The self-referential ‘A La Carte’ plays as the second act to ‘Sleeping God’, a powerful indictment of religious institutions that exploit humanity's vulnerability to wield power released by The Intersphere in 2012 from their album Hold On, Liberty!.
‘A La Carte’ nods to ‘Sleeping God’ musically and lyrically. Frontman Christoph Hessler reverts to the questions he had eleven years ago which still remain unanswered and continue to spark his creativity and artistic expression, “Is the sleeping god still in the room? Did we misunderstand you or do you wrong?”, he sings in ‘A La Carte’.
The new song delivers its message with the help of a powerful single-note riff full of fuzz, completed by pounding drums and eery synth samples. Prayer-like, the singing in the verses leads over a towering pre-chorus to a chorus in which all the pent-up energy is discharged. With all its subtleties and sonic facets, the production clearly shows how far The Intersphere have developed since 2012.
Regarding the new single Christoph says, “Lyrically, it's about faith and the need for a higher power that shows the way. ‘A La Carte’ deals with the withdrawal of man's own responsibility and what ultimately religions, sects, call it what you will, do with this responsibility. And it is about the question if there can be a god in his advertised omnipotence of wisdom, charity and empathic behaviour, if the entire system, which acts in his name, is built on power, guilt, discrimination, oppression and psychological violence.”
The Intersphere don't shy away from a big hook line, dramatic harmony or epic song arcs, and as such are frequently named alongside the likes of Biffy Clyro, Muse, Royal Blood and Thrice in their homeland. Their forthcoming sixth album Wanderer expands this pallet further, building on their intelligent guitar sounds and song arrangements with potent new electronic elements.
The Intersphere flex their expansive muscles throughout the new album Wanderer. ‘Treasure Chest’ has a wide-reaching chorus and shimmering riffs, while ‘Who Wants To Deal With Death’ sparkles with an indie sheen. In contrast, ‘Heads Will Roll’ is dark and industrial, while ‘A La Carte’ delivers a no holds barred onslaught of metal riffs.
Coming five years after their last record, Wanderer is The Intersphere at maximum musical curiosity, full of a spirit of discovery that could not better depict the ambivalence of our time. It is exactly that which draws their fans to the release concerts in May, which are already selling out in their home country.
WANDERER TRACK LISITING
- Wanderer
- Bulletproof
- Down
- Who Wants To Deal With Death?
- Heads Will Roll
- A La Carte
- Always On The Run
- Corrupter
- Treasure Chest
- Underwater
