A return to commercial success - A review of Oomph!'s Ritual

Thirteenth studio record Ritual is a suprising return to form for German Neue Deutsche Harte pioneer trio Oomph!. The record unexpectedly hit the German charts which even the band's most popular records Wahrheit oder Pflicht fifteen years and GlaubeLiebeTod thirteen years ago couldn't achieve. One of the reasons for this stunning return to form are the inspired lyrics dealing with historical events but also current societal issues. Ritual is also one of the band's heaviest records in terms of musicianship and especially the energetic guitar work and charismatic vocals in combination with a powerful production sound impressive. The songwriting is also somewhat improved as numerous tracks come around with memorable melodies and efficient choruses.

Ritual offers everything Oomph! has always stood for. ''Tausend Man und ein Befehl'' features powerful riffs, a great guitar solo and an anthemic chorus reminding of the band's industrial rock and metal side. ''Achtung! Achtung!'' has a much more atmospheric note with its sinister electronic vibes and flirts with darkwave sounds and gothic stylistics. The particularly sinister ''Kein Liebeslied'' is a gothic rock track that goes back to the formula of the band's most successful singles one and a half decades earlier. ''Trummerkinder'' has a similar but more provocative approach as it references military march music combined with a nursery rhyme to portray the loss of childhood in times of war. The poignant lyrics send shivers down the spine. ''Europa'' on the other side is more melodic, includes minor symphonic elements and features guest vocals by Chris Harms of German industrial rock band Lord of the Lost that is known for less serious lyrics but more spectacular live shows.

The second half of the record loses some steam as the tracks need multiple spins to open up and grab the listener's attention. Some of these songs are more experimental like the heavily electronic stomper ''TRRR - FCKN - HTLR'' that criticizes the downsides of social media, the plodding and gloomy piano power ballad ''Seine Seele'' or epic bonus track ''In der Stille der Nacht'' with its unexpected extreme metal backing vocals during the anthemic chorus.

Ritual manages overall to find a solid balance between a few experimental touches and classic trademarks that made the band stand out in the first place. Thanks to concise songwriting, powerful production and inspired lyrics, Ritual can be seen as a commercial return to form after the at times lackluster XXV and the intriguing but very experimental Des Wahnsinns fette Beute. Old and new fans of the band should appreciate this record alike. If you are not familiar with the band yet, you will appreciate them if you like industrial metal and gothic rock with depth.

Final rating: 80%