It has already been five years since the brilliant double album “20 Years in Sin Sin“ was released. This album featured a CD with thirteen new songs from the Punk-A-Billy / Psychobilly band MAD SIN from Berlin, while the other CD contained sixteen live tracks recorded during the band's concert in Hollywood.
Now five years have passed. The last studio album “Burn and Rise“ made a huge impact in 2010, and work is underway on the next album.
The live album with DVD (which I won't go into detail about, as I don't have it) took two years to see the light of day. In 2010, at the “Walltown Rumble“, a legendary evening was celebrated, recorded, and filmed at Astra Kulturhaus.
I was there, and therefore I can say with full conviction that it was fantastic, and I have been looking forward to this album for two years, as it is not just a live recording but a personal keepsake.
MAD SIN did this not just for me, but for many others as well, and it was worth it.
The live CD includes a total of 22 songs, which is nothing less than the entire concert.
The setlist was a dream. The band played both new songs like “Last Gang Standing“ and “Cursed“ as well as really old hits like “Walltown Kids“ and “2, 3, 4 - Mad Sin“. It was a beautiful cross-section of the band's work. The band played with freshness and enthusiasm. Singer Köfte shared stories about the band's history between songs, made sure the bad boys in front of the stage didn't get too rowdy, and left nothing to chance. Köfte is not only a bundle of energy on stage who can captivate the audience at any moment, but he is also a fantastic, soulful singer, as the calm parts in the songs “1000 Eyes - Mad Sin“, “Nine Lives“, or “Point of No Return“ prove. Köfte has a voice that sends shivers down your spine.
Between the songs, you can repeatedly sense how excited Köfte is about the evening and the audience. Fans from the very beginning had fun with psycho kids who might have been at their first gig of the band.
As guests, Tiger Lilly Marleen (singer of BONSAI KITTEN) joined in. She sang a duet with mastermind Köfte on “Brand New Cadillac“. Hellvis, a long-time friend of the band, also showcased his talent at the end of the set, breathing fire like a young god.
The recording, which is particularly important for live albums, has turned out perfectly here. The energy that the songs have live is perfectly captured. The vocals are always audible, but not everything has been smoothed out, and you can definitely hear Köfte breathing heavily a few times before he moves on to the next announcement.
With “20 Years in Sin Sin“, the band already released a blockbuster album, but this recording from 2010 is even better. It feels like standing right in the middle of the crowd. It's as if you are there once again.
“25 Years - Still Mad“ is one of the best live albums I know, perhaps even the best album ever. It is a time document, and I am convinced that this album will hit like a bomb. This thing is a powerhouse. It is perfect!
