Search - In Extremo :: Sunder Ohne Zugel: Unbridled Sinner

Bagpipes, lutes and headbanging guitars...

Halina G. | Chelmsford, MA USA | 07/19/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I own two previous albums by In Extremo- "Verehrt and Angespien" and "Weck die Toten" and I play them all the time. I love the mix of medieval instruments and modern electric guitars and drums. They blend seamlessly together, creating very melodic but powerful songs. They usually start mildly, then gather tempo, and by the end of the song your whole body is vibrating with the rhythm. And the bagpipes are just awesome, they make you want to dance around the fire!
I got finally my hands on Sunder Ohne Zugel, and I am a tiny bit disappointed. It seems that In Extremo is steering toward mainstream hard rock sound, which is OK, but they are loosing some of their originality. The album is heavy on guitar riffs, fast and powerful. It has some tender moments, the ballad "Die Gier", then there is Merseburger Zaubersprüche II (the first opens Verehrt and Angespien and it's fantastic!) sounding like a hymn. My favorite track is No. 8 Omnia Sol Temperat - where In Extremo sounds just glorious.I give this album 4 out of 5 stars (the first two being 5, they come close to perfection). This is a great rock album, very enjoyable and with enough class to stand out from the crowd of rock bands. And if you ever have a chance to see them live, go for it! They put up a fantastic show, complete with fire, lights and great costumes. They look like they should be wielding swords not guitars, but they give all they have and then some!"