"Mülheim Asozial" sounds like good old, gritty punk, doesn't it? Yes, that's true. The name doesn't promise too much; here you get some really great, in-your-face German punk, and the singer has a really gritty and quirky voice that somewhat resembles Knochenfabrik. Still, it's a completely unique style, and the lyrics are fantastic as well. They also make me happy by including a self-made, DIY-style copied booklet with their demo tape, so you can sing along nicely. By the way, the band doesn't come from Mülheim an der Ruhr, as many might think, but from the Cologne district of Mülheim. The same "Assi district" is also honored with the opener "Mülheim bleibt dreckig!" The guys feel at home in their neighborhood, with their spoiled meat döner and fine-rib-wearing canned beer buddies! And let no one say that German punk doesn't have varied lyrics; MA tell the sad story of "Kevin," the eternal loser, and in their band anthem "Mülheim Asozial," they drag themselves through the mud, admitting that they don't master any instruments and are anything but a band. I just say Asdöfkjfiafd, a new word ;-) The song "Bier gegen Bullen und Deutschland" is my personal earworm and has the potential to be a real punk rock hit!!!! MA know how to pack a lot of irony into their lyrics and tackle the issue of all the scene splitters in the song "Anders als wie Du," whose "drugs from the chemical factory are probably much more crazier than me." It's really great how you take them all to task. "Kneipe" and "Kotze" are also some very cool recommendations for your next "Just-For-Fun Drinking Session." The booklet also mentions that the recordings were made on a Saturday between 2 PM and 6 PM; if they mean that seriously, then someone has to try to replicate that, haha! As bonus tracks, there are also 3 very good live recordings, including "Skandinave" with a nice, varied ska interlude! The tape is from 2010, and supposedly there will be a new record this year; let's hope so!
So, if you're into good old German punk and want to skillfully avoid post-traumatic neuroses from too much pop nonsense, I can highly recommend both the band and a very nice concert venue at the construction trailer site "Schöner Wohnen" in Cologne.
Contact the band, where you can also get the demo CD: muelheimasozial@gmx.de
