Laibach - Volk

With a history so steeped in politics, it's hardly surprising that Laibach would eventually strike a statement as grand as 'Volk' – a collection of interpretations of national anthems. True to form, Laibach stick to the same heavy industrial beats and weighty synth lines that have come to define their sound for the past decade. More interesting, though, is the relative familiarity of the national anthems, all told through walls of electronic sound mixed with soft strings and mono-timbres. Musically familiar for Laibach fans, the true accomplishment of 'Volk' is in the political ground that it finds. With lyrical, as well as musical interpretations, something must be said about its ability to update an imperialist anthem like God Save The Queen into a more modern statement of political intent. [Neil Ferguson]