Review LONG DISTANCE CALLING “Live at Lichtburg”

I don’t think Long Distance Calling needs much of an introduction. Since their foundation in 2006, the four-piece from Münster, Germany has been at the forefront of German post- and progressive rock.
David Jordan, Janisch Rathmer, Florian Füntmann and Jan Hoffmann deliver music that meets the highest quality standards. Their subtle approach to music, combined with an endless flow of creativity, has led to brilliant albums, whether we look at the second album, “Avoid the Light”, or the most recent release, “Eraser”. Long Distance Calling stand for quality, musical expertise, and a dedication to multifaceted music that never compromises on a good melody.

Even better than all this is the four-piece’s ability to transfer the quality of their studio albums into a stunning live experience. This is further enhanced by some extraordinary venues. For example, the band played an impressive show at the Kulturkirche Altona in Hamburg, which was later released as a live album called “Stummfilm – Live from Hamburg”. And not many rock/metal bands have the honour of playing at Hamburg’s iconic Elbphilharmonie, as Long Distance Calling did in 2022.

Last February, Long Distance Calling added another special moment to their career. They played a show at Lichtburg in Essen, a historic cinema which provided extraordinary scenery for such a band and concert.

It’s no surprise that the event sold out quickly, but now everyone has the chance to enjoy this special moment. The new live album from Long Distance Calling is titled “Live at Lichtburg”. This enthralling live album showcases the band performing in front of 1,200 fans and focuses on two records of the band. The first part is fully dedicated to the recent studio album “Eraser”, which includes blistering songs such as the vibrant “Blades” and the melancholic “Kamilah”, while “Hazard” and “Immunity” are highlights from “How Do We Want to Live?”, music that also fascinates during this live show.

Another milestone in the band’s career is the aforementioned “Avoid the Light” album, and to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its release — which acted as a springboard for the band’s development — the Essen show saw the band perform songs such as “Apparitions”, as well as the timeless “Black Paper Planes”. With the iconic “The Metulsky Curse”, we approach the end of the show and the final track of the album.

“Live at Lichtburg” is the next thrilling live album from Long Distance Calling. Superb musicianship, great songs, musical savvy and relentless passion for music: these are the things you can expect from this quartet, and ‘Live at Lichtburg’ features it all. Combined with a well-designed light show in a spectacular setting, this live album is certain to be one of the highlights of 2025 and beyond.