Review by Felix on June 1, 2019.

After a meandering album (Jenseits von Gut und Böse) and some years of silence OHL returned with a potpourri of new songs and re-recorded classics. The programmatic title Die Auferstehung ("The Resurrection") did not promise too much. The record fulfilled both requirements equally: it built a bridge to the band's angry past and it made clear that they also had something to say in the future. Nevertheless, due to the fact that we are not speaking about a regular album, this output has an exceptional position and it suffers from the typical flaw of a compilation. It is a full-length with a collection of single songs, but no album with a coherent arrangement of songs that belong together in a natural way.

Anyway, 19 tracks in 40 minutes are a statement and the old classics are shining in new splendor. The new versions of "Russen in Afghanistan" or "1. Oktober" sound different than the originals, but their merciless core has remained unchanged. And so, the newly formed gang confronts the listener with an overdose of short, fast and raging pieces. All the trademarks of the band show up, political awareness, authenticity, combativeness and integrity. "Bomber über Bagdad", one of the new songs, blatantly reflects the band's attitude which is based on the aforementioned pillars. Its provocative lyrics are hard to endure for anti-American extremists on the radical left or right side of the political spectrum.

Unfortunately, a small number of weak tracks has found a place here. "Gott und die Welt" still does not work due to its vapid guitar line and the repetitive structure. The somewhat shabby "Soldaten leben länger", a slow-moving piece, remains faceless and finally, don't hesitate to throw the closer in the bin. The cover version of a famous hit of Marlene Dietrich, a German-American actress and singer, is a foreign body in the portfolio of OHL.

Although the rasping production does not meet highest demands, the album cam rely on a solid sound and therefore everybody is well advised to lend an ear to Die Auferstehung. One gets a quick overview of the early works and more than a dozen pieces will make your pulse run faster. Lyric-wise, one might say that OHL are of minor relevance beyond the German frontiers, but in terms of music, there can be no doubt that Deutscher W. and his combat squad are very reliable, persistent and competent suppliers of punk-infected eruptions with a large share of metallic components. And albeit my OHL review series ends here, the next output is not long in coming. A four-track vinyl EP called Adrenalin will be released at the end of 2018. So, you better begin to listen to the orders of the Oberste Heeresleitung right now.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10