Picture taken by Sebastian Kluth in 2009

Photograph (c) Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

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Punk's not dead!

Congratulations to those who found the reference to Blue Oyster Cult's ''(Don't Fear) The Reaper''

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%

Stupidly titled Periphery IV: Hail Stan is the sixth studio album of modern progressive metal band Periphery. The American quintet combines a mixture of classic progressive metal, contemporary djent elements and metalcore vocals, riffs and breakdowns. Purists won't appreciate the record while younger listeners might appreciate its vivid genre mixture.

The album starts on a particularly strong note with atmospheric, diversified and gripping epic ''Reptile''. The track is nearly seventeen minutes long and features charismatic guest vocals by SikTh's vocalist Mikee Goodman who is one of the most unusual vocalists I have ever come across with his hysterical screams, gloomy growls and hauntingly raw clean chops. It's quite a statement to start the record with such a massive track but the risk pays off since the longest tune is also the strongest on the album.

The band then proceeds to offer tracks that are overall easier to digest but which still offer a balanced mixture of modern metalcore elements and technically impressive progressive djent soundscapes. The gloomy, haunting and oppressive first single ''Blood Eagle'' qualifies as another courageous choice by the band. Second single ''Garden in the Bones'' shows the band's more melodic and laid-back side but especially the explosive chorus is quite gripping.

At a certain point, this record turns from a very good modern progressive record into a mellow metalcore disaster. The final three songs remind of the weakest tracks of genre colleagues like Tesseract. The melodramatic undertones are nerve-firing, the clean vocals sound sappy and the repetitive djent riffs fail to leave a deeper impression.

If the band had ended the record after its sixth song, it would have been a great album but since it unfortunately features nine songs, it can only be considered slightly above average in the end. I would suggest to legally download the record's first six tracks and consider this album as an experimental extended play that should appeal to fans of modern progressive metal.

Final rating: 70%