Itä-Saksa has always been interesting, even though the band's debut, Let's Kompromise, was disappointing since it seemed to be only half finished. However, Man the Machines fixes this problem: The whole album relies on metal-ridden industrial, and there aren't any quiet moments at all. Every song has a catchy riff and, as with the previous album, the overall sound is clean and rich. This doesn't mean that Man the Machines is meant to be poppy; Itä-Saksa still has a punkish and humorous attitude. Extremely noisy and slow songs have disappeared, however. This might seem like a good idea but, as heavy as Man the Machines sounds, it can still be quite monotonous at times, initially impressive because of its catchy, heavy riffs but unfortunately wearing out the listener's interest. Nevertheless, Man the Machines remains a great album, without a doubt the best of the first two Itä-Saksa albums. ~ Antti J. Ravelin