The rockers of Dementi are the latest German band to embrace the Creative Commons license and offer their music as free downloads online. Both of the band’s albums, their 2003 debut Zweigefühl and 2005’s Für Heute Reichts, are now available to anyone as long as you don’t use them for any commercial purposes. So go ahead and download Dementi’s music, just visit the download page of their website where you will receive the songs bundled together in a zip file. If you like the music, please don’t forget to support the band for their work by making a donation at the bottom of the same page.

I recommend their second album Für Heute Reichts. It’s the harder one of their two albums and also mixes in some nice electronic elements, it’s really great. I would compare it to Treibhaus, maybe Eisenherz or Megaherz… Check it out.

Don’t forget, Dementi is also working on a new album which is supposed to be released sometime later this year. Not much about it has been announced and I don’t know if they plan to release it for free the same way, but I’ll be sure to bring you the details later on when more information has been announced.

Patenbrigade Wolff is one of the bands I’ve discovered by listening to Radio Goethe, and they could become one of my newest favorite bands. I love everything I’ve heard so far and I’m really looking forward to their new album Demokratischer Sektor which is being released next week on Friday, April 18th. The electronics are precise and refined, very much in the style of EBM, but Patenbrigade Wolff is a bit more electronic and approaches synthpop at times. Their club mixes in particular are bouncier and less stompey than your typical EBM, but you still get that driving beat that pushes it beyond mere synthpop. No matter what you want to call it, it’s worth listening to and I am even putting it in my recommendations category.

If you haven’t taken the opportunity to hear Patenbrigade Wolff on some of the recent Radio Goethe podcasts, you can hear several of their new songs on their MySpace page. There, they have 2 standard album songs including the title track “Demokratischer Sektor” plus 4 great club mixes to listen to. You can also listen to samples from every song on the album on the band’s website by clicking Music in the menu and selecting the Demokratischer Sektor album.

The album is filled to the brim with music, containing 20 tracks with a playtime of almost 75 minutes. There are 3 versions to choose from, starting with the standard version in a jewel case. Next, there is a limited edition (to 555 copies) that comes in a metal box with a round window in the front to display the CD. And finally, the “Premium East Collectors Edition” is limited to just 111 copies and includes the metal box version, a limited T-shirt and other goodies all inside a special box. You can find all 3 versions in the Patenbrigade Wolff webshop which conveniently accepts PayPal payments. They also have the Maurerradio and Turmdrehkran singles, both of which made it into the top 10 of the Deutsche Alternative Charts when they were released last year.

Patenbrigade Wolff - Demokratischer Sektor tracklisting:
01. Maurerradio (Extended Version)
02. Sendersuche 1
03. Stalinallee
04. Sendersuche 2
05. Demokratischer Sektor (Blutfuss Club Mix)
06. Schusswechsel
07. Die rote Fahne fällt
08. Ostberliner Bauarbeiter (Rohbau Remix by KiEw)
09. Demokratischer Sektor (PvD Club Mix)
10. Turmdrehkran (Extended Version)
11. Maurerradio (Old School Retro Club Mix)
12. Mit jedem Sender Informationen
13. Turmdrehkran (Remix by Absurd Minds)
14. Turmdrehkran (PvD Club Mix)
15. Ostberliner Bauarbeiter (Club Mix)
16. Gefahrstoffe feat. Sara Noxx (Hocinoizeflug Club Mix)
17. Krantransport feat. Sara Noxx
18. Schadenshöhe unbekannt
19. Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler
20. Maurerradio (Remix by Leserotique)

Every once in a while, there is a certain non-German band that’s just too good not to mention, so I always try to find some obscure reason that makes them eligible for this blog. Luckily for me, that’s not too hard to do in the case of Apocalyptica. They are from Finland, but they do have links to several German bands like Rammstein, The Farmer Boys, Die Happy and Guano Apes, all of whom have provided guest vocals at one time or another to Apocalyptica. So now that we have established that much, let’s get on with the whole purpose of this post.

News about the tour
Apocalyptica will be touring the United States and Canada very soon. Their tour begins next Friday, April 11th, and continues on until mid-May for a grand total of 30 concerts. This is a really big tour for a foreign band and they are visiting lots of regions that most bands don’t go to, so let’s help make it worth it for them. Go to one of their concerts, you won’t be disappointed!

Ticket info
Tickets for most of the venues are for sale here on Ticketmaster.com. Also, please note that Ticketmaster lists a few of the venues as being in different towns than the official tour list which is listed below. The venues are all the same, but the actual city it’s in may be a neighboring town to the major city in the list below, so just do a little homework ahead of time to find out exactly where you’re going.

Worlds Collide will be released in North America
One last thing. Apocalyptica’s current album Worlds Collide, which was originally released in Europe on September 14th, will be released in the United States and Canada on Tuesday, April 15th. Chances are, you can probably buy it at their concerts as well. Check out my original post about Worlds Collide for all the info and tracklisting.

Apocalyptica’s 2008 North American Tour dates:
April 12 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
April 13 - The Boardwalk - Orangevale, CA
April 14 - Roxy - Los Angeles, CA
April 16 - Slim’s - San Francisco, CA
April 17 - Roseland - Portland, OR
April 18 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
April 19 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC
April 21 - In the Venue - Salt Lake City, UT
April 22 - Gothic Theatre - Denver, CO
April 23 - Beaumont Club - Kansas City, MO
April 24 - Pop’s - St. Louis, IL
April 26 - Fine Line - Minneapolis, MN
April 27 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL
April 28 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
April 29 - Crofoot - Detroit, MI
April 30 - Phoenix Theater - Toronto, ON
May 1 - Metropolis - Montreal, QC
May 2 - Paradise Club - Boston, MA
May 4 - Trocadero Theatre - Philadelphia, PA
May 5 - Fillmore / Irving Plaza - New York, NY
May 7 - Club - Washington, DC
May 8 - Amos - Charlotte, NC
May 9 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
May 10 - Parish at House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
May 11 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX
May 12 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX
May 14 - Sunshine Theatre - Albuquerque, NM
May 15 - Marquee - Phoenix, AZ
May 16 - Pima County Fairgrounds (KFMA Radio Day) - Tucson, AZ
May 19 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV

Sub Dub Micromachine (or more easily abbreviated as SDMM) is a metal band from Berlin that was getting a lot of attention online a few years ago, especially from our friends at DeutschMusikLand.com who not only have a band bio, but also an interview and a review of their first album Rabautz! They were supposed to be working on a followup called Pump Up The Blast, but it was never released as far as I can tell. Fortunately, it looks like the band has regrouped from whatever problems delayed that album and are now approaching the release of their next album Auferstanden.

This new album, which I have been told will be released on April 12th, sounds heavier (and significantly more awesome) than I remember Rabautz sounding. If I had to make comparisons, I would say Auferstanden is somewhere between Rob Zombie and the Korn I was listening to in 6th grade when they were still young. And despite the fact that there’s a certain detuned depth to both the guitars and the vocal style that takes me back about 10 years, the music is definitely not a copy of either of those bands. I would say it’s probably better. If there’s any bit of you that longs for the mid-90s before mainstream music started going completely downhill, you need to give this album a listen. Sub Dub Micromachine has 6 great full-length songs streaming on their MySpace page including “Road To Nowhere”, the song they turned into this badass video:

Amazon.de has Auferstanden listed as a hybrid SACD, but they don’t have a price or tracklisting yet. Neither does any other website I have found, including the band’s own site. So, in the absence of any extra information, I’ll give you another video. This one is for the song “Fly.” Just follow the link to watch it.
(more…)

It has been a while since I talked about the Swiss-based band Fanoe, and it’s time to mention them again now that their long-awaited second album Down To Heaven has finally been released. It has actually been available since the beginning of February, but only from a limited number of sources so far and promotion has largely been underground and by word-of-mouth. This electronic rock album has 10 songs and comes in a very nice digipack featuring stunning artwork that was designed by the band’s singer himself. It’s almost as good as the music.

Mini-review / Listen to Down To Heaven
Down To Heaven is a fantastic album and a very fitting followup to Fanoe’s first album Empire Dirt, which has been one of my favorites lately. It’s grungier and the electronics seem to be more thinly scattered than their debut, but the music is still well within the bounds of industrial rock and sounds great. I think “Lover Undercover” is my favorite so far. While German music purists may not like the fact that the lyrics are in English, they are still performed very well and certainly don’t detract from the musical style. I urge you to listen to some of the very generous 2-minute MP3 samples of every song on the album from CD Baby’s Down To Heaven page. You can listen to each track individually or click the “Play All Songs” button to hear them all in order. I also posted the music video for “I Am” below for you.

Where to find the album
In Europe, Down To Heaven is available from Cede.ch. In the USA, CD Baby and CD Connection both have the album in stock. Naturally, you can download the album on iTunes as well. And finally, if you really like the band and want to order a shirt or a special art print from the band, you should visit Fanoe’s webshop. Just choose your preferred currency at the left to enter and see all the items.

Fanoe - Down To Heaven tracklisting
01. Down to Heaven
02. I Am
03. Sweet Nothing
04. Skin & Bones
05. Passion
06. Medicine Man
07. Burn in Hell
08. Lover Undercover
09. One More Day
10. Innocent

Fanoe - “I Am” video

From: youtube.com/watch?v=09-XzyfwIMA. Be sure to check out Fanoe’s YouTube page for more videos from the band, too.

There are many bands that undoubtedly are great overall, but on every record amongst the masterpieces there’s a bunch of a lot inferior or even downright bad songs. A prime German example of such a band would be KMFDM. Every album has its fair share of instant classics, yet to counter them there’s always a couple of really insignificant and inane tracks that don’t do anything to justify their existence. But what does this have to do with Unheilig?

Yeah, nothing at all, because Unheilig isn’t like that. On Unheilig’s latest offering Puppenspiel (released February 22nd) Der Graf shows yet again his nearly unreal talent in songwriting and manages to churn out a full 14 tracks (16 if you’ve got the limited edition, like yours truly), every single one of which are enjoyable. Yes, the previous albums Moderne Zeiten and Zelluloid were both very solid and the same could’ve been said about them, but Puppenspiel is bordering perfection. To be quite honest, I was kind of skeptical when the first three samples of the album (Der Vorhang fällt, An deiner Seite and Kleine Puppe) were revealed. They were good, but they didn’t predict that many changes to the sound and formula that proved to be a winning combination on the last two CDs. However, when the urgent intro Vorhang auf exploded perfectly into Puppenspieler, it grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let go until I’d listened the CD straight through.

Most of the album is darker and notably more furious than the almost overly sluggish and romantic Moderne Zeiten, especially Lampenfieber is a surprisingly brutal cut for Unheilig, while the ballads Feuerengel, An deiner Seite and Der Vorhäng fällt are no slouches either, as they are genuinely touching and powerful. Guitars seem to have more of a driving role here than electronics making for a heavier sound than before, although synths, pianos and strings are still a large part of the band’s sound. Der Graf also uses his voice in ways we haven’t heard before. Too bad the limited edition is already completely sold out, as the two bonus songs are also terrific additions to the core experience. Probably the only song that doesn’t stand out as much as everything else is Wie viele Jahre, which seems more like filler with its weird, out-of-place Gregorian sample and is grudgingly slow.

In other words, Puppenspiel is tougher, catchier, more epic and simply put better than anything Der Graf has created before. It’s chock-full of songs that’ve been composed and produced so excellently that it’s almost ridiculous, a brilliant, expert combination of both familiar and new Unheilig elements. For fans it’s automatically a must-have, and if you’re not a fan of Unheilig yet, Puppenspiel proves that you bloody well should be, it’s that damn good. Get it and see for yourself.

Check out samples for each track on Nilaihah’s website, where you can also order it if you’re in the US. When you’ve got the album, don’t forget to vote for your favourite title on the German side of Unheilig’s website.

Where to get Puppenspiel
In the USA/Canada direct from Nilaihah Records
In the UK at MusicNonStop.co.uk
In Germany/Europe at AlphaMusic.de

Yes, German metal fans should really be looking forward to this Friday. Not only does the 29th of February mark the release of Atrocity’s new album Werk 80 II, but this is also the day when the band will re-release many of their older albums again.

First, some info about the re-releases
Among the Atrocity albums to see life for the second time is the original Werk 80 which features lots of metal covers of songs from the ’80s, just like the new Werk 80 II. Also getting re-released are Willenskraft, Blut, Die Liebe (feat. Das Ich), Calling The Rain (feat. Yasmin), and Hallucinations/The Hunt. Several of these albums have extra bonus tracks that were not available on the original versions. For example, the Werk 80 re-release includes the 3 bonus tracks that were previously only on the limited festival edition of the album, plus 2 other remixes from related singles. Take a look at the end of this post for the full tracklisting of all the albums.

Some of these re-releases really go back to the time when Atrocity was a proper death metal band. I just had to start listening to Willenskraft as I type this post, and I am now remembering how much I love it. “Scorching Breath” is just an awesome track, the guitar riffs are insane. If this doesn’t get you moving, you’ve got to be comatose. I wish I could find someplace that has samples from this and the other albums for you to listen to, but I haven’t found any.

Where to find the 6 re-releases
You can find the 6 re-releases online in several different shops. Both AlphaMusic.de and EMP.de have them for 9.99 Euros each, except for Hallucinations/The Hunt which is slightly more because it has 2 CDs.

Now, an update about Werk 80 II
As you know, Werk 80 II is a followup to Atrocity’s first ’80s cover album, Werk 80. The standard album features 11 tracks, while the limited edition digipack has an extra bonus track. There is also a third version of the album that I just recently found out about, called the deluxe edition, in which you will actually get both Werk 80 albums (I and II) together in a special slipcase plus an alternate album cover. In case you were wondering, if you choose to get this deluxe double disc version, you will get the limited edition version of Werk 80 II with the bonus track, but only the standard version of the original Werk 80. This is a really great combination if you love metal and classic ’80s hits. I would definitely buy it if I didn’t already have the limited festival edition of the original Werk 80, which has 3 bonus tracks of its own.

Listen to Werk 80 II
Atrocity’s MySpace page provides a few medleys from Werk 80 II for your listening pleasure, plus some songs from their previous album Atlantis which is also really great.

Where to find Werk 80 II
EMP.de has Werk 80 II for the lowest price I’ve found online (13.99 Euros), but if you want to get the CD shipped to America you’ll have to go to the next site, AlphaMusic.de. Ironically, they actually have the limited edition for cheaper than the regular version, so you may as well pay less to get more, while you can.

All of the tracklists are going to make this a very long post, so I hid them below. (more…)

Qntal will soon be enchanting us with their beautiful blend of classical and electronic music again. Their sixth album entitled Translucida will be released on both sides of the Atlantic this week. In the United States, Dancing Ferret’s sub-label Noir Records will release Translucida on Tuesday, February 26th. The album will then be released in Germany on Friday the 29th. Both locations will see the usual 2-format release with a standard and a limited edition. The basic album comes with 12 songs, while the limited edition is in a digibook and contains a second disc with bonus material.

Listen to Translucida
I am currently listening to the 2 songs from Translucida that are on Qntal’s Myspace page and they are just stunning. Very beautiful and captivating. If you enjoy Qntal’s previous music, or other “modern-traditional” bands like Faun or Corvus Corax for example, you will love this new album. Qntal is really one of the most steadily-good bands in this genre and Translucida really continues this trend.

Where to find Translucida
In North America, get it directly from Dancing Ferret’s store, Isotank: regular for $13.99* - limited edition for $16.99
In Europe, get it from EMP.de: regular for Eur 14.99 - limited edition for Eur 16.99

* Please note: I don’t know why Isotank shows the regular version with the bonus disc, but no other retailer shows this. I think it’s a mistake on their site. If you want the bonus disc, make sure you buy the limited edition.

Qntal - VI-Translucida tracklisting

Disc 1:
01. Sleeping
02. Departir
03. Slahte Wille
04. Translucida
05. La Froidor
06. Glacies
07. Worlds Of Light
08. Obscure
09. Sumer
10. Amorous Desir
11. Ludus
12. Passacaglia

Disc 2 on limited edition only:
01. Ludus
02. Umaere
03. La Froidor
04. Slahte Wilde (Version Bleu)

The German Invasion has begun. One of the next German bands that will be coming to tour across the USA is And One. They had actually started out on tour last year with VNV Nation, but pulled out of the tour part-way through. Luckily for us, the band didn’t give up on the idea of playing some concerts over here. We’ll get to see them after all.

And One was created in 1989 by Steve Naghavi and Chris Ruiz in Berlin. Another famous early member of the band was Joke Jay. The band’s current lineup includes the 2 founding members plus Gio van Oli. Over the years, And One has become very well known both in Germany and around the world for their catchy EBM (early) and synthpop (later) styles of music. They have released 9 studio albums so far, with their most recent being Bodypop from 2006. Personally, I like their older songs a bit better because of the classic old school EBM sound you hear in songs like “Metalhammer” or “Deutschmaschine” but their newer more synth-oriented music is great as well.

A few other bits of interesting information: Steve Naghavi is known for remixing songs for other bands including remixes of “Fieber” and “Gekreuzigt” for Oomph! Atrocity covered And One’s song “Deutschmaschine” in 1997 on their first Werk 80 album (only as a bonus track on the limited edition, probably because “Deutschmaschine” was originally released in 1994, not in the ’80s). And One also released a special online-only single called “Amerika Brennt” for free in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks as a sign of their support for the country. Currently, And One distributed in North America on Metropolis Records.

You can watch the video for And One’s 2006 single “So Klingt Liebe” on this post.

And One’s 2008 tour dates in North America
Feb 14 - Washington D.C. at Club Five
Feb 16 - Philadelphia, PA at Shampoo (Dracula’s Ball #40)
Feb 17 - New York, NY at Avalon (see updates below!)
Feb 19 - San Francisco, CA at DNA Lounge
Feb 21 - Seattle, WA at El Corazon
Feb 24 - Los Angeles, CA at Crash Mansion
Feb 26 - Denver, CO at Oriental Theatre
Feb 28 - San Antonio, TX at White Rabbit

Let me know if you will be going to the New York show. I’ll be there along with several others I know.

Update 1 - The New York show has been moved to Webster Hall.

Update 2 - The NYC show has been moved again, this time to The Madison. Life Cried will be one of the opening bands, and you can now order tickets here.

Since we are now in a new year, I thought it might be a good idea to figure out what the best albums of 2007 were. Naturally, I have my personal favorites, but I want to know what you like, too. Post a list of your 10 favorite albums from 2007 in a comment and we can use the most popular ones as recommendations for newcomers. I will also do special posts for any albums that haven’t been discussed on the site already so everybody can learn more about them. I think this will benefit everyone.

Here are my 10 favorite German releases from 2007
Ulrich Schnauss - Goodbye
Die Krupps - Too Much History
Geist - Für Alle Zeit
Joachim Witt - Auf Ewig
Black Heaven - Kunstwerk
Polarkreis 18 - Polarkreis 18
KMFDM - Tohuvabohu
Emigrate - Emigrate
Tocotronic - Kapitulation
Krieger - Krieger

What are your favorites?
Leave a comment and let everyone know!