Gold Und Liebe

Plank again oversees an album from the duo, while the photo on the front of Gorl and Delgado in what looks like modified bondage gear maintains the sex theme well enough. Put it all together with song titles like "Sex Unter Wasser" (Sex Underwater) and "Absolute Korperkontrolle" (Absolute Body Control) and D.A.F. are tending that much more to the flesh rather than the mind. Things are just a touch less powerful than on Alles Ist Gut; opening track "Liebe auf den Ersten Blick" has a bass/melody combination that could almost be early Depeche Mode. Most of the time, though, it's only a slight difference by degrees, as pounding monsters like "Ich Will" and the instrumental build of "Absolute Korperkontrolle" demonstrate. Gorl's music generally still relies on his forceful percussion and sharp, cutting synth bass in combination, and Plank once again makes it sound fantastic. Additional touches surface throughout, and if Gold und Liebe isn't as immediately varied as Alles was, the subtler elements do provide variety. There's almost a lounge feeling to the vibey keyboards on "Sex Unter Wasser," while the rough military drumming on "Muskel" suits the song perfectly. Accordingly, one of the best songs has one of the best fusions -- "Goldenes Spielzeug," with a soft, chime/keyboard melody over a tough bass/drum beat, singing appearing only every so often during its length. Delgado himself, however sex-obsessed he might be this time out, still makes a strong frontman -- certainly, if you don't know German, you can just pretend he's ordering everyone to the dancefloor under pain of death or something similar. Gold closes out on a fantastic note with "Verschwende Deine Jugend," a full-on destructive beast in the "Der Mussolini" mode, and "Greif Nach den Sternen," a steady-paced, almost anthemic number with the trademark D.A.F. blend of brusqueness still intact. ~ Ned Raggett|