2023 was the year of the Artrockers from RPWL: ‚Crime Scene', the eleventh studio album and the nineteenth overall, entered various charts after its release: it even reached a remarkable 18th place in the German album charts! This was followed by a fantastic long European tour through eight countries with many sold-out venues.
On the last studio longplayer ‚Crime Scene', the Bavarian Artrock institution focused their attention on the morbid, the perverse, the evil in the good, the abysses of the human behavior spectrum in all its unpredictable diversity, which sometimes comes across as bizarrely disturbingly conclusive, if you want to explore it.
Conceptually, ‚Crime Scene' then logically played the central role in the live shows. The entire album was performed - naturally including some extra songs from the band's history dating back to 1997 - accompanied by a harmonious light show with video clips designed for the respective songs. You could tell how much fun the band had with both the concept and the realization on stage. ‚With RPWL, the live versions are often different to those in the studio, many parts are much more extended and we often jam live.' explains guitarist Kalle Wallner.
The outstanding performance in the Netherlands was filmed: ‚The Poppodium Boerderij in Zoetermeer was the perfect location - great stage, great lighting, the Dutch temple of prog, so to speak. We've been playing there regularly for over twenty years and have a long and very friendly relationship with the venue and the crew.' says singer Yogi Lang.
The band around the two remaining founding members Yogi Lang and Kalle Wallner had undergone a rejuvenation in 2022: Even before the production of ‚Crime Scene', bassist Markus Grützner joined the band and, together with drummer Marc Turiaux, forms a rhythm section of the highest caliber Keyboarder Butsch Keys and the two singers Caroline von Brünken and Carmen Tannich completed the live line-up. The energy and homogeneity that the seven-piece band radiated live was overwhelming - a veritable firework display of emotionality and musical perfection!
Even after so many years, there is no sign of RPWL being tired - on the contrary: fans can look forward to a recording full of enthusiasm and an excellent performance. It's safe to say: this is the best RPWL ever!
‚True Live Crime' contains twelve songs and will be released on Blu-ray with Dolby Atmos surround sound, as double vinyl and double CD on April 12, 2024. It is the band's twentieth album in total?[info sheet from distr.]