Swaar Metaal
Produced by: Francois Breytenbach Blom and Theo Crous

I am extremely disappointed by this album.
Don't get me wrong, it is very very good. The lyrics are - as usual - exceedingly brilliant.
The music is also very good.
I'll be giving my impressions about some of the songs, but one important thing to keep in mind,
is something I've seen Francois say a couple of times - this is the Kobus! (Nowadays spelled K.O.B.U.s!, I prefer the first version :)) universe, nothing is as it seems (not a direct quote) So, my opinion is mostly based on the lyrics as they are, so the songs might mean something totally different from what I think. Sometimes I say what I think they mean, but...who really knows

The first song I want to comment on is the second song on the album - Witman (Whiteman)
A song about whites in the new South Africa - the song describes a hungry, angry man with a black agrophobia (not sure about that word). A man ready to grab his gun and start to shoot. His heart like a time bomb. This is actually a very simplified explanation about  what the song is about. The best would probably to provide a translation.
Throughout the song you get the idea that it is about a whiteman who might pick up his gun and start shooting (black) people, this perception changes when nearing the end of the song and you get the idea that he might actually want to kill himself (tired of the "Wonderful" new South Africa?) But I'm trying to analyse this song too much.
I love the way the lyrics and the music interact...this songs is brilliantly done.
Another higlight in the song is the way they use the drums to immitate a machinge gun - I would love to see this drummer live!

The next song is Tienerangs (Teen angst) - I'm not a fan of this song, just a warning to those who don't like swearing, this song contains swearing.

N.J.S.A. - Nuwe jong Suid Afrika (New young South Africa)
Sounds like a song about people who are tired to pay for the mistakes of their parents (this sentiment is getting more and more common over South Africa) obviously its not just about that. Again, lyrics are brilliant( I love the way Francois uses words) here we get some more of the variation of voice that marked the previous album 100% skuldgevoelvry*

Huigelaar (Hypocrite)
This is about a current trend, where a lot of artists are trying to capatalize on Gospel music, trying to get rich. I think in a way this song would be a bit more applicable to prosperity preachers, but thats just my opinion.
A good comment on the current affairs of (Gospel) music. Again, I love the music on this song. The drums (still using that machine gun effect...getting irritating by now, but very good nonetheless) Thus far I haven't mentioned anything about the guitars, electrical is all I can say about them (don't know anything about guitars), but since the previous albums, I've loved the guitar on the songs, this album is no exception.

Doodstraf. (Death penalty)
This is the first single released from this album, and in my opinion one of the best songs on the album.
This particular song is one which Francois said about that it may not what is appear to be. I wondered about this a lot, but when reading the cover of the album containing the lyrics, a sentence above the song gave me a whole new perception of the song. Who is it that wants the death penalty brought back?
A favourite lyric on this song, is "The raindow is drenched with blood"
It also says how we were promised freedom but received fear instead.
Great song! Love the guitar music on this.

Kinderhel - Children hell.
This song is one of my favourites on the album. The music is abosulutely brilliant and the lyrics left me speechless. In a way it sounds cruel and awfull.
This is the one song on the album that gives me the shivers.
My first reaction to this song was that it is brilliant, and in one place the lyrics are "The flames are icy cold in the children hell" an interesting opposite of what people think the hell is like. Just after I thought this, I went like...but wait a minute...children don't go to hell!
This is - for me - the best song on the album.
An echo effect is used which sounds awesome.
I just have to say this again...the lyrics are brilliant! There is only one Kobus! song that has better lyrics, and that is one from their frist album titled Kobus!, named "Dink jy nou" I have no idea what a good way would be to translate the title. a direct translation would be "Do you think now" but that doesn't really say the same.
Just before i go on...the end of this song is also awesome!

Amen.
this song sounds like a page from revalation adapted to the K.O.B.U.S! universe. K.O.B.U.S an acronymn for Konings oor besete uitverkore siele (Kings over possessed(crazy?) chosen souls.
the song should be listened together with the title track Swaarmetaal (heavy metal)
It is about "the end and start of all and nothing" The day when it will be decided what happens to who. This song has an interesting lyric which I'm wondering if it is in any way linked to another song of theirs "waar die antwoord verskyn"(where the answer appears)
Another brilliant song, the music and lyrics are excellent, though I'm not to sure I like the message of this song,
Something I really like is the end of the song, we hear piano(could be keyboard) music, which is then joined by a violin or maybe some other string instrument. It's beautiful and scary at the same time. It creates a feeling of expectation.
Some other instruments are also added as it progresses. |notably the eletric guitar, which creates and awesomee ffect to the unevitable ending...maybe death? (being melodramatic here)
Also...variation of voice is very nice here

Swaarmetaal (heavy metal)
This says that KO.B.U.S are the kings of heavy metal and the Kobus! universe. Again some of the variation of voice I like is found here.
The music is brilliant, love the drums and guitar on this.
The lyrics makes it sounds a if these guys would like to be gods. Of heavy metal definately...who knows about the rest.
Again, I don't like the message of this song very much.
 
OK...the drums on this is way past awesome...and the guitar compliments it soooooooo well.

Track 11 has no name. I call it "The kindom of the chosen souls"
At first it sounds like a wind in the desert, but also like flames. It's almost 7 minutes long.
Scary, yet interesting, with a nice surprise near the end.
It's a journey.

The whole album in fact is a journey, taken together it tells a story. This best seen if you read the lyrics along with a little comment above each.
I think it would be nice if these guys provided a translation for the english people.

OK, so far, I've said only good things about this album (apart from saying I don't like some parts that is).
Why the big disappointment then?
*It comes from one of the main reasons I like Kobus! I've mentioned the variation of Francois's voice a couple of times before.
What I meant by this, in 100% Skulgevoelvry (guiltfree) each song is sung in a different voice. I've often said that it's almost unbelievable that it's one guy who sings them all.
|There is so little of this variation on this album. i realise that you can't expect one album to be the same as the previous, but as this is what I like most about them, well I'm a bit disappointed about the overall smeness of Francois voice.
Along with that, some of the drum music (to my very unmusical ear) is repeated in almost every song...sometimes I find it very irritating, but have to admit, the more I listen the album the less it does :)

All in all, this is a brilliant album, but I think I expected too much. It was a bit of a disappointed. It is getting better and better each time I listen to it though.

I think it has to be absolutely awesome to see these guys live.

Reading through the whole thing again, I see I have said at a couple of the songs that the variation I like is there. Seems to contradict what I say in the end, but I stand by my point...too little!
A last thought the big variation(voice -wise...content wise, its as diverse as anyone could wish) of the previous album would probably not be suitable for this album. I just have very much respect for the capability of these guys and think they could have make it work.

Something else interesting I just thought of, it's amazing how the songs have content so very different from each other, but in the end it can all be linked to tell a story.

This album is definitely one of the most awesome I have ever heard.

I guess there is still so much to say, the last 2 songs really bother me, the message not the music, but tht is for another time.

I read a bio of the band yesterday,describing Francois as follows:  "Vocal Demon and lyrix genius." ... "Is renowned for being the most versatile and unpredictable vocalist in South Africa."

Those are comments I wholheartedly agree with. See more here

I just found some comments on some songs by Francois as posted on Rhythm Records where the album can be bought:

"

Swaar Metaal: Brief comments on selected tracks by Francois Breytenbach Blom

Huigelaar:

Huigelaar's lyrics were written many years ago, 1991 to be precise. The original version was called 'Carman' and was not a songlyric at all but in fact a poem. Carman was (or still is, I'm not too sure) a very popular, perfectly groomed and very rich gospel artist. I saw him perform on TV one day and wondered whether he meant what he was singing.

Honger:

The thing I love most about this song is the main guitar-riff that repeats under the chorus. It just kicks-ass. I culled this riff from an 8 second throw-away piece Theo did just before he put his guitar down after a recording session. It had no relation to the piece he'd just played. It was as if he was checking something, the strings, his nails, I don't know. Now that's what I call MAIN!

Kinderhel: This is my personal favourite track on the Swaar Metaal album. And, just for interest sake, the child's voice on the intro and singing the lullabye in the middle of the song is my 8 year old nephew, Jacques André Blom.

Witman: Witman is an impartial, unbiased observation. It's not about just one person, neither an entire nation, and certainly not a generalisation of Afrikaners, as some might hastily conclude. There's no condemnation of, nor support for the faceless title-character, or -characters. Witman is about nightmares, fears, beliefs, realities and assumptions of a certain personality type within the white population. What may seem to be a total irrationality to one, may seem the complete truth to another in any given situation. The machinery of a mindset and what it sometimes births, whether in the minds eye or in physical reality, is explored and it begs the question: Do I want to be like this? I'm white, I grew up among whites, that's my frame of reference regarding the content of this song, so needless to say it would have been assumptious of me to try write a song of this nature concerning any other racial group. "

You can find the album here