Raubtier - Bärsärkagång (2016)

It is that time again for me to give you some good lessons on Swedish, or more accurately, it is time once again to indulge ourselves in the Northern predator known as Raubtier. The Haparanda trio is once again back to rage against the urbanization of our society, and to bring some northern attitude into our dull lives. A mission that never seems to end.

So what is Sweden's answer to Rammstein bringing to us this time? Yes, you guessed it, more of the same thing that we have heard in the previous 4 albums. "Bärsärkagång" (berserk) is filled with adrenaline-fueled, fist pumping industrial metal that is angry, heavy, and reeking of moonshine. While this is the thing that the band is known for, it could also be considered as their weakness, because they have not really evolved their music enough to make it feel relevant or exciting. While I do enjoy such speed freaks as "Tropaion" and "Hymn" (anthem) from time to time, I will still turn to the older material if I want a song like that.

But it is not the fast songs that makes "Bärsärkagång", it is instead the slower songs that are shining. It is still not like the band has changed, it is still the same structures and themes as we are used to, but these songs have a tendency to be more impressive since there is a nerve to them. Take "Genom Allt" (through everything) for example, a slow, almost ballad like song that is beautiful, and the band still maintains the toughness that they are known for. It really shows that the band can make other songs, just that they are not fully willing to.

And it is for that reason why I consider Raubtier to be suffering from a disease I would like to call the "Motörhead syndrome". In other words, they make the same album over and over again, just with tiny differences. However, the difference between Motörhead and Raubtier is that Raubtier rarely changes their song structures nor their lyrical themes. It has gone so far that you get a deja-vú moment at every other song, something you definitely do not want to experience while listening to new music.

Individually, I find every song to be quite decent, but together in a album, they make a thick swamp that is not only tough to go through, but also gives you the feeling like you are going nowhere, crossing the same spot over and over again. The things that makes me endure this are few, one being the rugged voice of Pär Hulkoff, who ones again leads his band with his overly manly voice. What would this band be without him?

When I listen to "Bärsärkagång", I feel like Arnold Schwarzenegger, because I do not care for this Predator guy anymore. Raubtier has its niche, and it is nice in small doses, but it can easily be boring when you consume it in big quantities. There is not a single song in this album that cannot be found in a better version in any of the band's previous 4 albums, which of course makes this my least favourite Raubtier album up to date. It still tingles a little bit, but it is obvious that the bite of the predator is not as strong as it used to be.

Songs worthy of recognition: Genom Allt, Bothniablod, Tropaion

Rating: 5,5/10 Praetorians