Review J.B.O. “Haus of the Rising Fun”

It’s impressive that the German fun metal band J.B.O. has been around since 1989. It’s also a fact that their albums regularly enter the German charts, and that’s not something that can be denied. So, there must be a very solid and established fanbase while J.B.O. belong to the bands you either love or ignore, and 2026 will not change a thing. The perception of the band and J.B.O.’s music doesn’t change nor develop.

For the 15th time, J.B.O. has metalized some non-metal songs, such as the title track, which undoubtedly builds on “House of the Rising Sun.” Combined with goofy lyrics, the song inspired the album’s name and showcases a band that doesn’t deviate an inch from its established trademarks.

Humor is an individual thing, with songs like the Powerwolf parody “Power sucht Wolf” and the Blasmusik-infused version of Rammstein’s “Pussy,” entitled “Bussi” here, fulfilling the expectations of J.B.O. fans. At the same time, “House of the Rising Fun” doesn’t surprise, and things get quite painful while listening to “Woke on the Smater.” One can only hope that Deep Purple never have to listen to this interpretation. “Am Arsch”, based on Desireless’ “Voyage, Yoyage”, is the title of the album’s closer and, ironically, a summary of what one has experienced during the previous 44 minutes.

“Haus of the Rising Fun” is the next chapter of J.B.O.’s musical clownery and the ‘house of the rising fun’ might need some renovation work to be done. What was once entertaining fun becomes predictable absurdity with an Oktoberfest flair. And as mentioned earlier, humor is subjective.