Die Hausers – Sibir LP (PDV)

Die Hausers, a well-kept secret of the Croatian noise rock scene, has always been more of a word to mouth, a phenomenon, long before social media influencers occupied all media space. But for those roaming the scene for decades, Die Hausers is more than a household name; it is a staple every true noise rock aficionado should have among other necessities in their record collection. But what makes this band such a standout feature is how they managed to exist in that very underground territory without a proper album being recorded. If rumours are true, Die Hausers only had a couple of demos recorded, but their songs became anthems for anyone who loved noisy rock and punk rock music. But now, many decades later, the band has recorded all their songs and put them together as a proper debut full-length release. “Sibir” collects thirteen bangers, suitable for anyone who even remotely call himself a noise rock fan. But, as is usually is the case, this band packs many other styles along the way, such as post-hardcore, punk rock, garage, alternative, and other similar subgenres that work quite well with heavy noise rock aesthetics, resulting in an ultimate display of power that leaves lasting impact on the listener.

Perhaps these songs were crafted, polished, changed over the years, and finally recorded for both longtime fans and newbies to cherish, but you’ll immediately notice that sweet, close connection with the late eighties and early nineties noise rock scene. You can hear how DC post-hardcore, Chicago or New York noise scenes affected Die Hausers’ songwriting and composing approach. You can hear in the way this band articulates through their songs. They were profoundly inspired by everything American noise rock and post-hardcore scenes had to offer back in the day. But Die Hausers used that rich noise rock heritage to their advantage and developed much deeper, complex, unfiltered sound that, if you keep peeling all the layers, lies in the true essence of the genre. Those layers are more than necessary enhancements, accentuations, decorations, and other details that make this band so adorable and irresistible, while their music remains iconic, hypnotic, cinematic, and captivating. While some songs carry that sweet balance between dark, grimy, almost cinematic ambiance and ultimately heavy, aggressive, groovy riffs, those layers actually show how far Die Hausers looked into the future and developed such a fresh, unique, and innovative sound that even contemporary bands have never matched.

The vocals absolutely shine in the mix, representing a centerpiece that carries narratives in each composition. Besides commanding attention and elevating all the orchestrations to new heights, the vocals balance all those low, mid, and high notes with precision and finesse, making this album even more appealing to the ears. While guiding listeners throughout the entire album, the vocals deliver soulful, passionate, confident lines where emotional depth, complexity, and melody collide harmoneously. The interplay between guitars and bass shapes a perfect backdrop for all the vocals to shine upon. You’ll notice how guitars sometimes shine with jangly, angular, almost clean and sharp themes, melodies, and harmonies, but all of a sudden transform into those raw, unfiltered, abrasive, heavy, powerful guitar riffs, packed with generous servings of fuzz and distortion. In the meantime, the bass guitar offers those clean, warm, vividly audible low ends, providing more than necessary warmth, depth, clarity, melody, groove, and heaviness while binding guitars with drums. The drumming here is completely inside, delivering all those well-accentuated, flawlessly performed, expertly assembled beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. Each hit of the snare, kick on the bass drum, accentuation on the hi-hat, and splash over cymbals has its place and purpose here, making “Sibir” even more appealing to the ears.

“Sibir “ is an excursion in perfectly controlled chaos, created by a band that understands balance between tension and release, calmness and aggression, mellowness and power. This material exemplifies how noise rock should sound, and Die Hausers crafted a 10/10 experience that will leave a tremendous impression on your ears. Therefore, head to the PDV webshop and grab this gem on vinyl.