Imagine the activist, angry soul of Rage Against the Machine and the atonal power of early '80s hardcore like Discharge and Black Flag, mixed with the Chemical Brothers' set of electronic toys and amusements. That's Atari Teenage Riot. If melody lines are essential to you, you're not gonna like this record, especially the all-out assaultive barrage of ""Start the Riot"" and the pounding, relentless hip-hop-like beats of ""P.R.E.S.S.."" (No pretty west coast rap/jazz samples for these guys.)
What Atari Teenage Riot does have is genuine fury and passion for their vehemently political stance. The German band originally formed as a reaction against the neo-Nazi elements that were attaching themselves to the country's burgeoning techno/rave scene. In fact, confrontations between neo-Nazis and ATR's lead vocalist/screamer, Alec Empire, have been a part of their live shows ever since the band made its debut in 1992 with a single, ""Hunt Down The Nazis."" They originally adopted punk's DIY approach, releasing their discs on their own Digital Hardcore label, before hooking up with the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal in 1996.
While Burn, Berlin, Burn! remains a thoroughly uneasy listen and a brutal exercise throughout, it's not lacking in variety. ""Into The Death"" blends techno blips and speed metal guitars. ""Deathstar"" slides into a hazy, almost ambient groove. ""Sick to Death,"" the anthemic ""Delete Yourself,"" and ""Heatwave"" (not a Linda Ronstadt cover) adopt a more Sex Pistols-like punk rhythm, while ""Deutschland (Has Gotta Die)"" lets high-velocity rave beats carry it along. ""Destroy 2000 Years of Culture,"" the disc's most imaginative and catchy track, throws a couple of heavy metal power chords into the mixture for a thicker, more multilayered mix that recalls Public Enemy.
This record made my dog run out of the room. Atari Teenage Riot would take that as a compliment.
