I think the title is understandable in English. It refers to the average length of a pop song, though that's about what each of the ten songs here manages as well. Kaptain Kaizen blisters along with Repo Man-era Iggy Pop sounds, but done down in a lovely early-90s Seattle lo-fi production. This sounds like Treepeople dismembering pop punk, and I'm totally down for it.

Kaptain Kaizen Fur 3 Minuten 11 (This Charming Man)

And yes, it's all in German, so you get no lyrical notes from me (like you were expecting some anyway? C'mon . . .). Just a blister-pack of punchy songs that skimp on melody but remain ever-kinetic.

The dim light of the production can be limiting. Kaptain Kaizen has mastered the smash and grab style, and it plays very well within the mushy sound. At a certain point these songs start to blend together, but that also seems like another nod to the early 90s.

For me, I'll always be happy to hear vocals shouted above a raucous din. There's something, um, charming about the constricted levels of the production. And in any case, all of this fits together quite nicely. Kaptain Kaizen keeps pounding, and my ears keep bleeding. All is well with the world.

Jon Worley