FAHRENHEIT 212 - Neues vom Hexer
Fahrenheit 212 is not only the temperature at which water boils, but also a German heavy metal band that was formed already back in 1992. They released two CDs in 1995 (Der Hexer) and 1996 (Kreuzung der Gefühle) before making a ten year break. The band has now made a comeback with a new CD called Neues vom Hexer, like the ancient German movie adaptation of an Edgar Wallace novel.
And like an Edgar Wallace novel, Fahrenheit 212’s sound is totally outdated and stuck in the period when the band started. One inspiration is the Neue Deutsche Härte movement that draws parallels to Rammstein and Laibach, even if the latter are not German. Another influence is the so-called crossover music which became popular with bands like Rage Against The Machine and Such A Surge. Finally there’s a stronger metal touch reminding of Metallica’s St. Anger period. All of this creates a musical cocktail which is difficult to digest. First of all, Fahrenheit 212 are only average song writers. What they are doing has already been done many times before in a better quality. Worst of all is singer Mirko Kerber whose raw, aggressive but monotonous voice is starting to annoy already after a few moments.
The first disc doesn’t offer too much variation but presents nevertheless a few gems. Melodie In Moll is a melodic song reminding me of an angrier Knorkator. Das Messer is also less aggressive and has clean vocals and a mid-tempo structure, but five minutes are too much for this track. Wüstenwind and Über das Meer are two quieter tracks which work better for Fahrenheit 212 than their brutal side which isn’t their strong one.
The second disc is completely different from the first one. It contains instrumental, alternative and remixed versions of songs featured on the first CD. This round starts rhythmically with lots of bass and drums before turning into Satriani rock and finally into something more keyboard orientated and atmospheric. It’s nice background music, but nothing to enjoy for a longer time.
It should be mentioned though that Fahrenheit 212 are a socially aware band that supports organisations like ‘Aufmucken gegen Rechts’ (fighting fascism) and ‘Die Tafeln’ (caring for homeless people), which is also mirrored in their lyrics. The digipak cover looks amazing and you need a black and a white card in order to read the lyrics written on a transparent plastic.
Although I totally agree with the band’s actions and messages, I’m not too convinced about their musical talent. Normally albums of such a low quality would deserve an insufficient rating, but I give half of the possible points because of the band’s attitude.