The first significant rock act to emerge from the ailing communist states, Yugoslavia (or Slovenia’s) Laibach were disconcerting to some, hilarious to others. Their militaristic posturing and musical fanfares, totalitarian iconography, gravel-scrunching backbeats and antlers drew accusations of fascism, but Laibach were explicitly anti-Nazi. In fact, their music, like “Hrava Gruda?Pldna Zemjla”, is best taken as a poker-faced, complex satire on totalitarianism. They were also wryly aware of the latent fascistic tendencies of pop music. Sadly, their version of Queen’s “One Vision” is not included, but their take on Opus’ “Life Is Life”, administered like a whip-master’s chant to the galley slaves, is here in all its
pseudo-pomp.
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