Scrap_Iron, Jun 14, 2005
Less convincing than the following dramatic "Blood On The Flag", Mussolini Headkick's debut album lives on the contrast between a rather easy and melodic EBM/beat music and sharp, angry and political lyrics. "The Eagle Has Landed" refers to a certain eagle that is imposing its rule on the entire world (no, not that other eagle 60 years ago). "Hey Europe" is one of the few political songs talking directly to Europe as a whole that I know ("Hey Europe, are you ready for this?"). Probably the best track is "Forgotten", a freezing and desperate song about an old actress who lives her last, sad days in the poverty and cold of a motel in Berlin. I also appreciate very much "Your God Is Dead", which in the chorus immediately calls to mind Nine Inch Nails' "Heresy" and "Wish", as there is more than one similarity between these songs... were it not that "Themes For Violent Retribution" was released in 1989... The cover sports a painting by John Heartfield, famous anti-nazi artist who realized a lot of propaganda art pieces against Hitler and the III Reich. Of course, much like with Laibach's "Opus Dei" (that used another of his paintings), nobody understood a fuck about it and the record had to be released inside a white censorship bag with a sticker claiming that this was no fascist music... Let me quote the chorus from "Your God Is Dead", and let words speak for themselves:
"You nailed him up now you tear him down Your head held high your heart so proud Too blind to see the devil in you Once a week you flock like fools YOUR GOD IS DEAD"
3.1/5 (