Band:	Japanische Kampfhörspiele
Album:	Zurück Im Dreck (Back To Ze Roots II)
Style:	Grindcore
Release date:	June 2024
A review by:	F3ynman

01. Der Angriff Startet
02. Der Hund Kriegt Nichts
03. Selbstmord Im Kaufhof
04. Keiner Kann Für Irgendwas Was
05. Kilometerwelt
06. Vorort
07. Eruiert
08. Punkerpolente
09. Dyskalkulie
10. Guten Appetit
11. Verrat Am Metal
12. Abflussbestattung
13. Der Sozialphobiker
14. Wir Haben Nicht Gewusst Dass Es Solche Lager Gibt
15. Ich Habe Keinen Körper
16. Schlucker
17. Fertigmensch
18. Zurück Im Dreck
19. Diese Blackmetalband Aus Dortmund (Deren Schriftzug Ich Nicht Entziffern Kann)
20. Necromancy Orakel [Psychopunker cover]
21. Stell Dir Vor
22. Ein Produkt
23. Alles Nochmal Auf Anfang

One man's Dreck is another man's treasure.

After their solid, avant-garde, yet slightly unsatisfying 2023 album Blaskapelle Bürgermeister Bratwurst Bier Geschenkekorb Bibelstelle Bumskabine Bienensterben Völkermord (let's just call it BBBBGBBBV), German grindcore legends Japanische Kampfhörspiele (or simply JaKa) have decided to go back to their roots, literally.

With Zurück Im Dreck (which translates to “Back In The Dirt”), JaKa have re-recorded songs from their past discography, infusing both overlooked tracks and old classics with new life through new performances and improved production. JaKa have released several compilations over the years, but Zurück Im Dreck is only the second time that they've completely re-recorded older songs. While 2018's Back To Ze Roots covered almost songs from their earliest demos and their debut studio album originally released between the years 1998 and 2002, Zurück Im Dreck (Back To Ze Roots II) marches slightly forward in the band's timeline, featuring songs that were originally released from 2000 to 2009.

For those who want to check the original versions (and I definitely recommend doing so!), I provide here the full list of releases where the original versions can be found: the 2000 demo Oslo, the 2001 demo Nostradamus In Echtzeit, the 2003 EP Fertigmensch, the 2004 album Hardcore Aus Der Ersten Welt, the 2006 split Heirat Aus Hass / Scheidung Aus Spass, the 2007 album Rauchen Und Yoga, the 2008 split Japanische Kampfhörspiele / Are You God?, and the 2009 EP Luxusvernichtung.

Besides the tracklist, the most notable change in comparison to the first Back To Ze Roots is the new vocalist Anselm Joel Brümmer-Aschenbeck, who made his debut appearance on BBBBGBBBV. As the youngest member of JaKa, he shines as the new frontman, impressing with both his versatile vocal range and his ability to spout the lyrics in the band’s signature high-speed fashion.

The others in the band are no less impressive, demonstrating just how incredibly energetic, complex, and catchy their musicianship still is after more than 20 years in the business. The relentless percussion of founding member Christof Kather is as creative and adrenaline-amping as ever. The guitar-work of Robert Nowak evolves freely and unpredictably from heavy chugging to blistering thrash and from melodic solos to headbang-inducing groove. Just as on BBBBGBBBV, there are also several guests that are credited on the album. I count 8 guest vocalists, the most notable being Thomas Such of Sodom, who delivers his rasps on the dense track “Fertigmensch”. In addition, there are some additional guitar contributions from Kai Koslik, who plays with Anselm Joel Brümmer-Aschenbeck in the band Shockgnosis, and from former JaKa vocalist Markus Maria Hoff, who plays here on 6 tracks.

Together with this lively, multi-faceted performance from so many musicians, the modern, highly improved production gives these old songs the rich sound quality that the excellent songwriting has always deserved. Speaking of which, let's turn from all this technical information to the real reason you need to listen to JaKa if you haven't already: the songs!

Zurück Im Dreck (Back To Ze Roots II) starts off with one of the most badass openings I've heard in a long time: “Der Angriff Startet” (“The Attack Begins”). After a beat that obviously references Queen's “We Will Rock You”, JaKa shift gears into full death metal heaviness with that trademark, super satisfying interplay of menacing growls and rapid yelps. The album is composed of 23 tracks, reaching a total runtime of 38 minutes. In typically grindcore fashion, there are several songs that barely reach the 30-second mark. But, while those short tracks are definitely a valuable contribution to the overall listening experience, the main highlights can be found on the more fleshed-out songs that are around 2 minutes long. Most of their strongest songs here come from the album Rauchen Und Yoga: “Der Angriff Startet”, “Der Hund Kriegt Nichts”, "Punkerpolente", “Verrat Am Metal”, and “Wir Haben Nicht Gewusst Dass Es Solche Lager Gibt”. Besides these, the tracks “Abflussbestattung”, “Fertigmensch”, “Ein Produkt”, and “Ich Habe Keinen Körper" impress as well.

As always, in typical JaKa style, the German lyrics are very critical of the modern society of consumerism, capitalism, exploitation, and hypocrisy. Their views have sadly stayed very relevant over the past 20-odd years. But, rather than being bogged down by these current-day issues, the energetic delivery and witty writing of the lyrics makes JaKa’s songs always a joy to listen to. There's also funny meta-commentary on metal music, as shown on “Verrat Am Metal” (“Betrayal Of Metal”) and the hilariously titled “Diese Blackmetalband Aus Dortmund (Deren Schriftzug Ich Nicht Entziffern Kann)” (“This Black Metal Band From Dortmund (Whose Lettering I Can’t Decipher)”). It should be noted that the lyrics of three songs (“Keiner Kann Für Irgendwas Was”, “Fertigmensch”, and “Ein Produkt”) have been changed, although what never changes is their central message of being absolutely pissed off at the world.

The only song that stands out in a strange way is “Necromancy Orakel”, the only "new” song, although it's only a cover song of the band Psychopunker. It's not necessarily a bad song, but it is pretty repetitive, and it's not clear why it was included as it doesn't add anything of significance to the album. In conclusion, while everyone reading this should definitely listen to the album in full, the songs that I pick out as my absolute favorites here are: “Der Angriff Startet”, “Der Hund Kriegt Nichts”, “Verrat Am Metal”, and “Fertigmensch”.

The improved production, the new frontman, and the consistently great performances from all band members makes Zurück Im Dreck (Back To Ze Roots II) a great success, giving all of these old songs even more bite than they already had. For old fans of the band, the album delivers satisfying, high-quality performances of both classic tunes and hidden gems of their early discography. For fans of only their newest material, the album offers a good incentive to check out their past releases. And, finally, for those listeners that are totally unfamiliar with JaKa, the album has hopefully helped convince them to give these German grindcore legends the attention and praise they've rightfully earned.