Tiergarten - Magnificent Desolation

Tiergarten

Magnificent Desolation
self-released; 2016

3.9 out of 5

By Andrew Westberry

Tiergarten is a ‘90s-influenced alternative rock band hailing from Brooklyn, NY. For a band claiming to wear their influences on their sleeve, their originality persistently shines through on their new EP entitled Magnificent Desolation.

A thumping, tribal drum beat leads into a dissonant guitar melody on “Architect.” Bass pulses through the noises and chaos as the track builds into a wall of sound for an electrifying chorus. Twisted, almost Nirvana-esque vocals fluctuate perfectly from loud to quiet, creating an impressive dynamic range. This is a fantastic start to the album and, while fitting in with the ‘90s alternative scene, displays a lot of unique elements. Most notably, the vocal fluctuation and the eclectic range of styles present - and that was only the opener.

“Paradigm” opens with an intoxicating bass riff. A pulsing beat joins the mix, clawing its way towards the sweet release of distorted, brutal power chords which support resonating, yet smooth, vocals from the lead singer. Playing with dynamics again, the chaos and noises occasionally descend into moments of calm and quiet, while muted guitar notes flicker and chug slowly onwards - teasing the coming explosion of noise and solo-orientated chaos.

The most infectiously-catchy track, by far, is “Macabre.” Dissonant guitar echoes and reverberates, collapsing in on itself as it drifts off into a disturbed abyss. It trails off as a precise beat emerges, topped with throbbing bass and haunting vocals.

But the backing falsetto is truly the cherry on top of the cake here; Tiergarten creates a beautiful sonic soundscape. Twisted though it may be, the band once again masters that oh-so-difficult jump between moments of quiet and moments of guitar-driven madness.

​Tiergarten is already a master when it comes to writing explosive tunes, packed full of heart, grit and melodic bliss. I have no doubt that they could build up a sizable following with continued evolution and exploration of those elements within their songwriting which displays the most originality.

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