ATROCITY Covers IDEAL's 'Keine Heimat'; Audio Available

Long-running German metallers ATROCITY have posted an audio sample of their cover version of IDEAL's "Keine Heimat" at this location. The track comes off ATROCITY's long-awaited new album, "Werk 80 II", which is scheduled for release in Europe on February 29, 2008 (March 4 in the U.S.). Like the first "Werk 80" release, which came out in 1997, "Werk 80 II" features ATROCITY's interpretations of hit songs from the '80s.

When asked why the band chose "Keine Heimat" to put on the new album, vocalist Alex Krull said, "During the Eighties we had as you might know this so called 'Neue Deutsche Welle' which was very important for the development of the German-speaking music. If you take a closer look, you can see influences of this for bands like RAMMSTEIN, OOMPH and partly some of the German-speaking titles from ATROCITY, especially on the 'Gemini' album. It was actually a great thing coming up in these days. Almost everybody in this time liked some of these NDW Tune Wedgies even if you were from totally different musical directions. Those songs were mostly performed in a very bald, German language. Last time we did some tunes from the NDW cultband DAF which did something together again in the meantime. So this time we did something from the queer fellows of IDEAL, a very important band from that time. Dissonant music and sloping lyrics caused much turmoil inside the prudish musical landscape, that's what I liked a lot, haha. Tosso is still a big fan from IDEAL. The title 'Keine Heimat' comes from the final stage of the band, as their star was already declining. Nevertheless we were desperate to do that title even now, because of its explosive, political lyrics where few words carry much meaning. It was a song from the Cold War times, as Germany was still separated, where the Satellite states of the worldpowers were facing each other in East and West to get their knives out. It is unbelievable how such a song hasn't lost its up-to-dateness until now."

Asked if he is afraid that this song could be interpret as anti-American, Krull said, "This song isn't anti-American for me, it is the articulation of the fears and worries of the people who are afraid to loose their own identity by the so-called 'globalization.' Just take a look at the world manipulated by the media to see what happens today. We have many American friends and fans who don't like it either to be a pawn in the game, to be juggled on the chessboard. We aren't a political band, finger-pointing at others and upholding moral standards, but saying critical comments should be allowed, too. After all we are living in democracy with freedom of opinion, right? I just can say that we like it very much to be in the U.S., to meet people and see the country. But this doesn't mean that we share the political views of the current American president."

"Werk 80 II" track listing:

01. People Are People (DEPECHE MODE)
02. Smalltown Boy (BRONSKI BEAT)
03. Relax (FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD)
04. Don't You (Forget About Me) (SIMPLE MINDS)
05. The Sun Always Shines on TV (A-HA)
06. Hey Little Girl (ICEHOUSE)
07. Fade To Grey (VISAGE)
08. Such A Shame (TALK TALK)
09. Keine Heimat (IDEAL)
10. Here Comes The Rain Again (EURYTHMICS)
11. Forever Young (ALPHAVILLE)
12. Feels Like Heaven (FICTION FACTORY) (bonus track for special edition)

Fans are getting a chance to preview the songs on "Werk 80 II" one track at a time every single day on ATROCITY's homepage beginning on January 1, 2008 and ending on the "Smalltown Boy" single's release date (January 11).

World-famous burlesque dancer and Marilyn Manson's estranged wife Dita Von Teese is the cover model on "Werk 80 II". Check out the cover at this location.

Commented Alex Krull: "We took a lot of time for the production to get the best result. All fans of the first 'Werk 80' will like the second one too. This time we have worked together with an orchestra and a choir. So the whole album has gained a bit more of a classical touch, which I personally like a lot. Everything sounds very harmonic and organic. The work on this album has been intense and thrilling. On the first 'Werk 80' album we also used classical elements but we enforced this on the new one. Thus the electronic parts got moved a little bit into the background. We didn't want to do the same on this successive album but including new elements and developing our style. I promise you 'Werk 80 II' is gonna be a class of its own worth waiting for it."