KMFDM sucks! The heavily processed vocal snarls on the into loop. Yup, still going strong after 30 years, the technoindustrial juggernaut that is KMFDM are as abrasive and irreverent as ever, kicking off their commemorative live album with a teasing snippet of their 1993 single.
Title track from last year’s long-player, ‘Kunst’, with its refrain of ‘Kill Motherfuckin’ Depeche Mode’ and a compendium of KMFDM titles making up much of the lyrical content – Sex on the Flag, Drug Against War, What Do You Know, amongst others, against a relentless guitar chug again demonstrates the band’s humorous side, a self-referential parody of the distictive – but oft-imitated – KMFDM sound.
‘We Are’ is housed – of course – in a cover designed by Aidan Hughes, and does feature a fair few tracks from more recent releases - ‘Pussy Riot’, ‘Ave Maria’ and Animal Out’ represent ‘Kunst’, ‘Amnesia’ is culled from 2011’s ‘WTF?’ and ‘Potz Blitz’ is lifted from 2009’s ‘Blitz’. But with a vast back catalogue, it’s pleasing to see a track listing that does generously span their career.
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Of course, it’s very much about the ultra high-tempo, the superabrasive, the relentless power, the hard beats. Nothing wrong with that: it’s what KMFDM do.
Being a live album, it’s clearly geared toward the band’s substantial and loyal fanbase, but sonically, it’s impressive. It may lack some of the detail of a studio album, but the clarity and separation is exceptional. The act the album was recorded and produced over three years and three continents and mastered at Abbey Road Studios is likely to be a significant factor in the shape of the end product, but its gratifying to know this is anything but a quick cash-in stop gap, and instead shows a band striving to put out the best live album they possibly can.
KMFDM Online
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