Sacrificare

Anti-globalization, anti-multiculturalism, and pro-European identity, Von Thronstahl have controversially exploited fascist themes and aesthetics (they've contributed to tribute albums for Leni Riefenstahl and Corneliu Zelea Codreanu). On Sacrificare, the German post-industrial outfit goes mostly acoustic. However, bits of their electronic past crop up, creating an interesting hybrid. "Moli Piu Onore" begins with a stiff drum machine beat, then adds bluesy acoustic guitar that recalls later Depeche Mode. The song morphs yet again when martial synthesized brass drops in from out of nowhere. It's a combination of military rally and spaghetti western, a recurring tension here (Roger Waters in Pink Floyd's The Wall explored similar juxtapositions). The title track's ominous vocals and muscular strings suggest a military symphony. "Dressed in Black Uniforms" recasts Joy Division's "Walked in Line" as a campfire singalong. Tellingly, it changes the "they" in "they walked in line" to "we." The Who also get an overhaul, as "Occidental Identity" turns "Pinball Wizard" into an ode to "I, I, I, Identity" that's "Far away from decadent." The album is exhaustingly overlong, but the production is astonishingly clear, and the art work is stern and stylish.