Opus Dei

Definitely awful but also hilarious. Like a video soundtrack playing in the back of otherwise metal

No thanks thanks!

I had never heard of Laibach before and wasn't sure what to expect from this album. I assume this stuff is partly parody and made to be fun. It's wild and sounds like a cross between the Scorpions and a Nazi march.

It was unique and interesting. Didn’t mind it at all Rating 3.3

If you ever wanted to know what Ramstein would sound like as an 80's synth wave band, this is for you. It is unfortunately NOT for me.

To me this album is worth a listen but I probably will not return to it. I recommended it to my husband who enjoys German metal.

bad

Didn't listen, just wanted to say I enjoyed your review, Tom.

Can't believe it took me 1084 days to hit my first Slovenian German language industrial rock album.

Have no idea how to rate this album honestly. At first I was pleasantly shocked, knowing that this music has such historic significance. I think that’s fascinating and a little hilarious. I don’t think I’d ever listen to this on my own accord, but it’s good to know if I ever need music that sounds like the caricature of a militaristic and controversially political caricature, I got it right here. Also +1 for the music video for Opus Dei Life is Life. It’s kind of incredible.

"Honey, we have Rammstein at home".... Rammstein at home:

This is one of the coolest bands ever and a superb industrial record. „Leben heißt leben“ is still one of my alleine favourites.

Not my thing.

Not for me. 1/5

Favorite Track: Opus Dei

Jesus Christ

Buf. Not for me

Started off finding this weird, but fun, however the novelty quickly wore off and then it was just weird

Weird album, found it interesting but lost interest in the music towards the end. That said, I did spend the entire hour going down a rabbit hole of reading about Laibach, and still not sure if I understand what they're about. Will probably listen to more out of curiosity.

This was very strange, but honestly, I didn't mind it. I can totally picture this music being used for people gearing up to head into battle.

I don’t know what these guys believe and honestly I don’t think they do either. They’re just provocative which I guess is a choice. Quite liked it, Geburt Einer Nation is better than One Vision, fight me. I guess I kinda like Industrial? It’s provocative, it gets the people going.

Laibach is definitely one of the most interesting bands of the 80s. There were plenty of other industrial groups around the same time, but very few with a history akin to theirs. I interpret their covering of anthemic songs in German such as Opus' 'Live Is Life' and Queen's 'One Vision' is to make a humorous satire of the messages presented in those songs as if they were Nazi-era chants. It strikes me as a way to get a reaction out of those who think Laibach are Nazis, while they themselves laugh, along with anyone who gets the joke. This album seems to be a touchstone within the 'marital industrial' genre, albeit it is a bit less heavy than I would have expected when I saw that genre's name.

wish i skipped this one 2/10

Didnt finish it

I don't know what I just listened to and I don't know why I like it.

An interesting take on the 80s industrial scene. Not easily accessible for the casual listener.

Very interesting. Very different. It's easy to see where the 90s industrial scene got its inspiration from. Rammstein seems to draw heavily from Laibach as well.

It's my 539th album on my challenge and it's the first album from a communist country/behind the Iron Curtain which makes it more interesting to me since I'm also from this region. Slovenia is heavily influenced by German language as part of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and later as a neighbouring country to Austria they were very close to Nazism. Laibach (the German name of their capital, Ljubljana) started their career in communist Yugoslavia, so their music is influenced by all these cultures and politics. Laibach's music is dark, astounding, and different, though not something I enjoy listen to (to me they remind me too much of communist dictatorship under which I was born). Quite many of the songs on this album is a cover, some of which are almost unrecognisable compared to the original. What also bothers me is the late 1980s production which sounds too dated nowadays. Though, they are pioneers of martial industrial music and made big impact on later band like the German group Rammstein. Even if it's something I wouldn't listen to again, it's definitely worth a listen and it's good that it is on this list, because of its uniqueness and overall influence.

If Rammstein launched their career in the 80s and wouldn't have a clue how to write music, this is how it would have sounded. It's bad.

I wanted to like this album, but that fact that multiple of the more interesting tracks were covers, and the rest of the songs were repetitive and uninteresting left a sour taste. The best part of this album is the album art. 2/5

My immediate reaction was this must be a parody of a medieval-based musical stage production. It's so over the top, it can't be a serious band, but incredibly I was wrong. The vocals are out-front and huge sounding, somewhere between Cookie Monster and an angry German dictator and the music is all over the place with a definite "empire" stately sound to it. I've never heard anything like this, so it's difficult to be critical, but as far as enjoying it, I'm not so sure. I appreciate the range and variety on this list, that's why it's so appealing and fun, but what the heck?

This album really pissed me off, and not just for the reasons I'm sure it's annoyed everyone who's had to listen to it because it's on this list. It's the fact that albums like this exist on the list, while so many amazing metal albums are excluded. This glaring oversight seriously undermines the credibility of what this list is supposed to represent. Look, I get it—death vocals can be a hard sell for someone without a metal background or context. But then, what the HELL is this? It's like some German industrial metal-adjacent band that, even for someone who enjoys some of the sounds here, found completely GRATING. It's honestly embarrassing. Either remove music like this or open the gates to include the heavier side of music, you weirdos.

Industrial covers of Queen? Weird-psuedo facist arena rock? Why not - it's these albums on the outer edges of my listening that I'm here for. Some of it sounds like Arnie singing to you - which is always good. You can't help but think the band are performing with a smile and wink while performing it and hoping we are in on the joke too. Best Track: Geburt Einher Nation; Opus Dei; How The West Was Won

Ur joking me. God i hate germany

Domineering. I didn’t like the vibe

Ja nein.

Digging the videos for this.

Appalling. Not pleasant to listen to.

Never heard of them. Interesting. Heavy metal oomph devil band!

Batshit crazy Yugoslavian industrial-military metal. There are actually some pretty cool moments here and some rather terrifying ones. Sometimes you just have to Laibach, think of England and welcome discovering something a bit different.

Well, that was a surprise….

Laibach and think of England.

outstays its welcome, much like the regimes it satirises/glorifies

I bet they put on the sickest live show, but I didn’t dig the album.

Kinda like "The Wall" without the good parts.

I appreciate the drama, just not the literal sounds I'm hearing. 2.

Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

Enjoyed this. It was surprising. I assumed when I read descriptions of it I wouldn’t enjoy. But it had an interesting sound.

Yeah, this ain’t for infants. I kinda vibed with it for a bit though. 2/5

That...was...interesting

Laibach's Opus Dei is a bold, industrial reimagining of classic pop. Their signature blend of militaristic beats and choral vocals transforms familiar tunes into haunting anthems. The album is a provocative listen, challenging perceptions of music and power. While not for everyone, it's undeniable that Laibach's unique approach creates a powerful and thought-provoking experience.

Awesome! Finally something from the "underground"! Holy, industrial classic that I'm sure very few have heard.

Surprisingly unforceful. And terrible stadium chanty lyrics

Not for me at all but German sounds cool .5/5

Interesting… Interesting…

Really like the first few tracks on this album. Such a weird sound.

Absolute incoherent garbage. Just sounds like I'm listening to a Nazi concert. Nothing even remotely interesting going on. Wish I could give zero stars

Very different but not completely unpleasant. The reviewer who wrote the singer sounds like Kermit the Frog got it all wrong. It's eastern block Cookie Monster.

Weird German Language rock. Not as good as Faust, which appeared earlier on this list.

I wish I liked this more, I really do, but there’s just no variety here. As good as the first song is, you can’t just have more of the same for the rest of the album.

I remember it was high school & MTV started playing the video for Opus Dei (or was it called "Life is Life" back then?) & I thought this is bonkers (an early version of wtf). I really couldn't decide if these guys were satirizing or actually pushing Nazi propaganda. After all, no internet. Then, the following year they came out with a start-to-finish cover album of Let It Be & I started to clue in. Weird & curious stuff but all-in-all too tedious for a full hour.

"Construction sounds"

Inspiring, weird, electric, odd, energetic. I’m in. This is an album to break out for special occasions to get a rise out people. You need to crush some brick? This. You need to whip up a herd of black goats into a frenzy? This!

Not my wife’s favourite album. She thought it was awful. Oddly I have to agree.

Some positives but a lot of cons.

Proto-Ramstein. Pretty awesome.

Oof this was hard to listen to

hey HEY! Get off of my cloud. This is now #1 on my list of worst because it is not only bad music it is anxiety-inducing and evil.

wtf is this - reich rock - only listened in full in case YA YA OOstenba was to be found

Has some fun moments, but there are much better industrial records. Love a bunch of cheeky dickheads in uniform.

It reminded me of the first Young Gods' eponymous first album that came out the same year, and prefer much more

German heavy metal

Not sure how this made the list

-now this is music you listen to if you’re a knight going on a crusade. we must reclaim the holy land -i liked the ominous industrial songs toward the end a lot! -Favorites are Trans-National and Jägerspiel

Marching band ass drums Kinda silly

It's with a heavy heart that I give this one the semi-thumbs down. It's different, and bold and quirky but I really can't find anything in it to like.

Not loving this out of the gate. It has all the markings of all the 80s pop-rock tropes that I dislike. Among them, compressed/distant sounding drums, sterile mixing, synthetic bright horns. Add to this a Rammstein-esq vocal delivery that feels completely unmatched to the mood of the instrumental. Leben - Tod is the first song that I actually enjoyed here. Still very 80s, but it is built around a more aggressive meatier "riff" that, to me, fits the mood of the vocals better. Not a fan of the album namesake -- too grandious for me. Trans-National; however, alludes to musical depth that the additional bonus tracks demonstrate more fully. This is like some early techno/industrial and is one of the stronger tracks here. Also enjoy How The West Was Won, but I found The Great Seal to be a low note to end on. The bonus CD tracks are where this album actually makes its strongest case to me. First time I was listening, I drifted off and came to during Jagerspiel. Had to double check that the album didn't change, this was so different than where we started (in the best of ways). On second listen I realize the transition started earlier - the track before (Herz-Felde) is built around a number of layers vocal loops and is really quite interesting. Reminds me in some ways of Nicolas Jaar's work as A.A.L. Discounting the bonus tracks, this album is one of extremes for me. I hated some songs and really enjoyed others. Going with a high 2 here.

Terrible. Industrial music is stupid. Painful album to listen to. 1 star

The first half was pretty enjoyable and I wholeheartedly had it cruising to a 3 star review. Unfortunately it took a turn toward not being music anymore and just being some industrial percussion BS. Standouts were Opus Dei and The Great Seal. I wanted this to hold onto a 3 so badly, but the end wasn't really music anymore.

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.

This album cover is terrifying and I'm not excited for it. Oh nice the sounds of Nazi Germany. Just what I want on a Wednesday morning. I got way further into this than I should've. At best it reminded me of Rammstein but a way worse Rammstein. In no way will I be back. High 1.

Rammstein precursor. LIFE IS LIFE

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.

"Leben - Tod", "Trans-National", and "How the West Was Won" saved this from being 2 stars. I like industrial stuff, I just don't like the flirtation with show tunes and national anthems in this album.

Well. Ok, this was...something.

Opus Dei is a bold, militaristic experiment. While its avant-garde sound is initially interesting, somewhat, the experimental (experimetal?) vibe quickly becomes a repetitive, patience testing slog. Love it or hate it, it is certainly not forgettable.

Bit of fun, no quality, don't want to be too harsh but life is life

Goofy but slaps. I liked it.

It was fine although Jojah said something about Slovenian fascists idk - 5/10

Interesting cover. Seems like this band is ironically fascist. Lot of boring songs, some good ones that sound the same. High 2.

Kindve ate. Never gonna listen again, probably. I had to switch off of this because it was overwhelming to listen to all at once. Interesting blurb on Spotify. "We are fascists as much as Hitler was a painter." collective not individuals. ok then! Glad this was on the list

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

3/10 - as this album went on my rating just went lower and lower. It started at like a 6 then I got sick of the German so it dropped to like a 5 and then the second half of the album was just so bad then it went to a 3

Don't know how to rate this; it was bad, but at least it was pretty entertaining Also that is a great cover for this album

It was quite a rough listen if I'm going to keep it for a buck. Some interesting parts kept me intrigued, but this industrial metal album wasn't for me. The only song that I enjoyed was The Great Seal, which I thought was decent. Other than that, this album was a bit of a chore to listen to. I won't be coming back to this anytime soon. Best - The Great Seal Worse - Leben-Tod, FIAT, Trans-national 2.25-2.75/5

freak

Favorite: Geburt einer Nation Gravelly vocals were a bit much at times, but overall I enjoyed this album more than I thought I would.

Was kind of into it for the first 30 minutes then it fully lost me. I wonder if King Gizzard took influence from the robot voice for Murder of the Universe

Awful military shit

I kind of like Geburt Einer Nation

Crazy Slovenes. Congrats neighbours!

Album cover saves it.

wow this was really awful. over the top and theatrical to the point of absurdity. maybe that’s semi intentional but that doesn’t make the album experience any better. it’s bombastic in the worst way possible. the horns and synths are blaring in your ears and sound ridiculous. i know this is supposed to be a satire of nazi propaganda and fascism in general but i only knew that because i read about the band beforehand. if the satire is so genuine that you wouldn’t be able to tell if its real without context beforehand, was it ever really satire in the first place?

No

3/5. 80s industrial / neo-classical electronic music.

It obviously reminded me of Rammstein but it's not as good. I liked some of the guitar riffs.

had like 1 banger.

I like industrial... this was a tough one to get through. As a plus, I now have a new way to torture my child if he doesn't do his math homework. 2/5

I don’t understand the aesthetic of just looping something 90 times a minute with a tinny sounding snare and Sousa march sounding bass drums, so I didn’t particularly enjoy this album that either is the source of the stereotype of German 80s music or is just the stereotype distilled into its quintessence.

Martial German industrial music with some neo classical elements that isn't exactly up my alley but is fine.

This is definitely one of the strangest albums on this list. We start with the almost military (or perhaps sea-shanty) Leben heist Leben, with a dramatic, artificial drumbeat and a team of bellowing male vocalists. The guitar solo is pretty cool, incorporating some staple 80s elements like slow, post-psychedelia-esque guitar picking and blurry, interweaving guitar in the background. The atonal organ and backing guitars create a weird doomy atmosphere that isn't quite synchronous with the rest of the song. Many of the following tracks are similar. Also common to most tracks is a strange half-brass-half-synth sound that makes me more uncomfortable than anything else. It's incredibly weird. Like an army of nationalist cyborgs is approaching and spewing propaganda. Geburt einer Nation, the second track, is incredibly similar to Queen's One Vision – as I'm sure was intended – but it's not nearly as good as the work of Her Majesty. The interacting gravelly and nasally vocals are goofy, but they're worse than goshdarn Freddie Mercury's voice. The synths are comparatively lower in the mix, and the very simple drumming is pushed to the forefront (not ideal). I did enjoy this track, though, if only because the original Queen material was so strong. The track F.I.A.T. takes the album's artificial feel to the extreme, even placing a robotic filter over the monotone vocals and using some kind of string-keyboard. It isn't exactly bad, but it feels like it's trying to be alienating. Something something dictatorship nationalism. Opus Dei, the title track, does the whole "fascism rock" gig best. All of the tracks after Opus Dei are confused and not very memorable. Herz-Felde, with its annoying tape-looped vocals, is essentially the end of Another Brick In The Wall Part 2, but for nearly five minutes. It's the weakest track on the album. Jagerspiel isn't much better, essentially being a sound collage with a fast tape-looped 6/8 rhythm on repeat for more than 7 minutes. That album cover, though? Badass. 2/5 Key tracks: Geburt einer Nation, Opus Dei

Música marcial industrial. Estresante. Un 2.

How silly. Maybe this would be more enjoyable if I understood German, but those synth sounds grate on the ears very quickly. It's cheeseball and metal at the same time? Certainly unique to my ears, but not for me.

Un rock muy oscuro ¡esloveno! La voz es como que recita todo el tiempo. Es bastante una mierda pero la atmósfera que crea de fondo es atrapante.

Hell yeah Having just gotten back from Germany and listened to Queen's Sheer Heart Attack right before helped me really get into the album. Am I ever generally reaching for industrial music? No. But if I need this, I know it's there.

Truly ridiculous, but I think knowingly. I had a blast listening to this and laughed out loud multiple times. Now, is it GOOD? Tough to say.

The cover art is super menacing: way more menacing than the music. Based on the image, I was preparing myself for death metal, black metal, or some heavy thrash. Instead, I was presented with the missing link between Devo's Duty Now For the Future, and Nine Inch Nails' Pretty Hate Machine. I can appreciate that this work would have been groundbreaking in 1987. And I have no doubt that Laibach was deathly serious about their art and their statement. But in 2024, it all sounds a bit silly: almost like a parody of cold-war inspired Eastern-European art-rock. The album didn't make me a believer.

I can hear there influence.

kind of enjoyed tbh

this is about what i'd expect from slovenian "cool" music in the eighties.

kann enga slóvensku sem dregur mögulega úr upplifuninni. en býsna gott samt. 3,5

Klassiker!

Dreck

This one's kind of out there, but I'm going back to listen to it again. It went well with yard work, so I'm going to see how it holds up when I'm paying attention.

It's not my jam, but it's not awful. Kinda reminds me of Gwar for its campiness, but just a different, electroclash sort of sound.

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.

That was a weird one. Do I love it or hate it? I don't even know, but it was certainly different.

I have no idea why I enjoyed this. But I did.

Alku vakuutti mut vahvasti. Keskiosassa tulee ihan jo Pet shop boysia. B-puoli jää jankkaamaan takapotkurumpua ja mörinää. Siksi kokonaisuus ihan vähän notkahtaa ihan lopussa, se ei täysin solmi kokoon teosta, joka tuntui yllättävältä 2/3 ajasta. Tämä(kin) kyllä hymyilytti kovasti! Mut mitä saksalaiset juo, kun ne tekee vain tällasta hyvin industrial musaa?

Työllä ja taidolla rakennettu - ei omia, satiirisia (tai jotain) lähtökohtiaan ylittävä.

Am I laughing with them or at them? I think the former.

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."

Only two songs in and I'm resisting the desire to march, march, march away. I just realized I hate industrial music more than I hate zydeco.

Helt ærlig, så forstod jeg ikke den plade. Det startede godt ud, blev lidt underligt, lidt lovende også underligt igen. Underligt nok passede det med at hver anden sådan undskyldte for det forrige og leverede et spændende nummer, for derefter straks igen levere et underligt støjende nummer. Den er en musikalsk shitsandwich, godt, skidt, godt, underligt, spændende, skrækkeligt osv.

Jeg er ikke sikker på hvad mine forventninger var da jeg startede albummet... Men det var virkelig ikke det som jeg fik! Underhold ja. Nød jeg dét? Ikke rigtig.. Men endte med at høre det 2 gange, og søge op på lidt historie om den, så det er vel ikke helt skidt. 😅

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

Well-constructed, clearly in good faith, but industrial is not my jam: the rhythm is too redolent of a man trying to cross a road discretely after catastrophically filling his trousers. Expect it sounds better in a bierkeller.

I do, as it happens, appreciate melodramatic rock tropes harshly intonated at me in German (see Die Toten Hosen, and, likely, Rammstein whom I figure I would probably like although have not yet had the pleasure). So it goes here, although if I were to pick a 1985 Eurotrash one-hit-wonder as the basis of a quasi-fascist song cycle, I would have gone with Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy". This is a bit one-note, but fun enough to pass the time. As Slovenian exports go, it's infinitely preferable to the execrable Melania Trump.

OK, this one has been taking me forever so I’m just not going to finish it. I understand the intentions behind this album but it is just not interesting to listen to and the Nazi-ness is really off-putting, even though I know the band was trying to make a point about totalitarianism.

Nope

This was a joke, right?

This shit sounds like I’m watching a WWII Disney cartoon and I’m here for it. Very refreshing.

Never heard this before, but great fun - covers and sampling of Queen songs, ironic takes on extreme nationalism which during the time period and country of origin would have been incredibly important. Very camp and a big influence on Rammstein. Did not listen past the initial LP release

This is a very interesting album. A couple songs in and it's not what I expected. It's super dramatic and almost operatic. Not what I would typically think of as metal or hard rock as it is labeled here. I don't really know what to make of it. It kind of trails off for me towards the end and fizzles out with the last few songs. The vocals are very strange too - like he doesn't have a bad voice but it's not one that I would really want to listen to. It's forceful but not exactly musical. All in all this is a weird album and I think I need more than one listen to really get it. 2.5/5.

The author deserves to be punished in some way for putting this Cookie Monster-sung piece of garbage on the list.

Nope

it's cool but it is not my thing

2.5 stars? I was interested when I saw a description that Laibach is industrial music. This is more like ... dark metal music? The bassy vocal performance isn't something that I like. And some songs sound like 80s video game soundtracks. Honestly the descriptions of their other albums sound more interesting. I just wasn't for me. I don't yet understand why these Slovenian guys are cosplaying as Germans. I have found some intriguing articles and analysis about the band, but I don't want to have to do extensive research to "get" their music. Perhaps I will if I'd like to delve into the Laibach discography.

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

That time Yello got totally munted on Scrumpy Jack and PCPs and went to a Nazi bouncy-castle party to have a belching competition with Fasolt and Fafner. This is my just desserts for complaining about stupefyingly boring artists like Green Day and Taylor Swift being on this list. I mean, I asked for it. Funny once, but actually shit.

I liked this initially very well. It was nice to hear that almost pre-industrial sound. Their persona seems interesting too and they seem to manage balancing their line between seriousness and camp. However, this was beginning to wear on me by the end of the album. May take some getting used to.

Unclear if the fascism is a bit or not. Yikes, but I actually didn't mind the music. I probably won't listen to this again, but it was interesting.

Did not like it. I am not a fan of Rammstein either. I understand this group's influence and it is likely a major movement change but not my style.

Not my jam. Lead singer sounds like a frog. ‘The Great Seal’ was alright. I’ll be fine not hearing “Herze-Felde” on repeat. This album sounds like it knows more about world history than I do.

Industrial

Fun! Unique.

Well this was certainly an album for your next war time bombing showcase. Not quite what to make of it. Didn’t understand much of it. The instrumentals were pretty good and menacing for much of the album. Overall though it wasn’t enjoyable and I am gladly moving on. 2.2/10

Interesting. It is certainly different.

Unexpectedly heavy, Rammsteinish?

Idek what to say man. It was miserable

couple of decent songs but a ton of thid is just miserable

No

I knew "hard, borderline fascist sounding music in German language" was a thing because of Rammstein. I can appreciate the original compositions and often surprisingly poetic lyrics. I didn't think there was a market for "pop songs covered by alternate timeline industrial metal Nazis" You don't get the original compositions or lyrics that go beyond whatever Germans say in American 2nd world war era movies, but at least you get to experience something that is far, far from mainstream.

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.

Different but good

Rammstein style German rock....not my jam....

"Militaristic sounding industrial compositions"? Not my version of industrial.

Are you having a laugh? This is NOT the work of God. I can’t tell whether this is a right-wing parody or they’re trying to BE Hitler Youth. I am trying to admire their attempt at avant garde as much as they are trying to be ambiguous but my hackles are raised.

I found the music intriguing, especially the reworking of the queen song. This isn’t something that I will reach for often, but I am definitely glad that I heard it.

I'll admit to liking this more than I wanted to. The last few tracks aside, I was taken in by the musical aesthetic. But in the end, I prefer my music to be unambiguously non-fascist, and not being able to understand what they were saying didn't help in this case. From the little research I did, I'm not certain that would have cleared things up. So, this won't be a band that makes my regular rotation, or even irregular rotation, for that matter.

i wasn't really sure how to take this at first. in reading about it, i realized that the music is satire, though I needed to do some homework to get that. musically, i wanted it to hit harder, though some of the tunes were all right. I checked out their cover of the Beatles' Let it Be album, and on that one, the satire is more obvious. (Although their cover of Across the Universe is gorgeous. Go check it out.) Anyway, I'm glad I heard these guys even if i won't be going back to listen to them. i see where Rammstein got their start.

I can appreciate their intellectual approach and I can dig their aesthetic ... but only for about two songs and then it's simply too much. I was listening to the lyrics and had to double check I wasn't streaming some neo-nazi hasse Muzik. They walk a fine line particularly for an international audience. But at the end of the day, it did not have a beat and I couldn't dance to it.

It is no wonder that eastern European countries would take to industrial genres so well. Hailing from Slovenia, Laibach would invoke a satirical approach to industrial with themes of militarism, nationalism, and it's all done in a relatively clever way. One might see Opus Dei as a sort of Nazi or Soviet influenced album with it's menacing marching beat and hardened vocal delivery. This maintains a pretty unique tone throughout the runtime that likely influenced a similar tone for Rammstein, and presents itself as a sort of force to be feared. And then, at the final track, the band pulls the rug out from under us and delivers Churchill's "We shall fight on the beaches" speech. Nationalism goes both ways! In the fallout of WW2, a lot of eastern European art movements had been grappling with the ideological influences that brought them to where they are today. Laibach pushed the envelope in ways that western bands wouldn't dare approach in the 80's, and for that they have gained recognition for their prowess. Well done.

Somewhat gnarly eastern European industrial music. I don't hate it

Feels like they’d play this at an Illuminati meeting in Eastern Europe. Not bad tbh

I read a comment saying cookie monster singing and now i can’t unhear it. this was piss. album cover was troll and F.I.A.T wasn’t bad. 2

This one’s a no from me, dawg

Generally not a big fan of the german language in music, but this album made me doubt about that in the beginning. The first half of the album was good and surprising. Towards the end it got reparative and I lost my interest. Favourite song: - Opus Dei

HAHA. I hate this. The 80’s reverbed-out drums make nothing hit hard. He sounds like a frog croaking.

The political messaging is intriguing, but the music is utter shit.

I think that this album is more interesting than it is good. It reminds me of a mix between Rammstein, early Killing Joke, and a little bit of Type O Negative. This is one of the most interesting and unique album that I have gotten on this list so far, and I want to like it more, but it is just too sloppy. The instruments don't really blend well (especially the horns), the vocals aren't great, the song writing is a little lacking at times, and I think the happy horns clash with the industrial/doomy guitar and drums. I think I would like this album a lot more if it went in a darker more atmospheric angle and sounded more like what Type O Negative would end up becoming. Even with all of those complaints I did enjoy the album, I just wish it was a little tighter. I might check this one out again some day to see if I still feel the same, but who knows. Also shout out to this album cover, it is super sick. Ever time I would scroll by it looking at the albums on this list it would always catch my eye, and I was really curious how it sounded.

Relaxing

Two stars initially because I quite liked it but then started to find it really stressful. And then one star less for being too long.

I appreciate this album for what it is, but it’s not one I’m going to listen to again. Didn’t hate it, just didn’t hit the spot for me.

I'm having a hard time taking the lyrics seriously. I don't understand German, though, so I'm aware that my inclination to giggle over them could be deeply innappropriate. He really does sound like Cookie Monster and I envision him looking/performing like Animal the Muppet (my favorite muppet!). Removing the lyrics, I can see the music being the soundtrack to a fairly intense action movie. I'll have to check out their newer stuff, especially the take on Bach's Fugue. Could do without Herz-Felde's loops. Not likely to listen again, but I doesn't make me want to peel my ears off, so, yeah.

¿En serio esto es uno de los mejores discos? Me parece una tomadura de pelo que esté en este listado, encima, siendo de versiones.

This is very good and cool and fun and so Eastern Block. I have a really hard time takin this serious because this guy sounds like a troll motivational speaker. Also the horn quality is real cheeseball.

Almost hated it but it becomes almost proto industrial rammstein meets Frankie goes to Hollywood.

It’s this sort of proto-Rammstein industrial rock that I’m really averse to. It’s an amalgamation of strange gurgling German covers of already-mediocre songs, combined with a soundscape fit for greasy-haired neckbeard neo-nazis. Actually, scratch that comparison. The last song includes an excerpt from a fucking Churchill speech. How on Earth did this make it onto the list.

The German chanting went a little long and was just strange. Surprised I knew a song on this, pretty sure I’ve heard it at a sporting event before. 2/5 Won’t listen again

Haha wtf

I can’t tell if this is a serious album or if it is intended to be parody. The musical style - it’s what I would imagine emanating from Giede Prime, but with the Cookie Monster as the lead singer. It was a trip.

like Rammstein but not cool

2/5

That was an experience. Musically it’s a train wreck, comically heavy, overly dramatic, simplistic and repetitive. Their whole gig is trying to be edgy, and push people’s buttons.

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

The strangest album I've heard here s far. Notes of East European industrial, John Williams, Queen, '80s demoscene influenced synth. Cool stuff.

Interesting in a weird way

Love it

kinda freaky, i definitely enjoyed it. idk what theyre saying though

Stupid crappy

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

I found this similarly inaccessible to The Young Gods. Clearly I have a blind spot when it comes to post-industrial stuff being roared at me in another language. Thought I'd be able to get on board with the humour at least, after the two openers, and FIAT was ok but after that I couldn't wait for it to end!

I remember the cover of Live is Life from it was originally out. Still find it hilarious, awful lyrics, terrible voice; marvellous. An albums worth I really didn’t need though. RAUS!

Quite strange and I can’t think of a circumstance when I’d want to listen to it again but I didn’t mind the chance to giggle along to the weirdery.

The most political, militaristic-sounding, hard-hitting Rammstein (sic) album ever.

Just not very enjoyable. If your going to listen to something like this just go for Rammatein and be done with it.

Dude, I don't even know. Angry german yelling. Maybe yelling is an overstatement. Why is this here?

Actually enjoyed it more than expected but had to keep lowering the volume in my car because I didn’t want people thinking I was listening to Hitlers speeches. There was a cover from Queen that I liked and I enjoyed how theatrical the album is.

This album is so weird and all over the place but I kind of loved it.

How the hell did this make the list?

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.

Listened Before? N German.... wow. Interesting background music I suppose but I'm good on this one pretty much forever. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Opus Dei (only because it's in English)

Goofy and fun for a few songs then gets really bonkers. Perhaps a couple songs longer than it needed to be but overall pretty interesting listening. I couldn't help but imagine how you might stage Trans-National for Eurovision.

I love it. Who wouldn't love Slovenian, totalitarian industrial music. Losers, that's who! Also, great Queen cover.

Very strange but not terrible.

Some is very good, some is meh. Thought provoking & difficult. And it's hard to tell if the militarism is ironic or real, which means I suppose that it's very good irony indeed.

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.

Ok.

I recently said Pink Floyd's "wish you were here" had the greatest album cover. I was wrong; it goes to this album. not so crazy about the music tho

The music sounds like the stuff they play on the home screen of those old "Medal of Honor" Playstation games - or like the menu of a "Saving Private Ryan" DVD. The vocal are a poor imitation of Rammstein, minus everything that makes Rammstein cool.

Stop what you're doing right now & go read the Wikipedia article for Laibach - not just the one for this album, but the main band article. It's WILD. As for the album my immediate thought as it started was "what in the name of sweet little blue-eyed baby Jesus is this?!?" but then I found myself actually kind of enjoying it. Very different from anything else I've encountered in this project so far, but whatever it is they're doing, they do it pretty well. Definitely some unusual stuff going on here.

I was prepared not to like this album, but it grew on me as background noise…

This is a treasure. I'm not going to go so far as to proclaim it good, but there's something wonderful about the terrible instruments being employed here. Is that some kind of midi syth being tracked directly into this thing? It's like 8-bit Nine Inch Nails in German. I'm glad I got to hear this and I'll be glad to never hear it again.

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

I don't like his voice and I don't like the music behind it

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

Awesome sound. Didn’t understand the German and the English stuff didn’t really make much sense but it was a cool sounding record

Totally spooky and weird but pretty good

I enjoyed the first 5 songs or so. It reminded me a lot Rammstein. Then it got really weird. I will round up because they covered Queen.

J'ose le dire, c'était pas si mal

……….

Another one of the lowest rated albums! Don’t think it deserves the malign but it’s also not spectacular. Some decent industrial with martial elements that lie on the edge of being outdated. A very centered 3

Uhh? I don’t know what to make of it. I tend to enjoy avant garde music but this was on the erratically unenjoyable side of the scale, excepting the Queen cover which was kinda cool. Apparently this is “neo-classical”?

Now this is some gourmet Soviet-era sounding s***. 5/10

Kraftwerk for people who march with tiki torches How the west was won sounds like princes of the universe by queen

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, the industrial-ness and martial sounds really hit you in the face from the get go. At times you can feel the whole army marching with you, and then there are pockets of a more upbeat yet still industrial sound. Not sure how else to really describe it but it kind of felt motivating. Side note, that album cover really set the tone for what was heard. Best: Opus Dei Worst: Krst (Baptism)

Very industrial, can see where others pull inspiration from(industrial music, TOOL) 80s vibe, with driving drum tracks and heavy bass

3.5

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.

Couldn’t listen to it all

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.

Like a bizarre trainwreck that I couldn't stop listening to!

Woke up in a bad mood today so this could be harsh but I genuinely think I hate this.

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).

Ja! Ja! Nein! Nein!

Weird I mean proper weird. Looked into their history and purpose made less sence.

First track is strangely compelling. Second is laugh out loud bonkers. All went a bit downhill after that, but still entertaining throughout. That voice..!

This sounds like modern Eurovision entries. I got the strong feeling they were aware of how ridiculous they were. Maybe it was their album of Beatles covers that did it. They get an extra star for that.

Leben heißt Leben! Ja! Ja! Get that man a light beer! (if only to wet his gullet, his voice is so gruff!)

An odd album, but one perfectly worthy of inclusion in the 1001 list if not only for its uniqueness. A lot about it I found quite strange, the odd Germanic vocals/vocal sound, but some parts were almost hypnotic - the driving and captivating drum beats for instance. Some of it felt like an imperial march, some like a 1970s supervillain's supercomputer

Huh. Well at best it was like an opening march to a knock off Terminator movie, at worst it sounded like Nazi step music. I’m uncultured so maybe that’s just how Germanic chanting will always sound to me but the Churchill speech at the end of one song does not help my mind’s association.

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.

Nein!

Was not expecting a cover of life is life to go so hard. Super cool album. I need more Slovenian metal.

Not good

Cover Impressions: oof. This is tough to judge. Is it foreign? Metal? Kinda get retro video game bad guy vibes from like Streets of Rage or maybe a bit of Bald Bull. I'm going to count that guess as a win, because the opening track really has some Rammstein vibes, and now I've got to look up the story of these two bands...... It is a pretty fascinating story of the history with this band, their country, and and the fact there are a whole collection of bands inspired by this style in an obscure genre Neue Deutsche Härte. I had no idea there was another deep voiced industrial band that does clever wordplay with translations to get different meanings a la "Du Hast". But this album has both "Leben heißt Leben" and "Opus Dei" as different takes on the same song in a very similar way. This revelation is very similar to finding out there was a Midwestern 8 member masked nu metal band before Slipknot. There are quite a few songs that are very repetitive to near annoyance, and probably not something that would be a regular playlist item for me, but I did enjoy learning about the existence of this band. Favorite track "Leben heißt Leben" 2.5/5

Stumping

Almost convinced me with the first song, but the more it continued, the more it wasn’t something I enjoyed at all. 1/5

Ummm kay no thanks 0.23 stars

This was like listening to a 1970’s B movie starring Danny Trejo. It’s not fair to give it an actual rating because I’m not sure what I just experienced.

Holy shit this is amazing. Rammstein + Borat + Art of Noise. Seven stars at least. Might be my new favorite band.

Unbearable listening. I guess parody fascists make just as bad art as the real thing.

Interesting. Not more, not less.

This album has two cover versions of the annoying one hit wonder “Live is Life” by Opus, sung in guttural German accents, which is probably two too many I think. There’s also a cover of One Vision by Queen which ends up sounding like a world war II era propaganda speech. The rest of the album continues the totalitarian theme with pounding drums, grandiose orchestral stings, industrial noise and speech samples. It all makes me feel a bit queasy.

Martial drums, guttural voice, orchestral arrangement, industrial and noisy bits here and there. It is easy to hear how this could have been ground breaking and influencial when it came out. It is also easy to get tired of their commitment to totalitarian imagery that they could have tune down from time to time.

All a bit coarse and in parts interpreted listlessly. Like you want to blend Rammstein and Front 242, but order it on Wish … Some songs started promising, e.g. "Jägerspiel", but this one too was very monotone later.

I never heard of this band before. The album is pretty wild, but reading their Wikipedia page is even wilder.

Industrial German rock with an experimental edge. I took German in high school and college, so I actually picked up on a few words in the German songs. Laibach reminds me of Rammstein. They must have been an influence on Rammstein. Some of this is cool and I vibe with the antiauthoritarian lyrics. At least, I assume it's anti-government and antiwar. The military drums and call-to-arms vocals feel ironic, like they're making fun of military marches. Anyway, all due respect to Laibach but I'm mostly a polite "No thank you" on this one. Funny to hear their version of “Live is Life.” I know it as a triumphant soccer anthem but the way Laibach play it, it’s much heavier and more serious. The last four tracks on streaming are apparently from a different project but they’re kinda cool. They’re more ambient with looping, chanted vocals. Not exactly something I’m gonna put on again but it was interesting.

What an evocative album cover. I feel like this is something you would see on a Celtic Frost record or some kind of weird European black metally punky outfit. Very interesting sound. I really really enjoyed the guitar solo in the first song, it was chaotic and badass and still tasteful. Really a specific niche of guitar playing that I tend to really enjoy. Holy shit that chord change at 4:30 is AMAZING. WOW! And the vocals that hang over it all out of key is INCREDIBLE. I am blown away by the dissonance and the balls you have to have to start an album with this. My wife Gab had this quote upon hearing that: "it's committed unhinge". This was a surprising enjoy for me. It's been a while since I listened to some artsy avant garde music and this scratched that itch. Probably not something I will reach for but a nice change of pace.

Not my thing

Great for a chill Slovenian wine night

Me, having been to Germany one (1) time: “yeah, that letter that looks like a B is actually pronounced ss”

Haha what if we were ironically fascisf? Haha wouldn’t that be funny? Haha what if it was a joke that we made being nationalist a thing again haha right? Heyy where’s everyone going???

Not for me

Siempre es interesante oír música fuera de la esfera anglófona. Pero la verdad es que este disco me resulta desagradable, me gusta el sonido industrial pero no cuando vira a la derecha. Supongo que los fans de Ramstein los conocerán y apreciarán. Ritmos y melodías copiadas y versionadas, no sé qué hace este disco aquí. Este disco me ha dado miedo, por ahí le daría 1 estrella, pero también me produce atracción hacia algo peligroso y desconocido.

Definitely worth hearing! Not something I’d play a lot. Too ferociously Germanic. Very interesting. Not a keeper 😁

Not for me

3 goeie nummers en de rest vooral veel rare shit

I'm gonna give this a 4 because it was pretty cool and exactly what I wanted with this list. Unique and quality music.

Upon driving my son home from school with this album playing he says "This is LITERALLY the WORST music I have EVER HEARD" He said it w feeling from the bottom of his soul & I make him listen to alot of shit! Hilarious I on the other hand enjoyed it - something different & Wikipedia told me about the martial industrial genre (the subgenres never end do they but how fitting!)

Pretty strange for my taste. I did manage to listen to the whole album though.

Appreciate what they do... can't get into it musically much...

Guy has a good voice but the music is depressing. Sounds like something that would be played at a Nazi rally!

No

Not sure I have the words for how bad this is…

Persevered (I want a medal) to track 7 and then gave up and started looking up the slovenian for awful (grozno) and rubbish (smeti). A collection of "that" song from Eurovision, but without the visuals that make you chuckle. Truly Hudo (dire)

My initial impressions of this album from the first track initially were not that good. Programmed drums, guitars getting lost in the mix, I was starting to wonder what this is doing on the list. But after reading Spotify's description of the group, I'm "getting" the concept a little more. The generator classifies this as metal or hard rock. I would consider this more like ironic propaganda, industrial art rock. I'm imagining the video for Leben Heisst Leben is a fleet of Vikings on their way to invade England and they're all having their Viking hats and their arms up and singing tune's title the whole time. F.I.A.T. sounds like a soundtrack to a war-based video game. The '80s sampled symphonic sounds seem almost quaint now. The tunes seem anthemic but the theatricality of this hard rock borders on campy. My ears perked up with the industrial sounds of Trans-National.

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.

I am definitely never listening to this album again. Not the worst thing ever, it had some moments worthy of redemption, but not good. 2/5

My only thought while listening to this is wondering if Rammstein would list this band as one of their influences since they are so similar. This is much less hard than them, but it's clearly the building blocks. The songs were wild, I skipped some, others had some moments of good. Overall it didn't grab me, but was more of a curiosity just thinking of these people crafting this album with songs like Trans-National.

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

No