TEKKNO

Product Information

None of this should work, but it just does, I have not been excited about an album for a long time as this one. This truly was their international breakthrough, leaving those in the know ecstatic for the arrival of Tekkno, which drops this week. None of these elements are easy to conduct well and the standard is certainly much higher when new listeners only know you for screaming over what could be a Scooter track. On 8 July 2022, the band released the fourth single, "Fckboi", with the American metalcore band Conquer Divide.

After starting to get more recognition, particularly in the US, it was brought to their attention that the term "eskimo" is an offensive term to certain groups of people in Alaska. Hardstyle beats (“Parasite”) also join the heavy and driving metal sound on “Tekkno,” adding a rhythmic component to the guitar riffs with electronic inserts that further polish their sound. The album, We Are the Mess, was released on 10 January 2014 via Redfield Records and Warner Music Japan. Upon saying that, third track ‘Fuckboi’ (featuring Conquer Divide) is just a slightly heavier yet simultaneously more lofi version of Machine Gun Kelly and Avril Lavigne’s ‘Bois Lie’.Still, no matter how chaotic things get, every single song eventually becomes an anthem to sing along to, be it in your car, on a boat, or during the looming zombie apocalypse. This track almost feels like the experiment that led to the rest of the heavy electronic tracks sounding polished and is very much a filler song, which wasn’t expected considering the captivating ones heard so far. and you’ll either be down for the ride or find yourself hitting the skip button for something less intense.

A marriage of pop, metal, melodic punk and dance, everything they do is performed with maxed-out energy and (an admittedly knowing) sense of the ridiculous.I’ve included the live version below so you can get an understanding of what you’re in for – and help you get pit ready in anticipation – because you’re gonna need that stamina mates! I attended their live concert at this year’s Alcatraz Festival in Belgium, and let me just say… the crowd went berserk.

Some music acts which have a comedy element focus too much on comedy and not enough about the music.It’s great to know that the group’s comedic edge hasn’t been lost on this record either (one quick look at the single cover art for ‘We Got The Moves’ or the music video for ‘Pump It’ should give you a rough idea at what their humour is like) and it pairs well with the rave influence of their sound – because, let’s be real here, what use is it to listen to dance music and not have fun while you do so? As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, metalcore is noted for its use of breakdowns, slow, intense passages conducive to moshing. But let’s not just focus on EC in this synth-metal-pop jam, yes it’s their album, but Conquer Divide offer so much to the mix that literally couldn’t be done without them. Yes, the critic hat unfortunately does have to come back on and the party has to stall, because for as entertaining as Tekkno is, that’s not enough to fully slide it outside the realm of issues that hold it back from much more. Moving on to the album’s first single, “We Got the Moves,” this track is accompanied by a must-see music video, as the party has definitely started.

Their award-winning outrageousness is what got them sky-high on the charts and consistently selling out shows all over the world.Vocal-wise, think of Michael Bolton meets Chester Bennington (around the ‘ BURN IT DOWN‘ / LIVING THINGS album era of Linkin Park), with hard rock/EDMcore vibes and synth-a-plenty, this doesn’t have the same energy as the pit friendly tracks we’ve mentioned throughout, but it serves as the perfect closer and interlude into whatever this band of misfits do next. In the following week, they had to postpone their UK/France Tour as well as cancelling their participation on the US Level-Up tour with Attack Attack! Their earlier work can easily be compared to that of Asking Alexandria and Motionless In White – undisputable metalcore with electronic enhancements and some absurd lyrics alongside the more poignant. A hot contender for one of the most important metalcore albums of the year, “Tekkno” delivers the most diverse sound the band from Castrop-Rauxel has ever presented. But the novelty is stretched so far that it's hard to see past it and actually appreciate anything here.