In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, a trio of intrepid musicians came together in Germany, and accidentally made a new album. I say ‘accidentally’ because at the time there had been no greater goal or ambition in mind than to simply do something productive with themselves during the lockdowns, and maybe try to have a bit of fun in the process. But as the music began to take form, and the band became more heavily invested in the project, they realised it shouldn’t be withheld from the public, and so an album was released on August 10, 2022.
Given this context, “Pure Organic” is an obvious choice for the title of the band’s debut album. But it goes deeper than just the organic way in which it came together. The album’s production has a very real and authentic feel about it as well (a rarity in this day and age with all of the new technology available). It’s nearly a “live” sound, but not quite as raw or unfiltered as that either. Still the emphasis is clearly on the instruments and the talent of the individual performers, who in the case of Neocracy is a line-up consisting of the father/son duo of Volker Pannek and Tim Pannek (Bass/Vocals), along with skilled frontwoman Franziska Stolze (Lead Vocals).
“Run” brings some early momentum to the album, starting with a riff-heavy intro and a dose of progressive quirkiness that eventually subsides into a much more-laid back rhythm and style, as Franziska’s smooth vocals and calming influence begin to take centre stage. The chaos makes an inevitable return, with bassist Tim adding in some raspy death vocals, but in truth I find myself drawn more to the acoustic passages in the track, and the quiet harmony achieved between the guitar, bass, and drums. “Sleep Awake” features a similar light/heavy dynamic, but without the psychedelic riffage this time, and a much harder edge thanks to the presence of more distortion. It’s less unique perhaps, but it works better in my opinion. The bassist also does some rapping, which I’m not the biggest fan of usually, but it does provide an extra layer to the music here, and harks back to the bygone ‘nu metal’ days of the early 00s if you’re feeling particularly nostalgic.
“Trust” is the next song to blare out of the speakers, and this one has a confident guitar groove and more established hard-rock footing. However, my personal feeling is that the track did not need a reappearance of Tim’s growling, since they only serve to distract from Franziska’s belting vocals, and bring down an otherwise uplifting melody. The ‘less is more’ principle should have been applied here in my view. This is not a concern for the more minimalist “Shallow Hearts“, which has a lighter touch, yet still a rich tone. By foregoing the heavier elements of their sound, the focus is instead on Franziska’s beautiful singing and the emotional lyrical content, which is made even more entertaining by the interesting way she elongates certain words and syllables.
Somehow I don’t have a clue
Neocracy – “Pure Hearts”
How this critical life can be good for you?
Egotistical decay
We remember everything you say!
“Fate“, on the other hand, tries to take a few notes out of Dave Mustaine’s music sheets, for it has a pointedly choppy guitar hook that is combined with Franziska’s staccato conversation-like singing over the top. However, her vocals don’t quite have the same grit or attitude necessary to make the effect sound convincing. The song eventually opens up a little, letting loose with a galloping pace, before disassembling itself once again with some slow, but purposefully strong bashing of the drumheads, and Volker embellishing these thunderous beats with a few slick guitar harmonies. Though to be honest, it’s not quite enough to save the track. On the flip side is “Respect”, a song punctuated by its surprisingly brighter soundscape, and deep country-rock influences, including an overtly positive message that can be attested by its chorus: “Show your respect // to everyone who treats you correct // Accept yourself // for what you are“. The band diverges from the norm again with their final track “Nordic Sky“, a folksy tune that has a bit in common with Nightwish ballad “The Islander“, right down to the ambient sounds of seagulls and crashing waves, and serves as yet another reminder of their acoustic aptitude.
One thing that stands out above all else with this album is Neocracy’s willingness to experiment with their sound and explore a variety of different styles. It’s as though the band gave themselves complete freedom with their music, with no limits or constraints on where it could take them. And in a way that makes sense when you recall that all of this originated from loosely structured jamming sessions where presumably anything was accepted. But while it obviously takes talent to be this versatile, it does make for a somewhat confounding and inconsistent introduction to the band considering that this is their debut album, and most listeners will be trying to get a handle on their music for the very first time. Furthermore, in trying to cover such a wide variety of styles, there is the danger of spreading themselves too thin, and never really satisfying fans of any one of them in particular. The effort to bring a more natural and realistic feel to the album’s production is still admirable, but using fewer effects and tricks in the studio also means there is less capacity to hide some of their shortcomings. Yet while it is not perfect, there is definitely the seeds of something special in this release that needs to be nurtured. And hopefully with a bit more focus and refinement, the band can find a way to blossom into its full potential.
Verdict: “Pure Organic” is a promising, yet somewhat disjointed venture that may still leave you pondering the true nature and identity of Neocracy afterwards. It introduces plenty of ideas, some of which work better than others, but they never fully amount to a satisfying or cohesive whole. Here’s hoping the next album is more focused, and leans into the band’s considerable strengths, whilst leaving behind some of its weaker traits.
