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INDISKUTABEL !!! So I had actually hoped that Joggl and UNANTASTBAR would clearly position themselves on the new album and distance themselves from these right-wing "friends". Actually even more, that they would unmistakably stand "against the right dirt".
There are 2½ political songs by UNANTASTBAR on the album and the first track "Ihr könnt mich alle mal" is one of them and begins as follows: "It is always sad what happens in this country, every opinion that disturbs is not tolerated, if dialogue and discussion lead to no applause, then you are an outsider, betrayed and sold, they preach understanding and are not tolerant themselves, for 'a class criticism' you are condemned and banished, is this really freedom of opinion or opinion dictatorship, free press is non-existent, nothing but lies and censorship."
What is that ???? What is this text trying to tell me ???? On one hand, I read typical PEGIDA (and supporters) messages, on the other hand, this is questioned again. So I can't make sense of this verse and cannot see on which side UNANTASTBAR stands. And here we come back to the point of being "unpolitical", as some bands like to describe themselves! There is no such thing as "unpolitical"! Either you stand on one side or the other. "Right" or "Against Right". And I want nothing to do with "right-wingers". So Joggl and your 4 bandmates from South Tyrol, where do you stand?
In the second verse, Joggl then gets more personal: "I made mistakes, but I learned from them, stood neck-deep in the dirt but I removed it, (and from now on it gets unclear, I hope I understood the text correctly, unfortunately I do not have a lyric sheet or booklet for the album) while you shoot against me, always with my shit, in reality, you are the one who never listens and knows nothing, when this incitement and terror against me, a hatred and a victory yes they speak for themselves, because we had this before and the end is known, don't put everyone, don't put everyone against the wall." Yes Joggl, have you learned from your mistakes and removed the dirt? As a reminder, there is this picture of you (https://www.salto.bz/article/06042015/hitlergruss-aber-keine-naziband => the picture at the bottom right). I cannot hear a clear statement regarding your position in the first song. Unfortunately...
This is unfortunately also reflected in the fact that UNANTASTBAR is still on the label of FREI.WILD singer Philipp Burger. Other bands have left the label Rookies and Kings relatively quickly, like SERUM 114 and MONO INC. The past of Philipp Burger is also well known and clearly visible in the picture (bottom left) (although I have also heard that this is not supposed to be Philipp Burger. I don't know, I wasn't there and don't know Philipp Burger personally). There is also no clear statement from him or FREI.WILD against the right-wing scum. At least not that I know of... On the contrary, right-wing scene figures keep appearing at concerts with corresponding celebrations and brawls.
Returning to the new album by UNANTASTBAR, the other 15 songs are about the usual longings like friendship, love, happiness, freedom, drinking, future, etc. It fits actually and even if the lyrics are often quite indirect, there is nothing else to complain about. If it weren't for Joggl's voice. Personally, I can't get along with this voice, I always think of Alf or the evil wizard Rumburak from the "Märchenbraut" series from the early/mid 80s (both voiced by Thomas Piper) when I hear Joggl's voice ;-)
However, when the singing is more choral, you don't hear Alf's uh, Joggl's voice as much anymore and then the singing is great! Yes, really fat! TOP! The third song "Für immer" even starts with a female voice and in English! And then Alf comes again ;-) But when they sing together in a duet (in German), it really fits well vocally!
The fourth song "Bis nichts mehr bleibt", oops... DIE TOTEN HOSEN with "Tage wie diese"? No, not quite, but "Bis nichts mehr bleibt" also starts with the striking of individual guitar strings, then the tension curve of the song and the "ohhhh" - choir, like in the song by the HOSEN, or at least very, very similar. And just as fat and good!!! Since we are already talking about melody, harmony, and rhythm, musically UNANTASTBAR really plays good (punk?) rock, there is nothing to complain about. The songs have good melodies, the necessary hardness, and really rock well. There is nothing to complain about, I like it! Musically, "Hand aufs Herz" => 100% TOP! However, the political (?) text of "Bis nichts mehr bleibt" looks a bit different, as it is again so vague, here is the first verse: "Blind in both eyes, we cannot see the suffering, we open to close, shut all doors, because we can have everything, because it really is never enough, because we know when the end comes, we only meant well." This can mean anything and seems to me just superficial. What do the South Tyroleans want to tell me? Why don't they go deeper and get to the point of their attitude?
And what comes next? The fifth song "Wir sind eins" is simply cut off after a minute. Done, over, next song. So that really doesn't work! Even if I only have promo material for a review, just cutting off a song... No..... That really annoys me.... and this repeats itself in the eleventh song "Alles was zählt" even again. No, that's a deduction. Not like that. Otherwise, there will probably only be listening samples of 1 minute to make a review out of it.. That can't be it!
The other songs are otherwise great and really have hit potential, if it weren't for my impression regarding Joggl's voice, but when it becomes multi-voiced, you don't hear that anymore.
Two songs still stand out, track 12 "Dein Leben, deine Regeln, dein Gesetz", well if the melody of GREEN DAY (When I came around) wasn't stolen there. But I can reassure you, many melodies or riffs on "Hand aufs Herz" seem somehow familiar to me, UNANTASTBAR is just orienting itself to well-known hits and that's okay. From my own experience, I know how hard it is to generate new brilliant melodies.
Nothing else is the last song "Fackeln im Sturm", this 5-minute ballad also sounds familiar to me in melody, but that's not what I'm getting at. I wonder where Joggl stands when he sings in the chorus: "Like the torches in the storm, we stand here, not like the flags in the wind, like the torches in the storm, the light in the night, that conquers your fears and doubts, our fire it burns." I hope he doesn't light the fire on the wrong side!
Conclusion: Generally, the sixth album by UNANTASTBAR has quite a few hits to offer. On the other hand, there are a lot of questions in the room and then there are these killers like no lyrics, cut-off songs, etc. (I won't say anything more about the voice ;-) ). And so the overall rating can only be mediocre, for the presumably about 60 minutes (I don't know how long the cut-off songs are), unfortunately....
