REFLECTOR
- flugangst
(pic
disc, rock is hell)
Why do Reflector call this release “flugangst” (fear
of flying, transl.) when it sounds as if they are plowing through the
ground a few meters below surface like those monsters in “Land of the
Rocket Worms” (with Kevin Bacon, no less.) Anyway, this demands adjectives
like mighty, heavy, powerful and doom-ridden from any decent reviewer. If he
or she is able to get beyond praising the wonderful design of this picture
disc. (Click on the cover above to see the backside with the picture disc
motive). Actually it is not a picture disc as such, but a regular translucent vinyl one sided record with silk screen pressing onto the disc on the other side
– I demand that rock is hell gets a design award soon or else the world is
a harsh, unfair and cold place. Well, I thought so. To put pain onto blame
it says on the record that it is limited to 35 pieces. Ha ha. Why then, in
the name of all that is mighty, heavy, powerful and doom ridden, do I write
a review about a record that is sold out even before it is done printing?
I’ll give you a bunch of theories and you chose: I am somewhat stupid or
at least weird. I don’t give a damn. “Flugangst” is not only wonderful
to look at, but also great to listen to. Actually, the record is out in an edition of 500 - 35 of which have a silkscreened cover. There we go, atta boy!
Doomy, instrumental rock that is heavy and crunchy like
this is always a hard nut. All around drum and guitar duos are abounding,
but they always seem to do at least on of two bad things they can do: act
all progressively and technically ingenious when actually they are not. I
mean, no you ain’t the first guitar player that realised that by detuning
your guitar you can play fast powerchords with just one finger. The other
thing is to be boring after five minutes because everything starts to sound
the same. Remember, the first and probably only law of making music is:
don’t be boring. Reflector now on the other hand walk by these traps with
heads held high. They don’t care about technique or showing off their
abilities, but focus on producing a sound, or a wall of sound, an alpine
ridge of a sound that is like heavy metal burned into stone by an alien
blitz. And even when listening to this same record with its three songs on,
three times in a row, they do not get boring. There ain’t too many
changes, sometimes they are faster, sometimes slower, towards the end all
you hear is the drums pounding on the toms and the guitar reverb, before the
guitar slowly creeps back, but it is just their knack for the right dynamics
inside the songs that keep them exciting. In a short sentence: Reflector
don’t fuck around, but get straight down and kick it.
In the windows of the house on the other side of the
street I can clearly see a little girl tearing up on a violin (!), having
fun playing and jumping around with fervor. A strange sight to see while
listening to the heavy riffage and drum pounding of the Austrian heavy duo.
On the next lighted window I can see the shillouette of a girl, probably a
student, lying on the couch reading. Another strange sight to see while
listening to Reflector. I bet she is listening to Coldplay or U2 currently
and I hate her for it. No, of course, I don’t really hate her, not in the
way I hate crowded busses, but still somewhat. The best window I see (I live
opposite a five storey building…) one that shows nothing but the glow of a
computer monitor darkly blue against the greyish walls inside the flat. That
kind of despair and loneliness is a carthatic measure to the sludge and
pounding of Reflector. The emptiness of winter city streets, especially in
this town of the dead, were people look grey and old even when they are
partying, is creeping into every corner of every flat.
