2020 marks the 40th anniversary of Einstürzende Neubauten's formation in Berlin, and the German avant-industrial visionaries spend Alles in Allem, their first studio album in 13 years, acknowledging the past while continually venturing forward. Several tracks are named after specific locations within the group's home city, and they recall personal memories and historical events with a bold, heavy heart. On "Grazer Damm," Blixa Bargeld recalls growing up on the Schöneberg district street of the same name, constantly witnessing riots and air raid attacks, while "Am Landwehrkanal" references the execution of revolutionary socialist Rosa Luxemburg, whose body was thrown into the Landwehr Canal by militarists in 1919. Given the subject matter, the music itself isn't as imposing as one might expect, and the latter song is a leisurely waltz with a chorus that partially seems to celebrate the band's history, with a key line translating to "We had a thousand ideas, and all of them were good." Other tracks are more playful while maintaining a revolutionary spirit. Opener "Ten Grand Goldie" has a driving, "Bela Lugosi's Dead"-style bass line and the group's signature clattering percussion, frequently interrupted by brief organ breaks and a chirpy, phone-sourced sample, while Bargeld's lyrics are playful and Dadaist. Just as striking is "Seven Screws," a sweet subversion of gender roles, which finds Bargeld reconfiguring the possibilities and assuming a non-binary identity. Like much of Neubauten's work since the 1990s, the arrangements are restrained and orderly compared to their cacophonous early work, but they break out the power tools for a few hair-raising moments during "Zivilisatorisches Missgeschick." Elsewhere, "Taschen" and "Alles in Allem" are grand, dramatic ballads closer to the work of Bargeld's former bandmate, Nick Cave. Continuing the group's latter-day run of more mature, considered works, Alles in Allem proves that Neubauten are still interested in challenging conventions and exploring new perspectives, even while carrying the weight of history. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi

1		Ten Grand Goldie
2		Am Landwehrkanal
3		Möbliertes Lied
4		Zivilisatorisches Missgeschick
5		Taschen
6		Seven Screws
7		Alles in Allem
8		Grazer Damm
9		Wedding
10		Tempelhof

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