Consuming the Tangible

This was supposed to be a different review. But I watching a review on YouTube for the latest from German psych/stoner/prog rock band Kadavar for their just-released second album of 2025, Kids Abandoning Destiny Among Vanity And Ruin and we needed to pivot. Not to review that album – the vinyl doesn’t come out until January – but to address the other album the band released this year, the one a lot of critics and content creators rolled their eyes against and fretted and squawked about the change in direction. And yeah, sure: I Just Want To Be A Sound is a bit jarring if you came expecting more of the deep stoner and ’70s rock worship Kadavar have embraced to varying degrees of success since their debut. A few more listens, though, reveal a real sense of adventure and a fine ear for hooks that recall both ’90s and ’00s rock/pop hybrids even as they remain tether to their flared, bellbottom roots.

The longstanding trio of guitarist/lead vocalist Christoph “Lupus” Lindemann, drummer Christoph “Tiger” Bartelt, and bassist Simon “Dragon” Bouteloup are expanded to a quartet with the addition of keyboardist/guitarist Jascha Kreft. The band have mentioned in interviews the invigorating “chaos” the younger Kreft brought to the band dynamic, and based on the exuberant opening title track that invigorating chaos is certainly evident sonically. A sunny, phased lick gets introduced with massive drums and power chords rolling in, and Lindemann’s voice and candor in his lyrics evoke the bounce and hop of the 90s commercial rock scene. And man, they do it well- this is a great single and jam that doesn’t fail to make me smile. It even maintains the group’s proggier roots with a great Beatles breakdown in the song’s middle.

Not every new turn and modern reference work at the same level: I’m still of two minds over the Muse of it all on “Hysteria” but I’ll take the small missteps when a) they’re still catchy, filled with sly production, and plow deep into Tears For Fears at key moments, and b) when I hear how psychedelic and hazy the rest of the album is, especially late tracks like “Truth” and “Star,” I’m reeled right back into Kadavar’s honey trap. And if you ever wondered what Trent Reznor might have sounded like if he came to prominence 15-20 year earlier, may I direct your attention to one of I Just Want To Be A Sound‘s highlights, “Let Me Be A Shadow”?

I’m sure whatever (if any) end of year attention Kadavar get will center around the more “return to form” rock of Kids Abandoning Destiny Among Vanity And Ruin. And hey, that’s a really good album, too. But folks who are dismissing the glammed up joys of I Just Want To Be A Sound are really missing out on one of the things a lot of rock seems to be lacking of late:

Fun.