Many years DIORAMA only scratched my perception on the outskirts. They broke through late, during their show at the first edition of Blackfield Festival in 2008. But then they did it like an asteroid, leaving a huge and lasting impact. One could say I morphed into a lemming overnight after this memorable performance… And I was totally blown by the band’s last record Cubed.
Now, when it comes to the band’s new and eight album curiosity and expectations were high… and Even The Devil Doesn’t Care does not disappoint.
Even The Devil Doesn’t Care is even more complex and detailed, always good for surprising twists and turns, intellectual challenging so to say and surely less accessible than its predecessor, but never too tricky. Ok, DIORAMA never did superficial mainstream music. Fans and connoisseurs know and appreciate. Even The Devil Doesn’t Care develops and unbelievably intensive, mesmerizing but subtle magic and fascination. That needs time and rules out “fast-food”-consumption and blinder hearing. This record needs to be listened to at rest and as a whole. Then the listener gets rewarded with a musical journey, an expedition, one would like to embark again and again.
The songs on Even The Devil Doesn’t Care often own a harsh and unrelenting basic rhythm, perfectly reflecting the dark and nightmarish lyrics about our icy cold and modern world. At The Scale, the heavy pounding When We Meet Again In Hell and Hellogoodbye this hard rhythms lay open and invite to unrestrained dancing. Sometimes pulsating bass lines and gruffy guitar work reign as in Hope, counterbalanced by the wonderful guest vocals of Shahad Shané. If not, rhythms get wrapped with melancholically draped soundscapes, at times with almost symphonic moments (My Favourite Song and Summit), many piano parts and occasionally experimental notes as in My Favourite Song. As for me, The Scale, Summit, When We Meet Again In Hell and the fantastic and touching Weiss Und Anthrazit are the ones that captivate me most.
Also visually DIORAMA made a step forward. Booklet and cover art work got developed with painter Katharina Schellenberger, who ranges between expressionism and surrealism. Music, lyrics and design melt into a wonderful overall concept, forming Even The Devil Doesn’t Care to a gem, an outstanding piece of music. At the end Even The Devil Doesn’t Care is more thrilling and more interesting than Cubed. And so I like it even more.
Only one little thing I would like to quibble about are the typing errors in the booklet. I wish someone would have proofread more attentive.