After Explosive (2014), Kontrust simply vanished from the studio for almost an entire decade. Nine years of studio silence is a serious thing for any band. When Madworld finally arrived in 2023, it didn’t just carry the expectation of a new album for me, but the weight of a comeback after a hiatus far too long to be ignored.
With a personal aggravating factor: this was the first release I followed in real time after discovering the band in 2015. Until then, everything I knew had been in retrospect.
And this period wasn’t just about waiting — it was marked by deep lineup changes. Roman Gaisböck, the drummer since the very beginning, and Robert Ehgartner, the original guitarist, both left the band.
And the main change: Agata Jarosz left the band after announcing her pregnancy (I think someone danced for her and… sorry, Agata! I just couldn’t miss the joke!).
So, naturally,, the most strongly felt change was the departure of Agata. In her place came Julia Ivanova, an extremely competent vocalist — confident, in tune, and with great stage presence. It’s important to make this clear right away: there is absolutely no problem with the new vocalist. She fits in well, sings very well, and delivers everything the material asks of her.
The problem lies elsewhere.
It’s impossible to say with precision whether Madworld’s below-expectations result comes from the prolonged hiatus, the lineup changes, specific creative decisions, or simply a natural wear of the formula. Probably a bit of everything. The fact is that, for the first time since Time to Tango, Kontrust delivers an album that sounds far too uneven. And there’s no sugarcoating it: Madworld has more fillers than all three previous albums combined.
The ideas are still there — the groove, the humor, the contrasts — but even the best tracks (I Physically Like You and Lederhosen Overkill, for example) are very far from the band’s best moments in earlier works. That sense of creative urgency is missing, that feeling of “this could only be Kontrust” that always defined the band. In several moments, the album simply goes by… without leaving a mark.
And that’s the most frustrating part: the problem isn’t execution. The production is solid, the musicians remain extremely capable, and Julia does a great job taking on an ungrateful role. What’s missing are memorable songs. There’s no “Bomba,” no “Hey DJ,” no “Dance,” not even a “Why.” There’s no moment where you stop and think: “okay, they still have it.”
And I may be being unfair, but I missed Stefan Lichtenberger. He doesn’t seem fully present on this album. I can’t exactly describe what the problem is, but I didn’t feel his usual vibe and natural energy on madworld.
But make no mistake, this is not scorched earth. This a good albun and there are very good moments. I Physically Like You is irritatingly delightful (or delightfully irritating… I couldn’t decide). It’s danceable and a great welcome card for Julia. And Rigga-rigg-ding to you all as well!
Lederhosen Overkill (a song that talks about… pants? Is that really it, production team?) features some harsh vocals from Julia (way to go, girl!) that I honestly don’t think even Agata would be able to pull off live.
This Is the End is perhaps the most serious song in the band’s entire discography, with a powerful chorus and a slightly melancholic tone — something unexpected for this band.
u.f.i.u., Madhouse, and Rock to Outer Space are other strong moments on the album that deserve a spot on your Kontrust favorites playlist, but the rest of the record, unfortunately, falls short and sounds uninspired.
In the end, Madworld feels like a transitional album — but a transition several steps below the level of excellence I had grown accustomed to from this band. A transition far too long for such a highly anticipated return. It’s not a disaster, it’s not embarrassing, and it’s definitely not the new vocalist’s fault. It’s simply a record where Kontrust seems to have survived its own past…
And for a band that has always thrived on excess, boldness, and a total lack of brakes, that might be the biggest problem of all.
