The second record of German band Hysterese is a record I own and play quite frequently. To me it is one of those strange records that you enjoy a lot, but didn’t invite you to delve into their past or actively follow the band. Until now. As I saw the band name pop up in the heap of promos I just had to review it. It probably helped that I had just listened to their second album the day before.
Anyway, here we are, seven years and two records after that one record I own and know. Some things have changed and some things have not. The two most notable things that stayed the same? Hysterese releases an album every three to four years and they feel no inspiration whatsoever when it comes to naming their albums and just release self-titled albums. Perhaps there is an interesting story behind that?
When I got to know them they played punk with some interesting additions to that tried and tested sound. A sniff of crust, a sprinkle of garage rock, a wee bit of melodic hardcore and some (Swedish) melodic punk. All these influences stirred together made an interesting mix which was even more enriched by the brilliant shared vocals by Moritz and Helen.
Some things have stayed the same, some things have changed. The shared vocals are something of the past now as Helen takes the stage. And it fits the changed musical style like a glove. Hysterese rightly assumed that a slightly different musical approach asks for a new vocal approach too. Opening track “Burning” sets the tone for the record with a much more post-punk focussed sound. I do like how they didn’t opt for a full out post-punk sound but approached this from the punk perspective. What surprises me is that this song (and a couple of other songs on this record) sound like later Kylesa that decided (post) punk is the way to go. Not what I expected, but a nice touch.
“Call Of The Void” continues in the same vein, but could have used some more time on the lyrics, this is just not enough. In fact it even gets on your nerves after a while. This is the least song of the bunch here although “We’re All The Same” suffers from the same problem.
“Heartbeat” is faster and more upbeat. It is one of the highlights of the album. One of the things that makes it a strong song is the very nice vocal layering in the chorus. Very post-punk, but it works so well! It is a shame it is over so quickly. “Meltdown” comes closest to the Hysterese I knew from the past, the vocal interplay especially brings back memories. The post-punk influences are pushed to the background on this track.
Later tracks bring those influences more to the forefront. This album requires a couple of spins to sink in, especially if you start listening to it with certain expectations. I have grown to appreciate this record very much. Everything culminates in the final track “Dead Dog”, the perfect ending to another self-titled Hysterese record.
WIth a couple of songs looking to their past this album feels a bit like a transitioning album. It makes me very curious what is to follow. If the band keeps following the same routine I will learn in three or four years when they release their next album titled Hysterese. For now I will just play Hysterese again.
