Asenblut - Entfesselt

Angry Metal Guy 50

Steel Druhm Himself and Holdeneye see eye to…eye on many metal-related issues. We gravitate toward the same styles and share an appreciation for plenty of bands across the metal spectrum. It’s not all Kumbaya though, no Sireebob. I could not have agreed less with his loving review of cheese-tastic faux-Manometal act All for Metal. They’re like an even more ridiculous version of the already super ludicrous Brothers of Metal, and I couldn’t stomach the lactose overload their music flung in all directions like cheap beer at an 80s thrash-fest. Imagine then my primal shock when I grabbed the latest album from German battle metal purveyors Asenblut only to find it’s helmed by one of the vocalists of All for Metal. Yep, Tim “Tetzel” Schmidt is the main mountain of power here, delivering course, rough death vocals over a churning sea of very familiar riffs and gallops. You see, Asenblut are like a big ole’ bucket-load of recycled Amon Amarth riffs propped up with the occasional use of traditional metal muscle and power chugs. Turns out they’ve been doing this for a long time too, as Entfesselt is their fifth album, and the second we’ve reviewed here.¹ So how much real raiding can a knockoff act like Asenblut pull off in a marketplace saturated with similar, better-known battle metal acts? Let us test their metal then.

The Amon Amarth-isms hit the shores fast and hard on opener “Das Ende der Götter,” which sounds like something from With Oden on Our Side, but the early, roughed-out pre-studio version before all polishing and tweaking. Burly battle riffs pump away as Mr. Tetzel does a remarkable job imitating Johan Hegg’s rough death roars and higher-pitched screeching. It’s completely serviceable to get your blood up and your battle face on, but it’s derivative enough to be unsettling, and that’s all of Entfesselt in an elevator pitch. The title track is so AA it actually dares a lawsuit from the angry Swedes. It’s anthemic and just epic enough to trigger pec flexage and sword hand cramping and it’s not bad. “Unbesiegbar” introduces some welcome Brainstorm / Mystic Prophecy influence courtesy of big, meaty riffs, and these pair well with the shameless Swede pillaging.

Tracks like “Wölfe des Meeres” and “Blut und Sand” are solid, steeped in macho bravado and barbarian rage, heavy enough to get you hostile but memorable too. Closer “Nox Nostra Est” is extra blackened and blast-happy with an epic vibe carrying the chest-thumping machismo to a higher plane. While Asenblut clearly love the sound and style laid down by their favorite act and prove quite adept at imitating them, an album’s worth of such flattering imitation can offer challenges for the listener. You start to hear bits and pieces of their target influence’s work product and wonder if the similarities are intentional or happenstance. “Arm in Arm” sounds a lot like AA’s “Victorious March,” and while I dearly love that song, this offshoot time line is less endearing. “Hexengericht” reminds me of sillier AA fare like “Raise Your Horns,” fun but throw-away. It’s nearly impossible to listen to this album and not make these mental comparisons, and I really tried. And that’s a shame since a lot of Entfesselt is enjoyable enough. Nothing Asenblut do has a trace of their own unique identity, but they sure are good mimics with impressive bench stats.

Guitarists Alex and Chris do a solid job crafting bruising battle riffs to stir the loins and put you on the the warpath. Yes, they are following a specific blueprint not their own, and sometimes their creations veer too close to their progenitors, but they get the job done nonetheless. Big Time Tim Tetzel has a respectable death roar, more raw and rough-around-the-edge than Johan Hegg, yet still similar. He provides the berserker energy and muscle, and he’s convincing as he screams of battles and glory (the lyrics are all in German so I’m making an educated guess here). The band has enough talent to pull off this style, though the compositions often feel like washed-out versions of songs you already heard on some forgotten battlefield.

As much as I hate All for Metal, I can’t bring myself to feel the same way about Asenblut. The individual parts work well enough and the songs are mostly entertaining if often rote. The real issue is whether the world needs such a blatant copycat of a better-known act. Basically, Asenblut is “We have Amon Amarth at home”² but if you want more battle metal in your life and aren’t picky how much it sounds like someone else, you’ll likely get Longship mileage from Entfesselt. All others may want to wait for an authentic Viking cruise.



Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Massacre
Websites: asenblut.de | facebook.com/asenblutband
Releases Worldwide: August 2nd, 2024

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