«Sigrar» means ‘victories’ in Icelandic, that is, from the vikings, which could sound like another new sarcasm of the house… when in reality it is nothing more than the unquestionable victory, or rather, victories in the plural, that are embodied in this sixth album by El relevo alemán. Well, if we take into account that «La séptima extinción», its illustrious and dense predecessor, came out in the worst of the pandemic (prophetic title, by the way), with this new work the band from Madrid needed to reactivate their enthusiasm, introducing some changes in their musical discipline. All of this, in favour of a search for light that culminates in this fantastic album.
For example, travelling to the idyllic studio of Brian Hunt (Half foot outside, Templeton), located in the depths of rural Cantabria (a substantial part of JC’s childhood), and finishing, mixing and mastering the album with Ojo (La débil, Nudozurdo) in El purgatorio, his studio in Madrid, have been two new and stimulating experiences. Both have marked the recording dynamics that JC, Cris and Javi were used to. Factors, all of them, that probably make this the most dynamic and contrasting album in the career of the trio from Madrid.
The two sides of the coin – hard-edged pop and noise – coexist and merge in compositions where the personal and the surreal are sheathed in the mask and text of unparalleled characters. With eloquent historical references, the protagonists of these new songs grab you by the lapel and stare you in the eye. It is exactly the same as the music, the live performances and the life trajectory of El relevo alemán, because, from the trench of their rehearsal room, here is a group that has once again found the strength to give their best when everything was going against them, after the hiatus of the pandemic. Indeed, «Sigrar» closes the circle that began in 2009 with «Ética protestante» and does so at the top, with irrefutable, timeless songs.
