Lunedì 8 Giu 2009, 0:01
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/300x300/14204273.jpg
Laibach - WAT (2003)
Laibach in my library
I was introduced to Laibach through my friend opaltiger. Apparently Laibach is a huge deal in Slovenia, and after trying to think of any other Slovenian artists I know but failing, I guess I see why.
After reading a bit about the band and seeing that their lyrics are largely in German and they have a somewhat controversial image, I can only assume they are at least somewhat like Rammstein. Yes, it's terrible that I am making comparisons before even listening to them, but I think that's a really important detail to note here.
This is one album I've been meaning to listen to for quite a long time. With the birth of this project, I decided to finally check out WAT (which opaltiger recommended to me) and see what I think. The fact that it's industrial music means that, at the very least, it can't be terrible. What better way to start off this project than with an album I know I'm not going to completely loathe?
The album starts off with "B Mashina," which made me very optimistic about the rest of the album. The song starts off quite dreamy, but soon turns into a hellish soundscape of modern desolation and despair. There's even a choral part towards the end, which is always a definite plus.
And then "Tanz mit Laibach" started. The first thing I noticed was the obnoxious beat. The second thing was the terrible vocals. They are deep, ugly, and completely overshadow what is otherwise decent music. I didn't even know the chorus was the chorus until I heard it a second time; there is absolutely nothing to this song. It's just kind of there and doesn't really pick up at all. I have no idea how or why this is the band's most popular track, because I can't imagine this getting any sort of attention. Maybe it's the kind of thing that needs to grow on you, but usually popular tracks aren't like that.
So it was with grave disappointment that I transitioned into "Du bist unser" and "Achtung!." To my surprise—a pleasant surprise—these tracks were actually quite good. The terrible vocals were still there, but the other instruments did more than enough to make up for it. "Achtung!," in particular, had some really neat choral effects in the background that made it a memorable track.
What really makes this album listenable (for me, at least) is the liberal use of the aforementioned choral effects and Seigmen-like desolate atmospheres. Still, I'm disappointed. There's just not a lot going on with this album. When some light finally shines through (such as "Das Spiel ist aus," what I'd consider my favorite track on the album, and the insightful title track "WAT"), it is soon overshadowed by more tracks that are just plain monotonous to listen through. For a band as legendary as Laibach, I guess I expected a lot more than I received.
It wasn't all bad, of course. I really can see why people appreciate this album and this band overall, but it's just not my cup of tea. At the very least, the album has a fantastic ending. "Anti-Semitism" is great; it balances being epic and eerie very well.
I'm going to give it a personal (read: completely subjective) rating of 6/10, although with a few more listens this could definitely become a 7.
(I don't think future entries will be quite this long, mostly due to the fact that I am really, really lazy. Oh well. Suggestions, by the way, are really appreciated—I'll have a hard time discovering new albums by myself! Please keep my musical taste in mind when recommending albums, but don't be afraid to help me broaden my horizons!)