UMUR "My Poland Collection" is a compilation album by Danish heavy metal/ thrash metal act Red Warszawa. The album was released in October 2006 by Gusten Fætter Records. We´re not talking a compilation album in the conventional sense, where a band (or a label) typically pick a band´s "classics" from all previous releases and compile them on an album. All 16 tracks on "My Poland Collection" are re-recorded versions of tracks from the band´s first four albums and a single track from the band´s fifth full-length studio album "Return of the Glidefedt (2004)". I guess the band felt that the latter was still so new at the time, that they didn´t feel the need to re-record more than "Gratis Luder" ("Free Hooker") for this compilation. In addition to the audio CD there is also a DVD with promotional videos included on the compilation. The title of the compilation refers to the fact that the band usually dub their music "Polish Punk". The punk element isn´t that strong in the band´s music though which is more a blend of heavy metal, crossover and groove thrash.

As with all compilations you can always discuss if the band have picked the right tracks for the release, but I think the 16 tracks on "My Poland Collection" covers the band´s output pretty well. We are treated to Red Warszawa "classics" like "Norsk Black Metal" ("Norwegian Black Metal"), "Slå Ihjel" ("Kill"), "MC Nymand´s Rap", "Ulrikkenborg Plads" and "Bøsse Dræbt med Stegegaffel" ("Gay Man Killed with Carving Fork"). While the re-recordings certainly have improved sound quality compared to many of the original recordings, I must admit that I prefer the original versions, which I simply feel have more soul.

The promotional videos on the DVD part of the release, are as low budget as they get. Complete with wacky humour, ugly costumes and handheld camera the band have created some pretty entertaining videos IMO.

If you are not familiar with the five first albums by Red Warszawa, "My Poland Collection" is probably a good introduction to the wacky and bizarre Red Warszawa universe. Personally I enjoy the release but would actually have prefered a compilation with the original versions instead of with the re-recordings. A 3 - 3.5 star rating is warranted.

UMUR "Return of the Glidefedt" is the 5th full-length studio album by Danish heavy metal/ thrash metal act Red Warszawa. The album was released in September 2004 by Gusten Fætter Records.

...5 albums into their discography Red Warszawa haven´t changed a bit. The band still embrace their trademark brand of crossover thrash, traditional heavy metal, punk and odd re-arranged children´s tunes. All delivered with silly and at times quite bizarre lyrics predominantly in the Danish language. There are as always some seriously nasty lyrics on the album, but they are delivered with a humourous fart humour angle that´s hard not to find charming. Well...oddly charming that is. As usual there are several killer tracks on the album like "Return of the glidefedt" ( I can´t translate the title properly, but check out the complete Slayer worship in the riffing instead), "Alkohol", "Skinboy" and especially "Technoparty". The latter features a ridiculously infectious and groovy riff and some hilarious lyrics about going to techno parties. The lyric line "Husk at drikke vand, Husk at drikke vand, Husk at drikke vand, ellers dør I" ("Remember to drink water, Remember to drink water, Remember to drink water, or you´ll die") is simply epic in this context. And yes there are a couple of fillers on the album too, but they aren´t too bad and I´m actually well entertained throughout the album´s playing time.

The album is well produced but still with the right raw sound that suits the band´s music so well. The production is courtesy of guitarist/ main composer/ occasional vocalist Hævi-Henning.

"Return of the Glidefedt" is one of the better Red Warszawa albums IMO and a 3.5 star rating is fully deserved.

UMUR "Live aus Kaiser Bierwurst Halle" is a live album by Danish metal act Red Warszawa. The album was self-released by the band in October 2001. The album was recorded December the 15th and 16th 2000 at Kaiser Bierwurst Halle (aka Loppen, Christiania, Copenhagen, Denmark). The 24 tracks on the 72:30 minutes long live album are all taken from the band´s first three studio albums: "Hævi Mætal og Hass (Greatest Hits 1986-96 Volume 1) (1996)", "Skal Vi Lege Doktor? (Greatest Hits 1986-97 Volume 2) (1998)" and "Tysk Hudindustri (Greatest Hits 1986-2000 Volume 3) (2000)". As mentioned the tracks were recorded over two nights, so there are a couple of cuts here and there and even a couple of tracks that appear twice ( that would be "Hæwi metal og hass" and "Norsk black metal").

"Live aus Kaiser Bierwurst Halle" is what I´d call a "real" live album. There are no overdubs, lots of mistakes, sound issues and other things you are not bound to hear on a more polished live album. We´re not talking bootleg sound quality though but it´s certainly a raw and stripped down sound. The sound really suits Red Warszawa´s simple yet effective heavy metal/ thrash metal songs well though and an authentic live atmosphere is guaranteed. Complete with talking between the tracks, audience noise and talking, and guitarist Hævi Henning repeatedly asking the sound man to turn up the sound on the guitar monitor. I´ve personally attended quite a few Red Warszawa shows throughout the years, and "Live aus Kaiser Bierwurst Halle" is a very authentic documentation of how they sound live. It´s all about having fun and drinking alcohol. Hmm...or maybe it´s drinking alcohol and then having fun?

Oh well...the song selection is really good and while there are always a song or two that you´d have liked to have been there instead of one or two other songs that are present on the album, I´m pretty much content. Songs like "Mosekonen Brygger", "Hæwi metal og hass", "Norsk black metal", "Jeg hader alle mennesker", "Singelingeling", "Aldi", "Mc Nymands rap" and "Pludselig får du cirkelspark af folk du ikke kender" are Red Warszawa classics and it´s hard not to crack a smile and say a hellyeah when being exposed to such an energetic and oddly charming performance of those songs.

As a live album "Live aus Kaiser Bierwurst Halle" is a very enjoyable release and while it wouldn´t make the best introduction to the band´s music (live albums seldom are) it´s still a great, raw and authentic release deserving a 3.5 star rating.

UMUR "De 4 årstider i Nordvest" is the 6th full-length studio album by Danish heavy metal/ thrash metal act Red Warszawa. The album was released in March 2010 by Gusten Fætter Records. "De 4 årstider i Nordvest" is a Danish language title and translates into "The 4 Seasons in Northwest". In combination with the trailer trash cover artwork it´s a spoof on the Copenhagen Northwest area which many Danes consider to be a trailer trash area in Copenhagen and of course Vivaldi´s "The 4 Seasons". It´s an area in Copenhagen with a relatively high criminal rate, many people on welfare income and the home of a large number of boozers and drug addicts. I remember my cousin, who used to live there, said that he often heard shots fired and a couple of times while he lived there cars were set on fire. This might not sound like much for people coming from other more unstable countries, but in Denmark things like that don´t happen very often. As always a reference like that coming from Red Warszawa, is delivered with a gleam in the eye and a humourous angle.

The music on "De 4 årstider i Nordvest" pretty much follows the same formula that Red Warszawa have followed since the early nineties. Their trademark blend of traditional heavy metal, thrash, groove metal, crossover and punk with ridiculously silly lyrics about anything from odd sexual subjects, drugs, beer and metal, is by now an institution on the Danish metal scene. One of the things that has gotten better with the years is the musicianship. The sometimes sloppy playing and raw production values of the early albums are gone. The band are tight and well playing on this album, and the production by guitarist Henning Nymand is actually pretty well sounding and powerful.

As on most Red Warszawa albums there are some absolutely killer tracks on "De 4 årstider i Nordvest". Tracks like "Sut den onde numse" ("Suck the Evil Butt"), "Vi er generationen der ikke må heile" ("We are the Generation that are not allowed to Heil"), "Spil den med Satan" ("Play the one with Satan"), "Hyldest til møgfisserne" ("An Ode to the Filthy Cunts") and especially the highlight of the album for me (I´m completely floored while laughing my ass off to this one) "Karry" ("Curry"). The latter has some pretty politically incorrect lyrics about a man called Mr. Madsen who goes to Nepal every year to buy boys he can fuck, but he is accidently discovered by a collegue from his workplace in Denmark and has to stay in Nepal, because his life in Denmark is ruined. While the subject matter is serious enough (and lead vocalist Lækre Jens announces in the song that Mr. Madsen should have his ass kicked for his deeds), the lyrics are delivered in such a hilarious fashion that it´s hard not to think it´s funny. The addition of keyboards in that song works really well and the Rammstein like heavy and angular main riff and the oriental lead guitar melody, just works wonders IMO. Definitely one of the best tracks written by Red Warszawa so far.

Besides the killer tracks (I mentioned some of them above) there are also a couple of more standard tracks on the album and of course also a couple of the shorter children´s songs with nasty and bizarre lyrics that Red Warszawa always have on their albums. My entertainment level varies but I´m never bored.

"De 4 årstider i Nordvest" is a pretty good album by Red Warszawa and I´d actually place it among their best output and a 3.5 star rating is warranted. Like the case is with all their releases they will probably not appeal much to anyone but Danes, as much of the band´s charm is found in the lyrics, which are all in the Danish language.

UMUR "Omvendt Blå Kors (Greatest Hits 1986-2002 Volume 4)" is the 4th full-length studio album by Danish metal act Red Warszawa. The album was released in September 2002 by Gusten Fætter Records. The title of the album translates into "Inverted Blue Cross (Greatest Hits 1986-2002 Volume 4)".

Red Warszawa continue to play their hybrid thrash, heavy metal, crossover, punk style on this album, so in that department there are no surprises. Guitarist "Heavy" Henning Nymand still produces one powerful, groovy and memorable riff after another, while lead vocalist "Lækre" Jens Mondrup spits out one silly and most of the time really funny obscenity after another. Off course completely out of tune. That man just can´t hit a clean note. The lyrics are predominantly in the Danish language but there are the occassional German and English lyric phrase on the album too. There are some absolutely hilarious lyrics on the album in tracks like "Barbiedukkeland" ("BarbieDollCountry"), "Bøsse dræbt med stegegaffel" ("Gay Man Killed with Carving Fork") and "Jeg ved godt jeg ikke skal sove med en hånd op i røven" ("I Know I´m Not Supposed to Sleep with a Hand Up My Ass"), but you could pick any track off the album and you´d be exposed to this silly type humour. The lyrical themes are most often about drinking, smoking hash, heavy metal, odd and obscene sexual subjects and just general mockery. Red Warszawa always deliver their message with a gleam in the eye though and you are never in doubt that it´s all about having fun ( and about drinking lots of beer).

I´d say "Omvendt Blå Kors (Greatest Hits 1986-2002 Volume 4)" is pretty equal in quality to "Tysk Hudindustri (Greatest Hits 1986-2000 Volume 3)" from 2000. They are both solid albums but not as great as the first two albums by the band. A 3 - 3.5 star rating is warranted.