For almost two decades German metal band Tenside have been raising hell on the Continent, and have left a tantalising trail of critically acclaimed albums and smoking stages in their wake. With their latest offering Come Alive Dying primed for release, it seems like the English-speaking world is finally going to catch on to the band’s charms. Featuring a dozen cuts that are both heavy and emotive, this is an inventive (yet accessible) album that never ceases in serving up surprises, and will continue to astonish listeners spin after spin.

As befitting a band of their vintage, Tenside don’t feel the need to come out will all guns blazing, rather the opening (and title) track is a slow builder that reels you in and doesn’t land the knockout blow until the mid-point. Incrementally adding layers of sound, ‘Come Alive Dying’ is akin to walking through quicksand, and before you realise, you are in all sorts of trouble. However, Tenside soon hit top gear and they proceed to dish out some of the heaviest riffs known to man. It is an approach that suggests Tenside are built for the long haul (rather than a quick sugar fix) and they roll with a confidence that renders them an unstoppable force. Deep, introspective lyrics add another layer of heaviness, and the two combine to attach themselves to the listener like an anchor to a drowning man.

Only lead vocalist Daniel Kuhlemann remains as the sole original member since the band’s inception, yet Tenside are the kind of group who are rejuvenated by the injection of new blood, and this incarnation are locked, loaded and ready for action. This is an album that doesn’t stay in one position for long; subtle movements in tonality and shocking sonic shifts makes this a record that constantly repositions us, and this makes Come Alive Dying a record you engage with, rather than just consume. Featuring a guest spot from John Henry (Darkest Hour), ‘Impending Doom’ is a prime example. The twin vocal attack bites from different angles, while some neat production tricks have the guitars sliding like stones skipped on water.

Tenside are a band who understand the dynamics of music very well; they aren’t all about pure bludgeon (although there’s plenty of that on offer) and there’s lots of lither moments on offer. Yet the loud and quiet each act as a foil for the other; refracting and enhancing their opposite number until they become the biggest they can be. Take ‘Silence Is Betrayal’, for example; here the quiet sections are cavernous, while the loud are dense and treacly, and when the two combine a magical fusion occurs and sends the sounds shattering like a meteor shower. Perhaps the best illustration of this duality is in Kuhlemann’s vocals; at once authoritative and emotive, it stretches the listener in different directions.

While Tenside have topped bills in their own right, they’ve appeared on most people’s radars via support slots with such heavyweights as Skindred, Hatebreed and Trivium, but with latest album Come Alive Dying you feel Tenside will become certified headliners in their own right.

• Come Alive Dying is released via Ivorytower Records on 19th January 2024.
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Track List:

1. Come Alive Dying
2. Shadow To Shine
3. Pitch And Gold
4. Darkness To Blight
5. Impending Doom
6. Aim For Paradise
7. Deadweight
8. Pretty Lonesome
9. Silence Is Betrayal
10. Transcend
11. Vengeance
12. Dust Of The Bereaved