Crematory – Destination

Crematory
Destination
Label: ROAR (Rock of Angels Records)
Out: May 2^nd, 2025
Playing time: 53:41

Crematory were founded in 1991 by drummer Markus Jüllich and guitarist Lothar ‘Lotte’ Först. Shortly after the band was founded, singer Gerhard ‘Felix’ Stass, bassist Marc Zimmer and keyboardist Katrin Goger joined the band. The latter initially only as a guest musician. Three musicians from the early days are still on board – Markus Jüllich, Felix Stass and Katrin Jüllich (born Goger), who is now a permanent member of the band. An astonishing 1500 copies of the self-titled demo from 1992 were sold. This probably brought the band to the attention of Massacre Records. The debut “Transmigration” was released under this label one year later. Although the band took a break between 2001 and 2003, sixteen studio albums have been released to date. ‘Destination’ is album number 17, the first on the new ROAR label.

The album starts with the title track ‘Destination’. And immediately with banging guitars and booming drums. ‘The Future Is A Lonely Place’ offers a little more melody and fine keyboard tapestries. Beautiful Gothic Metal. ‘Welt aus Glas’ is a song with German lyrics. Melodic sections are contrasted by brute riffs. ‘My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend’ is a Type O Negative cover, but much heavier than the original – less Dark Rock and more Gothic Rock. But it fits well on the album. ‘After Isolation’ is then a little quieter. The keyboard spreads a lot of atmospheric sounds. ‘My Own Private God’ is quite simple but packs a powerful punch. Once again, atmospheric keyboard tapestries can be heard. The keyboards and synths in ‘Days Without Sun’ provide a lot of electronic gimmicks. The melody and rhythm are very catchy. Thanks to the groove, the song is also easy to dance to. ‘Deep In The Silence’ is a beautiful ballad for long stretches. Felix Stass frequently breathes his vocals into the microphone. There is also a magnificent guitar solo. In ‘Banished Forever’, the brutal wrecking ball is back in full swing. However, it remains mostly melodic, which is mainly due to the keyboards. After a melodic introduction, ‘Ashes Of Despair’ is characterised by rhythmic riffs and beautiful guitar melodies. ‘Toxic Touch’ is mostly calmer, but the refrain features some bitter screams. The final song ‘Das Letzte Ticket’ is the second German-language song on the album. Once again a very melodic song, even with the harsh vocals.

I think we can enjoy one of the best albums in Crematory’s long history with ‘Destination’. The songwriting is very varied. The arrangements could hardly be more varied. Hard riffs, beautiful keyboard and guitar melodies, growls but also beautiful vocal passages alternate. And band leader Markus Jüllich provides a rhythmic and powerful platform for the songs with his drumming. How much of a spring is this for Crematory?

Crematory Destination: https://youtu.be/HDtH2Mns_8Q?si=MVE04IQ0pSV4Bko4

Lineup:

Felix Stass – Vocals
Rolf Munkes – Guitar
Oliver Revilo – Bass
Katrin Jüllich – Keyboards, Samples
Markus Jüllich – Drums, Programming

Track list:

• Destination
• The Future Is A Lonely Place
• Welt aus Glas
• My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend
• After Isolation
• My Own Private God
• Days Without Sun
• Deep In The Silence
• Banished Forever
• Ashes Of Despair
• Toxic Touch
• Das Letzte Ticket