Detailed Reviews [Tonnen von Hall - 2025 - "Ein Abdruck vom Messer im Herzen"]

Prolusion. Germany based band Tonnen Von Hall was established back in 2022 or thereabouts, and the threesome consisting of Marks Reuter, Alexander Paul Dowerk and Asaf Sirkis has been developing the style and sound of this new formation ever since. The results of that process first came to light on an EP released towards the end of 2024. A few months later the band have now released their debut album "Ein Abdruck vom Messer im Herzen" through the German label Iapetus and their Unsung Records brand.

Analysis. Many of those with more than a passing interest in the progressive rock tradition will be well aware of the individual members of this trio, and I guess that at least to some extent the same can be said about those with a passionate interest in jazz of different kinds. These are seasoned musicians, each of them highly regarded artists in their own right. When they venture out into this specific project, it is the more challenging aspects of the progressive rock tradition that has been the chosen hunting ground. And as will often be the case for music of a more challenging nature, the band have chosen to stick to instrumental compositions, with one small exception. This album is half-and-half divided between compositions and soundscapes, at least as far as the number of tracks are concerned. The more straight out compositions here are quirky and sophisticated creations. The rhythms are quirky and off kilter, the guitars follow along in patterns of the same kind and with slightly unusual tones and timbres being the norm rather than the exception. Flowing and floating textured motifs backed by distorted, noise-tinged guitars are very much a presence here, but surging and fluctuating textured dark toned and noise-flavored undercurrents are mainstay elements too. Playful and erratically wandering light toned and more delicate overlays over a more bombastic and dominant support motif is another mainstay feature here. In general a landscape where the unconventional is the norm and not the exception. And in a landscape and a context that favor expressive instrument details in a subtle as well as a more overt manner. That the one song that feature vocals gave me associations towards Magma first and jazz next indicates a little bit of what kind of music we are dealing with here I guess. But that being said, my main association throughout was towards good, old King Crimson and the landscapes conjured by Robert Fripp. Which for many may be rather more indicative of the specific nature of the music explored on this production. The band don't shy away from creating more intense sounding landscapes either, with a few of the songs being of a nature that makes progressive metal a natural association due to the loud and intense nature of these specific creations, and then with a quirky, dark and dystopian trip into a borderline progressive metal oriented excursion being the name of the game for those compositions. We do get some brief interludes along the way, creations that I'd describe as soundscapes rather than compositions. These are floating, flowing or otherwise more minimalist and experimental creations, making use of textured sounds, whimsical elements, noise distortions and a plethora of other sounds of a similar nature to create landscapes of the kind that for me at least combines into more of a cosmic experience. A more ominous, haunting, dark and cold variety of that association though, where words like alien, otherworldly and brooding are appropriate, but still more cosmic than anything else. Oh, and perhaps ever so slightly dystopian too.

Conclusion. Tonnen Von Hall has made themselves quite the impressive debut album here, and with an excellent mix and production as the icing on the cake of this very solid, intriguing and captivating creation, those who tend to enjoy a more challenging and quirky variety of instrumental progressive rock of the more heavy set, dark and ominous sounding kind should find this album to be quite the captivating experience. And I would guesstimate that those who love and treasure the landscapes explored by a band like King Crimson from the 1980s and onward to be just about the perfect audience for the material to be enjoyed on this production.

Progmessor: January 2025
The Rating Room