Several bands
have tried to merge electronic music with Metal but Oomph! are one of the
true pioneers of this concept. Often shelved in the 'Gothic' pidgeon-hole,
this music has always been particularly popular in Germany. Sure enough, the
lyrics of Oomph!'s songs are prevalently in German, their mother tongue. In
"Truth Or Dare" the band attempts to make their music more widely accessible
by reoffering a selection of their repertoire...with English lyrics.
The quality of
the songs vary and sometimes the ‘translated’ version don't always work,
such as in 'Sandman' and 'Burning Desire', the latter featuring L'Ame
Immortelle, another Electro-Goth pioneer. On the whole, however, these
versions are quite good. 'Song Of Death', for example, is haunting but
captivating. 'Crucified' is also one of the better songs and is highly
reminiscent of Rammstein, on whom Oomph! were an important source of
inspiration.
What probably
sets Oomph! apart from other Electro-Metal bands is a strong focus on
songwriting skills rather than atmosphere and this is perfectly epitomised
in this collection.