Beatsteaks – Limbo Messiah

Limbo Messiah – Beatsteaks
by Aidan Roberts

From the first screeching anthem on this boisterous record, those punk-rocking Germanians Beatsteaks affirm their ethos very clearly; “you gotta put yourself at ease, I’ll do exactly as I please”, super-text for “shut up and f–k off”. This attitude is prevalent in their performance of these songs; chugging guitars and raucous overlapping vocals – it seems that all members of the band have a turn at singing, making for some surprisingly sophisticated harmonies amid the madness. It is truly startling to hear the vocal endurance of main-man Arnim Teutoburg-Weiß, whose staccato barking tears through this material like a plough through wheat. There is a variety of colours at play throughout – Sharp Cool & Collected is irreverent and hilariously urgent; while Meantime takes things into very theatrical, melodic territory. One could even be reminded of early Queen with thunderous fantasy-rock of Demons Galore, or the Playstation intensity of Soljanka. It’s a colourful affair, and after 5 albums these guys have clearly settled into a potent formula. This is hyped-up punk rock, delivered with good humour and inventive focus.

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