BrainShuffle – five firecrackers on a musical mission. Photo by BrainShuffle.
Gängeviertel, Fabrique, 2 Dec 2017, EP-Release: The light is dim and smoke stings my eyes. The venue is packed, the atmosphere relaxed. Still, a thrill of anticipation lingers in the air. I missed Interra by a blink but am still on time to see Hero’s Fate and the main act BrainShuffle perform. I make my way through a crowd of excited faces towards the bar. A table to my right is stocked with merchandise that features the three performing acts. People in band shirts stand in small groups and chat away. I let my gaze wander towards the stage, facing it head-on. A banner says: “Hero’s Fate”, a corner is ripped and this testament to impermanence already hints at BrainShuffle’s performance that is soon due. I sip my beer and relax.
A few minutes later, Olli quickly says hi before he disappears to grab his guitar and rush down to the basement to warm up. 26-year-old Olli is one of the founding members of BrainShuffle – a local metal band that came into existence in 2009. The band describes its style as “energized instrumentals, exploding grooves, progressive ambience, innovative breakdowns and a great deal of vibes.”
In the meantime, the members of Hero’s Fate kick some ass and whirl their heads and hair like they just don’t care. Their melodious metal is captivating. When it finally is BrainShuffle’s turn it has gotten quite late, but when Florian Bohn (Vocals), Oliver Junker (Guitar), Jannis Barth (Guitar), Korbinian Waßmuth (Drums), and Robin Fröhlich (Bass-Guitar) enter the stage, the crowd is back to 100 percent and cheers the five on. It is impressive to see the fervent fan base the band has established. I can’t escape the feeling that it might be owing to their message: “Let you[rself] feel free to use your own BrainShuffle-button [sic]”. And the audience is more than ready to let their brains be shuffled.
To spread their musical message, BrainShuffle first composed and compiled a set list of songs in 2011. Their first few gigs expanded to a whole year of live performances. Since then, the band has seen many changes in members but one feature stayed the same: devotion to not only perform but embody modern metal influenced by groove and progressive metal as well as metal- and deathcore.
The bands’ remarkable energy resonates with the crowd. Their rhythm is infectious. The lyrics – composed by Florian Bohn – are dark, dystopic, and express the feelings the world provokes: controversial. I have never felt more comfortable during a concert. BrainShuffle’s first EP Petrichor hit my core.
That night at the concert a whirlwind went through my head and ruffled my brain. It left me behind completely calm and at the same time full of inspiration. In the future, I definitely will try to find the shuffle button in my head, so I can press it whenever I need a change of perspective. Until then, I will just keep listening to this band that appears to be on the rise – BrainShuffle!
Find BrainShuffle on Facebook
Listen to BrainShuffle’s first EP Petrichor on Bandcamp
or go check them out on YouTube
Contact BrainShuffle for gigs: band[at]brainshuffle.de
– Sarah
