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Various Artists

Heavy Kraut! Teil 2

Review by Gary Hill
I previously reviewed the first set in this series. The basic concept of the two albums is the emergence of hard rock and metal bands in Germany. This really features some smoking hot music. It starts more hard rock based, but turns more metallic, especially on the second CD. It should be mentioned that I previously reviewed a couple of these songs on other albums. For the sake of consistency, those reviews are modified for use here. This is actually one of my favorite compilations from Bear family.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2025  Volume 1. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2025.
 
Track by Track Review
Disc 1:
                      
Fargo - Comin‘ Together

This thing powers in seriously funky. That mode is a big part of the track, but there are more mainstream 70s rock things at play here, too. This has a really classic sound to it. It’s a great way to start things in style.

Bullfrog – Live

A driving hot rocking number, this has such a smoking hot 1970s rock sound to it.

Elfenbein - Lost Son

This is has a killer guitar rock groove to it. It’s not far removed from metal, but doesn’t quite cross that line.

Prinzip - Sieben Meter Seidenband

Organ starts things here and holds it through the introduction. This turns screaming hot with more of a pure rocking jam beyond that opening section. The lyrics are in German.

Tollhouse – Johnny

A screaming hot hard rocking tune, this reminds me a little of Thin Lizzy with some hints of Queen and Sweet. It’s another powerhouse tune.

Set - Kipper Keule

This is another killer guitar rocker that leans toward metal. It’s also another song with non-English lyrics. This is really driving and so classy.

Epitaph - On The Road

Now this might just cross the line into metal. It does feel a lot like some of the indie metal that was released in the late 70s. The organ also brings hints of Deep Purple type sounds. There is also a synthesizer solo later that takes it closer to ELP territory.

Berluc - Hallo Erde, hier ist Alpha

With lyrics in German, this is another powerhouse metallic stomper. It has some cool hooks, too.

Bastard - Back To The Nature

This almost makes me think of something like Foghat or BTO. It does have a bit more metallic crunch than that comparison implies. This is a live recording, and the tune probably works even better in that format. Then again, it works very well here.

Krokus – Fire

Krokus fits under the metal heading for sure. This classy stomper has everything that band has always been known for, meaty music, anthemic hooks and so much style. This is definitely a highlight of the set. It also includes a dropped back movement that makes me think of parts of Rush’s “By-Tor and the Snow Dog” or other less in-your-face guitar sections from that era of that band. They bring it out into some of the fiercest metal of the whole tune.

Snake - Day Of Solution

This is more of a melodic hard rocker. The guitar sound on it is intriguing with a good balance between more driving riffing and mellower, intricate stuff.

Requiem – Steven

I like this song quite a bit. It’s actually very proggy with some healthy helpings of keyboards including a synthesizer solo. There is also a full-on prog jam near the end of the track. The closing instrumental section even makes me think of Genesis to some degree. Yet, it also has parts that are more straight-ahead hard rock.

Mass - Shoot Out

Classy nearly metal hard rock is on the menu here. This reminds me a lot of UFO.

Viva - Break Out

This is full metal. It’s high energy and features some tastefully raw vocals.

Disc 2:

                                 

Electric Sun - Fire Wind

The opening vocal dominated arrangement has a real rock theater vibe to it. The track works out from there m more driving hard rocking sounds to continue. This does lean toward metal. There is just something a little over-the-top (and not in a good way) about this song for me. Still, the dramatic instrumental break is a great touch. The symphonic metal jam at the end is absolutely on fire, too.

Faithful Breath - Rollin' Into Our Live

Here we get a rocker that leans a bit towards progressive rock in terms of a more involved arrangement. It is loaded with both metallic and classic rock sounds, though.

Rampage - Victims Of Rock

This is a full metal stomper of the 1970s variety. This has a real indie sound in some ways, but the chorus is hook-laden and really feels more polished.

Accept – Starlight

To some degree you know what you are going to get with Accept – raw, screaming hot metal. That’s exactly what this is.

Bullet - Cold Hearted Woman

Here we have another screaming hot metal tune. This has a hard rock vibe ala Nazareth, too.

Breslau – Spinne

With female vocals and lyrics in German, this is another metallic tune. It’s a bit more stripped back and almost punky than some of the others here.

Bauer, Garn & Dyke - Pyro-Manni (Feueralarm!)

The driving guitar that starts this threatens to bring metal or punk. The song seems to embody both of those thing. The chorus section, though, is hook-laden, feeling more like Sweet. The lyrics to this one are in German. The guitar solo has a great 70s rock vibe to it.

Straight Shooter - High Speed Lover

This is a fast-paced (has to be with that title, right?) and near metal. The organ brings more of a Deep Purple vibe to bear.

Sinner - Ridin' The White Horse

Perhaps more hard rock than metal, this seems to walk the fence between the two. It has some cool guitar angles at play.

Trance – Confession

This song really reminds me of something Scorpions would do. It’s a metal track, but a bit more on the melodic side of the equation.

Beast - Time Machine

Edgy and raw, this has a healthy metal angle to it.

Mad Max - Free Will

This is another driving rocker. It makes me think of April Wine to some degree, but with a bit more of a metal edge to it.

Rated X - Rock Blooded

Feeling more like a pretty basic hard rocker, this isn’t all that interesting. It just feels more generic than anything else. Still, it’s not bad. It’s just nothing special.

Running Wild - Chains And Leather

This is such strong old-school metal. The chorus is anthemic. The guitar sound is meaty. The whole tune just has a great 70s indie-metal flavor to it.

 
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