24. March 2025
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Media Review

Hostage – Memento Mori

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Hostage - Memento Mori

Hostage - Memento Mori
4.2

Rating

 4.2/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Nice work with two vocalists
  • Very versatile album featuring some interesting guest musicians

On their website the German band Hostage states. “There is only one rule: Stylistic boundaries do not exist.” I received the first long-play product of the band as part of their promotion and was curious how that concept would finally be reflected in their music. Release date has been 28th October 2022.

 

Hostage – About The Artists

Hostage has been founded in Aachen in 2018. The quartet consists of Noah Müller (vocals), David Fuß (guitar, vocals), Nico Ruddies (guitar) and Marvin Ruddies (drums). The modern metalcore band surprised in 2020, when they released the cover Don’t Let Me Down – the song nowadays has about 1.4 million streams on Spotify only. They regularly released music thereafter, one of the most successful songs was the 2022 single Vanitas.

 

Hostage – Memento Mori – Track by Track

The fifteen track album lasts 57 minutes.

1. The Swarm

No limit? The Swarm sounds like a very nice and straight metalcore track. Even though the opener is rather short (3:06 minute), it comes with some nice breaks. Towards the end of the song, the band is maybe pushing a bit too hard.

2. Cancer

Eight of the fifteen tracks have been released already. That’s just what I feel to be still bearable for an upcoming band. Cancer has been one of my favorites of these featured tracks. Especially in the chorus, when Hostage is working with both vocalists, they create a very wide and versatile sound. A bit of a touch of a duet.

3. Vanitas

Vanitas feels very balanced and harmonic on the melodic side to me, the shouting by Noah Müller feels a bit too dominant to me in here. Nonetheless, I am sure that metalcore lovers listen with a smile.

4. Ark

In Ark, Hostage majorly focuses on the “battle” between the two vocalist. Nice concept, which works most of the time. Sometimes, the instruments distract a bit too much from the lyrics. Overall, the song is rather melodic compared to other recordings in here.

5. Don’t Let Me Down

Already the main synth theme makes you feel being in a rather familiar situation. Hostage does have shouting and grunting elements in here, but overall, they try to stay at a rather melodic and harmonic level. Good original, nice cover song.

6. Fantasy

Hostage fans need to wait for the sixth track before they in fact listen to new tunes. Fantasy is a nicely marching song  Nicely swaying guitar grooves, which lay a perfect foundation for this song.

7. Relapse

Marvin Ruddies is having his solo showcase, when the drums (almost) open Relapse in solo mode. However, the band is quickly turning back into their comfort zone. Relapse has a a nice blot and I love the breaks between the heavy and the rather melodic parts – unfortunately, I am somehow seeking for the special touch in here. Solid one.

8. Curtain Fall

Rather slow and solid melodies are interrupted by the vocal parts by Noah Müller. Curtain Fall does not that strong sound like synth music, especially in the first half of the son. I really like the signature of this song.

9. Rebellion (feat. Henning Wehland & Dave Gappa)

For Rebellion, Hostage are joined by two former H-Blockx members, Henning Wehland and Dave Gappa. The vocal parts are outstanding and create a very special sound. Indeed, Rebellion is one of the highlights of Memento Mori to me.

10. Break The Cycle

Break The Cycle does not go for the full force of metal, but especially the instrumental parts of the songs lead to a nice touch. Thus, the song is a nice listen. Compared to other single releases, it is lacking a bit of character, though.

11. Execution

Just fitting to the title, the Execution is coming with a harder sound – and the special metalcore vocal parts come with a certain presence. Nonetheless, there are also quite a lot of harmonic section in this song.

12. Hollow Earth

The twelfth track is rather taking the role of an interlude already presenting the main theme of the following song.

13. M.U.T.O. (feat. Marius Wedler of Alleviate)

The thirteen song is another really nice listen. Adding Marius Wedler as a guest musician adds a new sound to the album – well done!

14. Game Over (feat. Christopher Wieczorek)

Game Over with Christopher Wieczorek has not (yet ?) been a single release – therefore, the song is the longest of the album. I enjoy how Hostage is making use of that long duration, presenting a song with very different parts, which still feel like a good, epic musical narration. Nice one.

15. Afterall

The soft-pop-ish opening of Afterall feels a bit soppy, but after this initial surprise, the band proofs that their style can still lead to a beautiful ballad with a very emotional listening experience. Great way to close the album.

 

Hostage – Memento Mori – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Hostage – Memento Mori – My View

Afterall is just the closing song which Memento Mori needs. The album shows very different aspects of the music of Hostage. At the few parts where the album does have a slight touch of monotony, the Germans surprise with a very different sound or a guest musician. I absolutely enjoyed this experience. Congrats to this debut album!

 

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