Laibach: M.B. December 21, 1984

Laibach is a frightening band, plain and simple. Its music touches on the darkest sounds and tones imaginable: Keep in mind that the group once re-recorded nearly all of The Beatles' Let It Be album, drained it of all joy, and infused it with the sturm und drang of a fascist rally. M.B. December 21, 1984 is a live album recorded in Laibach's home country of Slovenia (then Yugoslavia), a remarkable fact when you consider that the band was officially forbidden to perform under the name Laibach, the name of the country's capital when it was occupied by Nazi Germany. Surprisingly, the recording quality here is excellent, so it's pure Laibach that shines through. The group's sound is not unlike that of Einsturzende Neubauten's during the same time period, except there's a bit more of a jazz influence throughout. The album opens with a heartbeat sound that mutates and grows into a heavy march beat, while discordant horns are piped in to add frenzy to the rigidity. When the guttural vocals kick in, all hell breaks loose. It's a testament to Laibach that it can make ugly and terrifying sounds that are also transfixing, even beautiful.