Here it is -- already the fifth (if I'm not mistaken) release from DER EREMIT, bearing the uncomplicated title "Das" (which translates to "this"). If you've been waiting for it, its unconventional nature and departure from previous works may pleasantly surprise you. How, you ask? Well, it contains a wealth of new elements uncharacteristic of the band's earlier material. Compared to, say, "Magma-Prana" (2002), which offered nothing surprising -- being essentially undiluted electronics -- things are different now. The band has acquired much that is new: the sampling has become more deliberate and structured, and most importantly, guitar, bass guitar, and violin have brought vitality and realism to the music.
I can't help but note that you can feel what frontman Gian was involved with previously (he played bass in numerous death metal bands). That influence is to some degree evident on the album when the music erupts into a harsh, broken rhythm directly linked to death metal. But don't misunderstand me -- this is only noticeable to the well-trained ear of a reviewer whose job it is to convey the full atmosphere embodied in the album. At its core, the band doesn't abandon its electronic compass; the new instruments simply contribute their quite substantial influence to the group's creative output. What greatly surprised me is that this act is classified among German gothic formations, which isn't entirely accurate -- at least not with regard to this particular release. Too little connects the current DER EREMIT with gothic. As for the compositions, there are a full 15 of them on the album. Among these, several stand out as particularly appealing: LichtBringer ("the one who brings light"), Hippiekache (in this title they channeled their hatred of hippies and called them, to put it mildly, rubbish), WinterSonne ("winter sun") -- in my opinion one of the most interesting songs on the album -- and Thanatos (directly related to thanatophobia, the fear of death; as a song, it's a beautiful acoustic piece full of melancholy). Well, that's about it -- if I've missed anything, you have a perfect opportunity to catch it by giving the album a listen.