Tokio Hotel is already a controversial band among many Germaniacs simply because of their sheer popularity, boy band branding scheme, and perhaps even their bizarre fashion styles. But that doesn’t discount the fact that they are indeed a German band, so they are worth mentioning here… if for nothing else than to help make our coverage a little more well-rounded.

If you’re not already familiar with Tokio Hotel, this is the 4 piece pop-rock band that has been making headlines all across Germany and Europe, and has even performed a few successful concerts here in the United States already. Now their current album Scream is ready to be released in the USA as well. It will be on the shelves on Tuesday, May the 6th.

Not to be confused with their debut album Schrei (which means “Scream”), this new album has songs selected from Tokio Hotel’s first 2 albums which were both sung in German, and simply translates them into English to make them appeal to a wider audience. This decision is certainly not without debate, however. There’s actually an online petition with thousands of signatures from their fans asking Tokio Hotel to stop singing in English. And while that might be a nice way to preserve some cultural value in the music, it’s not likely to happen. Their label (Universal) is no doubt more interested in reaping the rewards of their new star band, especially in an environment where it is becoming harder and harder to profit from them.

So what does that leave us with? A bunch of teenagers from Germany trying as hard as possible to Americanize themselves so they can sing in front of thousands of screaming girls. Not quite my cup of tea. Hmmm… You can hear them here if you must.

Tokio Hotel - Scream (US edition) tracklisting
01. Scream
02. Ready, Set, Go!
03. Monsoon
04. Love is Dead
05. Don’t Jump
06. Live Every Second (U.S. Exclusive)
07. On the Edge
08. Sacred
09. Break Away
10. Rescue Me
11. Final Day
12. Forgotten Children
13. By Your Side
14. 1000 Oceans (Bonus Song)
15. Durch den Monsun (Bonus Song - German Version from “Schrei” Studio CD)