It’s definitely been an interesting summer looking at this mostly discarded metal subgenre. While some of the stereotypes are somewhat deserved, at the same time the uniqueness of the approach taken by Nu Metal balances those stereotypes. Not only that, but it still has some adherents nearly 30 years after it came onto this world. Not just in the United States, but it also managed to land a presence over in Europe if you can believe it. My final review covers such a band, and not only are they Nu Metal disciples, but managed to mix in a few other genres as well, and the end result is oddly unique. So without further delay, here’s my review of Kontrust’s 2nd album, Time To Tango. Let’s begin.
Background
And it’s here where I have trouble. When I do my reviews, Wikipedia is my source for information 90 to 95 percent of the time, but there’s barely anything on that website I can use, and most other sources are either foreign or on a platform I don’t use (ex Instagram). What little I can find over on Wikipedia was that the band formed in 2001 in Austria, and was composed of band members Gregor Kutschera, Roman Gaisböck, Robert Ehgartner, Manuel Haglmüller, Agata Jarosz, and Stefan Lichtenberger. In 2005 they released their first album Welcome Home, and in 2006 they won the Austrian Newcomer Award, made their first music video for the song "Phono Sapiens" and played at the freeride and snowcross competition Vertical Extreme. Their second album, Time To Tango, came out on June the 19th, 2009, in Austria. "The Smash Song" was the first single of the album, and their song "Bomba" landed them a spot in the Dutch charts & was the number one downloaded rock song on the Dutch iTunes Store.
Basic Description
European Nu Metal.
For starters, let me just say that Kontrust’s musical base is typical American Nu Metal. Many of the beats & rhythms could possibly be in other bands. Like Coal Chamber however, it’s what the band does that manages to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. In Kontrust’s case, it’s the musical diversity that they embrace that makes them so different. The band not only relies on Nu Metal, but they also work in Dance Pop, Folk Metal, and in the process became a Crossover band. The Nu & Folk Metal fans liked them, and the Dance Pop people liked them! By embracing other musical styles throughout their career, Kontrust stood out from the rest of the Nu Metal crowd, and have a following to this day because of that.
Best Track
Even years before I sat down & properly listened to Time To Tango, I was a big fan of Bomba when I found it completely by accident. Goofy music video aside, you can find practically every music genre the band was using in this track: there’s the Nu Metal for sure, but you also got Folk Metal instrumentation, and Dance Pop beats & rhythms. Other tunes on this album certainly lean a little more in one stylistic direction, but Bomba definitely has all of them front and center. I would have liked it if the track was the opener, but regardless it’s of excellent quality, as well as being musically varied. A hit if you ask me!
Bomba
Worst Track
As good as Time To Tango is on the whole, there are still some “songs” that non the less feel like timewasters. I use quotations, because 3 tracks in particular barely register as such. Mainstream Bypass, Lato (The worst culprit), and Känämänännä all lie within the 1 minute mark. Again, Lato is the worst culprit in this regard, as it plays for a mere 27 seconds. Känämänännä is exactly a minute long, and Mainstream Bypass plays for a minute & 49 seconds. These “tracks” are just timewasters when they show up, so skip em when they do!
Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, click on the link below:
Time To Tango
Overall Impression & Rating
Time To Tango is just a fun ride. From beginning to end, Kontrust crafter a wonderful & unique album that contrasts the band with the rest of the Nu Metal brotherhood. Even with the small timewasters, the record is still a blast from beginning to end, and it’s energy never dissipates. I was surprised by this & the other musical styles the group incorporated, but at the end I didn’t care. If there was a Nu Metal album from outside of the United States that was a must to listen to.....it’s this one.
Time To Tango gets a 9 out of 10.
And that was my look at Time To Tango. A glimpse into how other parts of the world viewed Nu Metal, and a unique musical experience in it’s own right. So with Kontrust finally putting out a new album in a few months after nearly a decade since the last one, I hope that older records like Time To Tango get some recognition once again. And that concludes the Summer Of Nu, but I’m not ending the Summer of Nu on this review. Join me next week for a list on the Nu Metal albums you should have in your library. See you then!
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