Review by Felix on April 4, 2024.

Once Krokus were the leading hard rock / heavy metal export from Switzerland. After a forgettable progressive rock beginning, the band released a couple of albums which were a tiny little bit inspired by AC/DC, if I remember correctly. I loved these vinyls. Then came “Change of Address”, terrible artwork, terrible new image (see them in their multi-coloured pop outfits on the back cover) and terribly polished music. I felt the need to vomit (in German: “kotzen”). And maybe the guys of Chotzä (in German once again: “kotzen”) had the same impulse when they got in contact with this album for the first time.

At least their level of aggression indicates a high degree of disgust and bitterness. Don’t let yourself be confused by the well-hung leads that kick off the opener. The promo does not promise too much when it speaks about Pächschwarz as another “piece of puke”. And even the almost, but only almost melancholic melody lines of the opener have the rotten smell of corpses nobody found during the last four weeks. I guess the title of the first song means 'Forgotten By God', no guarantee, because their regional dialect has nothing to do with the German I know and speak. If somebody told me they sing in Chinese, I would believe it as well. Anyway, this is a fitting title for the opener. I don’t think that a higher might wants to be connected with this sulphurous yet awesome stinker. 'Schimubuebae' is the next song name and I have no clue about its meaning. Perhaps it is a Swiss word for “We are from the same country as Tom G. Warrior and therefore we have integrated two little “Ugh!” in this song”. But I am not sure. What I know is that this piece of environmental pollution houses fantastically flowing lines in the Scandinavian tradition, but also a rebellious solo that prevents an overdose of Nordic black metal. Chotzä do not use new tools, but they create a very special sound with the tried and tested ones. Sometimes they border on crustcore, but atmosphere plays a surprisingly big role too. Blast beats are welcome from time to time and it goes without saying that the lead singer is not interested in offering tones which are as clear as the sound of a bell. The vocal cords of this dude seem to be covered by thick layers of filth. His metallic performance is a little contrast to the guitars. Sometimes they have a very punky note. But Chotzä, who may be like bands such as Transilvanian Beat Club, put everything in the right balance. Songs like the very cool, intense and hateful 'Loeutschae' (another absolutely mysterious title) even add a spooky touch. Unfortunately the second half of the album is less outstanding. Neither 'Unusgschprochae' (solid Burzum-esque tremolo riffing lines, but also somewhat lame parts) nor 'Satan’s Suendae' (based on quite average guitar lines) fall completely through the net, but they cannot hold a candle to the remaining tracks. 'Fieberwahn' (I understand the title!) brings the guys back on track due to its pressure, aggression and compactness, while the large-formatted, proper closer wallows somewhere between melancholy and agony.

And that’s it, eight fittingly produced tracks that have the potential to catapult you into the best bad mood you have ever had. If you are Chris von Rohr or Fernando von Arb, perhaps you should stay away from this output. Everybody else is invited to lend an ear to Pächschwarz.

Rating: 8 out of 10