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EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN

Formed in 1980 in Berlin, Einsturzende Neubauten's latest offering, Ende Neu (Beton 504 CD), is very different from the blistering industrial sound heard in earlier work such as Halber Mensch. Don't, though, expect this to be a tame affair as there's some pretty noisy stuff here too. For example, the title track is almost classic Neubauten with industrial sounds fired from all angles, while Blixa Bargeld (also a Bad Seed) growls his German vocals over the top.

'NNNAAAMMM', which has recently been remixed and released as a single, is a ten-minute epic. It's pretty Kraftwerk-like with its repetitive chant, which, by the way, is in English. Also sung in English is 'The Garden' which is the closest to Sol Invictus Neubauten gets. It's apparently inspired by Blixa overhearing a woman singing in the Prado Museum shop.

There's also a lot of slower, dreamier stuff such as 'Stella Maris' where Blixa is accompanied by Meret Becker on vocals and a string section. The best of the eight tracks is the opener which powerfully stomps along and sounds a bit comical to some extent.

Ende Neu shows Neubauten have the guts to vary their sound and, most importantly, to pull it off.

JOHN MARSHALL - 1 September 1997