Artist: DIE KRUPPS
Album: THE FINAL OPTION + THE FINAL OPTION REMIXED (2CD DIGI)

Release date: 1993-94/ 2011
Media type: CD

“During the production of the album it became clear that this was not only going to be a bold step for the band musically, but also a big step for the audiences on both sides of the musical spectrum! The question was, would the fans be ready for this yet?”

Luckily they were! For Juergen Engler it was a logical progression to incorporate guitars into DIE KRUPPS music. Having played in Germany's first Punk band MALE, then founding the Industrial Electro outfit DIE KRUPPS in 1980, and moving on to produce Thrash/Speed Metal and Crossover bands for his own record label, he felt it was time to combine two, at the time, seemingly contrary musical styles: Rock and Electro. It was clearly the Zeitgeist. This melange was to be called Industrial Metal some years later, which DIE KRUPPS helped to establish in the early 90s.

On the search for open-minded Metalheads, Engler would run into Rock Hard magazine writer Marcus Schleutermann, who, after telling him about his friend Lee Altus of recently disbanded Bay Area Thrash-band HEATHEN, established contact between the two musicians. What came out of their meeting exceeded the expectations of all parties involved. The album 'The Final Option', and the following single releases 'Fatherland', 'To The Hilt', 'Crossfire' and 'Bloodsuckers' all did well. By having the big music TV channels put videos for these singles on heavy rotation, DIE KRUPPS was helped to reach new audiences. 'To The Hilt' even made it to No.2 in the MTV European Music Video Awards. After performing some shows in England, the British press agreed with the new direction the band was taking, and hailed DIE KRUPPS as the future! After 'Stahlwerksinfonie' was named album of the week in the British NME, and the follow-up 'Wahre Arbeit wahrer Lohn' the single of the week in the NME in the early eighties, DIE KRUPPS had managed again to convince the foreign press of their role as innovators. Mission accomplished!

Having befriended many fellow bands throughout the years, and gaining the respect of many others, many of these artists were willing to contribute to the remix idea. It was supposed to be the ultimate crossover. Bands from all different directions and genres remixing DIE KRUPPS music, and creating a never been before crossover of musical styles in the months to follow. Bela B. of famous German band DIE AERZTE remixed his track working overnight before headlining one of the biggest festivals the next day. Charlie Clouser of NINE INCH NAILS, which DIE KRUPPS had toured with the same year, was enthusiastically engaged in the process of doing his remix. Lee Altus brought in his friend Jim Martin, former FAITH NO MORE guitarist, to contribute. Hardcore band BIOHAZARD even shot a video for their remix of 'Bloodsuckers', which was edited together with the original video for the song. It proved to be the biggest selling single in DIE KRUPPS history. Even Andrew Eldritch of THE SISTERS OF MERCY did two remixes, and so did F.M. Einheit of EINSTUERZENDE NEUBAUTEN, a band that used to compete with DIE KRUPPS over who was the first to release a pure Industrial noise album (they released the first single, but DIE KRUPPS beat them by releasing the first album). The track on 'The Final Remixes' album that catapulted the band into the Rock club charts was CLAWFINGER's remix of 'To The Hilt'. It was a smash! It really achieved the goal of bringing the scenes together. From now on the DIE KRUPPS audience was mixed. Short- and long-haired fans would celebrate the band side by side in unity. It was like the wall had come down a second time, there were no more boundaries, and all separation was abolished. This was the real triumph! It meant more than the chart success of the 'Final Remixes', it truly made history! And it paved the way for things to come.

TRACKLIST CD 1:

1. Crossfire
2. Language Of Reality
3. Bloodsuckers
4. Fatherland
5. To The Hilt
6. Iron Man
7. Inside Out
8. Paradise Of Sin
9. Worst Case Scenario
10. Shellshocked
11. New Temptation

TRACKLIST CD 2:

1., 2. Crossfire
3. Language Of Reality
4., 5. Bloodsuckers
6. Fatherland
7. To The Hilt
8., 9. Iron Man
10. Inside Out
11. Paradise Of Sin
12. Worst Case Scenario
13., 14. Shellshocked
15. New Temptation

1 remixed by Jim Martin of Faith No More
2 remixed by White Child Rix of Gunshot
3 remixed by Charlie Clouser of Nine Inch Nails with Mick Cripps
4 remixed by Bela B. of Die Дrzte and Gordie
5 remixed by Evan & Billy of Biohazard with beats by DJ Lethal of House Of Pain/samples
by Donald „D“ The Syndicate Sniper
6 remixed by Andrew Eldritch of The Sisters Of Mercy
& Rodney Orpheus of The Cassandra Complex
7 remixed by Jocke Skog & Erlend Ottem of Clawfinger
8 remixed by Sascha of KMFDM & Chris Shephard
9 remixed by Philip Boa & M.D.Moses
10 remixed by Jeff Walker of Carcass
11 remixed by Luc Van Acker of Revolting Cocks
12 remixed by White Child Rix of Gunshot
13 remixed by Aaron Aedy of Paradise Lost
14 remixed by F.M.Einheit of Einsturzende Neubauten
15 remixed by F.M.Einheit of Einsturzende Neubauten