OHL

26 years of Oberste Heeresleitung (32 years if you consider 6 years of separation).

Thus, the band is one of the oldest punk bands in Germany.

With "Freier Wille," the band releases 12 songs in a beautiful, albeit dark gray and black digipack. It looks good, fits the band, and most importantly, it sounds great.

The production of the record is sensationally good.

I recently saw the band at the Tommy - Weissbecker - Haus in Berlin and was thoroughly impressed by the performance. Before that, I had seen the band at Lido in Berlin, a nice club that isn't really punk rock. Perhaps that was why I liked OHL so much. Maybe they were also better? Who knows? The fact is, the band was in great spirits, the sound was excellent, and the new songs presented were enjoyable. When I listen to the CD now, the sound reminds me of the concert. Full of energy, full of pressure, and full of intensity.

OHL are not without controversy, and while a review is always a good opportunity to express opinions about a band, I will not seize that opportunity.

OHL are OHL; they say where they stand. This can be seen as controversial. It can be considered unsympathetic, but OHL are what they are, and they have been since 1980!

"Freier Wille," the title of the album, expresses exactly what OHL stands for. They stand for freedom, for justice, for equality. Every person has the same rights but also the same duties. Deutscher W sings positively about Germany in "Feinde der Demokratie." Singing positively about Germany as a punk band? The lyrics to this song are controversial, provocative, and will certainly provide material for discussion for days. However, the standpoint of defending the society in which one lives and which one finds, at least at its core, good, should certainly be allowed. One must fight for their freedom, whether that means creating free spaces or upholding the democratic system.

The album deals heavily with religion. It is the common thread of the album.

Religion, an old but still current enemy image, when looking at the reasons for the wars fought and being fought in recent years, are not the expected wars over water or resources. These are wars that are massively initiated and driven by religion and faith.

War against non-believers.

War against human rights.

War for the preservation of patriarchy.

Deutscher W releases an album with Stalin, Kalashnikov, and Egon Krenz that provokes but also encourages reflection. The band achieves this in hardcore - sometimes even industrial - heavy punk songs with strong, powerful words.

In my opinion, OHL has not merely created another album with "Freier Wille." They have captured the spirit of the times and wrapped it musically in their own unique style. And if anyone is allowed to provoke, it is punk. OHL are punk!

"Freier Wille" is a strong album with which OHL will win many battles.