I was aware that the band has been around for several years, but MASSENDEFEKT has always somewhat passed me by.
This year, the band is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and I can finally take a closer look at them.
The band started with Wölli from Die Toten Hosen and quickly gained regional and national recognition. They played as a supporting act for AC/DC and, of course, also in front of Die Toten Hosen.
Their new album, which is their tenth, is named after the band, so Massendefekt. The music speaks for itself, one might think.
Is that so?
The album, with its twelve songs, is extremely well recorded. All instruments are clearly audible, and the vocals are as prominent as they need to be in German punk rock. Wait a minute, punk rock?
Yes, MASSENDEFEKT definitely plays punk rock. Not the hard-hitting punk, not the punk full of hate, but definitely punk. For rock, the album is too fast and too snotty.
Right from song number 2, titled “Brandung,” we have an important song that wants to say “Thank you” to all the people who still have character in these times and don’t just follow every nonsense. The rock in the surf.
For many, this is their partner or friend.
But for many, it is also the music that gives strength and courage. In this sense, “Thank you” to MASSENDEFEKT.
We may have gotten older, but not necessarily wiser, as the band sings in the next song.
I only need 20 minutes to mess it up
and another 20 years to build it all up.
The first hit is “Revolution x Alltag.” A song that everyone, and I mean absolutely everyone, has sung at least once. Some have been singing it for years and still feel good about it. What has become of the old ideals and ideas?
In this song, there are even brass instruments, and you can sing along like in a stadium.
With the stadium rock, MASSENDEFEKT is walking a fine line for me. You can hear that they enjoy stadium rock, but they never overdo it, unlike some other bands.
MASSENDEFEKT are “Voll daneben, halb o.k.”. Somewhere between Die Toten Hosen and punk rock in AK47.
Gunnar from Dritte Wahl also sings along in “Unbedingt verpassen,” which fits stylistically.
On the album, the band processes itself, age, and life. All with appropriate humor and plenty of drive forward. It’s consistently fun and will surely excite the audience live.
What excites me the most is song number seven. Perhaps the most personal and profound song on the album. Anyone who has experienced what is sung about in the song will agree with me. The title of the song is “Papageientaucher.” What these little clowns of the sea achieve in their lives and how they sacrifice themselves is incredible and fascinating. Thank you for this song!!
