Clawfinger 🇬🇧 Before We All Die

Clawfinger, you might think: ‘Hey, do they still exist?’ Yes, they certainly do! Their last studio album was released about 19 years ago, so it’s no wonder that many people had (almost) forgotten about the band. For those who don’t know them, here’s a brief introduction: Clawfinger is a rap metal band from Sweden, formed about 37 years ago. They toured with bands such as Alice In Chains and Anthrax. It wasn’t long before they were headlining themselves, playing at major festivals including Monsters of Rock. They have played around 1,500 gigs in total.
Their previous seven albums sold a total of 1.4 million copies. These men are a bit older now, but according to them, they are still just as crazy and loud as they were back then.
That’s why their new album, “Before We All Die”, is loud. They offer a dark, sometimes humorous commentary on the mess that the world has become. This is partly brutal, therapeutic or protest. Another part is denial or, rather, a middle finger to a situation.
The lyrics are sometimes crude, with the F-word recurring (repeatedly) in a number of songs. So be careful when you sing along to their predominantly rousing songs in the presence of small children.

“Scum” starts off pleasantly loud. The grim-sounding words fit the lyrics. The tempo of the music and rap is fast, yet the words are easy to understand. The backing vocals are well layered. You can hear a lot of (bass) guitar, and the chorus is catchy. Occasionally, you hear siren-like sounds throughout the music. This opening track ends with a long raw roar and spoken sampling.
In “Ball & Chain”, emphasis is placed on certain words or syllables, which adds extra depth. Once again, the backing vocals add value. The last sentences are almost whispered, but the grimness remains. ‘Big Brother’ has a fairly calm start with industrial sounds. The tempo is slower than in the previous songs. Here, criticism is levelled at artificial fame and fake reality. Parts of the lyrics are somewhat clichéd, the words sound less grim, but are still convincing.

The inspiration for ‘Going Down (Like Titanic)’ seems to come from the 1980s. Once again, the alternation/blend between rap and metal is striking. ‘A Fucking Disgrace’ delves deeper into personal issues. The intro is surprisingly blues-related. The music quickly becomes heavier, alternating with calmer (blues-related) parts.
The dynamic drumming is important during the first part of “Before We All Die”. As the tempo increases, the drumming becomes slightly less dynamic, but no less rousing. The words come at a fairly high tempo, but remain understandable. There is a lovely twist to a quieter part with some industrial sounds. Here, too, the F-word appears a number of times. Whether or not you feel the repetitions are excessive, you can certainly hear a lot of anger/frustration. The ending is played beautifully and tightly.

This album is certainly loud, but it is not over the top. The rap is varied, which suits the structure of the songs. The balance between rhythm/melody and between rap and metal is very good. The tracks have an accessible but captivating structure. They were probably written with live performances in mind. Clawfinger is going on tour through Europe, with a performance in the autumn in the Netherlands.

(78/100) (Perception)

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