Einstürzende Nebauten
Lament

Thank goodness they exist! Einstürzende Neubauten are still in many aspects a guarantee, and each of their productions rarely goes unnoticed, especially if, as in this case, we are talking about a new album connected to a live show that the band has committed to touring with a packed schedule, including three dates scheduled in Italy. As we all read, it was in our country during the Rome concert that Blixa Bargeld suffered an incident which forced the band to alter their program. It is known, however, that those who were fortunate enough to attend one of the preceding dates were able to enjoy a show of great allure: after all, we’re talking about Einstürzende Neubauten. Lament is a sort of 'concept album' on the theme of the First World War, the result of meticulous historical research; it is not exclusively a work with social content but, according to the group's style, it includes musical experimentation, poetry, and as for the show, also of course the visual aspect. The lyrics are of fundamental importance, and Blixa Bargeld expresses himself here with one of his most memorable interpretations. Commenting solely on the record, therefore, may seem reductive, but we believe it is still worth it. “Kriegsmaschinerie,” the opener, is exactly what it claims to be, a war machine: five minutes of noise of unfathomable origin that gets inside you and makes you look over your shoulder; not many words are needed in Herr Unruh's world. “Hymnen” mocks false patriotism by 'designing' a fictitious national anthem that changes language midway, but here we are in the realm of diversion and remain so with “The Willy-Nicky Telegrams” which imagines a dialogue between Emperor Wilhelm and Tsar Nicholas: Alex Hacke in the role of Nicholas and Blixa as the emperor, all with the help of vocoder, are truly delightful, and the background occasionally takes over, introducing electronic tensions. And indeed, with “In De Loopgraf” the atmosphere loses its 'playfulness' and an impatient 'heartbeat' welcomes us, accompanying the recitation of the text by Flemish writer Paul van de Broeck; immediately after, “Der 1. Weltkrieg” is a percussion work of an obsessive nature, crossed by electronic 'blades' and we learn from the web that Bargeld even did a 'mathematical calculation' to introduce as many beats into the track as there were days of the 'great war' along with the nations that participated… it seems quite complicated but the pounding heart is guaranteed for over ten minutes. “On Patrol In No Man’s Land” resumes a piece by the Harlem Hellfighters, who were part of the United States army, but being black, received very different treatment from the others: along with Alex Hacke's singing, the simulation of battle sounds creates a decidedly strong effect. At this point, the landscape has become entirely ghostly, confirmed by the ominous “Achterland,” once again based on a text by Paul van den Broeck, and the beautiful title track, divided into three parts, about which one could truly write pages: the beginning sounds like a funeral lament, ambient sounds paired with dark voices – Macht Krieg are the only words that can be discerned – but the desolate atmosphere then flows into (“Abwärtsspirale”) a jungle of sinister sounds and chilling noises up to the lyricism of “Pater Peccavi” in which recordings of the voices of war prisoners held in Germany recite, each in their own language, the parable of the ‘Prodigal Son,’ and here not being moved is difficult. The pathos is now at its peak, so “How Did I Die” arrives, based on a text by writer Kurt Tucholsky: the various ways to die, which are explained here, require a certain classical solemnity, and thus, to support the ever-dreary electronic section, the strings fit very well until the splendid closing, vibrant with sounds. But “Sag Mir Wo Die Blumen Sind” sends chills down the spine: as Bargeld – who here is at the center of attention with his fantastic voice – once recalled, the same Seeger, author of the piece, preferred it in German, and indeed this is much more known in the version performed by Marlene Dietrich; then, after the touching moment, welcome back irony, as macabre as it may be! Here comes “Der Beginn Des Weltkrieges 1914,” a reading of a satirical text by German actor Joseph Plaut, who recited it with his wife in cabarets, in the years following the First World War: the beginning of the conflict is described and commented on by imitating animal language, the 'noises' and martial tunes in the background serve here only to highlight the words, and the theatrical element prevails. In closing, “All Of No Man's Land Is Ours” sees the return of the Harlem Hellfighters, welcomed back home as heroes but they are ‘black’ and as such will continue to be treated, what they have obtained is ‘no man's land’: a minimal electronic accompaniment, asymmetric sounds, the heartfelt singing, and the game is done. Neubauten, wir lieben euch...