If one is familiar with the German heavy music scene, they’ve heard of Megaherz. They are one of those bands which have achieved fame one step higher than most, being in the public consciousness of the industrial metal scene in many countries, included with such greats as OOMPH! and Rammstein. The majority of this success can be owed to one main lineup, with the core of guitarist X-Tian and singer Alexx Wesselsky. This is why German music fans were so shocked when Alexx announced in late 2002 that he was leaving the band. Fans became worried, could the band keep going without Alexx?

I must admit, for quite a long time I had decided that without him, Megaherz was done. The singer is often the most immediately noticeable part of a band, and trying to replace him/her can be fatal. And yet, I did eventually bring myself to listen to 5, and boy, do I regret waiting. Mathias Elsholz easily filled Alexx’s shoes, while bringing a whole new style and direction the band. Much of the earlier danceability and industrial influence was returned, while also adding in a more noticeable gothic element. While the lyrics suffered a bit (nothing Mathias wrote for this album could really compare to the wordiness and cleverness of tracks like Glas und Tränen) the writing suited the music, creating more dependence on the instrumental sections of the songs.

My biggest regret is that Mathias left before the band could record another album with him, as this disc shows a lot of promise. The only consolation is that Megaherz is set to release another album this year, and based on their track record it’s bound to be a killer. Let’s just hope this singer stays long enough to develop and evolve, like the original Megaherz!
All around, this is a solid production from a band that has never failed to release quality. For fans of Alexx’s smoother, deeper voice the new vocals may come as a shock, but taken on its own merits this is a worthy follow up to Herzwerk II.

Score:
Hompage: Megaherz.com
Reviewer: Paul Gifford