HANZEL UND GRETYL — Über Alles (review)

HANZEL UND GRETYL — Über Alles album cover Album · 2003 · Industrial Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
2/5 ·
The Angry Scotsman
Wagnerian Space Metal Opera at its finest

WHAT!?

That is what the CD had itself labeled as. This is the type of quality music you can only find in the used bin of a random store in South-Central Pennsylvania! So what have we got here?

This is an industrial metal album to the core. Repetitive songs with crushing guitar riffs, synths, powerful and straightforward programmed drumming, use of samples and harsh vocals. This is pretty much it, don't expect much else, (with some exception).

Thankfully, the songs are pretty short, so while it may not be very good, and can be boring...it doesn't last too long. Some of the riffs are damn catchy, as well as the melodies produced, (this is some fairly dense music). Vocals are generally screamed, sometimes lower register singing and spoken word. The lyrics are simple, short lines generally repeated over the song. All of it in fairly poor German accent and pronunciation.

It needs to be noted this album is a joke, literally. It starts off big with the song "Third Reich From the Sun" which took me a bit to realize the gag in that name...and is made better with the main verse: "Third Reich, from the Sun! Revolution!" and "Das ist mein Krieg, Das ist mein Blut, Das ist mein Reich!" (This is my war, this is my blood, this is my empire) and add a...German rally speech into the mix.

OK, for humor even this is tough to swallow. Made worse by the fact the song is somewhat catchy. Another winner is "SS Deathstar Supergalactik" which is as catchy as it is painfully titled. It's awesome riffing and dancy drumming really make me want to dance around. Some electronic punches are a cool lil touch. Thank goodness, makes it easier to block out "Deathstar Universe. Join the fight. Blitzkrieg galaxy" if you choose to.

They are good at making you rock and groove out to the more ridiculous songs, more examples being "Transplutonian Annihilation" and "Let the Planets Burn". "Mein Kommandant" is a pretty groovy and trippy song, with sitar, groovy bass and a pretty spaced out feel.

I really don't know what to do with this one. Pretty generic industrial metal, which by its very nature is lackluster and bland...though this album can be undeniably catchy and some songs are pretty good. At first the lyrics are horrifying, both for their content and surrealism, but quite obviously the concept is for kicks. Not sure what the concept is, I think a futuristic outer space WWII for the galaxy?? I hope the laughably poor German accent is part of it. This is self parody, campy metal in its most grandiose!

A stupid fun album (emphasis on both) that if you take purely as is, may provide some enjoyment...if not for its catchy rocking out at least some awkward laughs?

Two Stars



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