Hanzel und Gretyl

Cannibalization, child abandonment, witchery — it’s no wonder the story of Hansel and Gretel, a truly grim fairy tale, appeals to musicians who embrace the dark side. Like Rammstein, the goth juggernaut Hanzel und Gretyl combines robust riffs that require no translation with inherently frightening German vocals. Singer Vas Kallas adds some English, Italian and French to the mix as well, and the coed group shifts styles more often than it switches tongues. Some less-than-perceptive listeners detect fascist leanings on its latest album, Über Alles, but satire-savvy sorts realize that songs such as “Third Reich From the Sun” shouldn’t be taken too seriously. Voodou, another industrial-strength, female-fronted act with a sharp sense of humor (it titled its debut disc Your Basic Evil Black Squadron), opens the show.