Now that Oomph!’s new single track Sandmann was unveiled in the form of a video a week ago, retailers have started getting the information on the single release itself. It’ll be released soon on February 20th, and as usual and predicted, there are two versions: the basic 2-track single with the title track and remix by [:SITD:], and a limited digipack edition with more than a little extra on the side. There’s the song Auf Kurs which was already featured on Monster, but also the B-side Du lügst which I believe was previously only available on iTunes’s version of the album. And there’s also three music videos packed on the disc, so that’s pretty cool.

By the way, it’s nice to have a digipack again, since the last three Oomph! releases were all jewelcases. Digipack just looks so much better it’s not even funny, it seems a lot of fans (including yours truly) were really disappointed to see that even the premium edition of the Labyrinth single was in your basic plastic cover. Oh well, now it looks like GUN Records learned their lesson - we pay for the package as well.

Oomph! - Sandmann basic tracklist
1. Sandmann
2. Sandmann ([:SITD:] remix)

Available from Amazon.de, EMP.de, jpc.de

Oomph! - Sandmann limited digipack tracklist
1. Sandmann
2. Sandmann ([:SITD:] remix)
3. Auf Kurs
4. Du lügst
5. Sandmann video
6. Auf Kurs video
7. Labyrinth video

Available from Amazon.de, EMP.de, jpc.de

The Oomph! trio has certainly had a year full of work. After releasing their fantastically successful 10th album Monster, the Wach auf! and Labyrinth singles and an incredible four music videos (Wach auf!, Beim ersten Mal tut’s immer Weh, Labyrinth and Auf Kurs, in case you can’t keep up with them anymore) and touring extensively in Germany, the boys still don’t seem to be able to take a day off even though the holidays are closing in like a freight train. The latest update on Oomph!’s German website tells us that Dero, Flux and Crap are already shooting another music video, and it’s not even for a track recorded during the Monster sessions, but a completely new one. The new piece will be released as a single in the near future, and, knowing Oomph!, we’ll get at least a remix or two and very probably also B-sides alongside the main track (there’s no word of these in the update). Stay tuned for more info, you can bet we’ll be on it as soon as we get something.

I’d say these are some damn good times for Oomph! fans. Of course, not everyone likes the band’s current style, but even if you don’t like it, you can’t help but admire how much work the guys are putting into their band. And that, my friends, is playing directly into the fans’ hands as far as I can see it. Yeah, you could say a lot about GUN Records‘ release policy (seriously, how many different editions has Monster actually been released in?), but then again, Oomph! has stated that they don’t really have that much to do with those decisions, it’s the record label’s call. At the end of the day, I personally can’t help but giggle with delight at how awesome an Oomph! year this one has been and will be.

EDIT: Also, in a new interview (thanks, Oomph-Supernova.com’s forums!) Dero tells Oomph! will release another best-of album at some point. The compilation Delikatessen came out just last year, but there’s a catch to the new one: it’ll feature only English songs, with some of Oomph!’s German tracks translated into the new language and even a couple of all-new ones recorded just for the compilation. I don’t generally dig compilations, but ones with something more than just a bunch of tracks thrown into them are always worth a look, so this album might actually end up in my collection. Dero also says they’ll make “a couple more” videos for Monster, so the just-announced new video definitely won’t be their last. Read the full German interview here, most of it is personal opinions on stuff like Christmas, but you can find the bit about Oomph!’s future at the very bottom.

EDIT2: The English update DOES explicitly talk about a new single, and I also originally translated the German update too quickly so I misunderstood something - check out the corrected post.

Oomph!’s new (and awesome) album Monster managed to reach the impressive position of #8 on the official German charts, and now the boys are putting on even more pressure. That is to say, today saw the release of a new single, Labyrinth.

As has most often been the case with Oomph! singles, the new release is also available in two different configurations. The standard version contains the title track Labyrinth and also the album opener Beim ersten Mal tut’s immer weh, while the limited digipak edition has three extra tracks. Here’s the catch: two of the bonus songs are the ones that were included in the special editions of Monster sold by Amazon and the Müller discount store, Ich will dich nie mehr sehn and Unter deiner Haut, so it’s a fantastic way of catching two elusive bonus tracks if you didn’t have a chance to get either of the aforementioned special versions of Monster. The third extra track is a Labyrinth remix by Agonoize.

Update: Of course, it’s also possible to actually buy the single at most stores, for example Infrarot.de (3,99 € for the standard edition, 7,99 € for the limited) or Outoflineshop.de (3,99 € standard, 6,99 € limited), but I’m sure also your favourite internet store carries both versions.

Tracklisting for Labyrinth standard edition by Oomph!
1. Labyrinth
2. Beim ersten Mal tut’s immer weh

Tracklisting for Labyrinth limited edition by Oomph!
1. Labyrinth
2. Beim ersten Mal tut’s immer weh
3. Unter deiner Haut
4. Ich will dich nie mehr sehn
5. Labyrinth (Agonoize Remix)

Oomph! is back in the news. Their new album Monster will be released in just 10 days on August 22nd, and has 13 tracks including the single “Wach Auf!” which was featured in the German version of the movie Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. A second single “Beim ersten Mal tut’s immer weh” has already been released as well, with the third single “Labyrinth” still to come.

To some of their (former) fans’ dismay, Oomph! has continued with the more mainstream sound introduced on their hit album Wahrheit Oder Pflicht, causing mixed reactions to previews of Monster. The band’s image has also come under scrutiny, the most amusing example of which was a comparison of Oomph as an older version of the pop-rock boy band Tokio Hotel.

Take a listen to some of Oomph’s new songs from Monster. Take a look at their image. What do you think? Is the band headed in the wrong direction?

If you ask me, well, let’s just say I’m not listening to Oomph as I write this. At least their album cover is decent this time, but then again it was the result of a fan contest. Maybe they should let the fans make their music, too.

Oomph! - Monster tracklisting
01. Beim ersten Mal tut’s immer weh
02. Labyrinth
03. 6 Fuß tiefer
04. Wer schön sein will muss leiden
05. Die Leiter
06. Lass mich raus
07. Revolution
08. Auf Kurs
09. Bis zum Schluss
10. In deinen Hüften
11. Wach Auf!
12. Geborn zu sterben
13. Brich aus

Eisbrecher’s Sünde coverart is here, single tracks

The highly anticipated release of Eisbrecher’s third album Sünde is drawing ever closer, although it’s still about one and a half months until you can get your sinful hands on the CD. However, the coverart for the album has been showing up in various places, and there you have it on the left for your viewing pleasure (click for a slightly bigger picture). Like the cover for the soon upcoming single Kann denn Liebe Sünde sein?, it’s quite a departure from what you might have expected. You can already preorder the album (and the single) at various places, information on that can be found in the earlier newspost on the matter. As for some further information on the single Kann denn Liebe Sünde sein?, Infrarot.de tells us there’ll be three tracks: along with the title song there’s a remix and an exclusive, non-album track.

Oomph! Monster tracklisting, possible release date

The tracklisting for the other huge German metal release this August, namely Oomph!’s tenth album Monster, has been floating around the internet recently. I can’t say for sure if it’s the real one, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be legit. It seems the previous single track Wach auf! will not be on the album, which I think only makes it more believable (Wach auf! was featured on the Alien vs Predator 2 film and the single was released shortly after the film). Also, EMP.de tells us that the release date for Monster would be 15th August, but as often is the case with release dates given by retailers, it’s more or less likely to change. Here’s the tracklist:

Tracklisting for Monster by Oomph!
1. Unter Deiner Haut
2. Labyrinth
3. Wer Schön Sein Will Muss Leiden
4. Revolution
5. Beim Ersten Mal Tut’s Immer Weh
6. Ich Will Dich
7. Nie Mehr Sehen
8. Auf Kurs
9. Du Lügst
10. Geboren Zu Sterben In Deinen Hüften
11. Brich Aus
12. Bis Zum Schluss
13. Lass Mich Raus

The combination of Greg going MIA and me slacking off because of the holidays is not a good thing for Germaniac. Here’s the catch-up news post for some of the most important stuff that’s been happening in these couple of weeks. I hope we’ll be able to resume normal operations as soon as possible! All the tracklistings and ordering information relevant to this post can be found behind the link at the end, because with them this already horribly lengthy post would be, simply put, INSANE.

Oomph!’s album #10 to be Monster

Oomph!, one of the pioneering bands of the industrial metal and NDH genres, will be releasing their tenth album in August according to Oomph!’s official site. The record, of which we got a little taster with the single Wach auf! which was released earlier this year, will be titled Monster. Not much else is known of the upcoming record, except for some tidbits revealed in a German interview. Amongst others, we’re going to get an “electro metal tango” piece and a blues song as well.

No doubt in celebration of their tenth album and as a sign of gratitude to their fans, Dero, Crap and Flux are also offering fans a unique chance to permanently cement themselves in the Oomph! legacy by running a contest for the cover design of the new album. Anyone can send in their visions of what the cover should be until June 27th, and the boys themselves will then choose the final design that will adorn the album. A number of the submissions can already be checked out here, and they range from quite horrible to insanely cool. I for one am eager to find out what the final product will look (and sound!) like!

Megaherz single soon

Before the hotly anticipated new album Heuchler, Megaherz will release the single Mann von Welt on June 20th. There will be two versions of the single: a basic one with Mann von Welt and Es Brennt, a bonus track from the sold out limited edition of Herzwerk II, and an EP-length limited fan edition version with three additional songs from older albums. As far as I can see, the fan edition is not very necessary unless you’re new to Megaherz and need to sample the older stuff, but the single is a great opportunity to hear Es Brennt, which is an excellent song you might very well have missed the first time around. You can hear a preview of Mann von Welt on Megaherz’s Myspace and official site.

Eisbrecher’s single detailed

The first single from Eisbrecher’s upcoming album Sünde will be titled “Kann denn Liebe Sünde sein?”, and it will be released on July 11th. This is, however, a Germany-only release, so completionists will have to pay an extra buck or two (or more like ten) if they want to get their hands on this release. No cover or tracklisting has been made public as of yet, but if the previous singles by Eisbrecher are of any indication, this one should too sport a couple of remixes and possibly a bonus song or other small feature alongside the main track itself.

Die Apokalyptischen Reiter single

Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, a well-respected German trash metal outfit will release a single titled Der Weg on 27th June. The single features two songs from the upcoming full-lenght release Licht, which doesn’t have a release date yet, and two bonus tracks. The physical CD version of the single published by Nuclear Blast is limited to only 1000 copies, as it was originally planned to only be available via iTunes. Die Apokalyptischen Reiter also released a live DVD earlier this year.

Unheilig’s Spiegelbild EP revealed

The tracklisting and cover design for Unheilig’s Spiegelbild EP have been finally revealed. True to the style of the EPs before, this release is limited to just 3333 pieces and has a total of three different versions of the title song, a new version of the earlier single An deiner Seite and also a trio of completely new Unheilig tracks. Spiegelbild will be released on 26th July.

Laibach’s Dead in Trbovlje in July

Laibach have pushed back the release of their new DVD, which was originally slated for release on 16th June, to 26th July. Titled Dead in Trbovlje, the DVD will feature a full live concert from their widely acclaimed Volk tour, four music videos and on top of that, six of the background screens/videos Laibach used in their Volk shows. There’s also a short commentary on the tour.

Thanks to Nadja for all the tips!

That’s it for now. I know there’s a ton I missed, but at least we have something to cover up the massive time gap we’ve been experiencing. Here’s hoping that Greg will be back in full force soon!

Check out the tracklistings for these items after the jump…
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De/Vision holds a remix contest for their 20th anniversary

One of the most famous synthpop acts from Germany, De/Vision has certainly performed their fair share of music for their fans over the past 2 decades. Now, to celebrate the their 20th anniversary, they are reversing the roles by holding a remix contest. Anyone with a little bit of musical talent is invited to create a remix for their song “Life Is Suffering” which is from their current album Noob. De/Vision is holding the contest in cooperation with DigitalMusician.net and they are offering several prizes including music equipment like a Roland synthesizer, a digital recorder, an effects pedal, and 5 pro memberships to DigitalMusician.net. Visit this site to sign up for the contest and get access to the original song files. All entires must be made by May 31st. Good luck!

New Oomph! album this summer

On GermanMetal.com, Joki reports that Oomph! are ready to release a new album this summer. No official release date or tracklisting has been announced yet, but it shouldn’t be too long until we hear something more. The band will also play some festivals during the summer, followed by a full length tour in November and December.

Guitarist change for 4Lyn

It was announced about a week ago that 4Lyn’s guitarist and songwriter René would be leaving the band. Sometimes when a band member leaves, it’s a sign of trouble. That’s not the case here, thankfully. René’s departure was friendly and the band respects his decision to move on. The new fourth member of the band will be Dennis, who has a big job ahead of him. 4Lyn has dozens of concerts scheduled across Germany during the next few months in support of their current album Hello. You can check the dates and the band’s music on their MySpace page.

Visit the “GERMANIACdotcom Labs” page

You may have noticed the new link in the side menu inviting you to visit the “GERMANIACdotcom Labs” page. If not, go check it out. That’s where we will keep you up to date with the progress of all our projects that are currently in development and post any new ideas we think might be a good addition to the site. Naturally, you are also invited to post your opinion in a comment there or offer a new idea that might benefit the site. As you may be aware, our current big project is the forthcoming Germaniac Shop which should be opening in a few weeks.

What do you get when you put Oomph!’s best of compilation Delikatessen and their live DVD Rohstoff in opposite corners of the ring together? Delikatessen vs. Rohstoff, of course! This new special release from Oomph! places the band’s live recordings in battle against the studio versions of (mostly) the same songs. It will be released on November 9th.

It really didn’t take a lot of work to put this release together. It’s basically just a combination of 2 existing discs stuffed into some new packaging. Personally, I think it’s kind of unnecessary, considering Rohstoff also has regular music videos so anyone can compare the studio songs to their live counterparts with that DVD alone. Having said that, this is surely a must-have for rabid Oomph! collectors. And I will admit that this is probably a pretty good introduction to someone who is just discovering this band’s great music, too.

With 19 tracks on the CD and 48 on the DVD, the Delikatessen vs. Rohstoff tracklisting is mighty long. So I hid it just on the other side of this link:
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Oomph! was one of the first pioneers of the Neue Deutsche Härte style of music when they began mixing industrial music with guitars way back in the early 90s. Well, the band has released an astonishing 10 albums since then, with the latter few seeing much success in Europe, but they have never released a DVD until now. Oomph!’s very first DVD will be called Rohstoff and will contain a breathtaking amount of material. First, there is a 23-song set recorded live in Berlin from the GlaubeLiebeTod tour. Next, there are 15 music videos that have been recorded over the years for Oomph!’s many singles. And finally, there are a number of video “making-of” documentaries and an interview with the band.

Rohstoff is out on July 13th. This will definitely be a great addition to Oomph!’s discography.

Rohstoff tracklist

Concert (Columbiahalle, May 23, 2006)
01. Fragment
02. Träumst Du?
03. Unsere Rettung
04. Keine Luft Mehr
05. Du Willst Es Doch Auch
06. Fieber
07. Wenn Du Weinst
08. Die Schlinge
09. Supernova
10. Sex Hat Keine Macht
11. Mitten Ins Herz
12. Das Letzte Streichholz
13. Dein Feuer
14. Das Weiße Licht
15. Mein Schatz
16. Dein Weg
17. Gekreuzigt
18. Niemand
19. Augen Auf!
20. Brennende Liebe
21. Gott Ist Ein Popstar
22. Menschsein
23. Burn Your Eyes

Music Videos
Träumst Du
The Power Of Love
Gekreuzigt 2006
Die Schlinge
Das Letzte Streichholz
Gott Ist Ein Popstar
God Is A Popstar
Sex Hat Keine Macht
Brennende Liebe
Augen Auf!
Niemand
Supernova
Fieber
Das Weiße Licht
Gekreuzigt

Extra
Making Of “Träumst Du”
Making Of “Gekreuzigt 2006″ & “The Power of Love”
Making Of “Die Schlinge”
Making Of “Das Letzte Streichholz”
Making Of “Gott Ist Ein Popstar” & “God is a Popstar”
Making Of “Sex Hat Keine Macht”
Making Of “Brennende Liebe”
Making Of “Augen Auf!”
Making Of “Supernova”
Interview with the band