Review by Felix on June 17, 2026.

It doesn’t matter whether you take a look at the cover, the pictures in the booklet, or the sweet appearance of Chotzä’s lead singer. The visual “aesthetic” is repulsive — even more disgusting than the acoustic impressions. Honestly speaking, I would be happy if it were the other way around. Anyway, here comes Negu, Nietä, Schtachudrath, the fifth full-length of the sick Swiss bastards. Its title means “Nails, Spikes, Barbed Wire”, and it contains eleven tracks. While the first song — which is definitely more than just an intro — offers completely unexpected yet fantastic sounds, the remaining pieces reflect the band in their pure form.

Maybe the album is a step backwards in the sense that the slightly more mature approach of Pächschwarz does not reappear here. Some tracks show that Chotzä still have a weakness for punk-affine elements, and the same applies to a song title like 'Susi Suizid'. What a pun! This kind of stupidity smells of punk.

The bigger picture reveals a strategy focused on vehement, yet not entirely brutal material. Perhaps Chotzä know where their real strength lies, because a mid-paced track like 'Ir Autschtadt' belongs to the highlights of the album. Without a doubt, the song does not lack fast sections and terrorising vocals, but its most memorable element is the keyboard line that gives the chorus an almost dignified elegance. 'Missgeburt' is another nearly smoothly flowing killer. Its casual guitar line and mid-tempo approach form a more or less conventionally structured track. All elements work together, and despite its almost radio-friendly design, the track still radiates absolutely filthy vibes. But this is no surprise — the band’s entire universe seems to be covered in layers of caked-on grime, and this is one of their biggest strengths.

The dense and relatively straightforward production does not change this impression. The provincial dialect in the lyrics, combined with the boozy vocal delivery, is enough to make Chotzä seem antisocial to the core. A track like 'D’Hymnä' spits in the direction of the listener, who suddenly finds himself wiping two litres of snot off his face. To avoid misunderstandings, the surprise is not caused by the snot itself, but by its quantity, and of course by the disgusting, slimy green colour that suddenly gives the face a rather unpleasant new appearance.

Negu, Nietä, Schtachudrath connects songs that could easily have appeared on the previous album, Baphometamphetamin, with more rocking pieces like the title track. This is not a problem in itself, but a bit more clarity in the overall direction would have been welcome.

At the end of the tracklist, we find two very different songs. On one hand, Chotzä blow the listener away with the 37-second eruption 'Chotzä Vo Bern'. Is this a representative of the next generation of Nuclear Assault’s 'Hang The Pope', only in instrumental form? At least it is just as brilliant as that legendary classic. On the other hand, 'Schlangä' strikes a surprisingly melancholic note. Naturally, this is a form of melancholy infested with mental vermin. Nevertheless, it is an unexpected ending to an album whose first proper track, 'Lagg, Läder, Latex Schlampä', suggests a far more direct approach.

In the end, three conclusions can be drawn. The new album is definitely not a disappointment. The stylistic variations are not extreme, but somewhat surprising after Pächschwarz. And finally, despite many strong tracks, there is no song here that can dethrone 'Schtächzähni', my all-time favourite from Chotzä.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10