ENERGIE PROGRAMM IN ROCK

''Vampire state building'' was the only document left by Alcatraz for many years, as the band apparenty faded out, reputedly because of inside arguments and the fact that the members should fulfill their military obligations.However, entering the second half of the 70's a revived Alcatraz appeared with original members Jan Rieck, Klaus Holst and Rüdiger Berghahn but no Klaus Nagurski or Ronald Wilson.Instead Ed Schulze took over the bass duties.A second album, ''Energie programm in Rock'', was recorded during March 1978 at Eulenspiegel Studio, released privately the same year.

Times had changed completely since the early-70's and the same thing occured with Alcatraz'es style, facing the dawn of the 80's.No jazzy saxes or flutes anymore, while the instrumental passages are quite limited.The band focused on creating a satirical Kraut Rock with many styles blended and lots of vocals, split between sung moments and narrations with a humourous edge.The basic value of the album remains a pounding and heavy Kraut Rock music with an edgy guitar sound and plenty of raw grooves and solos, but there are quite some different elements popping up here and there, hurting the overall consistency of the work.Some dated bluesy electric offerings, lots of funky bass lines and questionable use of synthesizers at moments.The humurous vocals either work nicely along the music's tastes or sound totally amateur without any particular color.Some lighter textures closer to typical DeutschRock are also present with cliche song structures, still a couple of Hard Prog tracks with notable guitar moves and very good bass work escape mediocrity, reminding of the old'n'good moments of the group.

Another German Kraut Rock obscurity, which however does not deserves full praise.Lots of flat, satirical rock material, few decent and even fewer really good pieces result a work destined to sufficiently please only die-hard Kraut Rock fans...2.5 stars.