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Die Grobschnitt Story, Vol. 1 on CD

Germany's Grobschnitt played long, keyboard-ridden suites with intermingling electric guitar added in for a complete progressive effect. Their music is loud and heavy with vocals being used sparingly, and the drums play a big part of their bombastic sound. Die Grobschnitt Story is a live, two-CD set made up of their best material handpicked from different shows. The music itself is stunning, as their instrumental craftsmanship is well represented. The music sounds pure and full blown with the synthesizers delivering energy in pristine clarity. The downside to the two discs results in the numerous amount of talking between songs, sometimes for nearly three minutes, and unless German is understood by the listener, it's all quite meaningless. Interviews given by the band members take up a lot of time as well, taking away from the flow of the music. With high marks for intensity and a clean sound, Die Grobschnitt Story does exemplify the soulfulness of this talented and enduring prog band, but ignoring all the vocal intermissions may become tedious. Mike DeGagne