KAPUTTER HAMSTER

One of the weaker bands to emerge from Germany's Krautrock scene was no doubt the Flensburg based KAPUTTER HAMSTER (translates as Broken Hamster) which in a way was an unfortunate form of advertising! This team of Peter N. Buchfeld (lead guitar, vocals, percussion), Frank Linde (guitar, vocals, percussion), Holger Heldt (bass, acoustic guitar) and Arne Linde (drums, percussion) was one of the many one and done prog bands that released a sole album and then disappeared never to be heard from again.

This band released their eponymously titled album in 1974 with only 200 copies pressed which makes this one for the collectors but the album did find a CD reissue in 1993 on the Ohrwaschl label and yet another vinyl release in 2005 on Amber Soundroom. This band is notable for simply getting into the world of music without the goal of a long term commitment. These guys wanted to simply document a time and place where they lived before moving on to various college degrees and military service therefore one could rightfully consider a garage Kraut band of sorts.

In general, Krautrock is one of those genres of progressive rock where consensus ratings offer absolutely zero clues as to how much i enjoy the music at hand. Some of the top rated albums often leave me cold with ennui whereas others that are quite poorly rated result in some of the most ecstatic musical experiences i have ever heard! KAPUTTER HAMSTER certainly does deserve its reputation as one of the lesser Kraut bands to get excited about but after hearing its sole album, i have to say that it's not nearly as bad as i have been led to believe.

Apparently the term Krautrock applies to KAPUTTER HAMSTSER simply because it emerged from the fertile German progressive scene of the 1970s because this band didn't focus so much on the psychedelic tripper's side of the equation. This album of six tracks was more of a straight shooting progressive rock band with an emphasis on the jamming of guitars, bass and drums along with lyrics in English. The tracks do have a bit of psychedelia especially in the bass groove reminding a bit of Amon Düül's "Yeti" however this band was more focused on guitar rock and folky aspects with the tracks mostly hovering around the four to five minute mark. The sole exception being the 12 minute plus "Behind The Universe."

Often compared to bands like Epitaph, Jane and even the English band The Groundhogs, KAPUTTER HAMSTER was all about a more progressive version of blues rock with various twists and turns but the band faltered in many arenas. Firstly the vocals get the job done but are nothing to get excited about as are the compositions themselves but yet there's something uniquely interesting about KAPUTTER HAMSTER that doesn't really sound like any other band i've encountered. Yeah it's very amateur in its delivery but it's clear that the band had a firm command of how to approach a progressive rock album and had these guys stuck it out could've certainly cranked out something more epic.

This band really doesn't sound German at all. Lyrics are in English and the band doesn't really capture the spirit of the Krautrock scene but rather sounds like an English garage rock band that was getting into the more progressive realms of rock as heard but some of the knotty instrumental workouts the at times sound a bit awkward. I dunno, i guess i have a soft spot for these kinds of albums that showcase a band with the right passion and attitude toward the project but don't quite have the chops to pull it off. KAPUTTER HAMSTER will certainly never rank high on the list of stellar German progressive rock bands but for those interested in a larger exposure, this one isn't that bad at all. Good but not essential.