Doomology Vol. 3 - Silberbart ...

For this edition of Doomology we have a band from the annals of Krautrock. A very heavy and mind destroying band who went by the name of Silberbart. Silver beard being the meaning of that name. They formed sometime in 1970/1971 in the town of Varel, which is located in Lower Saxony, Germany. The idea for the band came about after guitarist Hans Joachim “Hajo” Teschner’s previous group, The Tonics, had disbanded. He was interested in playing more interesting and improvisational music rather than the commercial, beat pop of The Tonics. The original lineup of Silberbart consisted of Hans singing and guitaring, Werner Klug as the bassist, and Gerd Baker on the drums. However Gerd was soon replaced by Peter Behrens who was considered the best drummer in the area. As it is with many of these groups starting out, their song repertoire featured covers from the a lot usual suspects (i.e Zeppelin, Hendrix, Grand Funk, Cream, Deep Purple, etc). The band managed to get weekly gigs at a Kurhaus (a German spa or health resort of some sort) which enjoyed somewhat of a cult status. They also gave concerts in other venues in the surrounding area but rarely ventured away from home. As money was tight and gigs provided minimal income to work with, they had no manager and were forced to organize everything themselves. The band did hook up with a manager at one point, but after their second gig with him he “mysteriously” disappeared; conveniently with all the cash receipts.

During their existence they opened up for many popular bands at the time such as Eloy and Frumpy. However after Silberbart’s usually ferocious and devastating performances the headlining bands would often sound like “well-behaved high school bands” in comparison. The group only managed to record a single LP during their career. 4 Times Sound Razing was recorded between April and May of 1971 on a cheap 4 track recording system originally intended for voice recordings. The four songs were performed as if they were playing live and the LP was only meant to be a demo; but for whatever reason it was released as an album. Although well received, the album was probably way too out there for the record label to consider letting the band record a second (this was the same label Teschner’s previous group had been with so there was quite a musical contrast). Unfortunately the band’s financial situation never really improved, even after the release of the album. And although popular in Varel, they were barely known outside their hometown. None of the members had any permanent jobs either so the only source of income was through gigs. Because of the difficulty of the situation they decided to call it quits at the end of 1972. All three band members moved onto various other careers and prospects; some musical, some non-musical. Bassist Werner Klug is employed as a trucker and still plays with various rock and blues bands. Peter Behrens went on to play with the German synth pop group, Trio. And guitarist/vocalist Hans Joachim Teschner completed his music studies and has taught at several different music schools in Germany. In addition he is involved in many different writing projects as well as operating a bass guitar with a jazz trio.

The album these guys made is an absolute mind-fuck and then some. Four songs of total madness as well as the heaviness to back it up. You’ll read lots of Blue Cheer and Guru Guru comparisons and that gives you a bit of an idea of what you’re about to hear. Even so, these guys are totally unique and sound like no one else out there. The first song is by far the most accessible and sober song of the bunch. It definitely has the heaviness in spades, but things aren’t too out of control yet. However get ready to take the plunge into complete psychosis for track number two, Brain Brain. It begins soft and dreamlike but the trip soon takes a turn for the worse and you will find yourself searching for a nearby straight razor to remove the beetles from under your skin. You’re brain brain will definitely go bye bye soon. But wait, you’re not finished yet, there’s still more horror up ahead. Track three isn’t quite as insane as the previous song, but it’s still extremely heavy and takes you ever closer to complete mental breakdown. The first half of the song consists of badass, catchy guitar and bass interwoven with some fun soloing and trippy effects.

But second half is all brutal, lysergic jamming. It entertains, horrifies, and confuses. And it eventually carries you into the final phase of the journey entitled Head Tear Of The Drunken Sun; 12 more minutes of total insanity. Who the hell knows where they came up with the title, but it’s another solid track and is possibly my favourite from the album. Like the third song it begins with some heavy and catchy guitar and bass and for the second half goes for total experimentation and mind fuckery. And then the trip is over. Your sanity is now cured and your mind can see. The title, 4 Times Sound Razing, basically says it all; your brain will be razed four times during course of listening to this. There aren’t many albums out there this mind bending. Not to mention how heavy it is as well. A definite treat for fans of experimental, adventurous, Krautrock mixed with Sabbath/Cheer/Pentagram heaviness.

9/10

Another band that could have and should have been. They were definitely ‘out there’ (like really fucking far out there). And it’s such a shame they only have four actual recorded songs to their name. But the quality over quantity expression definitely applies here. And I can just imagine what kind of brain damage you would have been able to cause by dropping some acid and seeing them live. Unfortunately this is impossible until time travel is invented, so for now I recommend you go out and listen to their sole album and enter a psychedelic coma.

Recommended tracks:

-All of them (this album needs to be experienced as a whole)



Words: Brian