‘So manche brücke bricht, Zu viel tinte ging verschütt, Ward mich nich ergeben, Mein herz hadert eben, Hast den tod an die wand gemalt’ / ‘So many bridges break, Too much ink spilled, I won’t give up, My heart is struggling, You’ve brought death to the wall’ (Liner Notes)

Berlin is the most evocative of cities.  And, as with many others, this history is being rapidly eradicated by the rapacious demands of real estate capital.  Yet musically, the imaginary remains as powerful as ever and is vibrantly conjured by Schimmel über Berlin (Mould Over Berlin).  Eisenmund (Iron Mouth) is its very embodiment – viscous banks of fog, perpetually damp streets, furtive figures lurking in the shadows, glowing windows of late-night reflection.

Schimmel über Berlin feature members of Aus, Benzin, and Noj.  This brings with it a certain anticipation, and their vividly atmospheric debut album blows even these high expectations clean out of the water.  That the release notes to this release were penned by Fiona Sangster of Xmal Deutschland gives us a healthy nod as to what we might expect.  Though, while this is undoubtedly an album that draws richly on its 1980s’ post-punk heritage, Eisenmund injects it with a thrillingly illicit new energy.  Nostalgia need not apply.

The guitar is icily compelling, brittle yet tensely serpentine, and it tautly interplays with a rhythm section that brings a supple, satisfyingly muscular edge to its martial instincts.  The semi-spoken vocals are coldly detached, yet braided through with an unexpected melodic warmth.  At times they are quietly desperate, at others bathed in a tensely sombre disdain.

The palette is austerely disciplined with subtle shifts in tone introducing a restlessly morphing energy.  From the surging agitations of Schattenriis (Silhouette) to the urgent gyrations of Der Gute Sohn (The Good Son), and then from the mournfully introspective title track to swirling invocations of Weise Fee (Wise Fairy), and the forlornly rhythmic closer Klagegesgang (Lamentation).  Every moment draws us ever deeper in to the ambiguously charged Berlin night.