Reviews (page 2 of 8)
This album is fucking incredible. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to be a fascist or a communist or whatever when listening to this album but sign me up. Haven’t heard anything like this really. Bit of filler here and there but I can get down with. Unconventional weird shit. I love it. The use of samples, synthesisers, everything. I’d charge the enemy to these tunes
Jeg ville ønske Rammstein lød mere som dem her
Unos bestias!
oh laibach!!! rääächts. c
At first, I just wanted to go listen to The Young Gods, but as the album went on I got more and more into it. Really fucking cool, dark, unwelcoming
Avant-garde industrial, but infinitely almost easy listening to compared to Einstürzende Neubauten. Honestly not sure how serious this was meant to be taken, but it’s certainly out there, and I think it’s hard to argue this was not influential.
Ameno aunque lejos de mi universo, intenté imaginar una fusión entre Faith No More y Chumbawamba para hacerlo más digerible. La barrera idiomática pega. La producción, algo seca, me permite no abrumarme con la estética oscura que trae este disco. Los temas, disfrutables en su forma, arreglos y algunas melodías también. Difícilmente vuelva a escucharlo pero si un día quiero investigar esta veta, sé que este es un indispensable.
Like Rammstein if they had some aesthetic subtlety. Pretty incredible that this is on this list.
HELL FUCKING YEAH
This is great. It makes me want to drink a beer and march off to war.
Amazing record. Laibach conjures a storm of industrial sounds, samples, and overtly militarized sounds to present a record that would lay a template for Industrial music heading into the 90s. Considering also that this album comes out during New Wave dominance, Liabach is showcasing a completely different way of using synthesizers and sounds to make an in your face, gritty, heavy music. Laibach's Industrial contemporaries were also shaping the sounds of the genre, but Laibach had a clear hand in influencing the Industrial music that would eventually make it to the masses, and even be featured on such MTV staples as Total Request Live: Ministry, NIN, Rammstein etc. Laibach's influence on other Industrial acts that are not as well known is showcased by this album. Songs like "Trans-National" see clear successors in PIG's 1991 album Praise the Lard. The big heavy drum sounds on songs like "Geburt Einer Nation" clearly inspired the ultra heavy beat acts like KFMDM, Front Line Assembly, and Die Krupps. "Herz-Feide" acts as a blueprint for Ministry's trajectory towards their own magnum opus Psalm 69. Though other acts like Front 242, Skinny Puppy, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, and Godflesh would explore different aspects of Industrial Music, Laibach made their mark on the hard hitting, heavy beat and sample laden sound that would become a hallmark of the type of Industrial music that would see the most commercial success.
A record that satires the war machine and fascism of 20th century Europe should not be this catchy, but it is. Life is life!
Real faith restorer in the project, this. This is exactly the sort of stuff I want, mad Slovenian political art projects. And I thoroughly enjoyed it, the mad bastards. Best song: Opus Dei
Where to start? I was apprehensive as this was my first bottom 20 album and based on some of the albums that didn't make the bottom 20 I was pretty nervous. This band is a living art exhibit that centres around authoritarian imagery and music. They have an amazing history replete with a ceremonial suicide and are the only band to have played in both North and South Korea. All that is to say they are absolutely fascinating. And their music you may ask? So much better than expected but at the same time exactly what you might expect. Top tier.
5 star, really enjoyed the lyrics. Shoutout to bands in languages I don't know I love you
One of the most memorable and different albums on the list so far. Listening to this in the car without any context was a lot of fun, especially when I got to work and found out the second song was a Queen cover (which made me appreciate it even more. Leben Heisst Leben and Geburt einer Nation are my two favourites (although Opus Dei is a slightly worse version of the first track but in English, which makes it a difficult decision). I was almost going to give this a 4 because the last 4 tracks weren't great, but apparently they weren't on the LP version so I'll ignore them.
I loved every moment of this. It is just the type of weird and off-putting that is right down my alley. This is the type of out-there shit I want to discover from this project. I'm not understanding all of the hate in the reviews, though, after reading them, I can't help but hear Cookie Monster.
I had never heard of this band before and was really intrigued when I saw the album cover. I really loved this a lot. Finally something completely different from anything I've had so far, with a personality and distinct atmosphere. This is exactly why I started this list. I found it compelling, eerie and unsettling in places. It's military-esque with a big marching beat behind most of the tracks. It's unique, cinematic, menacing. It's industrial with a really strong, dark beat. There's a really cool 1980's synth vibe running through it, but it doesn't make it sound any less heavy and dark. In fact, it really adds to the music. It even features a cover of Queen's 'One Vision' which was a huge shock and it sounds fantastic. I can't explain to you how nice it is to have something like this after having a constant flow of generic and boring one, two and three star albums. I enjoyed it so much I listened to the CD version which was an extra 20 minutes. If you want something a bit different, a beg you to listen to this album. I haven't got a clue who Laibach are, but they're fucking great!
That's always a wonderful thing.
Iwie geil lol
Quel album mesdames messieurs! Totale surprise, considérant qu'il est dans le top 10 des albums les moins bien noté du générateur. Je peux comprendre les critiques: c'est dur, c'est violent, ça parle de fascisme et ça sonne fasciste... mais c'est TELLEMENT différent de la slop country et post-punk/new wave qu'on me régurgite dans les oreilles à chaque deux jours que je me sens revitaliser. Ça me fait l'effet d'un Brain Salad Surgery feat. Sabaton & Evil Kraftwerk, financé par un état fasciste euro-centriste dystopique rétro-futuriste à la Disco Elysium, et ça, c'est beaucoup trop spécifique pour ne pas lui donner 5.
Могучие и прекрасные.
Badass German music. A unique soundscape
I honestly have no idea what's going on with this album but it's powerful, and grandiose, and weird, and hypnotic, and just strange. I'm probably in the minority but I liked it. The album features strong vocal performances and each song has its own identity. Not knowing German, I would expect each song to more or less sound the same. But Laibach did a great job of differentiating the sound on each song while still making the album feel like one cohesive project. It was definitely a trip to say the least. I'm not sure how much I'll be revisiting it but I did enjoy it as a whole.
This is the eighth album I’m rating. I’m very excited because this is the first album where I know absolutely nothing so I’m going to go into this completely blind. Leben Heißt Leben - Not Adding to my Playlist. My immediate thoughts are that this isn’t in English, and pretty unknown. This also feels weirdly boring for a Slovenian band i’ve never heard of. Geburt einer Nation - Adding to my Playlist. The lyrics sound like English but the words are impossible to make out. Is this in German? I’m confused. I think it is because it’s a Queen cover. I’ve never listened to the Queen song but I can’t imagine it being anything like this. Leben - Tod - Adding to my Playlist. This feels like metal music. I wonder if the lyrics wouldn’t sound as stupid if I spoke the language. I think the lyrics are a bit repetitive but I might be wrong. F.I.A.T - Not Adding to my Playlist. Sounds like its from a Soviet military movie in a bad way. Opus Dei - Not adding to my Playlist. This is definitely English and I hate it. Go back to German. Titular track isn’t great. Trans-National - Adding to my Playlist. Sounds pretty weird but I love it. This is the type of album that you should never ever play at a party. How The West Was Won - Not Adding ho my Playlist. It sounds a bit too repetitive for me. The Great Seal - Not Adding to my Playlist. This is a military anthem. All in all I liked 3/8 songs. It was weird and nothing like anything else I’ve ever listened to. However. I like it more because it’s weird.
Like Shostakovich but with vocals, what a strange and fun listen.
9/10 Give me a lite beer. I haven't looked to see how many other people just put this in, but I bet it was most. 1-14-2025
Thought I would hate it but ended up listening several times!
Heaviest album ever
strange and wonderful - I loved every strange minute!
Once, when I was young I found a copy of this cassette in the road, while walking, and that was my first exposure to Laibach, and the industrial music genre. This tape blew my mind. The most esoteric thing I had been listening to prior to this discovery was the Swiss Godfathers of Electronica, Yello (whose absence from this list, by the way, is unforgivable). Mind blowing that they managed to make this album while trapped in the Soviet Union (now modern day Slovenia). It broadened my horizons about the notion about what music could be, and urged me on a path to discovering all kinds of bold and adventurous music. It was a path that would lead me over the next few years to Ministry, KMFDM, Die Warzau, Skinny Puppy, Sister Machine Gun and countless other acts that were within the sight of the industrial genre. This is definitely one of the formative acts and albums that impacted not only the industrial genre, but eventually the genres of dance and pop. Their Wagnerian and Kratwerk influences shine through in a completely. new sound.
Ah yes, love this so much, right up my alley. Such a great story behind this band too, love it. Fave: Leben heißt Leben -- it just sets the mood perfectly.
Oh yeah, this was a missing puzzle piece in my musical landscape. I've got a bunch of "martial industrial" music that makes great WH40K background music, and I guess this is where that genre sprang from. I'm guessing this is also what Tool were riffing on with their track "Die Eier Von Satan"... 😆 It's kinda strange I hadn't checked these guys out already as I'm a fan of industrial music generally - I guess the fashy aesthetic put me off giving them a chance. Glad to learn that they're satirizing fascism rather than it being in earnest. Fave tracks - "Geburt Einer Nation" is great - gets the message across loud and clear! "Leben Heißt Leben" and "Opus Dei" work well together. "Trans-national" is cool, and I dig the frenetic "Jägerspiel" too.
This is one of the coolest bands ever and a superb industrial record. „Leben heißt leben“ is still one of my alleine favourites.
Klassiker!
Unexpectedly heavy, Rammsteinish?
I love it. Who wouldn't love Slovenian, totalitarian industrial music. Losers, that's who! Also, great Queen cover.
Rating it 5 because this is the first album where the music is truly unique and took me off guard. life is life cover killed me
Was not expecting a cover of life is life to go so hard. Super cool album. I need more Slovenian metal.
Holy shit this is amazing. Rammstein + Borat + Art of Noise. Seven stars at least. Might be my new favorite band.
5/5
Not perfect, but weird, interesting, and well done. Amazing music. The only thing lacking was some of the vocals. 4 1/2 🌟
1987 - German. Trumpets! Industrial music; Martial industrial; Neoclassical Dark Wave
I was first introduced to this band when they released Kapital, an album that I quite liked and have listened to many times since. The rest of their discovery has always been a bit of a mixed bag for me, but I might have found a new favourite with Opus Dei. The two versions of Life Is Life were familiar of course, as well as a couple of other songs, but this sounded very impressive overall.
Definitely heard of laibach before, but never listened. Really cool industrial music similar to rammstein. Read up on them a little bit and their history and concepts are also quite interesting. Some of the songs are bit too repetitive for my taste but overall I enjoyed it. Feel like child laborer in during the industrial revolution listening to this. 😋 Will listen again. 8/10
Early industrial fun! 4.5 rounded up
Felt like Rammstein vocals but with 80s NBA game intro audio on network tv
hilariously moving, perfectly constructed, heavier than heaven
This is an album and band that's MEANT to make you feel uncomfortable. Not sure why this is marked as metal/hardrock though. Have you ever wondered how much Queen's "One Vision" seemingly shares a lot of similarities to certain 1930 speeches when translated into German? (Ein Mensch, Ein Ziel, Eine Erde und ein Volk!) Have you ever thought what would happen if you REALLY listen to the lyrics of Opus' 'Life is Life' and put it into a Nietzschean / Wagner type style, complete with a campy totalitarian aesthetic? Laibach is disturbing, thought-provoking and unsettling. And it's supposed to be. And a band that's worth listening more of. Albums like Spectre, Kapital or Wir Sind Das Volk are fully worth it.
Rating this a five, not because I think every song on it is great but because I really the vibe the whole album puts out.
the exact type of band (and album) which makes me really happy we started this project — dadaist yugoslavian industrial music including a queen cover (and they also did a full album that’s just industrial covers of the beatles’ let it be???? more please). just incredible all around. viewed as an art piece, it’s one of the best i’ve ever seen. it’s also pretty listenable!
These guys rock so hard. The album has industrial; it has art, all with an underneath of satire.
There have been just a very small handful amount of albums that has jarred me so hard in a good way. This was one of those albums. This album is so unique and very engaging. This gives me hope that one day Rammstein will pop up on this list. Laibach is fantastic and I am now a fan. 5! TBz 1. Leben Heist Leben 2. Opus Dei 3. Gebert Einer Nation 4. Leben - Tod 5. Herz-Felde
Incredibly cinematic. I think this album is vital after listening to it, and I would argue that this obviously inspired several other projects (Rammstein feels like an obvious one, but stuff like Sigur Rós and other atmospheric projects definitely seem to have similar lineage musically). Either way, this is an album that I think everyone should digest at some point.
Different - and crucially fun - it's almost like a pop record rather than the metal it's presented as. 4.6
The most unlikely left-wing work ever or something maybe. A satirical take on Nazi imagery, seemingly in an attempt to tie the actions of the Yugoslavian socialist party in with the Nazi party. At first it sounds just ok, but as the first song goes on the concept does kinda sink in, and it ends up being pretty enjoyable. But is the album good? Eh. Honestly the whole concept of the band is a bit sketchy to me, at times it feels less subversive and more like they’d rather just cosplay as fascists and label it as leftist art. Is that accurate? Hell if I know, fuck if I care. Meeting the album where it’s at is easy enough, I see what it’s going for, and I can appreciate it. Other than that though there’s not much intrigue or anything really. I like it. 7.5/10
Ik stond snel op het verkeerde been. De band is blijkbaar toch niet Duits. Dacht ik niet alleen door de taal, maar vooral door de muziek. Klanken die doorgaans dienen om een boodschap/retoriek er in te stampen. Met, in plaats van zang, spraak met extreme articulatie. Heb je een beeld? Ja? Ok, met die klanken dus covers van Opus en Queen. Om je beeld toch weer even bij te stellen. Zo'n songtekst van Queen past ook wel perfect bij het plaatje: 'One flesh, one bone, one true religion One voice, one hope, one real decision' (bron: genius.com) Je hoeft het alleen maar even in het Duits te vertalen om heel wat lading te creëren. Ik wiki toch even verder. Hoe bedoelt de band dit? We moeten het opvatten als een parodie op het totalitarisme, nationalisme en militarisme. Dan is het in 1987 ook wel logisch dat we de band niet in Duitsland maar in voormalig Joegoslavië moeten zoeken. Een duidelijk en eenvoudig muzikaal thema en het gebruik van materiaal van anderen. Je kan denken dat de band muzikaal het zich er makkelijk vanaf maakt. Toch niet helemaal terecht. Ze voegen van alles toe, zodat het stampen helemaal niet saai overkomt. Het instrumentale Trans-national wordt wellicht wat gedomineerd door zolderkamer-samples, maar gebruikt voor de tijd de digitale technieken vooruitstrevend. Het lijkt mij niet dat dit album nu echt door iedereen beluisterd moet worden. Maar ik heb met interesse geluisterd en mij prima vermaakt.
Sendo bem sincero, sou extremamente enviesado aqui pois eu rodei esse disco já querendo gostar dele. Por dois motivos, a capa é ótima e porque gostaria de poder dizer que conheço e gosto de um álbum feito na antiga Iugoslávia. Dito isso, eu gostei do álbum e sinto que não precisei forçar essa aceitação. Ao menos sinto que não, mas o subconsciente é um mistério. O disco é épico em suas empregadas musicais, com sintetizadores rudes e orquestras abrasivas, sem contar o trabalho vocal judiado. Tudo isso resulta em imagens foscas e desesperadoras, principalmente pelo idioma estrangeiro. Claramente os artistas foram bem sucedidos na parte simbólica dessa produção, e o disco te prende bem por isso. O imaginário corre solto. Os elementos industriais brilham em faixas como Trans-National, com sua frieza e hostilidade. Me lembra bastante Depeche Mode. Ao todo, me forcei a gostar do álbum mas no final das contas acabei verdadeiramente gostando dele. O poder da mente e da força de vontade, talvez. 4/5
What a mad album. I'll never listen to it again but I've never heard anything like it. Enjoyed but don't tell anyone
schon crazy
This was awesome, the queen, marching band mashup! lol. Something special about erman lyrics and strong beats! Some epic sampling!
This was a super interesting listen! Politically provocative and fairly captivating musically for the most part. The music is deep in political provocation and feels more like art and social/political commentary than music - they certainly achieve their goal of provoking judging by many reviewers calling them nazis! They've been labeled far right and far left - they remain intentionally politically ambiguous. I tried to do some more in depth reading, and I'm certain I don't fully understanding Laibach's objectives. There was a fairly complex political situational in Yugoslavia/Slovenia at the time that I think it would take a lot of reading to unpack, not to mention the bands ideologies! I came across this comment on a youtube video and I feel like it sums things up better than I can: "Rather than to parody the ills of the system, Laibach is reflecting the hidden dark realities of the system in such a way, that society is otherwise not willing to recognize honestly." So I'm left on the fence about what its all about, but it was certainly more intriguing than most of the albums we've had recently!
I understand the low ratings on this one, it's definitely harder to appreciate if you're not aware of the context in which it was made. Stylistically, it's also very much an acquired taste. However, I really do believe this album should be as far as possible from the bottom 20. I wasn't alive when Yugoslavia was around, but I have heard more than enough from my family to know that I should be thankful for that. With Opus Dei, Laibach showcased one of the most impressive satirical takedowns of an opressive leadership that I'm aware of, by portraying them as identical to any other fascist regime. They also make a comparison between fascism and western pop music as a sidenote, which is just amusing whether or not you agree with the sentiment. Personally, I've always disliked Queen so I'm fine with it in this particular example. Other than that, it's just a damn good industrial album. The performances are damn near perfect from each band member and you definitely can't knock them any style points off either. Favourite track: Leben: Tod
This is the kind of find I was hoping for when doing this. Really cool album.
Honestly? Not avant garde enough. I can see who Trent Reznor copied his homework from.
Didn't mind 4
4 stars - Really like the first song on the album.
If the third Reich had persisted beyond 1945 and somehow Queen had been formed, this is what they would have sounded like.
its industrial martial music in german and i seeing people describe it as "fascistic" and "nationalist". im lowkey scared of this, i'm assuming its satirical and not nazi music, but i wouldn't know cuz i don't speak german or slovenian. reading the history of this album is so interesting. its jus a bunch of martial rock covers of songs by some random austrian pop group. How do you even conceptualize this. maybe there's something deeply wrong with me but i kind of loved it. it has really good production and the concept is so interesting, I was very captivated by it. I never heard anything like it, nor did I ever want to but I like new experiences regardless. And for that reason I think this is worth checking out.
I, I have no idea what I've just listened to. Some sort of Slovenian tribute to Queen...ok. It sounds a lot like an 80's version Rammstein or Rammstein sound like these guys. The highlight of the album was my kids faces when they heard what I listening to. I think the album is a oncer. I enjoyed it but probably won't come back to it, the nice thing is that I don't regret listening to it.
мешап с речами моих любимых деятелей не мог не впечатлить
I can honestly say that I have never listened to an album like this. I honestly gotta give them a 4/5 for the freshness. Really interesting mix of industrial music with military themes and guttural vocals.
I am a fan of industrial rock and metal. Particularly because I enjoy the tongue in cheek theatrics of the vocals and grandiosity of the arrangement of the tracks. But this album came with an additional thing for me to enjoy a German language cover of the Queen song "One Vision". I thoroughly enjoyed this album, although I know that it won't be for everyone. As not everyone is as keen on being menaced by a gravel voiced stern Slovenian as I am.
The first half of the album sounds like Village People if they were Slovenian, into metal, and the lead singer was a bullfrog. The second half of the album is less fun but still an interesting listen. 8/10 would blast this in my garage while hitting something with a hammer.
YOU HAVE BEEN HUGGER MUGGERED INTO THIS WAR
This is one of those albums (and bands) that needs context. This album borrows from far right symbolism but deliberately tries to sow confusion. Interestingly, they were allowed to perform live in North Korea - what a joke and I'd say, mission totally accomplished for Laibach! It is very clear to me hat their "act" is effective and make people reflect. They grew under an authoritarian regime in the 1980's and now in the 2020's, such regimes seem to be making a come-back. So, this music stays relevant. Can they be misunderstood? Sure. Is there a message that exceeds just the music? Sure. I believe this is art. Does it sound great? That's another question altogether and not actually that relevant - I don't believe they set out to make commercial, easy-on-the-ears music. That being said, some songs are quite catchy and the vocals work. The often military orchestration sounds awful to me but that's exactly the point. Glad I discovered this. It's interesting.
Not my favorite album ever, but certainly interesting! It hits me enough for me to view it favorably. I loved "leben heißt leben", so I certainly thought it started off strong, PLUS I think this album cover is so cool.
some insane music from an insane band
Album #68, Laibach, Opus Dei, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a serious change of pace. When I first put it on, I thought, oh my God, is this going to be an hour of fascist-sounding military march music? I figured it couldn’t actually be that, or it wouldn’t be on the list, and reading into it as it went on, it’s clearly anti-fascist, anti-authoritarian and anti-nationalistic. I’ve never had an album win me over like this one. At the start, it sounds like Eurovision music. Not my thing at all. It’s got that big, trashy synth sound, and I was thinking this would absolutely clean up at Eurovision. I wasn’t really enjoying it, but there were moments that stood out, like on the opening track where this distorted, scratching guitar comes in. It felt like a strange choice that didn’t fit, but I really liked it. Then there’s their version of One Vision by Queen, which is my favourite Queen song. I liked that, but I was still leaning towards a two-star review at that point because that Euro synth sound just wasn’t landing with me. But when the title track comes in, that’s where it started to click. It’s in the same style, but it felt powerful and uplifting. After that, the album shifts. It gets more industrial, more avant-garde. Tracks like Trans-National and How the West Was Won are much heavier, more aggressive, more distorted, and it starts to move away from that euro-pop feel. From there it just gets weirder and weirder. By the end it’s deep into sample-based territory, almost like a Steve Reich kind of approach. The last couple of tracks are genuinely creepy and I love music that scares me. It’s eerie and unsettling. Even though it’s about an hour long, it never felt boring. It moves through so many moods and ideas that I actually ended up stopping what I was doing just to sit and listen properly. I know this is one of the lowest-rated albums on the list, and I get why. And I’m not trying to be contrarian here, because this isn’t the kind of music I’d usually even admit to liking. But I found it really interesting, and I genuinely enjoyed it. It reminded me a bit of Scott Walker’s Bish Bosch, another album I love but wouldn’t exactly throw on in front of anyone. But, when World War III comes around, this is definitely going on the playlist.
Listening to an angry Slovenian man yell “Life is Life” in my ears are the moments I started going this list for
If they played this in the bierkeller I'd raise the roof
The first time through, I wasn't sure for the first few tracks. Then Trans-National happened, and I love it and everything that came after it. So I started back over from the beginning, and it all seemed to work better. I think the first few tracks are a smidge uneven, but man I just loved this.
Das spiel ist aus
Love me some Laibach! ★★★★
This rules it's like what if Wagner was somehow more evil. I need to go back in time and have these guys do the score for a Piotr Szulkin movie I think that collab would be transcendent.
Well that was far more interesting than I expected. That deep gravely voice against that sparse electronic backdrop was fascinating. I definitely hear the influence on bands like Rammstein and Swans.
What is this? Krautrock? Industrial rock? Some militaristic feel there too. Ooh Geburt Einer Nation has dark feel with strings and horns. Oh also it's a cover of Queen's One Vision! But subversive callback to Nazism?, eine volk, eine blut etc. Clearly influential on later bands like Rammstein. Dramatic strings and drums in FIAT Album has some WWII theme with quoting Churchill etc Trans-National is a bit too avant-garde for me but still interesting. Ah, it gets more avant-garde from there. Trans-national is then a transition from old (military, industrial) to new (avant-garde) Germany? Best track - Geburt Einer Nation, Leben - Tod 4 stars - 2nd half is heavy going, but the genre-defining 1st half makes up for it.
Proto-Rammstein
No idea what this album’s deal is but it sounds like if a country’s national anthem was an evil rock opera which is pretty cool
This was a strange mix of industrial and metal with medieval-esque trumpets. I kinda loved it.
I actually really liked this album, strange as it was! It was a fun listen, and I liked the high energy, theatrical flare, and the lead singer’s awesome voice. Some of orchestration sounded fantastic- someone should lift some of these sounds for a sample for a new pop song. Borrowed that horn sting from Life is Life and make a number one hit!
Laibach, a band with an intentional approach to art that's meant to make people deeply uncomfortable with human nature. Fascism does lie deep within the hearts of many people, as we've seen demonstrated VERY clearly over the past year, and Laibach's artistic style has been shining a light on that uglier side of humanity for decades. So I'm not going to judge them for the ambiguous political message. I'm going to judge them for the music. The music is deep growly industrial! The core of my music taste formed in 1997-98, and one of the artists I was listening to the most at that time was Rammstein. Laibach sounds similar enough that I enjoyed the hell out of this listen. Judge me if you want!
I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking the Germanic tongue does not lend itself well to a tuneful ditty. However this album is so adorably bonkers that none of that matters! I listened to this whilst working and it made me smile and even laugh out loud with joy, so much fun. I will play this for other people who will probably just think I’m a lunatic!
I was surprised by how much I liked it
7 - GOOD
Very unique album from the progenitors of martial industrial music. The political juxtapositioning of fascism through these martialized pop songs is an interesting and meritorious one. The deep-seated relationship between music and politics is fully unveiled with this record. While the pop and rally inspired songs provide a strong opening, the latter half also features these experimental and krautrock-esque passages that serve to depict this totalitarian sound in a more avant-garde and subtle way. One really feels like they are sneaking through a military dystopia. The band's style helps these very obscure feelings come to life without engaging with ideology itself.
Friday night. A couple weeks since I cracked a beer, so I cracked a couple. Made some pizza for the fam. Smoked a jay after bedtime and watched Reservoir Dogs. It was as wonderful as the first time. Hit the sack, but wanted to play some tunes in my headphones. Opus Dei was a dream come true.
If it were up to me, 63% of this list would be albums like this. Just the most fucked up music you’ve ever heard from countries that no longer exist with straight-up awesome album covers. Music that will drive you insane if you play it too loud or too long. Bravo.
Listened while at work. Had no idea what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. It was like if you had the producer for Owner of a Lonely Heart do a Rammstein album. Enjoyed my time with it.
The first half is so good. Like a mix of Rammstein, Dethklok and Andrew WK if we’re thinking of modern groups. Then the second half goes crazy with the experimental crap.
While I think that Laibach's shtick has gotten a bit tiring and formulaic over the years, this album still sounds fresh nearly forty years later. The layers of the various interpretations that are found on this album of both military and pop music makes this album stick out from the rest of the burgeoning industrial records that were coming out at the time. There's a simplicity to the arrangements that gives each song here a unique sound, and this is an album I can see myself revisiting many times.
That cookie monster review rewired my brain and made me enjoy this weird satanic bullshit twice as much.
This officially takes over from Now I Got Worry(album #20) as my album with the lowest global rating of the project. It is also my first album to be in the global bottom 20. It's industrial metal made by a bunch of Slovenians impersonating Nazis. So, naturally, I get it on Holocaust Remembrance Day. That can't be a coincidence, right? RIGHT? Anyway, onto the actual album; it's very militaristic and industrial in a way very different from anything the project has thrown me so far. Liberal use of militant soundscapes and lyrics being German chants creates a feeling of fear, like we're being exposed to the bad guys in a war movie(THIS is how you make a fake movie soundtrack, Barry Adamson). Eventually, the album throws in an English-language reprise of the opener, which is less effective than the German-language opening version simply because of meter issues with the English version as compared to the German. Overall, this is a very interesting album that sounds like nothing else, for better or worse.
Weird yet engaging and good. I can see how this has influenced Rammstein.
This album has this nice big, theatrical, rich sound to it, It feels like a 100-person orchestra or something. It's just so powerful-sounding, one example would be the military march-like of "Leben heisst leben." Other aspects include this eerie group chanting like I've just came across some cult - that I really regret coming across - deep, deep in the forest somewhere in Eastern Europe. This music just has the perfect vibe to it, like my teeth are shivering and shattering with how frosty the instrumentals and atmosphere are. Highlight Song/s: "Leben heisst leben" and "F.I.A.T"
Bon, installez-vous confortablement, versez-vous un truc fort – de préférence une eau-de-vie de prune qui décape les tuyaux ou un schnaps frelaté ramené de l'Est – parce qu'aujourd'hui, on ne va pas parler de la dernière bluette pop qui passe en boucle à la radio. Non, aujourd'hui, on plonge dans le dur, le lourd, le martial. On s'attaque à un monument de l'incompréhension massive et du génie subversif. On parle de Laibach et de leur pavé jeté dans la mare (ou plutôt le rocher lancé dans le pare-brise) de 1987 : "Opus Dei". Moi qui suis né en 1970, j'en ai vu passer des trucs. J'ai grandi avec le post-punk, j'ai vu l'émergence de l'indus, j'ai vu le grunge exploser et retomber comme un soufflé. Et franchement, mon âme de vieux briscard du neofolk ne peut pas refuser du Laibach. La filiation entre le neofolk et le martial-industrial est si fine que l'on pourrait s'y perdre, et c'est exactement là que j'aime traîner mes guêtres. Pour être tout à fait honnête, j'aurais pu claquer un 5 sur 5 sans trembler des genoux. Pourquoi ? Parce qu'"Opus Dei" est probablement l'un des albums de cette foutue liste des "1001 albums" qui a le plus de personnalité. Il a une gueule, une vraie. Pas comme ces productions lisses et aseptisées qu'on nous vend au kilo aujourd'hui. Mais quand je vois les notes qu'il se prend dans la gueule ça me rend dingue. C'est le même tarif pour mon petit Current 93 chéri que j'ai glissé dans la "User List". J'ai l'impression que les gens sont devenus trop formatés, trop mous du cerveau pour apprécier la créativité quand elle ne porte pas un petit nœud rose. Je me souviens de l'époque où je bossais chez ce disquaire indé, entre 96 et 2000. Une autre vie. Je portais mes t-shirts de Sonic Youth ou de The The (Matt Johnson, quel génie, on n'en parle pas assez), et je voyais débarquer des clients paumés. Imaginez la scène : le mec tombe sur la pochette d'"Opus Dei". Le graphisme du NSK (Neue Slowenische Kunst), les croix de Malevitch, les haches, l'esthétique totalitaire assumée... Le gars me regardait avec des yeux ronds comme des soucoupes, se demandant s'il était tombé dans une amicale d'anciens nazis. C'est là que je devais faire de la pédagogie. Leur expliquer que non, bordel, ce ne sont pas des fachos. C'est de l'art, c'est de la "rétro-garde". Laibach, c'est le miroir déformant tendu à la gueule de l'Europe. Ils adoptent les codes du totalitarisme – les hymnes pompiers, les rythmiques martiales, les poses statuaires – non pas pour les célébrer, mais pour les vider de leur sens par une "sur-identification". Ils sont plus totalitaires que les dictateurs eux-mêmes, et c'est ça qui est drôle. Enfin, "drôle" façon humour noir slovène, faut suivre. Prenez l'ouverture de l'album, "Leben heißt Leben". Si vous avez une oreille un peu fonctionnelle, vous reconnaissez "Live is Life" du groupe autrichien Opus. Vous savez, cette merde euro-disco qu'on chante bourré au camping en tapant dans ses mains ? "Na na na na na !" Laibach prend ce truc niais et joyeux, et le transforme en hymne wagnérien apocalyptique. Les trompettes sonnent le glas, la batterie pilonne comme une marche vers le front de l'Est, et la voix de Milan Fras... Ah, cette voix ! Un grognement d'outre-tombe qui ferait passer Barry White pour un castrat. Soudain, "La vie c'est la vie" ne sonne plus comme une célébration de l'été, mais comme un ordre aboyé par un général sous amphétamines. C'est du génie pur. Ils nous montrent qu'avec un arrangement différent, n'importe quelle chansonnette peut devenir un outil de propagande terrifiant. Et ils remettent ça avec "Geburt einer Nation" (Naissance d'une Nation). Cette fois, c'est Queen qui y passe avec "One Vision". Freddie Mercury chantait l'unité et la vision commune ? Laibach te le traduit en allemand, ralentit le tempo, ajoute des percussions industrielles lourdes, et d'un coup, l'unité dont on parle n'est plus celle d'un concert humanitaire, mais celle d'un rassemblement de masse un peu trop organisé. C'est effrayant, c'est brillant, et ça me fait marrer à chaque écoute. C'est sûr, si tu n'as pas les codes, si tu ne vois pas le second degré (qui est parfois un troisième degré), tu fuis en courant. C'est dommage, parce que musicalement, c'est d'une richesse folle. La production est massive. C'est le "Wall of Sound" de Phil Spector qui aurait été racheté par une usine sidérurgique soviétique. Et il faut rendre à César ce qui est à César : sans Laibach, pas de Rammstein. Les Allemands ont tout piqué aux Slovènes : la voix grave, les 'R' roulés, les riffs saccadés, l'esthétique martiale. Sauf que Rammstein en a fait un show pyrotechnique pour stades remplis d'ados en rut, alors que Laibach a gardé cette aura mystique, intellectuelle et froide. Rammstein, c'est Laibach pour ceux qui n'ont pas envie de réfléchir à la géopolitique de l'Europe centrale. Je dis ça, j'aime bien Rammstein pour déconner, mais les patrons, c'est Laibach. Point barre. Alors, pourquoi je me limite à un 4 sur 5 ? Parce que je ne vais pas vous mentir, même avec mes goûts de chiottes assumés, je ne vais pas écouter "Opus Dei" tous les jours. Ce n'est pas l'album que je mets pour me détendre en rentrant du boulot ou pour un dîner aux chandelles (à moins de vouloir larguer la personne en face de manière spectaculaire). C'est une œuvre exigeante, c'est dense, c'est oppressant par moments. Il y a des instrumentaux au milieu de l'album ("F.I.A.T.", "The Great Seal") qui sont magnifiques, très cinématographiques, mais qui demandent une attention particulière. On ne siffle pas ça sous la douche. Je mets 5/5 aux albums que j'emmènerais sur une île déserte, "Opus Dei" lui, je l'emmènerais plutôt dans un bunker anti-atomique. C'est une nuance importante. Mais bon sang, que cet album a bien vieilli ! Presque 40 ans dans les dents et il sonne toujours aussi puissant, aussi pertinent. Peut-être parce que le monde n'a pas tant changé que ça. Les populismes montent, les discours se durcissent, et la pop culture est toujours aussi vide de sens qu'à l'époque de "Live is Life". Laibach nous tend toujours ce miroir dérangeant. C'est un disque qui a des "couilles", pardonnez-moi l'expression et il ne s'excuse pas d'exister. Il te regarde droit dans les yeux et te défie de baisser le regard. Alors tant pis pour les pisse-froids qui mettent des 1/5 parce que "ça fait peur" ou "c'est répétitif". Laissez-les écouter leur soupe tiède. Nous, on sait, on sait que derrière la façade de marbre et d'acier, il y a plus d'humanité, d'humour et d'intelligence politique que dans tout le catalogue des majors actuelles. Bref, un bon 4/5 mérité car c'est un album nécessaire. Pas "fun", pas "agréable" au sens premier du terme, mais nécessaire. Il nous rappelle que la musique peut être une arme, un outil de réflexion, et pas seulement un bruit de fond pour ascenseur ou pour pub de bagnole. Et n'oubliez jamais : l'art est un fanatisme qui exige la diplomatie... ou un truc du genre. Avec Laibach, on ne sait jamais si on doit rire ou se mettre au garde-à-vous, et c'est pour ça que je les aime.
Great some Industrial, well almost I was thinking that starting of an album with what sounds like a goth on Prozac covering life is life was bold but no just a homage or an overture- the full on cover comes later Starts of slow and somewhat understated. But Leben TOD changes all that with definite tones of Feotus or Neubauten.. I’m all in. 2 -3 songs done and I’m liking it but not loving it - they are to industrial what Ghost are to metal . For some reason I’m reminded of the Punks in Terminator… cos playing danger with no real menace. I do like how the singer sing/talking over the music sounding a lot like Christophe Lee in his two excellent metal albums. I just want more oomph, not to mention angle grinders … Compare the orchestral parts of Opes Dei to Scraping Feouts off the Wheel’s Thrones of agony - where fetus soar these merely plod along . I’m loving this but am left wanting more Oh wait Trans national brings it … somehow industrial yet Christmassy . I’m loving it Can I give this 5 when it just makes want to listen to Hole or wheel by fetus - or anything by JD Thirwel ? As I doubt Scraping fetus off the wheel are in this list I’ll keep listening by encourage anyone reading this to check out the fetus Oeuvre.
I didn't know what to expect. Judging by the cover, it could be death metal, noise, or... well, whatever. But, for sure, I wasn't expecting this. It's pretty unique and original. That's for sure. And I value a lot originality, even if almost a half of the album consists of covers. There are many layers in the songs, it's strange but haunting. But... was I expecting to like it? I thought so at the beginning. And maybe expectations killed the experience at some point because it's not "that" much of my like, to be honest. And I don't even know if I like it or not. But it's a quite epic album, with so many orchestrations, and many industrial parts too. Like... there's place for everything! So, I guess I like this one. But I'm very confused and amazed and delighted and aghast at the same time!
Überassend gut bissen Rammstein furlaufer
I think this is super cool. It's kinda weird too but I respect it
A classic
Jävligt konstigt men jag är svag för det industriella, tunga, syntiga soundet. Mycket coolt!
Mysigt med tyska
Weird, but good.
I feel like this is what vikings sounded like.
More interesting than 90% of the other albums. Pre-rammstein industrial
Opus Dei sounds like military marching music that's meant more for dancing, having kinky sex to or just relaxing under a cozy blanket on the 13th of December at 5:50 AM desperately wishing someone was spanking your bare bottom until both cheeks glowed in muted shades of candy apple red.
So committed to their pofaced satire of totalitarianism that almost 30 years after this album they were invited to play songs from The Sound of Music in North Korea. That's a bigger achievement than getting to number one. I've always had a soft spot for their ability to personify the latent fascism in popular music. Other great cover versions include Sympathy for the Devil, the whole of Let It Be (even Maggie Mae), You're In The Army Now and Final Countdown. Having lived through the original Life Is Life being a big hit the addition of the lyric "We gazed at the power, we gazed at the best and everyone lost everything and died with the rest" has always been hilarious to me from the first time I saw it on Channel 4's The Chart Show. My only real concern over the years has been that irony isn't really a defence against totalitarianism but they probably know that and their career is secretly one big comfort rocking session.
Utterly bonkers but remarkably enjoyable. I never knew I needed to hear two synth-metal retellings of Opus’ ‘Life is Life’ in German and sung by the Cookie Monster, but I’m glad I now have. Throw in some reworking of Queen’s contributions to the Highlander soundtrack and you have yourself a surprisingly enjoyable, if entirely mental, album. How is this in the lowest rated selection?!
People on this site hate industrial music for some reason. This is good!
It's great, truly. This is a work of art, or anti-art, if you'd like. But, some statements on this, though powerful, are sometimes bordering on annoying (2-3 tracks near the end). The rest is great, both covers and originals. The title track is my prefered version of Live is Life and always has been. Laibach are different from anything you'll ever see or hear and they are worth your every second. 4/5
Look, at least it was interesting which is more than can be said for a lot of albums on this list. I appreciate what the band is doing with the political satire. This album is truly something I've never experienced before. This is the kind of stuff I was hoping the list would introduce me to. Thank you.
Bizarre. Interesting. Completely different.
Theatrical Slovenian great
11/4/25. Definitely one of the most unique albums I've heard along this journey. I'm aware that this band came before, but it reminds me a lot of Rammstein. Very interesting in the production even if many of the lyrics are in a language I don't understand.
Loved this one!
This record might be so weird that I have to like it just for the mental stimulation alone. I am deliberately not reading anything about it before listening to it, but I'm going to assume it's German (turns out the band is Slovenian and Yugoslav, but there's a lot of German language). The eyes on the cover image remind me of a Terry Gilliam cartoon from an animated Monty Python segment. The album opens with chants that segue into (is that blues?) guitar, followed by some Kajagoogoo-reminiscent 80s keyboard and then straight into early (or was it proto in 1987?) industrial beats, then horror organ into circus organ. It's a bit of a confusing mix to think about, but somehow it still works, and the songs always have melody. It's never just noise or aggression for their own sakes. There's a lot of cinema here, horns and driving rhythms which sometimes cross into the sublime. Is this a dark German celebration of life? There's even a brief reading of Churchill's "Never Surrender" speech. That speech was about fighting the Germans, and I can only speculate why it's used here. It's all a bit ridiculous, but I can't help but take it seriously in an absurd kind of way. I can't think of a time when I would choose to listen to this record again, but I kind of love it. Four stars.
Second album in a week I'm comparing to Rammstein, but I guess industrial music in a foreign language gets that. Really liked the epic, march sounding songs like The Great Seal and Opus Dei and a few others. 4/5
Cool album cover. It’s a live album though. And foreign. Yikes. Oh but it’s Russian. I can dig that. I think it’s Russian. No wait, maybe it’s German. It’s similar to Rammstein so ya, German. I’ll go with that. I find this hard to believe that this was drummed up in the 80’s. Kraftwerk doesn’t sound like this and I feel like they are the closest to these guys in comparison since Rammstein hadn’t been created yet. That was a hell of an opening song I will say that. The next song though….a drunk Cookie Monster spurting angry sounding jargon into a live mic while someone drums who hasn’t really drummed before but knows enough to hold a beat. I am becoming worried that the opening track was the best one. Track 3 sounds like a faith no more B side. Which I’d be ok with had this been FNM. It’s not a good one for a new listener to hear three songs in. And more Rammstein sound And more Not as hard hitting though, don’t get to thinking that these guys deserve all the accolades . At the same time, I don’t hate this at all. I don’t have a choice cut since it’s all so exploratory . I guess the first song will do. I’m not spelling it out. Enjoy
This was a mess that grew on me. Was surprised how much this music stuck in my head-- Life is Life. Would I listen to again? On a special occasion...
So, I am diggin' this. Seems a little like Rammstein meets 80's era soundtrack -- which is apparently in my wheelhouse today.
What a trip. This thing was wild. It felt like German GWAR with Gogel Bodello featured. Then I realized that this is just OG Ramstein, which was cool. Honestly, I had a great time with this. Probably not revisiting any time soon, but its weird wild ride. I love the vocals and heaviness of this record. I also really enjoyed the electronic elements.
Я не очікував нічого, але музично мені дуже сподобалось, місцями прям (якщо ми говоримо на LP версію альбому на 37 хвилин). Поєднання індастріалу, крутих синтів та класичної музики перетворюють поп хіт на якийсь тоталітарний гімн. Взагалі альбом дуже просякнутий цим тоталітарним настроєм. Мені це не те щоб подобається, але на контрасті з деякими альбомами тут було щонайменше цікаво. Згадав, що вони мали заїзжати до Києва вже під час повномасштабного вторгнення, але вони позиція по війні в них уєбанська, тому й добре, що концерти скасували.
Don’t speak German but this slaps
I really didn't expect to like this, but it led me on a deep dive that was quite fun. Fun being a pretty relative term here...
WHEN WE ALL GIVE THE POWER THEN WE ALL GET tHE BEsT! The first half is just so nuts, and then it kinda fades at the end. Never listened to anything like it. I never feel like I’ve been entertained by an album until this one. It was great fun.
Another industrial/experimental album, another album to defend on here because people hate it... Again, I'm very much a fan of Industrial music and everything that's come out of it, love the mechanical textures, repetitive sound and confrontational tone because it's sometimes the best vehicle for many messages, be it political or societal or philosophical or all at once. It's simply something that's been a part of my listening diet for close to a decade plus now. One thing to know about Laibach as a group is that they belong to a Slovenian multi media collective and generally are art performers, so a lot of the music is basically a reflection of those sensibilities as a band that's both trying to talk about their realities during the time of Yugoslavia but also make light of western culture and its expansion. There is an obvious satirical tone to all of this album, the super theatrical and grandiosity of everything, the macho gruff singing wrapping back to campy, the fucking "One Vision" by Queen cover. It's all made to poke fun at all these things while also sounding like a military procession. I hate that so much context get lost, especially if you don't have the book or don't know about the artists, because there are genuine messages and genuine ideals going on in the music despite their "weirdness" and "inaccessibility", there is so much more under the surface and stuff like this is why I'm happy whenever the book adds an odd artist that doesn't fit the typical artists everyone knows and praises from the english-speaking world... sometimes you need a group of Slovenians to poke fun at you.
7.5/10 Highlights: Opus Dei F.I.A.T. The Great Seal Geburt Einer Nation
Unexpectedly fun and entertaining. Helped that we listened while driving through Germany.
Very industrial sounding. Makes me think of Ministry, Skinny Puppy, etc.--all of which I like. This is certainly better than some of the albums in this project. It's interesting and I wouldn't have come across this organically. 3.5, rounded up.
Not sure it would hit as hard the second time but this one came in crazy the first time
y'all are haters of fun and whimsy. a man can't write an album about hating fascism? smh
A for effort. Interesting musical ideas in a symphonic/opera meets metal kinda way. I appreciate their boldness and originality. Parts of it remind me of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love from 1985.
Almost a parody of industrial at times, and I’m okay with that
Godfathers of Ramstein. Industrial Metal from YU.
*inhales* So first I like German music although this is not a german band but i like music sang in german. Secondly I found industrial not irritating. And I love Soviet jokes. Lastly this album is supposedly both a huge soviet joke and a huge anti-nazi joke. but the funniest thing is that the authoritarians and the facsists all like this. i live in a half-authoritatian society with pretty much freedom but i don't find this intersting. they are too sincere that it feels like the worst parody of things. when weird al parodies a song he still feels halfway between serious and joking and when i seldomly tried to write parody songs i tried to sound as unserious as possible. it is not possible to parody such a heavy topic with 100% sincerity. especially when it comes to the two covers on the album: Queen's "one Vision" which is literally a song of solidarity and overcoming difficulties, but often used in media (and covered by laibach) in an additional meaning of... well, you know what i mean, and i prefer freddie's clear high vocals in the original version. the other really unorthordox choice is Austrian band Opus's "Live Is Life" which is this really harmless pop rock track that becomes... a military march of all things. but from the musicality i would give this a rounded up 3.5. and hence it starts my controversial opinion on industrial music in this list. 4/5
Leben heißt Leben - 5/5 Geburt einer Nation - 4/5 Leben-Tod - 4/5 F.I.A.T. - 3/5 Opus Dei - 5/5 Trans-National - 4/5 How the West Was Won - 4/5 The Great Seal - 3/5 Average score: 4/5 sounds like the proto-Rammstein album cover is cool. i was a little puzzled while listening. it's giving medieval fanfare vibes but it kinda slaps?? depending on the track at least. i don't speak german so i hope their not sing about some nazi shit
Hell yeah, Slovenia's finest
This is what I'm here for... Something I'd have never found that actually at points piqued my interests! It's getting an extra star as it caught me at a good time after wading through literal hours of crap.
Industri!!!!
Such an intriguing listen and a band, or rather collective, that has some serious lore both bewildering and disturbing. I'll actually take some time for a listening deep dive.
Surprising good, not usually my taste but this was quite listenable
Geiler Scheiß. B-Seite leider anstrengend.
3.9 - somehow this turned me around by the end. Feel slightly violated for some reason
I certainly haven't heard any other albums quite like this one. Trans-National sounds like Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express funnelled through a Berlin sex club. This album really goes places. At first I kinda found it silly and campy and a bit scary, but I think I kinda love it, particularly from Trans-National onwards. Fave Tracks: Trans-National, How the West Was Won, Herz-Felde 4.2/5
Very interesting industrial album, not very often I get to listen to German music but I quite enjoyed this album. Need more stuff like this on my Spotify. Standout Songs: Leben Heißt Leben Leben - Tod Opus Dei
Dada meets Tito and a load of huge synths. Quite dated, but still refreshingly loco. Love the the abstract disintegration across the final third of the record. Dobar skroz!
The first record to be in a language other than English, and it's German, one that I am a bit familiar with! Carefully optimistic and very interested. First track is weird and very repetitive, but I kinda like it. I can't understand the lyrics (Entschuldigung an meinen Deutschlehrer), but the title is very true! :) The build-up is amazing, and leads to a crazy finale. Loved this one for that final minute alone. This second track is sounding very familiar, and from what I can understand of those lyrics... is this a cover of Queen's One Vision? What the hell hahahahah. wjat the fuck is this hahaha. I kinda like it though. I'm having so much fun my god. German nationalism should concern me at this point but hey this goes hard. Again, my knowledge of the language is very limited and I do not want to use google for these first listens but this third track seems to continue the "good vibes, love will conquer all, let's be happy together" message that the previous two tracks had so yey. The heavier guitar riffs that come in towards the end really elevate the song. An anti-war song? Oh they know what gets me on board. That being said, this is maybe my least favourite so far. The instrumentals don't do much for me, and the build-up and climax aren't as satisfying. The title track seems to be just the opener translated to English? kind of disappointed in that. It's still good, but there is no need for both versions I think. Trans-National is a mostly instrumental (there are vocals but no lyrics), and damn does it go off. the drums keep a steady fast base while everything else goes crazy. How The West Was Won may be too repetitive for my liking, but it's still good. The closer is a bit unsatisfying as well. The last few notes deliver a good ending, but the song itself is fine. Overall, I was very surprised by this album! Judging by the cover, I was expecting a metal record (which is a genre I haven't really dived into that much), but the first song imediatelly proved me wrong. I had a great time with this thing, and even the songs I didn't love were still good, just not as good as the stand-outs.
74/100. The sound is massive and militant. Marching drums, orchestral swells, industrial synths, and a deep, commanding vocal delivery give the album an unmistakable martial tone. It feels like standing on the edge of something epic and dangerous, like a battlefield dressed in theater lights. That said, its ambition and strange charisma make it a fascinating listen.
I liked it. Reading about the band concept reminds me of other projects like Public Image, Ltd. and The KLF. The songs are good and kept me interested throughout.
So very unique, I'm not sure it was 100% my thing but I appreciated it very much
50/1001. First I thought this is some joke, kind of like when Gregorians did cover versions of famous pop songs. Ok, this is not a joke, but there is definitely some very very dark humour at play herw. At least I hope there is. Well, of they did the soundtrack to Finnish film Iron Sky that proves this point. But a humor band or a joke album this is not. Beats every wanking brit pop album without question.
It sounds like a soundtrack to a final fantasy game. Not my cup of team but enjoyed it.
lol, I have no idea what’s being said, but I’m kind of digging this. Sounds industrial, sort of. And it’s sort of weird. I can’t tell if it’s a big joke. Even if it is, it’s well executed. By track 2, I’m almost certain it’s a big joke. But I love it so far. I don’t know how many replays it’ll get from me, but I will tell my friends who are into weird shit. Someone commented that it’s like Rammstein sung by Cookie Monster, which is pretty accurate. But it also incorporates weird synth horns and strings. It’s actually sorta catchy, despite this dude grumble-singing about someone getting him a light beer. Honestly, this sounds a little like a Mike Patton project. I have no idea how to rate this record. On the one hand, I doubt I’ll come back for too many re-listens. On the other hand, I can’t turn it off. I feel like I’m on a journey here. This might be the weirdest 4 I rate, because 4s and 5s are usually things that I’ll listen to repeatedly, and this isn’t that kind of record, but it’s also pretty interesting in a psychotic sort of way and I respect the weirdness. 4/5
neka ga. drago mi je da je album iz bivše jugoslavije na popisu, ali vjerojatno samo zato što je na njemačkom i engleskom. fora za poslušat, al vjerujem da bi bolje bilo otići na koncert
Weird, unsettling and ambiguous. Also pretty cool.
Unexpectedly enjoyable. A little weird, a little symphonic, but very fun.
Crazy Slovenian art-political crew! I've never found it easy to divine where Laibach's provocation departs from and returns to satire, though I have several of their albums in my collection. I'd say this is a good rather than great album, but one well worth a listen.
I think it belongs on the list. It feels essential. I kind of like it, but not really. I have to be in the mood to enjoy this kind of music. It must have inspired bands like Ministry and Rammstein (who somehow are not on the list). Favorite song: geburt einer nation. 3.5 star rounded up because of the low average.
This is super cool. I wish I knew what they were saying because it all sounds, well, German.
I put this on a bit close to bedtime, which means that I was listening to it while sitting in the bedroom winding down. When my partner came in to the room I was halfway through Herz-Felde and was subjected to very rude questions like "what is that terrible noise?" anyway industrial music go brrrr thunk thunk thunk brrrr
Немного страшно
I see 80s, I frown. I see German, I grin. This rocks, it's punchy and full of energy. Give me Ein Lightbeer!
Albums like this are why I enjoy doing this. Totally 80’s production featuring the absolutely massive drums with vocals that sound kinda like Cookie Monster singing German. This is awesome. Favorite songs were Leben Heibt Leben, Gebert Einer Nation, Opus Dei, and The Great Seal.
3.7 stars rounded up. This is the band that inspired Rammstein. Rammstein took their totalitarian chic and smoothed off the rough edges and made it radio friendly. Laibach’s “Volk” album is also worth a listen.
I like some industrial music. I find most of it forgettable. While this album is definitely not forgettable, it's not really my thing. Gives me hope that maybe Skinny Puppy's VIVISectVI will be on the list! I get why this music exits in this martial form with Laibach living in communism right before the fall of the Soviet Union. Context helps a lot here, especially since they were primarily an art collective. Some of the songs reminded me of Test Dept so Laibach was influential. On the extended album, I preferred the last 4 songs which others found annoying but still not something to revisit.
Not one but two proto-Rammstein covers of the same song? OK!
Rad album, sounded exactly like what I expected from the cover art. Dude's voice reminds me of Till Lindemann. This is a bit of a novelty, but one I would like to come back to often! 3.75/5
Never heard of this, but it rules. I listened through it like 4 times in a row. 4/5
Probably quite hard to like if you're too much of a philistine to handle lyrics in a language you don't speak. There is no way that this is otherwise as challenging as Locust Abortion Technician by Butthole Surfers, which shares the same ranking. There's some arty stuff, but generally it's all very listenable, which I guess is deliberate if they're trying to evoke nationalist military music. Geburt Einer Nation is simply incredible, I love the transformation of Queen's camp celebration into a fascist rally anthem. After listening to the opening track I didn't expect to be crying with laughter by the end, but this album is a huge joke, and it's very very funny if you get it.
This went a lot harder than I expected. I dug it.
I kinda fuck with it
Pretty sweet record. The world needs more of this.
Particolare! Praticamente è tutto cover o 'reworking', ma ci stanno di brutto!
Actually I dig this, self aware and different, comical and ridiculous. Rating: 4.0
This is that kind of campy sort of early industrial that revels in the extreme. The humor exists within the dissonance of how subversive one can assume these artists are as people, in actuality. While the humor is dry, it arrives in heaping helpings.
Hell yeah
Epic
Really cool sound, love his voice
Fun
I remember last year someone recommended this album, and I liked it. I still like it even now.
This is art.
Pointing out that Queen are one of the most Tory bands ever definitely earns it points. Being utterly daft definitely earns points. Points! Points! Points! Not too arsed about the four tracks at the end but they're not on this record so must be disregarded. Which makes this record 37 minutes long, which again garners it some lovely.... points!
I didn't know what to expect going in, but it definitely wasn't this - I enjoyed it though! Definitely worth looking further into the group and their background to get a full sense of context behind their vibe and arrangements.
Like, it's not a great album and I get why it has such a low score here specifically, but idk I'm kind of partial to these crusty 80s industrial albums (except L'eau Rouge, that one was bad). 3.5/5
I just imagine them as the moopets and I love it! 4/5
Certainly an experience, and not quite my cup of tea. I do recognize there's some artistic value to it all - it feels competently made and has interesting instrumentals and vocal work. 'Opus Dei' was my fave from the lot.
I'm kinda blown away by this record. Never heard of this group before this recommendation. It's not something I'd listen to all the time, but I'm hearing the beginnings of industrial music hear. Likely a far more influential record than many realize.
It appears it's a controversial opinion but I actually like this. Very industrial sound, lots of marching beats, but it sounds epic to me and could be the soundtrack to a film. Definitely interesting.
This is the kind of wild shit I love about this project. What the hell was this? Industrial metal mixed with military marching music, loops, krautrock, and Rammstein's vocalist. Absolutely bizarre ride.
Somewhat out there album great covers and somehow works. Check out their sound of music full album if you like this
I’d be lying if I told you I said I knew what I was getting into. They grabbed my attention right off the hope with Leben LeiBt Leben, which was both had a victorious yet gloomy vibe to it. It also had a super sweet guitar solo. Then to kick off the second track we get an eagle screech followed up by industrial drums, fuck yea! I even found a sick track to add to my Halloween playlist with Jagerspiel which has a looping breathy chant and a looping drum beat and what sounds to be Dracula speaking over top, it is so great. This whole album is super bizarre and exactly the type of obscure shit I wanted to find with this project. 4 stars
I think this is my introduction to the concept of “industrial music” and honestly it’s great. Huge Animal from The Muppets vibes. “DRUMS! More DRUMS!”
Strange but somehow kinda good.
Very intense, but very moving
An interesting album, very different from what I usually listen to but I enjoyed it. I liked the songs Leben Heist Leben, F.I.A.T and Opus Dei the most.
WTF was that?? It was surprisingly interresting and I rather enjoyed it. Put it on favorites to listen to again in the near future. For the moment rated at 4 stars.
Woah. This is fun. My only gripe is that each song is one good idea on a loop throughout with no variation. But I really liked this.
Yo, I don't even know what this is, but I gotta say that it has a kind of charm to it. It helps that I tend to enjoy industrial music, and this album seems like it was influential in the advancement of the genre into the 90s. I don't love the weird military and nationalism stuff, but that was also common in industrial music in the 80s, and it all seems pretty tongue in cheek. 4/5 It's not the most pleasant listening experience, but it's certainly interesting
i tried to read up on it and i think i get the picture but tentatively i dont want to either fully praise or condemn the band's satirical fascist image cuz that would require a lot more hard-earned understanding of both their art and its surrounding context then i can get based on a few strong opinions. i am innately annoyed at parodic fascism because i dont think whatever point u want to make ever justifies indulging in bigotry, but to be fair to laibach from what ive seen their imagery avoids grotesque depictions of the enemy and is more about the self-glorification and self-mythologization within authoritarian ideology, which is a lot harder to object to obviously. plus it makes for an interesting active indulgence...embracing the strength of expression that comes from fascism's hyper-idealism to a couple interesting ends. a lot of this is equally ugly and masochistically euphoric, and the allusions to pop music further expand the scope of the satire towards the hidden and respectable fascism of western "democracy" and capitalism. honestly overtly satirical/deconstructive things On The Whole are increasingly not for me personally, but im glad this one pulls out a vivid and tbh kind of unforgettable aesthetic experience along the way, and that that experience is meaningfully intertwined with The Point rather than being ignored in favor of it. probably the best band to have an extremely long and fucking annoying žižek quote on their wikipedia page
Kinda cool
This is so goofy (complimentary)
I was a little put off at first but as this album went on it grew on me. It's actually pretty epic. Creative. Well written. I've no idea what they're saying, but could totally listen again.
Wild but low key cool, the Queen inspiration was cool to learn about
Really enjoyed this one for some reason. It had a nationalistic feel to it that was very powerful. 3.5/5
THIS is why i have embarked on this project!!!! i would have never heard of this band or album or even style of music but this was super cool. i know it was Slovenian but it sounded like it could’ve been from an alien planet in the best way possible
4.0
It’s completely outside my comfort zone, but I thought it was really cool! I could do without the Queen covers, though
From the onset, this seemed like an album I would not really enjoy. I mean, "martial industrial?" The "military industrial-music complex," as I call it. That just sounded like... Not a very fun time at all. Even before this year's U.S. election I would've thought, but living in the aftermath of who actually won? "Solvenians yelling at me in German over dark, military-inspired industrial beats sounds" like the last thing I would have wanted. Which makes it all the funnier, then, that I actually did kind of enjoy this a lot. Like, one more thing to begin with, you also gotta understand my conception of industrial music. Whenever I hear the term, I always imagine music that's loud and harsh. Music that's abrasive for the sake of it, though not enough to actually cross over into noise. Now, don't ask me where I got that perception from, I have no idea. But if I don't imagine that, usually I picture something just... Like, clanky and boring. In short, I have a bit of a predisposition to disliking industrial music. And that's not even to get into what I feel about the military. Let's not even get into it, for the sake of keeping things focused if nothing else. So color me surprised that this album isn't loud, harsh or abrasive. It's actually a lot of trumpets (I imagine trumpet synths) over these marching beats. I'd had this assumption they'd be slower than they are, and maybe they are still slow, but they're not so slow as to be a boring crawl to my ears. And with a little mix of guitar in there sometimes... Honestly, this sound kind of kicks ass? I would have never seeked this out on my own if not for this Randomizer, not in a million years, but... Yeah, no. I can really dig this. That title track and "The Great Seal" especially — oh, gawd, those triumphant horns. Oh, I love it. I absolutely love it. It actually reminds me a lot of RAMMSTEIN. Sure, yeah, it's partially just because these guys are largely singing/speaking in German, but I feel like if you added some heavier guitar riffs and sped up the tempo a little it wouldn't be too far off. I don't think you'd even need to change the lyrics. (For the record, by the way, I didn't translate. That's bad practice, I know, but besides the fact that it's been, like, a decade since my last high school German class... I'unno, I haven't translated any other foreign-language album my group has gotten, so why would I start now, y'know?) Y'know, besides the optics of getting this album when my group did, my biggest worry, honestly, would be that I'd hafta give this album a 2 or, goodness forbid, a 1 and plunge Metal right out of my top three genres. Like, I'd finally gotten it back in there after stupid DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE caused it to be out of there for so long... And I wouldn't even actually call it "Metal," but regardless, it makes me really happy to give this thing a 4. I even almost wanna give it a 5 just for how surprised I was that I actually liked it as much as I did, though let's not get **too** excited here. And, yeah, still, the optics of my group getting this album when we did aren't great. It only could've been worse if we'd gotten this thing yesterday, right after the American election. And, yeah, any "ironic" use of Nazi iconography in the lyrics isn't... Good? I mean, I don't give the Sex Pistols a pass for that shit, so I don't know why I would anyone else. Once again: bad practice that I didn't do my diligence to translate the lyrics and find any of it. But all I know is that from what I **did** understand... Aw, heck, I enjoyed this thing a lot. I'll even give it the highest compliment I can give an industrial album that isn't by Nine Inch Nails: I'll probably listen to some of this stuff again. Goodness, you don't even know how much that means...
I’m at a 3.5 that I’m going to cautiously bump up to a 4. I mean, look, of all the albums to get so soon after the 2024 Presidential election, to get this one is the equivalent of rolling a Nat 1 on a D700. It’s not even that it’s necessarily bad – I genuinely really did enjoy this, but the optics and timing are tremendously and uniquely awful. It feels like starting this project on January 1st led to this as a long, long, sick punchline. But regardless of that, like I said – I genuinely enjoyed this. Call it sick irony given the consequences of the election and the incredibly militaristic sound here, but in terms of soundscape and vision, this really does feel like an awkward political rally. It’s discomfiting, uneasy, a little too real at times… and I think that’s the point. This is meant to create that sense of awkwardness, to confront it head on, to feel that way without ever explicitly agreeing to it. Given the social contexts of 1980s Cold War politics that deeply underline this album, it feels like a direct statement against the causes that were more present behind the Iron Curtain at the time. In that sense, I think the production and tone here are basically perfect as a form of satire. Really uncomfortable satire, but satire nonetheless. Where this album falls flat then, for me, is simply in fully committing to its vision and execution – you wanna go down this pathway, and make people awkwardly feel the consequences of something they didn’t sign up for? Make it even less palatable. Make it a little bit screechier, make it a little less clean, make it feel like despair. I know I sound sadistic when I type all of that, but if that’s the point of the album here, I think committing even deeper to the “downfall” of this rally would’ve really nailed this as a home run of a concept album. Because it plays itself relatively safe, I have to judge it a bit more on the musical execution, and in terms of the musical execution… yeah, this thing kinda falls into the “first minute is the whole song” trap a few too many times. The pulsating, militaristic drums and brass sections grow tiring after too long, and slowly start to lose their effect. The political speeches of despair are effective, but without a real shift in the instrumentation to add to the atmosphere, it comes across as kind of hokey. Again, I get it – you can’t be too blatant, otherwise it goes from incredibly pointed and direct satire done in a perfectly uncomfortable way, to just straight up being the real thing, and that’s a truly hard balance to hit on. I think they did about as good as they could given the political environment of the time – they could’ve been in some serious shit if they went too far one way or the other, and the fact that they even crossed the tightrope is a miracle to begin with. So… yeah, I really did like this. I wish it had the guts to be a little more loose, to really drive home how awkward it is, but it doesn’t take away from how oddly engaging those 37 minutes still are. By really leaning into itself, and making it feel so captivating and bombastic, I simply have to wonder… did people really think they were legit? Hell, am I misreading them? I guess I’ll never quite know – the band itself has stayed ambiguous about it for years upon years. Hell, apparently they played North Korea, and I truly don’t know what to make of that. I can only hope I’m right in calling it a deeply biting satire. Hence, the 3.5 that I’m cautiously bumping up to a 4 – heavy emphasis on “cautiously”.
## In-Depth Review of *Opus Dei* by Laibach Laibach's *Opus Dei*, released in 1987, stands as a significant work within the realms of martial industrial and neoclassical dark wave music. This album not only showcases the band's unique sound but also encapsulates their provocative artistic philosophy. Here, we will explore the album's lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence while also weighing its pros and cons. ### ****Lyrics The lyrics of *Opus Dei* are a blend of political commentary, cultural critique, and existential reflection. The album features several notable tracks that exemplify Laibach's approach to lyrical content: - **"Leben heißt Leben"**: This track is a German cover of Opus' "Live Is Life." While the original song had an upbeat and celebratory tone, Laibach's version infuses it with a darker, more ironic undertone. The lyrics juxtapose themes of life and death, reflecting on the absurdity of existence. - **"Geburt einer Nation"**: A reworking of Queen's "One Vision," this song employs militaristic imagery to comment on nationalism and collective identity. The lyrics evoke a sense of unity through powerful chants and anthemic phrases, yet they also critique the idea of blind allegiance to a nation. - **"The Great Seal"**: This track incorporates lines from Winston Churchill’s famous speech during World War II. By using historical rhetoric, Laibach emphasizes themes of perseverance and struggle while simultaneously questioning the glorification of war. Overall, Laibach's lyrics are marked by their duality—celebratory yet critical, humorous yet serious—making them ripe for interpretation. The band's use of irony challenges listeners to reconsider their perceptions of patriotism and identity. ### ****Music Musically, *Opus Dei* is characterized by its martial industrial style, which combines elements of classical music with aggressive industrial sounds. Key features include: - **Instrumentation**: The album prominently features orchestral arrangements alongside electronic elements. Strings and brass instruments create a grandiose atmosphere that contrasts with the heavy percussion typical of industrial music. - **Vocal Style**: Milan Fras’s deep, resonant vocals add a commanding presence to the tracks. His delivery ranges from melodic singing to spoken word, enhancing the dramatic effect of the lyrics. - **Production Techniques**: Produced by Rico Conning, *Opus Dei* employs layered soundscapes that create an immersive listening experience. The use of samples—from military marches to classical compositions—further enriches the album's sonic palette. Tracks like "F.I.A.T." showcase Laibach's ability to blend somber themes with powerful instrumentation. The haunting melodies combined with rhythmic intensity make for an engaging experience that captures the listener’s attention. ### ****Production The production quality of *Opus Dei* is noteworthy for its time. Rico Conning’s expertise in sound engineering allowed Laibach to achieve a polished yet raw sound that complements their thematic intent: - **Layering**: The album effectively layers various sounds and samples to create depth. This technique allows for a dynamic listening experience where different elements emerge upon repeated listens. - **Atmosphere**: Conning’s production emphasizes the martial aesthetic through echoing drums and resonant strings, creating an atmosphere that feels both grandiose and oppressive. - **Mixing**: The balance between electronic elements and live instrumentation is handled deftly, ensuring that neither overshadows the other. This careful mixing contributes significantly to the album's overall impact. ### ****Themes *Opus Dei* explores several overarching themes that resonate throughout its tracks: - **Nationalism and Identity**: The album interrogates concepts of national pride and identity through its covers and original compositions. By adopting anthemic structures and militaristic tones, Laibach critiques blind nationalism while simultaneously embracing it in a satirical manner. - **Life and Death**: Many tracks grapple with existential themes—particularly the interplay between life and death. This duality is especially evident in "Leben heißt Leben," which reflects on the absurdity of existence amidst societal pressures. - **Historical Context**: By integrating historical references into their lyrics, Laibach positions themselves within a broader cultural narrative. They challenge listeners to reflect on how history shapes contemporary identities and ideologies. ### ****Influence Laibach has been influential in shaping not only industrial music but also broader cultural conversations around art and politics: - **Artistic Movement**: As part of the Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) collective, Laibach has pushed boundaries in performance art and music. Their provocative imagery and theatrical performances have inspired numerous artists across genres. - **Cultural Commentary**: The band’s approach to cover songs—transforming pop hits into critiques of societal norms—has paved the way for future artists who seek to challenge mainstream narratives through reinterpretation. - **Legacy**: *Opus Dei* has been included in numerous lists of essential albums within its genre, highlighting its lasting impact on both listeners and musicians alike. Its ability to provoke thought while entertaining has solidified its place in music history. ### ****Pros and Cons #### Pros - **Innovative Sound**: *Opus Dei* blends diverse musical styles effectively, creating a unique sound that stands out in the industrial genre. - **Thought-Provoking Lyrics**: The album’s lyrics invite deep analysis and reflection on complex themes such as nationalism, identity, and existentialism. - **Cultural Significance**: As part of NSK, Laibach's work has contributed significantly to discussions around art as a form of political expression. #### Cons - **Accessibility**: The album’s heavy themes and experimental sound may alienate casual listeners who prefer more mainstream music. - **Repetitive Elements**: Some tracks may feel repetitive or overly long due to their structured nature, which could detract from overall enjoyment for some listeners. - **Polarizing Aesthetic**: Laibach’s provocative imagery and political commentary can be divisive; some may find it off-putting rather than engaging. ### Conclusion *Opus Dei* by Laibach is not merely an album; it is an artistic statement that challenges societal norms through its innovative soundscapes and thought-provoking lyrics. Its exploration of nationalism, identity, life, and death resonates deeply within both musical contexts and broader cultural discussions. While it may not appeal to all listeners due to its experimental nature and heavy themes, its impact on music and art remains undeniable. As Laibach continues to evolve their work through projects like *Opus Dei Revisited*, they reaffirm their position as one of the most intriguing acts in contemporary music history.
I think this album is kind of on the soft side for Industrial, but it still sounds very good. If there were more unique songs on it, it would be an easy stars.
Absolutely brilliant, very nearly a 5
Proto-Rammstein!
This is the album Laibach really started creating their dark, industrial pop songs, and I love it. They made even greater albums later, but this one still holds up, especially with the 2024 remaster. And, of course, it inspired Rammstein and Type O Negative.
Very interesting, and a great history lesson to boot.
theres some cool stuff in here. im rating this based on the first 8 tracks which was all that was on the original album. the last 4 tracks were added on the cd version of the album and were far and away the worst tracks on the album. if i had to include those my rating would drop to a 2 due to how incredibly annoying they were.
The same kind of people who miss the point of Fight Club are going to miss the point of Laibach. Kind of amazing they were able to license the likeness of Sean Connery in Zardoz for their album art.
I don't know what I just listened to and I don't know why I like it.
Well, that was a surprise….
Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
Awesome! Finally something from the "underground"! Holy, industrial classic that I'm sure very few have heard.
Really like the first few tracks on this album. Such a weird sound.
Proto-Ramstein. Pretty awesome.
Leben heißt Leben and Geburt Einer Nation actually kind of fucked. Ok actually so many songs on this album fucked. This makes me want to march straight into war with the backing trumpets, beating drums, and chanting lyrics. And The Great Seal sounded like I have just returned home victorious from combat. Went into this album already knowing that it was one of the lowest rated albums on this list. But I am so pumped that I gave it a fair listen because this was actually pretty epic. I am not saying I would ever listen to this album or band ever again but I am glad I did this one time.
Rammstein the Prequel!
From the jump, Laibach sets about obliterating any wondering eardrum coming across this opus and maintains that momentum throughout the majority of the run time. Taking advantages of seeming associations with the likes of Churchill and Queen, Opus Dei is an example of industrial rock at its most bombastic and imaginative, taking it out of the dust strewn apocalypse and onto somewhere dizzying. Favorites: Leben heißt Leben, Geburt einer Nation, Leben-tod, F.I.A.T., Opus Dei, Trans-National, How the West Was Won, The Great Seal.
Honestly I dug it. Was it weird? Yes. Did I dig it? Yes. Like, the good parts were good, and the other parts weren’t bad they were just weird. 7/10
I didn't expect to like industrial eastern European rock from the 80's but here we are. Definitely not my normal music but the rhythmic order was very enjoyable to listen to. I thought the first half of the album was stronger than the second but I enjoyed the whole album. The chanting with the banging of the drums is very easy on the ears.
Made me want to sing along the whole time.
Well, this album certainly comes out of the gates roaring! Totally reminds me of Rammstein's music, albeit from long before Rammstein came on the scene. I actually had no idea there was this kind of industrial music in the 1980s, frankly, so I'm very impressed, and enjoyed most of the songs as a result, even without understanding *any* of the German lyrics (much like Rammstein). And I also like it that a Ministry band member says this album is in his top ten essential industrial albums. Reading more about the album and the band made me enjoy the album and their music even more, if "enjoy" is really the appropriate term. They did an amazing job transforming Queen's "One Vision" into "Geburt einer Nation" (Birth of a Nation), and made it *way* more sinister and depressing along the way; and the same for their adaptation of Opus' "Live is Life" as both songs album, "Opus Dei" and "Leben heißt Leben". It totally makes me want to listen to their Beatles and Rolling Stones cover albums. I'll admit that, as much as I enjoyed/appreciated this album and the discovery of this band, I can't imagine spending time with the band members, especially if they really don't break "character" often, as that's just way too much...fraughtness (and guilt). And the Wikpedia entry for the band has what seems like a very insightful quote about them by a Slovenian philosopher that ends with a pretty good summary: "You will not learn a lot from Laibach about North Korea. You will learn a lot about our own anxieties and hypocrisies."
Kæft det var en fed oplevelse! Det er derfor jeg gennemlytter 1001 albums. Fordi man falder over perler man ellers aldrig havde hørt. Albums der udvider ens horisont for hvad der er god musik
Reprend les codes de la musique métal (chant guttural, rythmes militaires, orgues et arrangements symphoniques ou d’inspiration religieuse), mais les combine avec des arrangements et des reprises pop
Fun! Unique.
Saw the genre and album cover and was scared. Thought I would hate it but ended up actually liking it a lot more than I thought I would. Favorite was The Great Seal.
Relaxing
Almost hated it but it becomes almost proto industrial rammstein meets Frankie goes to Hollywood.
goofily dark industrial vibes. i think it's kinda funny and also perfect for when I'm in the mood for invading neighbouring small nations. 4/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. It's more a 3 for me but a bonus star for the album cover and the commitment to the whole arty ironic fascist thing
Wont listen to it again but i didn't know about this cultural slovanian event
now this is some genuinely interesting freak music. very dramatic, weird and eclectic, and laibach themselves and the NSK state are fascinating. can't imagine I'll be reaching for this over and over, but very happy to have been exposed to it
The most political, militaristic-sounding, hard-hitting Rammstein (sic) album ever.
This album is so weird and all over the place but I kind of loved it.
Truly extraordinary, surely like little else on here? Brooding and daunting and unyielding, subversive and daring, four stars for now but you could talk me to five.
Laibach, so sorry for being terribly unfamiliar with your game. What a cool record. It's like music for conjuring demons, made more elegant by the undertones of classical music, but also with elements that feel like a graduation march or sounds from the trenches of war. Very unique, with so much personality and a weird (but very fitting) album cover that I kinda love. This is not the kind of record that I'd play on a regular basis, but there are a few songs on it that I'd absolutely go back to. I can't believe this is among the lowest rated albums on this list!! Well, I guess I can. But I strongly disagree with that general sentiment. Standout tracks are Leben Heisst Leben and Geburt Einer Nation.
Ridiculously stupid but fun album. Fuck it, four stars.
LEBEEEEEENNNNN HEIẞT LEBEENNNNN This was honestly flirting with a 5 for me, but the artistic pieces drag on for *just* too long. Favorite track: Leben Heißt Leben
Heavy shit, man
Es como si los templarios hubieran sacado un disco. Una propuesta interesante y con algunos covers que le dan un toque extra.
Wow. I really enjoyed this, but no more for now haha. It's a dizzying, surprisingly catchy parody of Nazi Germany I think? Loved it.
This was an interesting album. Overall I liked it. It came from an era of time when just about every industrial band had its own unique sound. I also love how this band has a lot of electronic elements that are more on the experimental side, which really showcases their influence of the early industrial pioneers like Throbbing Gristle.
Music that is hard to categorise. So it's obviously a bit of a send up like Spinal Tap, very eurotrash and a bit nuts. I'm not sure how good it actually is, but it is very different from the norm and it made me smile and laugh (in a good way).
Dark industrial twist on new wave. The second part of the album is even operatic and made me think of Wagner. The influence on Rammstein is obvious. The last few tracks a bit too avant garde for me though.
I'm gonna give this a 4 because it was pretty cool and exactly what I wanted with this list. Unique and quality music.
Brilliantly weird and slightly silly industrial rock that doesn't focus on guitars. A little annoying in places and a bit too long, but you can feel how it influenced bands like NIN and Metallica.
Wow, was not expecting to like this one as much as I did. Slovenian rock, or metal, not sure which genre is most appropriate. Wikipedia says "martial industrial" which is a combination of words that scares me more than it should. Anyway, some really cool heavy anthems on here, and I was especially enjoying some of the bonus tracks on the CD version, which were apparently part of a soundtrack they made. Those last few tracks were weird in a way I loved, and yeah, this seems to be a sphere or genre that's pretty new to me, but I dig it. How do you say "dark horse" in whatever language this is? Favorite tracks: Leben Heibt Leben, Leben Tod, How the West Was Won, Herz-Felde, Jagerspiel. Album art: Absolutely fantastic, this one's new to me but it's seared in my mind already. Some spooky medieval devil man, love how his eyes are bright white amid the grey, intentionally piercing. Reminds me of the Fantasia "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence. Love it. 4/5
Fantastic Dark and Gothic sound. I can clearly see how this album bled though into other influences. I really enjoyed it very much
The German lyrics were quite funny! The overall sound was nice.
Nazi constipation music induces laughter and ridicule. Somehow this was unique and entertaining enough to keep me listening all the way through tho.
Jakmile se spustily tóny písně, byla jsem ohromena a zaujata. Tato skupina má auru epičnosti, ale zároveň je očividné, že se neberou tolik vážně a vše je to spíše parodie na militarismus a fašistický totalismus. Byla mi okamžitě očividná podobnost se skupinou Rammstein, která si od Laibach nepochybně vzala inspiraci. Laibach jsou skuteční industriální pionýři fašo-milito-fetišistické estetiky typické pro Německo, přestože jsou to Slovinci. Je fascinující, že mohli v takové době v Jugoslávii působit (chvílemi samozřejmě omezeně). Toto bylo skutečně kulturní obohacení, definitivně se budu k tomuto skvostu jednou za čas vracet. Nejlepší: Leben heisst leben, Leben:Tod, Opus Dei Nejhorší: nic Verdikt: 8/10
I liked the second half a lot more than the first. In fact, I thought it was a different album. Would have been way more epic with a real orchestra but it was enjoyable nonetheless.
Well that's a mixed bag for sure. But there's some gems among the 'difficult' stuff & their re-make of 'Life is Life' / Opus Dei is nothing short of brilliant. Several other tracks are growing on me as well.
i was incredibly skeptical about this album but i actually really dig it. definitely not an album i would have ever come across so good on ya 1001!
Now this is more like it. Proto-Rammstein
OK, this is great: Live is Life was "made" for Laibach, and same goes for One Vision. These two songs might be the best what they ever did (and both LiL versions are excellent) the other five songs are good too but have a little less impact, so overall 8/10.
Loved the instrumental/experimental vibes of it. Never heard of the band. I should listen more songs from the industrial-experimental genre. Once I got used to it, I really liked it. Wouldn‘t listen to it every day. Some elements reminded me of the sound track from the movie „house of thousand corpses“. Music/Film by Rob Zombie! Personal Top3 in no order: How the West Was Won Jägerspiel Krst(Baptism) Btw if u like classic cult slasher/horror movies go watch the Rob Zombie Firefly Triology!
Did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did. About halfway through I texted Ian to confirm that he knew this already or at least was enjoying it as much as I did. We’ll never know. Definitely in the vein of Ministry and Swans and other industrial loud loud noisy screaming bands. My kids said it sounded like Angry Cookie Monster, which I will now refer to music in this genre as.
This was great. I liked the singing and the guitar. I couldn’t understand what was being said, but it made me want to resist and revolt.
not really sure what to say other than I can definitely get in the mood for this…if I feel like putting on a combat uniform and joining the War. 4/5
suddenly an album I've listened to.. not as good as their masterpiece rendition of jesus christ superstar. lul
Pleasantly surprised! Powerful, catchy rhythms, cool sounding vocals, interesting melodies, variety. I liked this! The main messages I caught felt very pro-community and anti-war / establishment.
I enjoyed the overall vibe of this album, it made me want to start a revolution which is always a good sign of a good album. Who doesn't like some medieval trumpets. There weren’t any stand out tracks because all the tracks were just really good. I think the reason I like this album is because of all the queen influences, but I honestly didn't expect to like this album as much as I did.
Epic goed om een keertje gehoord te hebben
8/10 really fun industrial rock well made and really interesting but it has a sound that feels very… political, I guess? I can only imagine what the lyrics would mean if they were translated to english
Better than I thought it would be!
The lyrics of Queen's "One Vision" certainly carry another kind of symbolism when performed in German by Slovenian industrial export #1.
Some remarkable musicality in this one. Classical meets proto-Rammstein. And from such an underrepresented region in music. Touching in some ways too. The themes are elevated by the sounds.
This is just about peak Laibach, which is pretty great. Does anyone do percussion better?
The spiritual father of Rammstein. Great listen, kind of hard to believe that it came out in 1987.
Wow! Majestetisk. Jeg trodde jeg skulle hate dette, men den gang ei. Åpenbar inspirasjonskilde for Rammstein, dette blir nok en go-to når jeg trenger litt sint musikk. Leben heisst leben!
Surprisingly excellent
I’m in the minority for this but I loved this. It’s weird enough but not in your face weird.
The German link between Kraftwerk and Rammstein
Didn't know what to get going into this and I enjoyed it. The Queen cover was really unexpected and for that I liked it. Plus I'm tired of getting shitty 80s new wave or whatever. This is what I was hoping was on the list. How often am I going to listen to Slovenian industrial metal? It was different and I liked it for that reason.
I enjoyed this one. It felt like the birthplace of industrial goth genre
Glorious nonsense. Tails off in quality but i had alot of fun throughout
I hadn’t heard of Laibach before today. The album art made me think it might possibly be death metal, but Apple Music describes it as electronic. Not quite what I was expecting, but I’m very intrigued. Let’s listen! Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Geburt Einer Nation, The Great Seal This album was fantastic! I’ve some heavy guitars were thrown into the mix, you’d definitely be forgiven for thinking this was Rammstein, except this album was released seven years before Rammstein had even formed. There are a couple of covers here which are excellently done (Geburt Einer Nation in a very unique take on Queen’s One Vision), and plenty of brilliant originals too. I will say that I don’t speak any German so I don’t understand any of the lyrics, but from a completely musical point of view I found this to be very good. It does fizzle off into a few duller tracks towards the end, but overall I’m definitely glad to have heard this today.
Ridiculous and brilliant.
Ca ce veut con et drôle et ca l'est donc geande réussite, jamais de subtilités mais bcp d'énergie
Tämän olen kuunnellut aikaisemmin - oli silloin mielenkiintoinen hetki, nyt rentouttavampi kun tiesi mitä edessä. "Usage of Nazi iconography is pretty questionable" Subjektivistit keksimässä syitä antaa alempaa arvosanaa kun ei korvat riitä.. heh.. Kakkosta vois antaa ihan perustellustikin tästä. Huh.. Pelottaa.. Olin antamassa kakkosta.. Koska onko tämä nyt oikeesti niin kummonen.. Skaala unohtuu.. pelottaa.. tämä on neljää.. miksi.. järki lähtee... uskomatonta.. näen sen... kohta kaikki.. niin... mah..tavaa..