Search - Hanzel Und Gretyl :: Uber Alles

Hilarious pseudo-German Electro-Metal from Beyond

Matthew M. Mckeon | Atlanta, GA USA | 08/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've been heavily into industrial for almost 15 years now, but deep down inside there's still a wylde chylde buttrocker that rides barstools across the club on 80s night screaming along to Quiet Riot. So when I need a break from all the abstract powernoise and clubby electro / EBM that tends to be on constant rotation in my iTunes, I turn to bands like Hanzel und Gretyl.



Honestly, with this album HuG have strayed pretty far from 1997's industrial-rock "Transmissions from Uranus" -- gone are the driving synthetic melodies and cybernetic lyrics. Despite a drum machine, a voicebox and the occasional sample, "Uber Alles" is at its heart a heavy metal record. HuG have a hilarious, almost GWAR-like sense of humor that makes a nice counterpoint to the driving power-riffs and screaming -- think Kompressor crossed with Ministry.



My favorite tracks are probably "Third Reich from the Sun", "Let the Planets Burn", and "Mein Kommandant". "Mein Kommandant" is actually a bit of a throwback to the old Hanzel und Gretyl -- if you like that, I'd recommend also checking out "Transmissions from Uranus".



Overall, I'd give this four stars. There's nothing really to dislike about this album, but then neither is it a work of staggering genius. It's a fun, goofy collection of head-banging dark metal dolled up in Teutonic drag -- Laibach lite for the Ministry set. Highly recommended for those with a sense of humor, and a great antidote to the sludgy dreck that passes for industrial rock these days."

Let the critics burn!

sengssk | Neue Amsterdam | 04/06/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When I first saw the review in the Village Voice, I thought, "You've GOT to be kidding me!" The abyssmal music industry has put out some nasty stuff, but how they let this un-PC album through.... Then I read further and had to check it out. I've heard HUG a few times on WSOU back in the day but never did it for me. It was KMFDM, Rammstein and Metallica.I must say, looping seig heil in a track takes balls even if its a parody. What caught my attention was the use of air raid sirens and warning buzzers through the album and the sound of a bolt action rifle being racked in 3rd reich from the sun. AWESOME mixing; her vocals and guitar work didn't trip over each other like so many other bands. There's a good balance between guitars and electronic, a good flow.I assume 11:11 refers to "But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them."Fukken UBER!"