Einstürzende Neubauten
Fünf Auf Der Nach Oben Offenen Richterskala

THE REVIEW

I wonder if Merkel listened to Faust or immediately changed the channel when, unfortunately, she saw some industrial video on TV… like Einsturzende Neubauten! It is disarming and sublime the strength with which Germany has entered the avant-garde scene. The tenacity in breaking free from the Nazi condemnation and managing to bravely face taboos, still unfortunately present. When listening to the works of kraut or industrial bands from German arrogance, you hardly pay attention anymore. You love them more than anything else. They are surreal, picturesque, and with a thousand facets.

The booming sound magma of kraut is broken by the cynicism of industrial electronics. The theatrical, gargantuan elements are preserved, but they are poured into a sound darkness and with lyrics mainly in the mother tongue. Everything is so oppressive and thunderous. The pathos of the lyrics is highlighted by the metallic bursts of sound. Einsturzende Neubauten are the most representative band of German noise, along with a thousand other underestimated realities, meteors, and geniuses deserving attention. The grotesque celebration of social decay, the suffered life, and the horror game created by Blixa & Co. has a strong impact. There is sure to shake the ear with images, visions arising from the sense of vulnerability felt upon contact with such sound expressions.

The strong debut with "Kollaps," already containing genre anthems like "Tanz Debil" and the nightmare of the title track, is supported by the second album "Zeichnungen Das Patienten OT" and its "Armenia." Masterpieces. Like the follow-up. German precision is showcased even in art. Absurd is the third album "Halber Mensch," seminal for the genre and with the "charming" "Yu-Gung" and "Z.N.S." It doesn’t drift and persist in the dramatic "black hole" without return of the Swans of "Cop," but the inspiration of classical music is fully exploited, merging it with the mechanical harshness of industrial. This actual theatrical representation is put into action with the fourth work. In 1987, indeed, "Fünf Auf Der Nach Oben Offenen Richterskala" was released, where Blixa fully explains his desperate lied against a black background. There is a shadow that moves behind us according to the sonic pulses. All the emphasis of the voice is tormented by dissonances and general exasperation.

"Zerstorte Zelle" is the most representative and epic track. A performance characterized by a theatrical cadence and dizzying ups and downs. Truly goosebumps-inducing, like their trivial concerts, as always. "Ich Bin's" is a stream of consciousness, as are "Keine Schonheit" and "Kein Bestandteil." Three tracks which aim at an obsessive game through the repetition of phrases and the anchoring of mood in a surreal stasis. A damned choir that accompanies souls in the infernal circles and the limbos of the mind. After this gift, we have the grand finale with "Haus Der Luge," where it approached greater melody and compactness, like in "Feurio." Even today, their live shows are unmissable, and throughout the nineties, they continued to develop stylistic maturity with "Sabrina" and "Stella Maris."