In 1981, the Cologne punk band Cotzbrocken released their first studio album “Jedem das Seine” on the influential independent label Rock-O-Rama Records. This album is still considered one of the highlights of the German punk rock scene of the early 1980s.
Cotzbrocken formed in Cologne in the early 1980s and were among the pioneers of the German punk movement. Their raw, aggressive music and provocative lyrics quickly earned them a reputation as one of the hottest punk bands in Germany. With their debut album “Jedem das Seine” from 1981, the band presented a stroke of genius. By today’s musical standards, it may seem a little “rumpy”. But it remains unforgettable for every true fan of this musical genre.
Social criticism and black humor
The record is characterized by a boisterous, energetic attitude combined with a good dose of social criticism and black humour. The songs deal with topics such as conformity, capitalism, militarism and the West German affluent society of the post-war period in an extremely biting and sarcastic way. Songs such as “Wir wollen keine Penner sein”, “KZ” or “Das wahren Leben” are convincing due to their directness and brash snottiness. On the sampler “Die Deutschen kommen” (The Germans are coming), the boys add three more songs, some of which are said to have been recorded with a different line-up.
Disaster sounds pressed into vinyl
Musically, the album “Jedem das Seine” moves between dirty punk rock and “we’re just learning to play instruments”. The “production” by Herbert Egoldt in Cologne’s “Studio am Dom” also gives the songs an extremely raw and immediate sound. The members celebrate their rejection of the West German society of the time with almost vomit-inducing guitar riffs and correspondingly catchy vocals. If the slogan “No Future” could ever be described by a music album, then it would probably be best described by these catastrophic sounds pressed onto vinyl.
Cotzbrocken remained true to their roots
In its own way, “Jedem das Seine” was one of the most influential German punk rock albums and, then as now, inspired listeners with its authenticity and minimalism, but also with a certain “real satire” in the lyrics and the dilettantish joy of “playing”. While punk became increasingly commercial in the 80s, Cotzbrocken remained true to their roots – and disbanded a few years after their debut LP 😀
Important “contemporary witness”
The record is often cited as an example of a miserable production by Rock-O-Rama Records in its early phase, but it still manages to impress with its “charismatic aura”. Anyone who has heard this album once will definitely not forget it. Cotzbrocken channeled their anger and frustration completely into this album, which makes it listenable to this day and is an important “contemporary witness” of those years when all you had to do was hold instruments accident-free and you needed a message that was just radical enough to make every philistine hold their breath – mission accomplished! For some, a timeless cult album that has lost none of its relevance to this day.