Laibach

Category: Industrial
Album: WAT

I have to admit: when last I listened to Laibach, they were on Wax Trax! and doing songs like “Life Is Life”. So, as you can imagine, I was a bit worried about having to listen to Laibach again. I never figured them for the type of band that makes many changes over time. Color me surprised.

Putting Laibach’s WAT into the CD player, I was immediately delighted to hear the dark, brooding atmosphere of “B Mashina”. I can now see where Rudy Ratzinger picked up his dark Germanic sound… No more is the Laibach that makes ludicrously funny songs from bits of operatic orchestral music and overstressed, bassy Teutonic vocals. Well, not for the most part.

Laibach isn’t a joke anymore, I’m glad to say. The previously mentioned Teutonic vocals are still present, though they add more of a Rammstein-esque darkness to the music than the previously humorous tone the vocals took. And there are still orchestral string touches and operatic movements, but they come off as genuinely moving and powerful in comparison to the ham-fisted Queen covers of the olden days.

WAT, which is hopefully representative of all of Laibach’s latest output, is built on pounding electronic drums, minimalist sequencing loops, the best usage of orchestral stabs that I’ve heard since the mid-90’s, and great noise and vocal layering. The music remains danceable while still having a very subconscious sinister and harsh edge… I’m talking about music to beat nuns by, all topped by the growling, guttural German vocals that make En Esch’s German ramblings sound more like one of the Vienna Boy’s Choir’s greatest hits.

I never would have imagined a day where Laibach would have actually made an album that would drive me to dance. But that album is here. And it is one mean, dark bastard of a dance album… Which almost makes up for “Life Is Life”.

 

from ReGen Magazine (~4/2004)