Oomph!
Wahrheit Oder Pflicht

The early 2000s were the most difficult period in the twenty-year history of Oomph!: "Plastik" already highlighted some worrying missteps alongside great exploits, and it achieved commercial success that was good but evidently below Virgin's expectations. This led to a deterioration in the relationship between the band and the record label. The next album, "Ego" from 2001, was a total disaster, a poor copy of "Plastik" that was terribly long-winded, sloppy, and devoid of ideas, not worth dwelling on further. With the release of "Ego," the contractual bond between Oomph! and Virgin came to an end. Dero, Crap, and Flux finally had the time to reorganize their thoughts, work more calmly, and take back the reins of a ship that seriously risked running aground. After securing a contract with Sony BMG, a new phase began in the trio's artistic journey, which is still ongoing today.

The album that marks the rebirth is "Wahrheit Oder Pflicht" from 2004, which introduces countless new elements: the Americanized nu-metal influences that characterized "Plastik" and especially the poor "Ego" were abandoned in favor of a dominant gothic-industrial sound with more European roots. This change was also underscored by the decision to focus solely on songs in German, reserving English for "special" occasions. Furthermore, the new record label showed a willingness to invest heavily in Oomph!, providing them with good promotional resources and the necessary budget to create impactful music videos and strengthen their image. This confidence went hand in hand with the evolution of a band that, from this point on, would be able to produce successful and effective singles for each album, with catchy choruses and convincing melodies. "Augen Auf!" is certainly the prototype of this new direction, further emphasized by Dero's more personal and eccentric look, and even more so by the second single, the intriguing "Sex Hat Keine Macht", where the band successfully practiced the art of "breaking through the video" with visually impactful provocations for the first time. "Wahrheit Oder Pflicht" is certainly not Oomph!'s best album, after all, the band was just emerging from a difficult period of crisis, and total recovery would come with time, but it is an honest, convincing, and energetic album, and that is the most important thing.

Leaving aside the two big singles, the album maintains a homogeneous and balanced level, certainly less extravagant compared to "Plastik" but more unified, with no jarring contrasts between great highlights and modest fillers, but many good songs like "Tausend Neuen Lugen", whose hammering riff closely resembles that of "Sonne" by Rammstein, other potential singles like "Wenn Du Weinst", "Dein Weg", "Tief In Dir", and "Diesmal Wirst Du Sehn", driving and fast, keeping the adrenaline level high. The excellent "Der Strom", enriched by a pleasant riff with an almost classic-rock flavor, "Dein Feuer", where the guitars return to being rougher and more massive, and Dero's growling vocals reminiscent of the old days, are also positively striking, alongside the mood swings, from calm to agitation of the compelling "Im Licht", which hides within it the anguished and tormented electronic ghost track "I'm Going Down", yet one can feel a sense of relief: the worst is over, it's a memory that will soon fade: "I'm not going down, I can see your hand reaching out for me" sings Dero, rebelling against the negative inertia that was gripping his "creature."

"Wahrheit Oder Pflicht" was a powerful injection of confidence for Oomph! Beyond the most optimistic expectations, the album reached second place in the German charts, with the single "Augen Auf!" even soaring to the top spot, knocking none other than a high-chart-trash classic like "Shut Up" by the Black Eyed Peas off its perch, and staying there for an entire month. The value of a band is judged by everything except similar exploits, but for Oomph!, it was a well-deserved recognition after years of an honorable career that transcends the value of an album and a single, both of which are of good quality, opening in grand style a new great cycle that will continue to grow with the next two albums.