Greetings dearest gentle readers and music fans. Let’s welcome German artist SCHANZ. SCHANZ is an alternative rock project. But he doesn’t categorize himself in one box. He is a little indie rock, or maybe a little gothic rock, and probably some punk in there. On 27th June, he released an eight-album called “AD/2”. Let’s talk more about it
The first song is called “Long Distance to Go”. The song opens energetically. Long Distance To Go, AD/2’s most ‘aggressive’ track, moves forward. The premise of the song is that you never truly reach the end, and that there are always new experiences/impressions that allow you to grow – if you so desire. (”long distance to go”)You can break down barriers, extend your horizons, and so on. There is always more to discover or disregard. In any event, the song lets us know that we have a long journey ahead of us, no matter where it leads. The guitar solo was awesome and the vocal performance was very catchy. This song opens the album in a very cool way
The second song is called “Wherever You Go”. The song opens with energetic and amazing guitar riffs. Despite its lyrics, this is not a song about stalking, owning others, manipulating, or having someone at your beck and call. It’s about friends who become family and the proof that true, genuine friendship exists (” I follow wherever you go.”)The song has a very traditional and uniform format. To add some variety, the drums and bass are a little erratic and bumble their way into the song, making it more exciting
Up next is the song “The Sun”. The song opens with a dark and mysterious melody. The song is a love song that the artist wrote for someone important in his life. (” We can touch the sun”)We appreciate him for sharing something so deep and personal with us. The vocal performance is emotive and profound
“X” is what the next song is called. The song opens with these ethereal sounds before the beat itself starts. The song talks about A reckoning with the people you work with, society in general, the wrong friends, and so on. It touches on how we waste time trying to solve others’ issues instead of focusing on our problems We endeavour to keep the system going. However, many people are unwilling to accept any answers and are content to complain about everything. They are more familiar with everything. It is always the responsibility of others. In the end, you’re on your own and they stab you in the back. (”get out of my way”)In addition to the ‘personal’ calculation, the artist included two quotes from two of his all-time favourite films. The instrumentation and vocals were so wild and I was headbanging to it and I am positive that you will do the same
“Time” is what the next song is called. The intro of this song is very upbeat and exciting. The song deals with the fast-paced environment we live in. The anonymity of everyday life. People and fates pass us by without our attention because we are swamped by our lives. And then there are those moments in life when we see someone who is well put together and we wonder if this person has lived his life, achieved everything society demands, will die joyfully surrounded by his family, or alone in a little, neglected room. In the grand scheme of things, Everything has a time and place, and sometimes you just need to take a few seconds to compose yourself and remind yourself that everyone is different. The song is upbeat and the vocal performance was to die for
Next up is the song “blind”. The song opens with this distorted melody. It talks about how Nothing can be truly felt, (”I wanna feel again”)not even anguish or the beauty of a sunny day or something comparable. Sometimes the mind and body are no longer united and in your dreams, you are a spectator with no control. You can only find your way back to yourself if you confront your anxieties and bring ‘light into the darkness’. You will always be a little blind and deaf, but you can choose whether to give up or fight your way out of crises again and again to enjoy the many small positive moments. The song is very profound and beautiful
“Voice and sound” is up next. The song opens in a glacial way with a soft vocal performance. It tells of two extremes, depressive and manic: utter emptiness and listlessness (the head is an empty room without furniture, windows, or pictures), and a completely overcrowded room full of windows, doors, and images, respectively. Every line on the floor is packed with thoughts. Both return to normal, and you normally progress in manageable steps. Songs allow you to give your thoughts a voice and process your emotions through sound. They can take you out of your comfort zone and produce amazing memories. Music makes you feel alive no matter where you are or what time it is. We applaud the artist for talking about mental health issues in this safe space he has created with this song
The last song is “X (radio edit)”. This song is the radio edit of the fourth song “X”. Like the song itself, this song has the same theme of looking out for yourself. This beautiful edit ends the album
“AD/2” is the first result of the solo project SCHANZ. It was a lot of hard work, lots of fun, and a lot of frustration during the mixing process. It is hard to believe this because of how the album speaks for itself. Please do not take my word for it, listen to this album and see for yourself how amazing it is
Stream the “AD/2” album on Spotify
Follow SCHANZ on here and his socials; Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp
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