Aside from Krokus, Swiss rock bands have had a hard time breaking onto the worldwide heavy metal stage. Well, that seems set to change now that DerHerold are on the scene. A multidimensional project by musician/artist/illustrator Olav Däumling, this band arrive in some style with their debut album Arcanum I – Rage, a concept record concerning an outcast nobleman wandering the world and documenting the conflicts he finds. It’s a bold step for a band’s first outing, but one that really works and is a sure step towards global domination.

Music has always been a 360-degree, interactive experience for me; the sleeve was a vital component in the whole aesthetic and a well designed cover should complement and enhance the music contained within. That’s why I was pleased when my copy of Arcanum I – Rage came with a limited edition comic and tarot book which, accompanied by the concept album, makes for an immersive type of listen. Yet, this isn’t to the detriment of the music and opening track ‘Shuddap’ arrives with all fists flying; there’s no time for elongated introductions or fancy preambles, just a primal shout from Olav and a thunderous drum roll and then the band are off and swinging with wrecking ball force. It’s a strong opener and one that creates a sense of unease, the feeling of someone not quite at home and it sets the tone for the rest of the album. There’s a duality and an intriguing tension of opposites running throughout this record that adds to the overarching sense of discombobulation, most notably the vocals of Olav and Seraina Schöpher which pit the authoritative with the tender, the loud with quiet and male and female. Aided by a wide and expansive production that employs the full dynamic range and places the instruments at the corners of the mix and the vocals at the centre an awe-inspiring, monolithic sound towers over the listener. Yet, despite being full and lustrous, it’s also stark and sparse, and those degrees of separation are only enhanced which ties in perfectly with the album’s concept.

While it is perfectly feasible to dip in and out of this album and enjoy each track individually, this is an long player best devoured whole to fully appreciate it’s ululation and ebb and flow. There’s plenty of variety on offer with tracks such as ‘Just A Song’ injecting a nice change of pace, ensuring the album wends an unorthodox route whilst ‘Rage’ is a very cinematic affair and will implant strong images in your mind’s eye (as all good music should). DerHerold have a very original sound and its hard to draw comparisons with any other artists and they sound like no one but themselves. Take ‘Lover’s Lip’ for example, it’s the type of hard rocker you rarely hear in the land of the living and swings with the trademark DerHerold groove. For final track the vocalists are finally united, bring a sense of harmony which stands in marked contrast to the opener and creates a sense of peace and finality, and of a circle being closed.

Concept albums are a strange beast; artists can sometimes get so concerned with moving the story forwards that they can forget about the actual songs. Arcanum – Rage I works because it inhabits a space somewhere in between. The concept is just loose enough for the listener to infer their own meaning, but tight enough to thread the songs together, making this an assured debut that promises much goodness to come.

• Arcanum – Rage I is released via Fastball Music and is available now (from here).
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Track List:

1. Shaddap
2. Invitation
3. Fake
4. Just A Song
5. Fading Love
6. Rage Intro
7. Rage
8. Cruisin II
9. Illusion
10. Creeper
11. Stormbringer
12. Lover’s Lip
13. Inferno
14. A Man
15. Relief