After a period of inactivity, it seems as though more and more German punk bands are being brought to the attention of fans here in the UK. One such band is The Coalfield, a hardcore outfit that formed in the summer of 1999, in the small German town of Papenburg. The band’s debut album, ‘Transmitter’, was released last year, and has already received a healthy reaction. Due to the positive feedback the band were invited to tour the UK, and as I type they will just be completing a short series of dates.
‘Transmitter’ is undoubtedly a hardcore album at its core, yet The Coalfield have also managed to draw on a number of other influences to create a more rounded album. In fact the best way to describe the sound of this album would be atmospheric, melodic yet heavy, with screaming vocals. It may not sound like it on paper, but this is anything but your bog standard hardcore album. It is the innovation of the band that allows this album to stand out from the pack.
Speed, is also something that is the essence of this album, the whole thing rattles past in just over half an hour, exactly the sort of time you would want from an album of this ilk. The pace is fast from the very first chords of ‘Falltime’ and doesn’t let up until the closing instrumental track. The band manage to balance their pace, aggression, and melody to near perfection, and as such there are very few bad tracks on offer. However, at the other end of the scale, when they combine all their elements to the best of their ability they can be breathtaking. One such example is ‘Starline Number One’, a track that has a heavy, supremely infectious guitar riff, and vocals that scream in perfect contrast to the music. At other times, the band just go for aggression, in fierce, short bursts; like on ‘Magneto’ and ‘Out Of Nowhere’.
‘Transmitter’ is an innovative and assured debut album from a band that are sure to have a big future ahead of them. There is much here that will appeal to hardcore fans, but there are also tracks here that will pull in other listeners. This really is an album that bridges the gap between hardcore and a whole host of other genres. The Coalfield are further proof that Defiance Records now have one of the best band rosters in Europe.
Mark