There is hardly another German rock act able to compete with ATROCITY in the arenas of versatility, self-sufficiency, and constant musical reinvention. Beginning as progressive Death Metal and evolving around front man Alexander Krull so distinctly, in the course of the band’s history, the press saw it mistakenly fit to describe them as Metal, Rock, Gothic or even Ethno. ATROCITY, however, chose to remain true to their artistic inclinations without ever discrediting their roots: Always exciting and always unpredictable.
Their latest album, Atlantis, represents a type of comeback, after a three-and-a-half-year sabbatical, which could have hardly been better thought out and spectacular. In proven tradition, the quintet is not content with singular views, but rather prefers a concept that shapes the entire album: ”Atlantis is a very dynamic and musically complete work”, explains front man Alex Krull. ”It stands for bombastic, epic songs, in which heaviness, atmosphere, and melody work together to tell the story of Atlantis and the Golden Age. I am sure that many of our fans, who prefer the harder releases, will be thrilled with this album.”
Atlantis torpedoes categorical thinking and explores the limits of the Metal and Rock genres. For starters, the band’s first single, ”Cold Black Days”, exemplifies an ever-evolving understanding of songwriting, permitting the band to use spherical sounds and melodic hook lines. The result is to be heard from beginning to end, and by no means should any nightclub involved in the dark scene be without it. Those who chose to stereotype the musical framework of Atlantis will commit a grave error: ”Reich of Phenomena” delivers bombastic arrangements, blast beats, brutal riffs, and harsh vocals; ”Superior Race” is a double bass firestorm of blazing emotion and atmospheric arrangements; while ”Ichor” provides Death Metal with an epic alternative and ”Enigma” dares to journey into the world of opera. ”I see us as a band similar to such artists as Laibach or Diamanda Galas, who try to either change something already in existence, or completely create something new,” explains Krull. ”Such a goal is unusual for metal bands and makes us different than the majority of acts in our genre. In principle, we combine the musical ingredients used in our past together with new and fresh ideas. Thus, our music has many changes and is paired with extremely heavy, as well as melodic, hymn-like vocals. Aside from the dominant factors, partially much guitar work, the classically inspired string and vocal arrangements are the center of attention in this release.”
The latter outstandingly supports the majestic, overwhelming picture that the myth of Atlantis wakes in humans and also woke in Alex Krull: ”Atlantis, even today, remains one of the greatest mysteries of our time. The topic works for ATROCITY because it reflects an end-of-the-world atmosphere and also paints a very mystic and occult picture. There are some very dark parts on the album: the guidelines, so to speak. The music attempts to portray the rise and the fall of an extinct and very advanced culture.” In order to not only captivate the listener musically, Atlantis features a multimedia section with detailed information about Atlantis. ”It was wonderful and inspiring to work on it. I personally like the album because we allowed ourselves to let go and allow some things to run their course - the album contains many first takes and as such--the original ideas as they were created.”
Atlantis was recorded in the band’s well known Mastersound Studio, which was conceived and furnished by the band over the course of the years to fit their special needs. ”It was important to me that we possess a much more earthy and hell-raising sound on this album,” explains Krull, who also served again as producer for this release. ”In composing a concept album, such as Atlantis, there is little room to step outside the framework. In this case, the typical choosing of the best songs is nonexistent. More often than not, ideas within the theme are collected and the tracks are purposely composed. If I, for example, during the songwriting process of the track ‘Clash of the Titans’ visualize an ancient battle - Atlantis’ last stand - then it is a concrete visualization, which will be interpreted in musical form. At the same time, I want to be able to incorporate the ideas of the other band members - and I do know these well!”
The current ATROCITY line-up consists of Alex Krull (vocals), Christian Lukhaup (bass), Martin Schmidt (drums), as well as the double-guitar prowess of Mathias Röderer and Thorsten Bauer.
http://www.m-audio.com/artists/en_us/Atrocity.htmlhttp://atrocity.de/userdaten/Reich%20of%20Phenomena.MP3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Superior%20Race.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Gods%20Of%20Nations.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Ichor.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Enigma.MP3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Morbid%20Mind.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Omen.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Cold%20Black%20Days.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Atlantean%20Empire.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Clash%20Of%20The%20Titans.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Apocalypse.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Lost%20Eden.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/The%20Sunken%20Paradise.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Aeon.mp3http://atrocity.de/userdaten/Ein%20Volk.mp3Their latest album ”Atlantis” represents a type of comeback, after a three-and-a-half-year sabbatical, which could have hardly been better thought out and spectacular. In proven tradition, the quintet is not content with singular views, but rather prefers a concept that shapes the entire album: ”Atlantis is a very dynamic and musically complete work”, explains front man Alex Krull. ”It stands for bombastic, epic songs, in which heaviness, atmosphere, and melody work together to tell the story of Atlantis and the Golden Age. I am sure that many of our fans, who prefer the harder releases, will be thrilled with this album.”
http://www.atrocity.de/englisch.htm