What would become of the wonderful imperial couple of Austria when they appear in the modern Vienna and discover their palace full of tourists? Austrian project Ratlehole provides the answer to this question with the gloriously absurd theatrical metal, and the outcomes are as entertaining as they are surprising.
The opening note of Franz and Sissi: Back to Schonbrunn are filled with cinematic energy, as the heavy distorted guitars are combined with sweeping orchestral sounds that give the song a sense of grandeur and satire at the same time. The density is incredibly crisp in the production – brass sections and strings pass through the pummelling drums and metal foundations with an amazing clarity. What comes out is not so much like a conventional song as a scene in some mad imperial opera.
The play of voices is especially impressive. The operatic acts collide with the spoken word parts, which adds a theatrical aspect that is ideal to the comedy of the concept. It has real drama despite the absurdist set up, and the vocal lines soar with unexpected seriousness to the story of displaced royalty facing selfie culture.
The vision of Franz Habegger of Ratlehole is at an interesting crossroad – machine precision and human creativity. Every word and melody is written by hand, and voices and instruments are produced by the latest technology, which makes it seem truly hybrid. This would soon lead to sterile product, but Back to Schonbrunn is full of life and humour.
After their epic Nibelung Saga, Ratlehole has turned to what they are terming Comedy Metal, a mix of imperial history, dark humour and metal aesthetics. It is bold, brilliantly performed, and evidence that metal does not have to take itself deadly seriously to be effective. It is apocalypse romanticism Viennese style at its most joyfully unhinged.
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