Funker Vogt – Blutzoll / Collector’s Edition (Album – Repo Records)
Genre/Influences: EBM, Dark-Electro.
Format: Digital, 2CD.
Background/Info: Together with Repo Records Funker Vogt moved on revisiting the band’s back catalogue. “Blutzoll” was originally released in 2010 by Synthetic Symphony and Metropolis records (for the USA). The “Collector’s Edition” features all original songs plus bonus disc with remixes and the EP “Arising Hero”. Three previously unreleased remixes have been featured as well. Back in time master mind and ‘machine man’ Gerrit Thomas was still accompanied by Jens Kästel on vocals -and the band’s original singer.
Content: No true surprises for the fans of the band but a remastered edition getting us back to this album. “Blutzoll” was the tenth studio album by Funker Vogt revealing a band in good shape, mixing EBM and Dark-Electro with the easy-recognizable bass lines, sequences, rhythms and arrangements of Gerrit Thomas and the harsh vocals of Jens Kästel. The first disc features next to the original “Blutzoll”-album the EP “Arising Hero”. The bonus disc brings us back to an impressive list of remixes and extra songs. Remixes were accomplished by FGFC820, Rotersand, Dopestars Inc, Vigilante, Eric Van Wonterghem (Monolith), Faderhead, Die Krupps, Punto Omega, Noblesse Oblige, Komor Kommando and Mortiis. One of the previously unreleased songs is a “2021”-version of “Terroristen”.
+ + + : Thirteen years after the original release this album still kicks ass. It sounds in the purest power tradition of Funker Vogt and featured great songs like “Arising Hero”, “Genozid”, “Terroristen” and “Bloodthirst”. Among the remixes I especially want to mention the diversity of the versions but as main attention grabbers the Komor Commando-remix of “Arising Hero” and the totally EBM adapted “Fire And Forget” by Die Krupps. The song “Urban War” was a cool bonus at this bonus disc and the song still kicks today.
– – – : From a very personal view I would say “Blutzoll” wasn’t exactly the best Funker Vogt-album in history and probably one with the least ‘hits’.
Conclusion: This is a great work for the world wide fan basis of this legendary formation.
Best songs: “Genozid”, “Arising Hero – Club Mix”, “Terroristen”, “Ariusing Hero” + “Arising Hero – Factory Mix by Komor Kommando”, “Fire And Forget – Die Krupps Remix”.
Rate: 8.
Artist: www.funkervogt.de / www.facebook.com/officialfunkervogt
Label: www.reporecords.de / www.facebook.com/pages/Repo-Records/119590774857404
About Funker Vogt
Funker Vogt is a German EBM and Dark-Electro band built around core member and producer Gerrit Thomas, formed in the 1990s. The group has worked with a series of singers over the years, including original vocalist Jens Kästel, who fronted the band for “Blutzoll”, its eighth studio album, released in October 2010 on Synthetic Symphony and Metropolis Records. Chris L. later took over vocal duties for three albums before Bastian Polak, also known from Intent:Outtake, joined for 2024’s “Final Construct” on Repo Records. Repo Records reissued “Blutzoll” as a remastered 2CD Collector’s Edition, pairing the original album and the “Arising Hero” EP with a bonus disc of remixes and previously unreleased tracks.
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