Artist: Eisbrecher 
   Title: Eiszeit
   Label: AFM Records

'Eiszeit' is the fourth album from German Industrial Metalists Eisbrecher, an album that is as dark as it is heavy.  The bands similarity to Rammstein with their German lyrics and similar pounding industrial sound have put them at the forefront of the whole industrial metal scene.

The albums boats three different versions of the album, one with the standard ten tracks, the limited edition version which will contain 13 new Eisbrecher songs in a nice digipak and the limited edition box set which includes the digipak version as well as a bonus DVD with 3 live recordings!  So plenty to choose from, but what about the album itself.

Well things get off to a great start with the excellent 'Bose Madchen', which translated is 'Bad Girls'.  This is what you expect from an Eisbrecher album, a big heady bass from Olli Pohl, an intense drum sound from the stick swinger Rene Greil, all this is encased in a gruff angst filled vocal courtesy of Alexx Wesselsky, with the massive, and I mean massive guitars sound from Noel Pix and Jurgen Plangger, truly a wonderful start to the album. 

The tremendous hard edged industrial metal is carried on into the title track 'Eiszeit' (Ice Age), this one is hard hitting, dark and mood ridden as only Eisbrecher can do, even the German lyrics seem to make this album more powerful and intense.  I think bringing in English lyrics wouldn't capture the intensity that this genre needs.

The album enters a techno metal vibe with the intense 'Bombe' (Bomb), this is dark techno club metal, before a more dance along vibe with 'Gothkiller', a track that features Rob Vitacca on vocals and is the only track on the album with English lyrics, it has that sisters Of Mercy feel to it, again this one would go down a storm in the techno and electro dance floors, a real floor filler.

It's back to Wesselsky's vocal prowess for the return of the industrial metal with 'Die Engel' (The Angel), not as intense as the previous track on the album, this one builds from humble almost ballad foundations but soon the might of the musicians take this one to great and powerful heights.

It's another switch as we enter a power pop metal feel with 'Segne Deinen Schmerz' (Bless Your Pain), before really brining in a techno feel with 'Amok', this one would go down a storm at Slimelight in London and other techno dance clubs.  Things switch once more with the almost pop 'Dein Weg' (Your Way), then it's time to return to the dark side of the band with 'supermodel'.

The album closes as it started with as pure a slice of industrial metal you will ever feel with 'Der Hauch Des Lebens' (The Breath Of Life), which closes another excellent album for Eisbrecher and again shows the band aren't just another Rammstein clone, they have more to give the genre than most.

Tracklisting:

1. Bose Madchen
2. Eiszeit
3. Bombe
4. Gothkiller
5. Die Engel
6. Segne Deinen Schmerz
7. Amok
8. Dein Weg
9. Supermodel
10. Der Hauch Des Lebens

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