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LaibachAnthems Mute/EMI This two-CD release represents a "best of" album for Laibach, a Slovenian band that has been around since 1980 (and whose name is the German version of Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital). Disc One features seventeen tracks, quite a few of them covers: songs covered (in at times highly unusual fashion) including The Beatles' Get Back, The Rolling Stones' Sympathy For The Devil, and Europe's The Final Countdown. A number of songs at the beginning are fairly straightforward industrial pieces, and feature German lyrics: something that, not surprisingly, put me in mind of Rammstein. There is also a metal song entitled God Is God, which (its somewhat absurd title notwithstanding) possesses an impressive (Biblical?) power. From tracks 10 through 16 inclusive, things get decidedly weird. While these later entries could probably be classified (very loosely at times) as industrial pieces (in the sense that each has a beat running through it, if nothing else), they are dominated by classical influences. They also tend to be very rousing and dramatic, although one notable exception is Brat Moj: a rather boring, gloomy piece that unfortunately also happens to be the longest on the disc. Bringing everything to an end, and different again, is the beautiful Mama Leone: a gentle piece sung in Italian, utilising children's backing vocals and featuring just a hint of electronica towards the end. Disc Two comprises fourteen techno and industrial remixes, some of them of songs featured on Disc One. Of the songs that also appear on Disc One, two - The Final Countdown and God Is God - have two remixes apiece. The first of the remixes of The Final Countdown proves a nice enough techno piece, but unfortunately, bears absolutely no resemblance to the original (the second is a little more faithful, however). Similarly, the first remix of God Is God takes more liberties with the original song than does the second. As is the case with Disc One, the songs on Disc Two start to get rather strange towards the end: again, from track 10 onwards. With the exception of the final entry, they also tend to be quite monotonous, which made them something of a chore to listen to. Despite this, I found Wirtschaft (R. Hawtin Hardcore Noise Mix), enjoyable thanks to some distinctly otherworldly sections and lots of Space Invaders-type noises. As should be pretty obvious from the above, this is a most unusual collection of tracks, and those unfamiliar with Laibach (as I was before listening to this) may find that it takes quite a few listens to really get into it. Still, for those willing to try something different, it's well worth the effort.  |
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