Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Barraged by the Beatitudes of Borchert


Wolfgang Borchert, a German playwright during the Second World War, found himself sentenced to death by the Third Reich for his inflammatory criticism of the governing party through his writing and plays. He was sent to fight in the front lines as his punishment. Each time he returned wounded and was accused by the Nazi government of intentionally wounding himself in order to escape death in battle. A year after the end of the Second World War, he finally succumbed to his wounds but not before enjoying a bit of success for his work in theatre. His appeal lay mostly in his firmly held idea that the youth of Germany were not responsible for the sins of their fathers.

Aryawn's latest musical effort focuses specifically on the prose of Wolfgang Borchert. His written account of being a soldier expected to easily flow back into the structure of society after encountering the hazards of war are relevant to those who are about to return to a world that will never be the same for them. The musical approach on this new CD demo is quite different from the previous recording effort. Although there are hints of an alternative sound still present, it has fewer ties to the punk roots in Aryawn's first recording. It almost begs the question: Now that punk rock has grown up and given birth to children of its own... who is responsible for the most current sins being perpetrated on society?

Bush, Borchert, & Birkenstocks

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