Former GQ ‘Man of the Year’ Helmut Geier recently told ITM that Teufelswerk (that’s ‘Devil’s Work’ to you and me) encompassed his “whole life… whole musical experience and… whole knowledge about music and life.” With a reputation that precedes him and a confession of artistic exhaustion after his Teufel’s purge, I was keen as a razor to check out his grand double disc opus, so let’s rip off the packaging and get into it.

Teufelswerk is split into two concept discs – Night and Day. The former opens with the stunning U Can Dance complete with Bryan Ferry vocal and pounding techno drum. Sounding like Bowie during his Berlin Trilogy era and with more than a shade of Kraftwerk’s Trans- Europe Express, this is a conscious tribute to 70s German electronica. A burning synth plays out hypnotic discotech melodies to create a fantasy creature that sits nonchalantly where Fischerspooner really should be in 2009. Unpretentious and substantial, the track thickens into a blend of Chicago and Detroit influences and immediately outlines Hell’s intentions.

The aptly named ode to the experimental ambient sound of Hell’s fatherland Electronic Germany pounds by urgently before Diddy’s distorted voice preaches about playing motherfuckin’ 20 minute versions of tracks over a shivering wail and spastic drum in a jackin’ afterhours number. The Disaster is my pick of the disc, as Hell takes on the role of master storyteller. A ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ score, this track transforms from melodic playful euphoria into a dark cavernous tech-house burner after a creepy synth throbs in and disturbs the picturesque scene sublimely. Bodyfarm2 is a creepy motherfucker, as a sinister mad professor plays a discordant organ between time and a disquieting vocal has me checking that my doors and windows are locked. Hellracer squeals by with dangerous intensity and acidic Beltram energy flashes before the intelligent pulsating tech-house of Wonderland plinks along bringing Hitchcock to mind . Hell’s symphony of nachtmusik closes on Friday, Saturday Sunday as the air raid techno pumps relentlessly towards the finish line.

After a cup of camomile tea in my Lion King mug, I feel mentally prepared for the Day offering, although something in me has changed forever. Germania kicks off the second half with a minute of eerily vacant sounds which echoes away into a futuristic thriller theme which is at once sparkling and intense. One of the best on the disc, this throbbing extraterrestrial is incredibly artistic and plays out like a wonderful movie score, think Vangelis’ Blade Runner triumph without exaggeration. The Angst is a two part track which is reminiscent of Radiohead’s folktronica with a melancholic guitar and piano duelling with an almost indiscernible wailed lyric. Darkening towards the end, this gorgeous track ebbs away before Hell cleanses the palate with a pair of short pastoral interludes notwithstanding menancing carnivalesque undertones.

I Prefer Women to Men Anyway is a ballsy wallshaker which hits with mechanical military precision, as dark and industrial hazards are shaded by glimmers of melodic hope. Day ends on the wonderfully passionate pairing of the dystopic cosmic unravelling of Hell’s Kitchen and an exquisite zippy interpretation of a 1972 Hawkwind track that undulates unto itself like a dying Leviathan.

Teufelswerk is a wonderfully constructed concept album that for once actually functions in a coherent manner. Longtime fans will recognise the unprocessed blends that make up Night, with Hell tripping from dynamic pounding techno to Krautrock and jackin’ New York funk without ever suffering an identity crisis. ‘Day’ is an experimental tour de force, fusing ambient soundscapes, kosmiche music and rich narcotic glitter with familiar Hellish brutality. Teufelswerk scared the shit out of me, it is immersive and sensory torture which offers a glimpse of the grotesque carousel spinning inside Hell’s mind. That boy’s not right – turn this shit up!

Find the tracklisting for Hell’s Teufelswerk below…

Disc 1 – Night:
1. U Can Dance (Featuring Bryan Ferry)
2. Electronic Germany
3. The DJ (Featuring P. Diddy)
4. The Disaster
5. Bodyfarm2
6. Hellracer
7. Wonderland
8. Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Disc 2 – Day:
1. Germania
2. The Angst & The Angst Pt. 2
3. Carte Blanche
4. Nightclubbing
5. I Prefer Women To Men Anyway
6. Action (Interlude)
7. Hell’s Kitchen
8. Silver Machine (Hawkwind cover)