Review of Herrschaft - Tesla

Following up last year's superbly titled Architects of the Humanicide EP, the surprisingly-not-German-but-in-fact-French troop Herrschaft have knocked out their first long-player in Tesla and it’s a solid, if not remarkable effort. While the band does branch out here and there with their sound, for the most part they stay within a fairly straightforward electro-rock format with raspy black metal-styled vocals. Among the eleven tracks on Tesla there are some strong moments for sure, and the album has been produced with care. While there’s probably something here to interest fans of industrial metal in general, Herrschaft play things a little too safely to be a genuinely exciting listen.

As already mentioned, there are some good songs on Tesla. "The Defenders" effectively breaks away from the more moderately paced earlier numbers with a thrashing main riff that’s as catchy as it is brutal. It’s followed nicely by the title track which is definitely one of the best on the album, with eerie female wailing layered over a dark melody that is genuinely atmospheric. Other strong numbers include "I Am the One" which veers dangerously close to full-blown dance territory (and works), and the high-energy stomp of "Chaostructure". These songs are worth waiting for and show good promise as to what Herrschaft may come up with on future outings, though the impact is somewhat lessened by other tracks that aren’t nearly as memorable.

Overall, Tesla is an entirely serviceable effort from Herrschaft, but not essential. By all means check this one out if you consider yourself a fan of industrial metal, but don’t expect to be blown away. This band is pretty solid musically and for at least half its running time this album finds itself in the zone, but a fair chunk of it is too safe and predictable to really get the blood pumping. I would like to see Herrschaft take a few more risks on future releases, as this would certainly help set them apart from their electronically inclined brethren. For now though, what these guys have going for them is good production values, slick performances and songwriting that isn’t quite there yet but coming along nicely.

Release Details

Herrschaft

Tesla

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