For a band who’s been around for a decade as of this year, to be referred to as “the German LAMB OF GOD” is likely not as flattering as one would think. After ten full years, shouldn’t MEIN KOPF IST EIN BRUTALER ORT (“My Head Is A Brutal Place”, for those who care) have at least taken steps towards developing its own sound? Its own identity?

Now I understand full well that bands aren’t always to blame for their PR info, and sometimes such veers from slight exaggeration to all out untruth, but gotta shift them units, right? And in these days of Likes/Clicks/Plays replacing actual fans, this is simply the world in which we “live”. Sadly, the PR info couldn’t be further from the truth in this case, though, ‘In Wahrheit’ seemingly lifted directly out of the dumpster behind the studio where LOG recorded New American Gospel over twenty years ago, so dated is the sound.

‘Die gut Tat’ begins with some sort of weak electronic pulse that sounds like a 14-year-old black metal fan’s attempt at dungeon synth before devolving into a carbon copy of the prior two tracks. Breakdown, breakdown (read: not riff), dual vocals that would’ve been better performed by a constipated gorilla/chimpanzee combo, and a drum sound on which Lars’ work on St. Anger would be an improvement.

I’d normally feel a bit guilty skipping over three entire songs in such a review, but by the time we get to the halfway mark (song 7, if you can believe) and have seen no marked difference in quality – or noticeable difference at all in ‘Schachmatt’ – I feel much less so.

The adolescent crafting dungeon synth before has moved on to faux Rammstein by ‘Affentanz’, a ”song” marred as much by the shit-flinging, howling vocal monkeys as anything, and I’m just done. Well, except to tell you the final song has some pathetic excuse for rapping by a “Mr. Kew” that makes me ache for a spin of KORN or LIMP BIZKIT.

Meine Toilette ist ein brutaler Ort. Which is fitting, as that’s exactly where Ton Steine Sterben belongs.
Review By: Lord Randall

MEIN KOPF IST EIN BRUTALER ORT
Ton Steine Sterben
Metalville
0 / 6