Review: Die Krupps - Too Much History 2CD anthology
The new Die Krupps anthology Too Much History is being released this Friday, October 26th, and I thought I would share my review so you know what to expect.
Too Much History is divided into two separate sections, each one on a disc of its own. All of the songs on both discs have been re-recorded (not just partially remastered) to sound in tune with the last few Die Krupps albums, Odyssey of the Mind and Paradise Now. This method reminds me a lot of what Joachim Witt did recently with his new best of album Auf Ewig, and the result is just amazing.
The first CD, The Electro Years, dives deep into the Die Krupps discography and sheds new light on some of the band’s oldest recordings. The song selection is excellent, highlighting their most famous songs from the 1980s when they were at the forefront of the electro-industrial scene. But once the first track “Machineries of Joy” started up, you immediately notice something is very different. You are hearing guitars!
Rather than simply regurgitating their early songs, Die Krupps recorded all new tracks (most with guitars) for every song on the CD. Soon, it becomes very clear that this is far more than just an ordinary best-of album. The Electro Years is like what Die Krupps would have sounded like if they had just started using guitars earlier in their career. And you can hear exactly why they eventually did start using them, too. They just blend in perfectly, as if they were always meant to be there. Every single song is just phenomenal! I haven’t stopped smiling yet.
The Metal Years is the second disc on Too Much History. It spotlights the best Die Krupps songs from the ’90s when they pioneered the industrial metal genre. Once again, Jurgen Engler couldn’t leave the songs untouched, so he touched up the songs on this CD also. The changes here aren’t nearly as radical as those of The Electro Years, but any good Die Krupps fan will notice the differences. And they will like what they hear.
Both discs are sprinkled with a few extra little treats. The Electro Years has a bonus track called “Fünf Millionen” which originally appeared on the compilation Advanced Electronics Vol. 5 which has a melody similar to “Machineries of Joy.” There is also a cover (not the remix Die Krupps previously did) of Pop Will Eat Itself’s “Ich Bin Ein Ausländer” on The Metal Years disc. And both have the brand new song “The Great Divide.”
I am absolutely in love with Too Much History. Die Krupps fans like myself have been waiting for this compilation for years now, and I can honestly tell you that it has been well worth the wait. Bottom line: You need to hear this.
Check out my earlier news post with the album tracklist and links to song samples
