There are albums that are fun and then there are albums that require something of us, something more, something more difficult, something truer. Ragnarok in Berlin by Nordstahl is firmly in the latter camp, and it comes across as a harsh judgment on our moral inactivity cloaked in the oppressive atmosphere of industrial metal.
The thing that impresses me the most about this work is that it does not provide false comfort. It is an era when art is frequently used as a means of escapism and Nordstahl has created something that is more of an intervention. It is not just that the mythological structure is decorative but that it is a masterstroke that allows ancient archetypes to cast a clear and shocking light on our contemporary failures.
The musical performance is nothing but brilliant. The combination of mechanized cruelty and the orchestra is a sound world that reflects our own divided world; it is both beautiful and horrible. The German lyrics give the song an extra does of grit that cuts through language and goes straight to something very primitive in us.
However, what makes Ragnarok in Berlin more than just impressive skill is the fact that it is emotionally and sincerely true. It is not nihilism as an end in itself--it is a cry of desperation to wake up. In such songs as Midgards Schlaf and Friggs Falscher Trost, Nordstahl is reflecting our blindness in the face of the truth that the end of the world is not something that is going to happen, but something that is already happening, and that we are continually making the choice between appearances and reality.
Ragnarok in Berlin is one of the greatest achievements in modern metal not only because it is a pleasurable listen but because it is a work that has to be heard again and again to see what it reveals about the listener. Nordstahl has produced something that is uncommon: an album that is timeless, yet urgent, anciently wise, yet shockingly contemporary. In a music style that is sometimes accused of a hollow violence, this project demonstrates that metal can be destructive and profound.
