Laibach Album: “Kapital”

In all honesty this is the album that fans unfamiliar with Laibach should buy first. From the Friday the 13th sounding Wirtschaft ist Tot to the pre-Prodigy hip hop influenced Hymn to the Black Sun Kapital doesnt stop. The rolling drums and choral vocals of Entartete Welt are more than a little catchy. Illumination and the melodic Everlasting Union begin the journey into Laibach's eastern European stylizing. Light on lyrics but gargantuan on music Kapital rates in my book as one of the best industrial albums of 1992 and all of the early ninties for that matter.

There are two very different version of the same album released by Slovenian group Laibach. Laibach's album KAPITAL was released in 1992. The CD version which is the one I used to listen to is really just an abridged album version of KAPITAL and as such it does not do the album any justice. The album to be experienced truly in its full glory one must find it on the cassette ( a difficult task these days). The CD version stands at 78 minutes of playing time. The cassette version stands at 82 minutes of playing time AND one full extra track at the end of the album. This extra track which is to be found only on cassette release is called, "STEEL TRUST". "STEEL TRUST" in my opinion is one of the most beautiful pop/rock compositions that I have ever heard by any band. It features female vocals by GERMANIA and is infused with strange sci-fi sounds which make the track sound out of this world. If you are a true Laibach fan then this album is well worth seeking in its original cassette release. Darie NY 2011

Of all the Laibach CDs that I own, this is the one I recommend most, it's 'frightfully good' (another reviewer already remarked 'awe inspiring', and that's the Truth)! I remember the day I first heard the song 'Illumination', I wanted this CD ... and when I found out that it was Laibach, I immediately purchased this CD, and have been listening to it, totally impressed, ever since. With this one great work, Laibach could retire as the Gods of Philosophized/Politicized Art that they are, yet, their continuous output is equally impressive (their CD 'WAT', for example), however this CD remains my personal favorite. If you enjoy the music, get the videos, too.

Just about perfect...hence the 4 stars. Not to reiterate from other prior reviews, but this is one of the best Laibach releases. While it does not have the bombastic percussion of Macbeth, or the guitars of JC Superstars (that would come later of course) or many of Milan's vocals (as lead)...it does cover a lot of stylistic ground and posesses the trademark ominous Laibach sense of humor. Buy this and the DVD of their promotional videos, especially for the Wirtschaft ist Tot (The Economy is Dead) clip. One of the most artistic and beautifully realized vids ever. This could serve as an intro to the band, as could Let it Be, Wat or the Anthems compilation. You won't go wrong with any of these.

When this album first came out, I was familiar with their earlier works and I was very disappointed. I never bought this one or listened to it again, nor did I buy the next one "NATO". And then Jesus Christ Superstars and now WAT have come out and they are each awesome in their own way. I have read high praise for Kapital recently though, so I decided to give it another listen with fresh ears after all these years. I picked it up the other day at Cheapo Records.

This album is more of a trance/techno/breakbeat album before it's time - and since my tastes have long since turned that way (Oakenfold, Dieselboy, Paul van Dyk, St Germain, Leftfield), it's growing on me fast. It's more atmospheric than their other works (except possibly NATO, which I've not heard yet either) and so it's very different. Very cool down-tempo beats and vocals.

Highly recommended, can't wait for their US tour in November.