Since their formation, The Hirsch Effekt have carved out a unique niche in the German-language music scene. This hasn't made the band any more accessible – and that's precisely what makes them so fascinating to their listeners. Musically, anything has been possible for The Hirsch Effekt from the very beginning. Acoustically rich moments, in which bassist Ilja John Lappin pulls out his cello or guitarist Nils Wittrock returns to his classical roots, exist quite naturally alongside massive progressive metal attacks. And yet, between these extremes, songs emerge that almost sound radio-friendly – "almost" because The Hirsch Effekt consistently resist any kind of homogenization. With their seventh album, "Der Brauch," they continue this course unwaveringly. Where earlier works, despite all their versatility, still bore the label "metal album," this time new paths open up, paths already laid out on their multifaceted second album, "Holon: Anamnesis." That album, in fact, was once the only German-language work voted by readers of VISIONS magazine into their list of the 20 best albums of all time. "Der Brauch" could be seen as a return to this crossroads—and simultaneously as a bold step forward. While drummer Moritz Schmidt doesn't completely abandon blast beats this time either, the record demands a new label. In the end, however, only one applies: It sounds unmistakably like The Hirsch Effekt. Tracklisting The custom The thread The rope Custom Reprise The Doppelganger The lie The bridge The downfall The homecoming New product