Kinderschreck
Raw, melodic black metal built around creepy German children's folklore, with rough-but-listenable production and punky sections that keep the album from settling into one mood.
Kinderschreck takes a little while to really get going. The intro feels basically unnecessary, and the first few minutes of “Der Nachtkrapp” are repetitive enough that the opening drags. Once it gets past that stretch, though, the album improves pretty quickly.
Harlinger sits in a nice middle ground here. This is raw black metal, and the production is definitely rough, but it never crosses over into being painfully ear-piercing. The melodies still come through clearly, and there are some genuinely nice ones throughout the record.
The subject matter also gives Kinderschreck a distinct identity. Harlinger builds the album around creepy children’s stories and bogeyman folklore, which is a pretty unique angle for black metal. It can get a little cheesy at times, but I mean, it’s black metal. That comes with the furniture.
The occasional punkier sections are another nice touch. They switch up the vibe and keep the record from sitting in the exact same atmosphere the whole time.
“Die Roggenmuhme I” is my favorite track and the point where the album’s mix of rawness and melody works best for me. Overall, Kinderschreck has a slow start and could lose the intro entirely, but once it gets moving there is a lot to like: strong melodies, rough-but-listenable production, a unique theme, and enough variation to keep things interesting. 8/10.