Crematory hits the road again with a new album.
Following their return to their roots on the previous album, Felix Stass (vocals, Stass), Markus Jüllich (drums), Katrin Jüllich (keyboards/samples), Rolf Munkes (guitar, Empire, Razorback, ex-Majesty) and Oliver Revilo (bass, Boiling Blood) sign to Roar / Rock of Angels to unveil Destination, their seventeenth album.
The band kicks off with the eponymous Destination, which quickly builds to a simple but catchy rhythm over which keyboards and vocals come to life, softening slightly on the chorus and even becoming plaintive at times. The more minimalist, melancholy tones return on The Future Is a Lonely Place, where keyboards take on a more prominent role, as do the contrasting vocal parts before becoming much more energetic on Welt aus Glas, which reinforces the vivid Industrial tones. The track is the perfect compromise between Metal and motivating Electro tones, while the band take a completely different approach on My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend, a Type O Negative cover they perform with Michelle Darkness (End of Green, Bury Me Deep), making the track more melancholy. The groove is effective again with After Isolation, creating a real difference with the majestic, heady choruses that emerge before the sound gets heavier with My Own Private God, which sounds almost solemn at times thanks to the ecclesiastical tones. The track remains in these gothic tones before moving on to Days Without Sun, which is immediately more driving and again incorporates airy Indus touches, but the band returns to a more melancholy sound with Deep in the Silence, which combines different but complementary vocal approaches. Back to the unifying patterns on Banished Forever, which will naturally get you shaking your head, especially on that jerky moshpart before the chorus, then it’s the melodious touches of Ashes of Despair that take over, making the track relatively accessible despite the saturated vocals. We continue with the retro sounds of Toxic Touch, which give the rhythm its danceable atmosphere despite the message, then Das letzte Ticket closes the album with the jerky touch characteristic of the band’s compositions, letting German vocals to reinforce its Indus roots.
Crematory have bounced back perfectly from their return to Gothic Metal roots, and it’s worth noting that the vocalist is much more at ease than on the previous album! Destination is the worthy successor to their discography, and just begs to be played live (and not just in Germany)!
85/100