Die Krupps
II - The Final Option

THE REVIEW

"With The Final Option we tried to broaden the horizons of our music by combining different musical styles, such as Industrial, Metal, Techno, EBM, Gothic, and even Hip Hop."  

This is how Jürgen Engler, the singer of the German band, introduced the then newly released II - The Final Option. The album in question was released in 1993 under the Rough Trade label and represents the fifth endeavor of the group. The line-up consists of five members, Engler himself on vocals and keyboards, Lee Altus on guitar, Darren Minter on drums, Rüdiger Esch on bass, and Ralf Dörper tasked with additional electronic inputs. Musically, the album is varied and well-executed, thanks to Engler's versatile vocal lines (also involved in the production), which are never aimless and always remain at very high levels. Pounding and repetitive guitars, raw bass, hard and massive drums, and invasive and peculiar electronic or keyboard inserts; these are the elements that make up the backbone of the record, which, however, never becomes boring. Moreover, throughout the album, there is room for solo guitar and keyboard virtuosity, with guitar solos being not very common in the genre.

The full-length album begins with the opener "Crossfire"; a delicate guitar arpeggio introduces us to the sonic journey, with hammering synthesizers interrupting the calm and a granite riff breaking in to truly start the track. It is followed by "Language Of Reality", the song maintains the same rhythm and tempo throughout its duration, as Engler delivers a text as bitter as it is sharp. More accessible is undoubtedly "Bloodsuckers", where a long instrumental part, marked by an acidic riff, flows quickly and without hesitation. "Fatherland" is a half-surprise: the guitar takes a back seat in favor of the keyboard, and Engler's singing becomes more powerful and expressive. "To The Hilt" is truly a surprise; almost oriental keyboard inserts accompany a decisive rap. Catchy and easy to grasp is the subsequent "Iron Man", where the sound becomes more enjoyable and the electronics less edgy.

At this point, a track-by-track analysis is unnecessary since the following tracks do not present anything particularly innovative. Worth noting is the Techno outburst (complete with filtered vocals) of "Paradise Of Sin" and the electronic ballad "New Temptation".

The lyrics deserve particular attention. Die Krupps has always been a band characterized by protest and disapproval lyrics, never politicized but always alternative. In this album, the lyrics generally discuss discontent and censorship of reality: "Anger, boredom, conformity, danger, exhaustion, falsification, hunger, kill – crazy, this is not poetry this is the language of reality, you have learned your ABC, your orientation guide to reality" (Language Of Reality).  Sometimes this denunciation is associated with war, especially concerning current conflicts, as can be seen from the initial "Crossfire" or "To The Hilt". Moreover, there is the usual confrontation between man and machines, highlighted in "Iron Man": "A machine to give your life to a new dimension".

Ultimately, the album is the band's most successful to date, and a masterpiece of the Industrial Metal genre, due to the original and eclectic solutions experimented within.