by Jim Harper
With his third release, Germany's Rudy Ratzinger (aka Wumpscut) seems to have abandoned his characteristic brutal techno in favor of sample-driven mood pieces, with minor chords and ambient washes predominating. It's good that Ratzinger's style is continuing to develop, but it may leave listeners wondering where the passion and energy went. Songs such as &Witches' Dance& recall the industrial noise of Wumpscut's earlier releases, but much of the material on Eevil Young Flesh is more sedate and atmospheric. It's not a total failure -- &Deadmaker& and &I Want You& are solid tracks -- but it doesn't match the intensity of the previous albums.