Germany post-hardcore/screamo band Shakers are making their presence known early on in their career with their new single, “If It’s Done With, It’s Eternal”, taken from their forthcoming debut record, I Need You To Know. An energetic burst of post-hardcore/screamo, the band’s new record is out April 10th through a slew of DIY labels. The album is a relentless, confident debut, recorded live over five days and mastered by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Gouge Away, State Faults).
About the track, drummer Julius Lensch explains, “”If It’s Done With, It’s Eternal” is a song about those moments devoid of any sense or hope. When all that’s left to fall back on is cynicism. Nothing to brag about, but we’ve all been there.”
I Need You To Know encapsulates Shakers’ relentless energy. Channeling the likes of Xerxes, Comadre and Touché Amoré, the five-piece screamo band have created a record that sits neatly between Is Survived By and The Lack Long After, one that shakes with ferocious energy and incredible musicianship. Julius Lensch’ pounding drums and Josh Ziegler’s ever-intriguing bass lines provide a rock-solid foundation for guitarists Nils Pospischil and Markus Wimmer’s intricate interplay. Vocalist Chrisse Weiler’s screams with a range of emotion that is rarely found in a genre that is often reluctant to show vulnerability.
Reckoning with loss and acknowledging change, I Need You To Know is a record that confronts the minutiae of everyday struggle and takes them to task. “It still goes on, and it takes its toll. It still goes on, but we’re not alone,” Weiler laments on opening track “Allay”. However, all is not completely lost – they are in as much pain as we are, but they’re right there beside us. There is no suggestion that they know the right path, that they are privy to knowledge or a way of life that we are unaware of. They face the same struggles that we do, but they can help us appreciate what we are feeling and show that, although there might not be a light at the end of the tunnel, at least we’re in the dark together.
The album is full of little moments of ingenuity – the screech of feedback in “Swan Song”, Pospischil agonizing backing vocals on “Spin” and “If It’s Done With It’s Eternal”, the sound of the snare being turned on in “Fuse”. These little moments are brought to life by Jan Kerscher’s excellent production and Jack Shirley’s mastering (Gouge Away, Deafheaven, State Faults), capturing the band’s live presence and energy, their emotion and technical prowess. I Need You To Know is a record that is brimming with character and personality, full of emotion and soul and musicianship, all the while retaining an intensity that is paralleled by the band’s songwriting.
There is an acceptance of what can’t be changed, a willingness to confront the harsh realities of life, but I Need You To Know is not a pessimistic, negative album. It is ultimately one of hope. “I saw the cracks in the walls and the sun shining through.” Shakers know that there is something else, and invite you on their journey to try and find it. We might not make it, but we have each other.
Tracklist
1. Allay
2. Spin
3. Swan Song
4. Sun Scare
5. Words
6. Abandon Scale
7. If It’s Done With, It’s Eternal
8. Telemark
9. Somersault
10. Fuse
11. Sputnik
