Originally known as Blackout, this german band was one of the most original european metal bands of the 90s. They started as a prog/tech thrash band in 'First Depression' and 'Lying In Wait', both albums featured a characteristic songwritting approach, a fair touch of lunacy (especially 'Lying In Wait'), some really expressive riffs that speak and a really unique voice from a guy called Jan Lubitzki. Evolution hit their door with 'Symbols For The Blue Times' where they lost most of the thrash element of their music which became just riff oriented progressive metal, with no distinguishable influence, except maybe Queensryche. Their sound became more personal, the songs became more emotional, deep, weird and Lubitzki's voice even more varied. But the metal world was still not really prepared for the band's most progressive and innovative release, which was the psychotic 'Electric Scum' released in late Autumn of 1996. Noone had this sound and played like that back then. This album still sounds more progressive (without losing the metal identity) than the vast majority of the so called 'progressive metal' albums out there. Jan Lubitzki's voice goes totally out of control, the guy can sound so angry, sensitive, sarcastic, narrative, or just crazy. The atmosphere, feeling, melodies and riffs of this album are 100% unique and as i said about 'Gloria' and the 00s, this was considered by some to be the 'Rage For Order' of the 90s'. As it happened with most cases of metal albums that were so original and ahead of their time, 'Electric Scum' did not find the appreciation it deserved, the band's traces were lost and it was finally announced that the band is no more somewhere in the early 00s, if i remember correctly. Generally Depressive Age were, fatefully, too weird (for the common 90s metal fan) to be liked by some standard audience. Too thrashy for your usual prog metal fan and too progressive for your usual thrash metal fan in their first 2 albums and then too unconventional with an 'unidentified' (a 'suicide' back then, if you could not be put in a metal genre, then there was no future for you) style in their last 2 albums, especially 'Electric Scum'. There was supposed to be a reunion under the name of D-Age, with only Jan Lubitzki from the original lineup, but it seems that is not going to happen...for now at least. Fact to be regretful about: Some summers ago in an island here, i saw a bald guy, with a tatoo that seemed familiar, on his arm, but i totally wasted my time on wondering if it's really him or not. He probably was.
p.s. Other candidates for this kind of rec. where Saviour Machine and Acrimony.
First Depression - 1992
1. Awaits
2. Beyond Illusions
3. The Light
4. No Risk
5. Autumn Times
6. Transition
7. Innocent In Detention
8. Never Be Blind
9. Circles Colour Red
Lying In Wait - 1993
1. Lying In Wait
2. Where
3. Way out
4. Berlin
5. Psycho Circle Game
6. The Story (Autumn Times II)
7. My Wine
8. From Out Of Nowhere
9. Hateful Pride
10. Eternal Twins
Symbols For The Blue Times - 1994
1. Hills Of The Thrills
2. World In Veins
3. Garbage Canyons
4. Hut
5. Subway Tree
6. Port Graveyard
7. We Hate Happy Ends
8. Friend Within
9. Neptune Roars
10. Sorry, Mr. Pain
11. Kotze!
12. Rusty Cells
13. Mother Salvation
Electric Scum - 1996
1. Electric Scum
2. Cairo Crabat
3. Remember (Je T'Aime, Taverne Noir)
4. Teenage Temples
5. Small Town Boy
6. Featherflute
7. Toyland Hills
8. Companero Song
9. New Machine Wisdom
10. Polar Athletic Son
11. Weird Boy
12. Sports Yells
