seven

the sound of "fossile brennstoffe" did not come as a surprise to anyone that has been following the band's sound since 1993. heavily processed ebm with excellent sequencing, dark slightly distorted vocals and powerful percussion are still the ingredients present on every song. if you were looking for the band that perfectly describes the term ebm - prager handgriff would be one of the first names that pops up in your mind.

with this album there are only a couple of immediate hits (similar to those all-time favorites like "deutschland", "schindluder", "herzblut", "europa", "computerwelt", "die grosse nation"). most likely it is due to the fact that the band uses a lot more english in their lyrics (quite unfortunate transition), and choruses are not nearly as powerful and addictive as they used to be. altogether it seems that the album is not as heavy and emotional as previous work; at times the songs become a bit repetitive - something that also was present on previous albums, but was concealed behind powerful vocals and more melodic elements.

the songs that attracted my attention right away are "handgrip of prague" with explosive rhythm and powerful chorus that drives this monumental piece. strong vocals and sequencing are excellent as usual, not straying too far from the band's trademark sound. "last sunset" came as quite a surprise - at first the song seems to be the usual straightforward ebm piece with gloomy vocals, but the chorus destroys the illusion - clean synths and clear unaltered voice (immediately reminding me darker deine lakaien tracks) attract your attention instantly. these two songs alone make this album worth listening to the old-time prager handgriff fans.

all in all, it is one of those ebm classics that are worth buying for their excellent production and old-school spirit together with distinct quality sound that they managed to keep over the years.