialen Melodien dürften sie es nicht besonders schwer haben."
Der Titeltrack weckt direkt die ersten Assoziationen mit Grave Digger – ob es an dem lustigen deutschen Akzent liegt, weiß ich nicht, aber es passt einfach und Torstens leicht nach der alten Schule klingende Stimme versüßt den Song zusätzlich. Waghalsige Gitarrensoli erwarten uns bei „My Life“, einem thrashigeren Stück mit sehr coolem Gesang; auch „Leave Me Alone“ und das im Chorus fast hypnotische „I Believe“ schlagen eher in die Thrash-Kerbe. Oben genannte moderne Bands kommen vor allem bei „Soulless“ zum Vorschein, das hier im „Burning Flavour Mix“ vorliegt. Remix hin oder her, der Song ist einsame Spitze, Torstens Stimme erinnert sehr an Disturbeds Dave Draiman, obwohl man kaum für möglich gehalten hätte, dass es einen weiteren Sänger auf dieser Erde gibt, der auch nur ansatzweise ähnlich klingt.
Weder sind Sober Truth alt – auch wenn sie ihre Teenagerjahre schon hinter sich gelassen haben dürften -, noch klingt das Quartett auch nur annährend flügellahm und sinnlos besaufen sollte man sich beim Hören der neuen Platte „Outta Hell“ erst recht nicht – man könnte ja virtuoses Gitarrenspiel und abwechslungsreichen Gesang en masse verpassen. Die erst 2007 gegründete rheinländische Band vermag auf ihrem zweiten Longplayer nicht die Welt aus den Angeln zu heben, überraschen aber mit ungebrochener Spielfreude und – man höre und staune – einem Sänger, der von Classic Metal über modernen Disturbed-artigen Gesang bis hin zu gothicartigen Tönen eine stimmliche Bandbreite beherrscht wie kaum ein Zweiter im Heavy Metal - da lässt sich sogar irgendwo eine Nuance Serj Tankian entdecken, wenn man genauer hinhört.
Who says newcoming bands can't have a personal sound or sparks of originality? SOBER TRUTH from Germany are here to prove the people who claim such things wrong with their latest release titled "Outta Hell" which shows the diversity in the band's musical approach and their need to experiment with a variety of sounds which they incorporate in their compositions in a really smooth and homogeneous way. The foundation of their music is groove and thrash metal, both the old school and the more modern branches, but upon these they build and expand their sound that has classic heavy, atmospheric, melodic death metal influences and everything in between! This is something that makes SOBER TRUTH stand out since it's obvious that they don't do anything on purpose, but only because they love and enjoy this kind of music. All in all "Outta Hell" is a really good piece of work with a good production, ideal for the open minded thrashers who like some twists in their music. I enjoyed the whole album from beginning to end, because each song had something new to offer me, but I think I liked a bit more the second half of this release
Wow! Das Anfangsriff ist schon mal der absolute Hammer und unheimlich treibend. Aber auch der anschliessende eher ruhige Groove-Part ist sehr geil und spielt vor allem sehr cool mit der Stimmung. Sehr geil natuerlich, wenn der Song dann wieder in diese treibenden Passagen zurueckwechselt, wie z.B. bei 1:09. Der Gesang war durch seine "Klarheit" ehrlich gesagt zunaechst etwas gewoehnungsbeduerftig fuer mich, aber je laenger ich in den Track reinhoere, desto cooler finde ich ihn. Zweifellos macht die Nummer einen unheimlichen Druck und ueberzeugt mit intelligentem Songwriting und sehr spannenden Wechseln zwischen ruhigeren und treibenderen Parts. Finde hier viele schoene, interessante Elemente, musikalisch ist die Nummer absolut hochklassig und auch von der Produktion her sehr fett!
Ich fang mal mit dem Besten an, mit dem Grund, weshalb mir „Outta Hell“ gut gefällt.
Trotz aller Modernität, die in Richtung BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE usw. schlägt, klingen alle Songs überraschend erwachsen. Es ist weder ein pubertäres Rumgequicke vorhanden, welches die ach-so-fucking-Killer-Message verbreiten soll, noch irgendein jump-jump-Gefreckel.
Das Quartett hat es geschafft eine Ballance zu schaffen, und zwar zwischen dem was In ist, und dem was dem Puristen am Herzen liegt. Egal ob jene Komponenten einzeln mal im Gesang, in der Gitarrenarbeit, in der Bassline oder auch in der gesamten Struktur vorhanden sind, alles ist gründlich und gleichmäßig aufgeteilt, und sollte somit für jeden etwas beherbergen.
Dabei sind einige Elemente komplett weggelassen worden, eben diejenigen, die ich oben geschildert habe. Somit weiß (mir zumindest) „Outta Hell“ zu gefallen.
Reviews:
Album: Sober Truth - Outta Hell - 2009
Review zu Outta Hell / The Metalfields
This is the second release of this band from Siegburg (Germany) after their debut Riven from 2008. Now in 2009 Sober Truth released Outta Hell and the album sounds like the title says....direct out of hell. The music is not easy to categorize so we let the songs do the talking. Here we go.
The one minute „Introduction Part III“ starts the album. Sounds like if the war is over and the fields are burning. Has the apocalypse begun? The title track starts with a thrash riff. Aggressive shouts meet cleaner, more alternative vocals. The refrain remembers a bit to newer Mercenary.
A silent break interrupts that vocal inferno. Slow bass and guitars prepare us for the ultimate showdown. The first guitar solo of the album appears...well played. Double bass drums to follow. Yes, this song is thrash influenced with modern elements. Fast drums and guitars open „My life“. Nice hookline..heavy riffing.
Again clean vocals change with shouts. Sometimes the voice of vocalist Torsten Schramm sounds a little weird....in a positive way. The song is held more in midtempo. A bassline in the middle leads to the guitar solo, played with twin guitars.
Guitarist Hamid Haghou does a brilliant job, for sure. If this song should reflect my life, it has to be a life in chaos. Great song with a lot of breaks and lots to explore. „Future lies“ continues with thrash meets modern sounds. Sometimes I feel some punk vibes in the music of Sober Truth, so in parts of this song. Excellent drums on Nick Homfeldt pushes this track to a groove monster in the midpart.
The hectic atmosphere from the start also ends this song. Following is another one minute intro called „Introduction Part IV“. This time it sounds like the war shouts of street gangs with clapping hands. It leads over to „Soulless“. Drums and bass start....the guitars set in. Hardcore vocals underlined with heavy guitar lines. This could be the sequel to the song Outta hell. The hardest song so far. Another bass intro of Tobias Thauer starts „Leave me alone“. A short guitar harmony changes to thrash riffing. The clean vocals of Torsten Schramm have its very own style and becomes for me the trademark for the band.
If this vocals appear you will immediately know that this is Sober Truth. The song again mixes thrash with modern metal. By the way...I don't have the lyrics cause the booklet didn't show 'em. But if I have a look at the artwork, which is really apocalyptic, and what I can hear out, the basic message is extremely negative and cold. That is what the band wants to tell us in their music...and they do it excellent. A new element in the sound of Sober Truth can be found in „I believe“. A very doom start. But only to move over to the well known aggression. The guitars building a machinegun firing in all directions. A wall of sound. The guitar solos are always breathing heavy metal, the rhythms do the thrash. This is definetely the darkest song of the album, it is a doom meets thrash song. „One by one“ begins with acoustic guitars. A ballad? Guitar harmony that follows will make us think of that. But...we failed.
The song changes to another thrasher. Some speed metal elements before and after the refrain in the guitar work. The bass and a guitar hook ends it. Double bass opens „Liar“. The guitars are more played in classic heavy metal. Clean vocals, partly whispered and also the chorus leans that song a hymn character. With a thrashy speed note in some parts. But this is the most classic metal style song of the album. Short drum solo in the beginning of „Taste“. The riffing is pure thrash metal. But the refrain is surprising. Chrous vocals held in harmonies. Ok...someone in the background is screaming. Anyway this the most ear catching song. I would say..everyone can sing this song with the band if they are acting on stage...maybe. „Victim“ points with a happy refrain and a high vocal perfomance of Torsten Schramm in the middle of the song. This song tries out a lot of different vocal performances. Chorus, aggressive shouts, clean harmonies. A real old school guitar solo rounds up this unusual song. The last one minute intro „Introduction Part V“, that sounds like a ticking clock in hell, brings us to „Taste (featuring Kim Petras)".
Only a piano is supporting the vocal performances of Torsten Schramm and Kim Petras. This song is a dark ballad. Kim, the lady, has a very good warm voice and also Torsten proves that he is a good vocalist too. Well done. In the end there is a funny 1 ½ minute track called „Sober Truth Hymn“. This is not more than a Beatles Yellow Submarine gag with the bands own words. What I understood was „we wanna work for f***ing Sober Truth“ or something else.
I was really surprised about this album. The band is mixing different styles to create their own. And this works really good. For me the vocals give the band their own note and that means that you will ever know that Sober Truth is playing if you hear the voice of Torsten Schramm.
The combination of old and new elements through the world of thrash, hardcore, doom and heavy metal deserves a menue that taste excellent. That was a little surprise for me. And so you get appetite for more.
Sober Truth made it to shine out of the masses of extreme metal music. More please !!
Points: 8/10
review by Kerb
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Band: Sober Truth