Einstürtzende Neubauten - Perpetuum Mobile

It’s pretty funny to me when a band can be around, putting out music fairly consistently, for nearly a quarter of a century, yet still almost no one (at least in this country) can pronounce their name correctly. Finally, those six years of German pay off! Ok, so say it with me now: Ein-shtur-tsen-da Noi-baught-en. Moving right along, the godfathers of German Industrial music are up to their usual tricks using the sounds of air compressors, plastic tubes, electric fans, sheet metal, pipes, and other staples of the genre on their latest release Perpetuum Mobile. And I think it’s lovely that the lyrics are included, both in English and in German, so you can read along. Although, I wouldn’t recommend looking too deeply into the lyrics with such lines as “Where is the key? Where is my hat?” There are some times where not knowing what is being said can make something soooo much more impressive. The album is really very melodic, despite what you might think given the odd choices in noisemakers. It is quite nice in some songs like “Paradiesseits” (“Paradising”). “Selbstportrait mit Kater” (“Self-Portrait with Hangover”) sounds very much like you would expect really. It’s very measured, much like the din of pounding in your head after a nasty night of drinking cheap schnapps. And hasn’t everyone had one of those? “Youme & Meyou” is a very politically conscious song and is sung in English. Perhaps this is a pointed effort to make sure that we consumeristic Americans can understand it. “Der Weg ins Freie” (“The Way Into the Open”) is a dueling-vocal, mechanical trip, and the chorus to “Dead Friends (Around the Corner)” is as catchy as anything on so-called alternative radio today. I don’t think that lead singer Blixa Bargeld (notable also as guitarist for Nick Cave until recently) and the other gentlemen of EN are kidding themselves. I am sure they are fully aware that they are unlikely to make converts of anyone who is not already a fan of their music. But it’s admirable that they continue to stick to their guns, as it were, and keep putting out consistently good and interesting music for those of us tragic sorts who like to haunt darkened clubs stomping about. [www.neubauten.org]