Laibach Volk. Release Date : October 31, 2006. Label: EMI/Mute. Rating: Engaging. (Screw points. To each his own!) This band is absolutely fascinating! I'm trying to imagine what I might think of this album if I didn't know anything else of the band. A cross between gentle sweet representations of various countries' national anthems (with main vocals not unlike the masculine-yet-sweet ones found in H.I.M.), and rough and gruff industrial with vocals like Rammstein or one of the songs on Air's "10,000mHz" album. Considering I am a sheltered lummox who knows little of the world's anthems, I likely would have just been startled on the second track to hear a reworded version of the American national anthem. These guys do not take the world lightly, and they aren't going to keep quiet about it. But the songs are astounding - through the intense wording and frustration, the music is put together very, very well. Slithery strings meet electronic chunks, lilty vocals mix with thickly-accented spoken word. The background noises lend a lovely and at times amusing scene to everything. The beginning of the third track, "Anglia," contains a soft string version of the anthem, along with gentle clinking and chatter of tea time. This ends oddly with a sheep baaaah before the song itself kicks in. Startling combinations of sounds, I must stress. Children's choirs, growls. Thick electronics, harmonies - it's really beautiful. Maybe unexpectedly so. It's powerful - moving - you can tell there's something rich going on here, even though not everything is in English. They bring up a good point - that anthems are often related to a bloody past. Grand impact. Song of choice : I have no idea what to choose as a favourite - they all have a similar appeal. -Andy Scheffler Elsewhere Laibach website Published : January, 2007.