POVERTY’S NO CRIME – The Chemical Chaos

German Poverty’s No Crime is out with their fifth album. These are guys who have got quite good reviews for their albums through their twelve years long Prog Metal career. To me their last album, The Chemical Chaos, is no reason why the applause should continue.

There is one big problem about The Chemical Chaos; it does not challenge you! The whole album is all so very …nice. It is sure well played, I honor them for their technical abilities, but there is not one single riff or drum break or vocal manoeuvre or whatever that will shake you out of the unconsciousness the songs put you in. If there is one exception, it has to be the instrumental “Terminal Life”, a number that moves you along with it, making you wondering what’s next.

Maybe I’ve got this wrong. Maybe Poverty’s No Crime’s ambitions are tucking their listeners in a dreamland where everything is flat and safe. The bonus track, “Access Denied” fits this category, but being unplugged it unlike the rest succeeds in giving you a feel of something being for real.

It might be the lyrics have some important matters to convey, but singer Volker Walesmann succeeds in no way grabbing my attention. No edge in sight. Or chaos, neither chemical nor musical. Everything’s too balanced.

They should be looking at their label-mates, Vanden Plas, for the receipt. Add some energy, add some ache, add some humor, add some imagination. As it is right now I’m not sure what these guys want me to remember from their album. Poverty’s No Crime leaves me untouched.