Review: KMFDM – 'Rocks – Milestones Reloaded'

KMFDM 

'Rocks – Milestones Reloaded' 

EARMUSIC 

Over 30 years, nineteen full-length studio albums and, more singles than an online dating website, KMFDM are undeniably one of the industrial rock scene's constants. It's no surprise then that with a wealth of material such as this under their collective belts, that Kapt'n K and his crew would revisit some classics once again. The band are no stranger to compilation albums, having only released a substantial greatest hits a few years ago, as well as several remix collections. And while 'Rocks – Milestones Reloaded' is a combination of greatest hits and remix album, it is more than that. It's a celebration and manifesto that sees reworked classics sat alongside more recent cuts as though they were a new studio album.

Opening with the self-referencing 'KUNST' from their 2013 outing of the same name the album hits hard and fast before slinking into 'Animal Out', also from that album. Superbly remixed versions of 'Light' and 'Son Of A Gun' originally from 1993's 'Angst' and 1996's 'Xtort' respectively follow on in suitably respectful but refreshed ways. The set list hurtles back into recent history with 'Amnesia' from 'WTF?!' which flows very nicely from Chant's remix on the previous track.

The phenomenal 'A Drug Against War' then powers into life – perhaps one of KMFDM's most perfect sonic statements it is close to the middle of the album as a centrepiece. 'Professional Killer' from the 'Hau Ruck' album and '(Still) Sucks' from 'Angst' appear in remixed form courtesy of Kapt'n K, with '(Still) Sucks' getting a brilliant makeover in particular. 'Free Your Hate' from 'Hau Ruck' immediately pulls the track list back into heavier territory, before the title track of 'Tohuvabohu' ups the electronic ante once more.

'WWIII' see's Kapt'n K take the reigns for another radical makeover, while Dope Stars Inc.'s Victor Love gives 'Krank' from 'WTF!?' a stomping club mix. The album is then finished off with remixes of 'Amnesia' and 'A Drug Against War' courtesy of Marco Trentacoste, both great mixes, but it would have been nice to get a couple of different tracks in there.

The production is of the quality you'd expect, or rather demand, of a veteran unit such as KMFDM. The reworked songs sit beautifully next to the newer cuts and everything sounds fresh, modern, and powerful.

This is a very strong selection of tracks, with a bit of a bias towards newer work, however if this were the blueprint for upcoming live shows you'd not be disappointed. The only real criticism is in including 'Amnesia' and 'A Drug Against War' twice when they could have made room for a couple of other milestone tracks. But the original's and remixes both hold their own really well, so it is a tough call.

This album is probably more likely to appeal to fans who are completionists, or as a primer for those new to the band. However, as a playlist it is fun, frantic, and shows off all of the band's different faces from across a good portion, if not necessarily all of their career.  

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Review: KMFDM – 'Salvation'

KMFDM
'Salvation'
METROPOLIS RECORDS

For over twenty years the acronym KMFDM has been indelibly written into the annals of industrial rock through a singular and dedicated level on conceptual continuity which most bands avoid. The band have stuck to their guns keeping the core of their ultra-heavy beat sound intact through musical fads, and forged an instantly recognisable image through their album art.

The band's latest release 'Salvation' is an EP of reworked tracks from the recent the band's 2014 full-length album 'Our Time Will Come'. KMFDM remix albums and EPs are great for the simple fact that the band's dedication to certain musical motifs means that the main albums are guaranteed to deliver a certain style and calibre of output from the band. Whereas the remix albums play fast and loose with the band's sound and is a great chance to get some outside talent to drastically overhaul their originals.

The EP opens with the anthemic title track which is as good an example of KMFDM's sound as you're going to get. The dance beats and hard guitar riffs power the track forward while the modern dance synths grab your attention, and Kapt'n K and Lucia's vocals entice you to sing-a-long with them.

The first true remix of the EP sees tour mates Chant give 'Blood Vs Money' a wonderfully rhythmic reworking that draws heavily on old school industrial influences. Mindless Self Indulgence give the title track an upbeat and bouncy electro overhaul that completely eschews the hard guitars in favour of club-friendly ebm. Next up is 'Brainwashed' which sees Kapt'n K gives his work an new sheen with a more minimalistic electro-industrial presentation. Dope Stars Inc. up the heaviness once again with a remix of 'Salvation' in their own cyberpunk image of hard electronic beats, dirty punk guitars and jagged synths. The EP is rounded off with another remix of 'Blood Vs Money' this time courtesy of Tom Stanzel which introduces some glitch elements to the rhythmic assault.

It would have been nice to hear a few of the other tracks on the album see the remix treatment, rather than stick to the same couple. But on the whole this is a nice EP that delivers where it needs to. Hardened fans and DJs will find this to be a must have, though new and casual listeners will find more meat on the source album.

KMFDM could be a band that sits comfortably on their laurels based purely on their 90s output alone. But they don't, and their high-quality full-length studio albums and the left-field remix albums are more than enough to define their relevance today.  

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Review: KMFDM – 'Our Time Will Come'

KMFDM
'Our Time Will Come'
METROPOLISRECORDS

Thirty years and more releases to their name than most bands will ever muster, KMFDM hit back with another slab of ultra heavy beat in the form of their latest studio album 'Our Time Will Come'. The first thing that is noticeable is the band have dropped the five-letter/symbol title theme that they have run with on and off since 1989 and gone for the longest album title since 1988's 'Don't Blow Your Top'. This is of course completely inconsequential though as the standard KMFDM motifs are ever present, from the album cover courtesy of Brute!, to the trendsetting combination of heavy riffs, hard beats and dance synths that the band have pioneered and perfected.

Kapt'n K and the crew kick things off with tongue firmly in cheek with 'Genau' as they roll through a lesson in German in their most club-friendly style. The band then bring things down a little more with the bass-heavy and brooding 'Shake The Cage' as Lucia Cifarelli lets rip on government surveillance. Songs such as 'Respekt', 'Salvation', 'Get The Tongue Wet', and 'Make Your Stand' carry on the up-tempo pace nicely and give the album the accessible and anthemic backbone that we've come to expect. Whilst songs like 'Our Time Will Come' and 'Playing God' are slower and more stripped back to show off the depth of the song writing and really allow the lyrics to drive things.

After thirty years of conceptual continuity, we all know what to expect from KMFDM. The production is great once again and still keeps the old Wax Trax! vibe alive and well, but the band continue to bring new sounds and styles into their arsenal and it continues to work.

The band may not be the cutting edge pioneers they once were but they are a fundamentally strong song writing unit. There are the hits that will get the most club play and space in the live set of course. But what KMFDM are best at is giving you the most bang for your buck, and once again you've paid for ten tracks and that's what you've got. No filler, no pointless segues or instrumentals, just decent KMFDM brand industrial rock. If the stars align there's no reason why they couldn't continue for another thirty years.  

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Review: KMFDM – 'We Are KMFDM'

KMFDM
'We Are KMFDM'
METROPOLIS RECORDS

In the world of industrial rock KMFDM need no introduction. The quintet have been flying the flag of “Ultra Heavy Beat” for thirty years now. Originally founded as Kein Mehrheit Fur Die Mitleid (No Pity For The Majority), an audio-visual art collective, they quickly began to experiment with a crossover techno-metal sound that yielded hits such as 'Juke Joint Jezebel', 'A Drug Against War', 'Megalomaniac', 'Anarchy', 'Hau Ruck', 'World War III' and 'Godlike' making them the pride of Chicago's Wax Trax! Records.

The band's line-up has revolved and they have relocated their base of operations several times in their history, but they have admirably always stuck to their guns in terms of conceptual continuity. Therefore its nice to see that to celebrate their thirtieth year in operation, the band have opted to release a live album compiling some of their greatest hits in all their in-your-face glory.

Old, well loved tracks sit comfortably alongside recent hits such as 'Kunst', 'Pussy Riot', 'Krank', and 'Rebels In Kontrol'. You can argue that the band's sound hasn't really developed much in their history. But that is missing the point. The band give their fans what they want and what they expect. And every new album still manages to sound heavy and fresh.

As far as live albums go, this is pretty solid. Sometimes they can be blatantly overdubbed or on the other end of the spectrum they can just sound sloppy. 'We Are KMFDM' sounds polished, but most importantly, it sounds live. The mixing is up to the same standard as you'd expect from their studio output, but it preserves the raw and visceral nature of the band's performance. The brief bits of banter and crowd noise add to the overall atmosphere but are perhaps a bit too subtle in their use merely book-ending each song and it would have been nice to hear some of the sing-a-long moments.

Live albums aren't to everyone's tastes. But for those who do like them, 'We Are KMFDM' is a safe purchase. Some of the band's greatest hits and their thirty-year experience as a live performance act come together for a slick and high-quality package that stands alongside some of the best live industrial rock albums from the past couple of decades like 'Last Tour On Earth' and 'And All That Could Have Been'.

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Review : KMFDM – 'Kunst'

KMFDM 

'Kunst' 

METROPOLIS 

Twenty-nine years KMFDM have been going, twenty-nine. For a bulk of that it has been the joke that their name stands for “Kill Motherfucking Depeche Mode” and it’s took them until 2013 to put that into a song!  ‘Kunst’, the title and opening track, is full of self-references and singing in the third person with an irritably catchy chorus of “KMFDM kill mother fucking Depeche Mode”. 

Yep, it’s another bout of ten stompy tracks from the German industrial pioneers, they’ve been around long enough that you know what to expect – but ‘Kunst’ is certainly an enjoyable opus.

Always ones to keep it topical, ‘Quake’ takes on a look at refugees, whereas ‘Pussy Riot’ is self-explanatory and ‘Next Big Thing’ draws parallels with the music industry.

Musically, their change has been slow rather than progressive – this hasn’t moved on much from the last few albums, stompy beats, punky electronics, primary focus on the rhythm of the track, dual female and male vocals – so it’s a safe bet. If you like KMFDM, you will probably like ‘Kunst’, just don’t expect anything fresh or cutting edge.

However, the strength here is they haven’t needed to put out something fresh or cutting edge, they know how to put together a decent tune and that’s what you’ve got here. Ten decent tunes. No big hits, no real sloppy parts, just ten decent tunes.

Listening to the album you can often hear hints from bands as diverse as Angelspit or Inertia, this being down to the mix and type of bands they’ve influenced. 

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