Oomph!
Sperm

So, it is not easy to talk about the second album by Oomph! without indulging in clichéd and tacky double meanings related to the album cover, also because, as per Teutonic tradition, even our guys love to play with ambiguity and allusions in this case not even too veiled, but let's get back to us: "Sperm" from 1994, released by Dynamica Records, is the album of the first major turning point for Dero, Crap, and Flux: to the rich electro-industrial base experimented two years earlier, growling and distorted guitars galore are added, and the combination of these two elements strikes a spark, allowing the three freaks from Wolfsburg to earn the prestigious title of godfathers of Neue Deutsche Härte.

The historical importance of an album like "Sperm" is undeniable and evident, but it needs to be framed carefully: first of all, the stylistic shift compared to "Oomph!" from 1992 is much less radical than one might think: it is a simple evolution, enrichment, refinement, or, to put it better, a heaviness; the final product is certainly a great disc but seems a bit one-dimensional and immature compared to the subsequent "Defekt" and "Wunschkind", because unlike the latter it is 90% "gut-driven". It has a raw and direct character, a bit cheeky and brazen to be honest, and its mission is to make the listener move, transmit energy, act as a release valve, and little else; it is clear from "Suck-Taste-Spit", a refined, allegorical title rich in interpretations on various levels: heavy rhythm, slow like a panzer and damn engaging, guitars used as centrifuges/steamrollers, sound cement that further fortifies and strengthens an already solid and well-designed structure, and an arrogant vocal style on the brink of insolence: this is another peculiarity of "Sperm": Dero is an eclectic and versatile vocalist, capable of using various tones and vocal styles, but here for almost the entire album he does just one thing: he growls divinely, like an angry bear: this is a bit of a limit, a youthful flaw that characterizes this album that indulges in a certain stasis, flanking the memorable "Suck-Taste-Spit" and the imperious "Das Ist Freiheit" with similar but less inspired episodes, "War", "Dickhead", and "Love" above all.

"Sperm" is enriched by the presence of Oomph!'s first single with an accompanying video clip, namely "Sex", presented with a cover that further echoes the concept already expressed in the album's artwork; the track is of excellent workmanship and undoubtedly among the highlights of "Sperm", "Sex" presents a cleaner and catchier sound than the rest of the album, starting from the vocals and serves as the ideal bridge with "Oomph!", especially highlighting the groovy component of the sound. The video clip, which shows Dero, Crap, and Flux practically unrecognizable compared to how they present themselves today, denotes a certain roughness, inexperience, and naivety from a styling perspective: the gap will be quite wide with the greater care and refinement of the early videos of their savvier East Berlin colleagues, "Du Riechst So Gut" and "Seemann". However, "Sperm" also presents other points of interest: tighter, more direct, and faster tracks like "Feiert Das Kreuz" and "Breathtaker" add a bit of the vitriol that will permeate the subsequent "Defekt", while "Ich Bin Der Weg" emphasizes the more strictly industrial, heavy, angry, obsessive component, much more metal than tanz, highlighting an excellent Flux on bass. The album closes with a beautiful and anthemic "U Said", recorded live, which reconnects with the EBM sounds of their beginnings, with minimal guitar involvement.

In the final analysis, "Sperm" is an important and significant album, but not a masterpiece; too "ignorant" to aspire to such a rank. It's an album that, despite its flaws, can make itself loved: tough riffs, always spot-on and perfect rhythms and a frontman with a lot of presence, but there's still much work for Oomph! The first album was overall more successful and qualitatively more homogeneous, while "Sperm" is a bit raw, which is not necessarily a flaw but weighs heavily in comparison to its immediate successors; thus, the final assessment should be considered as rounded up, for historical reasons and personal esteem.