Gerechtigkeits Liga - Dystopia (LP, Zyklus)
I have to confess that I didn't know anything about the band Gerechtigkeits Liga until i saw them playing at an Ironflame festival a few years ago. Maybe that's not a big fault though, since the project had been inactive for almost 20 years before that. Someone could ask why they are back now after all this time. I can't answer this question from the point of view of the only remaining original member Till Brüggemann (who has joined forces with Berlin DJ and producer Ragnar), but as a consumer of the album I would say that it is more than OK that they are back. Not to say: it's great!
"Dystopia" is very old school and constantly awaking real dark atmospheres. Gerechtigkeits Liga combine noisy metal scraping attacks with ambient loops, bulky electronics with haunting voices. They use man-made percussion (John Murphy is drumming) and natural sound sources rather than "fat" synthetic beats and "socket sounds". In my ears this is much more "Industrial" than the sounds produced by many of the so-called "Industrial" bands around at the moment. And "Dystopia" deals - as a good genre record does - with problems like social control and the lack of individual freedom. If there is one thing to criticize (in case you really want to find something) it's the missing of a lyric sheet. But that's all! The self-produced (!) record comes in a fine vinyl quality, with a well-designed minimalistic gatefold cover and in a magnificent, powerful sound. To discover all the ideas put into the tracks you should listen to "Dystopia" loudly and very often!
Gerechtigkeits Liga 2011 reminds me a bit of Knifeladder with their rough drumming and scary atmospheres. Both bands lack the "disco"-attitude, they don't use catchy melodies or "have-to-move"-rhythms. It's rather music to listen to. But "Dystopia" bears at least two songs, the energetic "dystopian dream" and the martial "end of time", that could make it into the clubs too. So I wish the phoenix a successful rising. More bands like Gerechtigkeits Liga are needed!
