RASTHOF DACHAU – Blut Und Boden, LP
Revisit on account of the new cassette version released by "friends of Steinklang", but sold through Steinklang (still a bunch of copies available). The tapes are a little steep at 12 Euros, but if you're not fortunate enough to own the vinyl or CD, it's money well spent. The introductory track "Exitus" is one of them anthems we keep hearing about these days. "Was geschieht im Augenblick des Todens? Was geschieht danach...?" And when that distorted, filter sweeping synth rhythm comes marching in... Jesus Christ, it's Beauty itself manifest. Some might find this album, as well as much else of Steinklang's output, a little soft around the edges soundwise, but I'm so adult now that I really don't care anymore. I remember reading something about Mika of Impaled Nazarene judging "Soumi Finland Perkele" to be kind of a sell-out album, and disregarding Steinklang releases because of their comparatively high production value really amounts to something similar. "Total War" isn't a sellout/commercial track anywhere in the real world, nor is anything on Blut on Boden sell-out or easily digested - despite the fact that this may well be one of the most accessible extreme industrial/PE albums ever made. A perfect balance of provocative/in your face stuff and suggestive "social" commentary despite consisting mainly of clear-cut deutsch-industrial. Necessary stuff.
V/A - ...And Even Wolves Hid Their Teeth And Tongue Wherever Shelter Was Given, CD
A release that was instrumental for me when it came to getting down with the industrial sheit, and which is well worth returning to every once in a while to reevaluate my relationship to music and such things. Still all-but perfect. While I haven't followed many of the bands on their future pursuits, I still love every single track on this comp, even the less digestible ones, and many a love-affair with experimental and industrial music began right here. Old Mortiis (excellently resurrected lately), Ordo Equilibrio (only ever liked 1-2 track from each of their albums at all, but this was one of them), Mental Destruction (yes!) and so on... Incidentally, this album gave MZ-412 the opportunity to become my introduction to truly non-musical music. Even if it took a few more years to really "get it", I pumped the lifeless/soulless spirituality of "God Of Fifty Names" more times than I can count back in the day. Speaking of anthems, Deutsch Nepal's "Gouge Free Market" needs to be mentioned as well.
Alcohol and industrial is the way.