I was lucky e nough to get both Riefenstahl’s albums at the same time, so I was able to listen and compare them back-to-back. First off, Riefenstahl have released an album that will satisfy fans of their previous work, as it contains the same heavy guitars and growling vocals. They have, however, continued the trend in their debut of mixing elements from diverse genres into their sound, especially noticeable in opener Es ist vorbei, where there is a short guitar interlude in a style that I would have expected to hear on a progressive metal album, and an almost rap like delivery (fear not, the song never slips into the dreaded territory of rap metal) in the beginning of Augen auf. Another interesting note is the continued influence of soft rock in several tracks, most notably first single Ein Wort vor dir, which is in many ways a cousin of the song Ich will dich nicht mehr.
Reading over that last paragraph, one might be worried that Riefenstahl have drifted from their hard rock roots, but fear not, for Instinkt is just as heavy, if not heavier!, as their debut. Note especially penultimate track Kalter Traum and the aforementioned Augen auf. Instinkt isn’t an overly long album, either, clocking in at roughly 45 minutes, which is just about the perfect length for the band.
Overall, I was again extremely impressed by Riefenstahl, and I feel vindicated in my efforts to find their work. They are clearly very good at what they do, and I am always impressed when I listen to the extra elements they put in the music occasionally. I am left at the end of this album wanting more, which is always what a good artist should do. Instinkt is a worthy followup to 2004’s Seelenschmerz, and while it may dip a bit at times, it finds the band maturing and coming into their own better than before. I believe that Riefenstahl have the potential to hit it very big, and I wish them all the luck in the world in doing so. In the meantime, I’ll be impatiently waiting for release number three.
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Hompage: Riefenstahl-music.com
Reviewer: Paul Gifford
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