I’ve been meaning to write a review for the new Donot’s album for quite a while (it was released way back in March), but since there’s no local distributer for their records in Australia I took me awhile to obtain my copy.

Despite the fact that they’ve been kicking around since 1993 and have released 5 fantastic albums these five German punk/rockers have yet to crack the the mainstream market outside of Europe. If you haven’t heard of them before then I would suggest listening to their massive 31 track Best Of / b-side / Live album The Story So Far: Ibbtown Chronicles. It was always going to be hard to top this record but the Donots have really outdone themselves with their latest effort titled Coma Chameleon.

The album starts with the deceptive spoken word intro The Tunnel At The End Of The Light, which leads onto the next track Break My Stride which showcases the pulsing guitars, throbbing baseline & staccato drumming which become a signature sounds for the rest of the album.

This energetic dynamic is mixed with some aggressive beats & screaming vocals which match the darker style of the songs (just look at the song titles). This time the Donots step back from their previous pop rock roots and instead cover themes of pessimism with Anything (“nothings ever good enough for me I’m always complaining, a set of lungs, a pair of fists, a pointed finger”) and bitterness with The Right Kind Of Wrong (“I can’t be the life of the party, spare me your smile, your kindness kills me”).

Despite this tone there’s still plenty of upbeat riffs & memorable lyrics to cut through the sarcasm and lighten things up. The great piano punches of Hope For The Dead, the warbling bass and epic chorus of The Right Kind Of Wrong and the country style sounds of Somewhere Someday are all interesting additions to the track list & help break up the intensity of the faster, heavier rock numbers (Pick Up The Pieces, This Is Not A Drill and the bonus track The City Lights). The electrical sound of the lead guitars has really been pumped up on all these fantastic tracks and gives them an infectious energy that’ll make you want to get off your arse & jump around.

The first highlight track Headphones is full of a striking bass line which reminds me of the Hives or some White Stripes material. While the lyrics initially seem obtuse anyone who travels on public transport can surely relate to the message of shutting out the world with music (“Radio is killing me and tv’s a bore, all I want today is something I can ignore”). A breakdown and a spoken word segment with a strange British accent is followed by hand claps which blend perfectly into the main riffs. This song has a real cool vibe which makes it perfect to crank up while going for a walk.

My other favorite track is the rousing Stop The Clocks. While the donots have tackled rock ballads before (Good-bye Routine or Room With A View) , this single is their most successful one yet and combines a stable back beat, and a compelling melody with plenty of sing along support vocals (“now my angels need angels, to help me get out of this hell”).

While the rest of the album is also solid the only real downside is the lack of depth from the lead vocals. If you’re not used to their punk/rock style, Ingo Knollman’s coarse voice may become slightly grating after listening to the album multiple times (like I did). The slow intro to New Hope For The Dead highlights this deficiency but thankfully for most tracks the rough vocals become less of an issue after the guitars kick in & the vocal support appears.

Final Verdict: While the Donots already have a number of great releases under their belt, they’ve really kicked things up a notch with their latest Coma Chameleon. Not since listening to the punk rap sounds of Zebrahead have I heard so many energetic songs were I wanted to impulsively start head banging and tapping my toes like a crazyman. It’s addictive quality means that this is one of those rare albums were you can just put in your headphones and be assured of a solid listen from start to finish. If you’re looking for a 37 min power pick me up, then this is the album for you.

87 / 100 Pennies

Highlight tracks (In Order Of Ranking):

Stop The Clocks
Pick Up The Pieces
Headphones
City Lights (bonus track)
This Is Not A Drill