Review by Death8699 on June 23, 2019.

If you wish to hear some annoying metal, Totentanz is for you. All of the effects I didn't dig whatsoever. If they kept it to just the guitars with all hoarse vocals, then it would've gotten a better rating from me. Industrial metal I'm just not into really. I don't like anything other than the guitar, intense vocals and solid production sound. This album does have a strong production, but the music or I should say the accompanying music to the guitars, should be erased.

I didn't quite like the multiple vocal outputs. Some were just irritating as hell. The guitar riffs feature palm muted frenzies along with chord progressions. The keyboards and flute really need to go though. They really ruined the guitars. A miserable release to listen to. The only thing that they have good to offer are the guitar riffs. The leads are insane too. Really technical and well played out. The vocals too need to feature just one album member, not multiple ones. The keyboards really got on my nerves and like I said ruined the release. The intro effects to some songs were distasteful and totally uncalled for. There are clean guitar bits here too that are played out well though and the guitar is solid. The only thing good about this release ARE the guitars. Total talent that deserves praise. The combination of hoarse throat alongside screaming didn't mesh well. If they kept it to deep throat, then it would've suited the music better. I'm not a big fan of industrial metal like I said so of course some bias does exist with me. But really, to talk about the guitar here is the best thing to discuss. The riffs are original sounding and the tempos aren't that fast, more groove laden. The leads are blistering and played with precision. The main guitars are strong and build this release up. Too bad that they included multiple vocalists. The guitar along with hoarse throat would've been the best for the band.

I guess that if you're a fan of industrial metal, then Totentanz hits home for you. Otherwise, I found this release to be putrid because of all of the effects and badly executed ideas that go alongside the guitars. The guitars were the highlight here, nothing else. I wouldn't say that this album is wholly original, just the guitar bits. The rest I couldn't really tolerate. I don't plan on getting future releases from this band. I'd like to bury this one in the mud!

Rating: 6 out of 10

Review by JD on November 12, 2012.

My Grandmother once told me that too many ingredients sometimes can ruin a good meal and I remembered that. It's sort of a good way to look at things not only in cooking, but in the music field as well. I have came across many acts both here in my country and everywhere that people send me music from... and that can sometime ruin things.

Ukraine based Thunderkraft seems to be one of those sort of bands, that uses so many elements of extreme metal into their own sonic assault. Parts of Groove Metal, Death Metal, Industrial Metal, Black Metal and even has some Pagan/Folk Metal outshoots even come into it. It seems like they have all of the cornerstones for a Extreme Metal outfit bulked up on steroids - but it is these multitudes of influences that stalls the band and confuses everyone. It feels like their music completely bogs down from all of these things fighting for supremacy, and the album never had the chance to flow because of all of these various parts.

The music seems so cut-and-paste through all, it seems the bad side of surreal at best. Strange song structures that goes no where with ill placed vocals that seem so shockingly out of place and guitars that sound like they are being played under water - it is hard to listen to. Thunderkraft have some heaviness to them, but the simple Industrial riffs get very boring fast, the lack of varying song structures leads nowhere even though there is a hint of something resembling talent in the music.

Settling on one basic style with small doses of others might be the way to go for a band that confuses more than entertains. If Thunderkraft takes that rout, while still being creative as hell - they will find many markets that will embrace them rather than laugh at their pitiful attempt they have here. Hope they take this to heart, because they do have a great amount of promise - but they cannot get to that place the way their music is now.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 6
Atmosphere: 3
Production: 5
Originality:4
Overall: 6

Rating: 4.8 out of 10