Verdict: 9/10
The term “industrial” is not something you often hear used in the mainstream media. It’s a style of music that retains a large cult following, but isn’t quite as well-known or appreciated by the masses. I feel that’s a shame, as there is a great amount of creativity to be heard that many people would likely get into if they only knew of its existence in the first place. German group KMFDM is among to the top of the lists of many fans of the genre, and for good reason. The band has now put out eighteen albums and doesn’t seem to show any signs of stopping anytime soon. Their blend of electronic sounds, heavy metal riffs, and vocals from male and female singers make them quite a force to be reckoned with. So how does the band’s latest offering stack up against the rest? Read on and find out.
From the opening track, and title track of the album, “Kunst,” the band immediately goes for a sense of nostalgia, putting up a fast and heavy song, with lyrics spanning throughout their entire career up until this point:
Juke Joint Jezebel, are you okay? / Help us, save us, take us away / Money, power, murder, blame / Ooh la la, not in my name
The band even references an old inside joke that people used to make when trying to figure out what KMFDM actually stood for. “Kill Mother Fucking Depeche Mode” was one of the classics, and the lyric is actually used in this first song. (For those who don’t know, KMFDM actually stands for “Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid,” which loosely translates to “No pity for the majority.”)
Fans of albums such as Symbols or Attak are going to feel right at home, between the similar structure to songs of the past, and lyrics that take you back to those key moments in the 90’s when the band was just starting to really break out. Here also lies what will be a problem for some, however. While it’s just as good and catchy as it’s always been, this album can also feel a bit recycled in a lot of areas too. This is not to discourage anyone from listening to it of course, but something that anyone looking to buy this should bear in mind.
The second track, “Ave Maria” is one of the band’s more dance-worthy inclusions, which continues the trend of making a more electronic song with a metal edge all at once. This is immediately followed by “Quake,” which has more of a house sound, combined with more fast paced rocking. Sascha Konietzko’s vocals sound excellent here.
“Hello” starts off fast and heavy, but quickly turns into a slower, more melodic track, helmed by Lucia Cifarelli’s haunting vocals. She goes from a beautiful soft voice, to screaming and powerful at the chorus, backed by some piercing guitar and drum work.
The following track, “Next Big Thing” is another return to classic form. Fans of the bands older material are going to get more out of this one. William Wilson has some strong and effective vocals, and the guitar work is among some of the strongest on the entire album. Fans of previous band member En Esch will get a kick out of this for the vocal nostalgia.
Lucia picks up vocals once more on “Pussy Riot.” If you don’t already know about the controversy surrounding the band associated with this song, I’d say it’s worth a read, as it is quite a serious situation they are currently facing, and I think the lyrics in this song represent just what caught our attention to this band in the first place:
Break out / Program superhero anarchy / Break out / We will defy your authority / We are who we are / What we believe / You have not seen the last of me
Following this, we get the fast-paced track, “Pseudocide.” This is one of the heavier songs on the album, and comes off with more of a straight-up hard rock vibe in the verses. The chorus is paced more like a standard metal track, which actually makes it more of a gem on the album in my opinion.
“Animal Out” is going to have a very familiar sound to many, harboring back to the sound of “Juke Joint Jezebel,” which made this band popular with so many in the first place. While not a unique track per se, it’s hard to find any kind of complaint about it at the same time.
The next song, “The Mess You Made,” is a collaboration effort with another industrial group, Morlocks. I’ve never heard of this band from Sweden before, but if this track is any indication, I’m sure that they are also a force to be reckoned with, and will be happy to look into their music as well. The “electro-metal” sound comes at full force in this track, while adding plenty of audio clips and other effects to help set the upbeat, but clearly dark tone that the song represents.
The final track, “I ❤ Not” closes things out with yet another chilling vocal arrangement by Sascha, who absolutely paints pictures with every word that comes out of his mouth. Writing the lyrics here wouldn’t do the song justice, as simply hearing Sascha perform them is something else entirely. This song also takes us back to the days where the band was not quite as guitar-heavy, and I think that’s just as welcome as the efforts of the previous tracks.
While far from unique, it’s hard to criticize a formula that clearly still works. This is a great jumping on point for newcomers, as well as old fans alike. This is definitely worth a listen, and can serve as a great tool for those who want to see what the whole “industrial” genre is all about.
By: Justin D.
Dissonant Geek 