Review by Alex Grindor on May 15, 2023.

Death metal trio Bottlekopf continues their assault by delivering The Jokes Are Over. A very straightforward, in-your-face display of death metal dealing with the constant personal struggles one has. Although their career is relatively short (this being their second album since their inception 13 years ago), Bottlekopf holds nothing back in its music.

Musically, the instrumentation is tight with very little variation but still packing a heavy punch in the guts nonetheless. Guitar riffs and leads are well executed and the bass' weight is present throught the album. The drums never rely on over-the-top displays of inhuman frenzy, but rather choose a more controlled delivery that still crushes and beats you down. Vocals are competently executed and, despite being low growls, are quite legible. I do however feel that the music lacks some variation, as many tracks end up sounding the same at moments. Nothing terribly wrong with that but I like a bit more of variation. Despite this, the record as a whole has a constant groove that swirls amidst the brutality, which is more notorious when the band is at its slowest, like in track 11: 'Brainwash'. Production-wise, everything is crisp yet clear enough. It is a well-mixed album and nothing is left behind, everything has its level of clarity. From drums up to vocals, everything just sounds great.

With a near 50-minute runtime, The Jokes Are Over is a well executed, if a little repetitive, death metal album that shows Bottlekopf improving their work as a band. If you like your death metal a little more groovy a la SFU (but with a competent vocalist), then Bottlekopf is a great choice to consider. I was not enthralled by this album at all but still enjoyed it and commend the band nonetheless for its great sound and packing quite the punch despite being a trio.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10