Teutonic Triumvirate, VOLDT set to Drop Very Innovative Debut - Voken on 10th May 2019 into the Prog Metal World

Hailing from Hamburg, Germany where the fertile ground has produced such metal genre busters as HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY, RUNNING WILD, KMFDM AND MANY MORE. These 3 guys have cracked into the scene all over with a DIY distribution and one hell of a Debut, and it’s an EP no less. I anticipate world changing metal as they release their first full length and subsequent records.

Let me start at the beginning. I was here on the mudball before metal and I am still here. I have witnessed all the movements up to this moment. As a kid between 13-15 I hung with a crew that was absolutely obsessed with heavy metal. We lived at the record store and our favorite and most rewarding activity was finding a hidden diamond that hadn’t cracked the scene yet.

So as a writer editor and officer of the gauntlet, I appreciate up and coming acts, as much as the stadium bands. In fact, I like them more. So, occasionally, I get a humble request for a review by The Gauntlet at the Facebook page. This is my favorite activity. I absolutely love it when this happens. It reminds me of flipping through the albums at the record store. Every band in existence was underground at some point and had to work their asses off to deliver the magic of new original and nuanced music. Anyone can see these gents are willing to go the distance. Check out the single below:



Starting out with the EP clocking at 33 minutes, damn near an LP. And the orchestration of the music blends but not too much.

The Band is a power trio; made up of:

Al Shirazi - Vocals/Guitars
Johannes Horas - Bass/Vocals
Wanja Gröger – Drums

Al has a big job holding up the axe and vocals and pulls it off with the grace of a savant. He has an incredibly diverse voice. For instance, at the beginning of the single he could have been Eric Burdon or Davie Johansen: deep baritones. This quickly dissolves into a slide up through tenor and into the bottom of soprano in full voice.

Johannes Horas creates a great harmony with Al that is melodious with just a touch of dissonance and worry. Al has put together some fucking incredible riffs and phrases. At times he arpeggios and pulls the base up and I swear you can hear the base hitting harmonic effects, I may be mistaking this for a lower tuned guitar. If I am right this is the absolute first time, I have heard this done. And the bottom is held up mighty strong giving that wall of sound effect.

Wanja Gröger on the kit delivers great volume, presence and some clever rhythms. His style is subtle nuances here and there that seep into your brain. For instance, there are places where you will hear a subtle single beat on the ride. The hat is set up in some parts in the style of trash can. He does some cool shit with a quasi-syncopated roll on more than one drum. And do I hear a heavy metal shuffle???

The lyrical content is dark and mysterious. The mix down is perfect.

This is a record that grows on you. And you discover more with each spin. There’s just so much on this little EP. It’s an aural Juggernaut. You will never regret getting this record.

In closing we have the kitten… What can I say about this? Its original for sure.

Find Voldt online at www.facebook.com/voldt



Read More News

Tags:  Album Review, Voldt, Voken, Germany , Prog metal

Kenny    May 03, 2019