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KMFDM

Our Time Will Come

Written by: BW on 30/09/2014 23:27:02

Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid (“No Pity for the Majority” in loose English). In all honesty I’ve always wanted to know what KMFDM actually meant. I know they’ve been around for ages (1984 if you want the start date, albeit with a brief break for three years near the millennium). From a listening point of view I’ve heard them on and off over the decades, but this is the first time I’ve stood up and had a proper listen to a new release. “Our Time Will Come” comes out only a year after “Kunst” which doesn’t leave much time in the way of getting new material out there for most, but it certainly looks like the German band have a plethora of stuff to bombard us with.

With many giving them the tag of being the main protagonists of Industrial Metal, KMFDM certainly haven’t lost their heritage. As soon as you listen to “Genau” you get that lovely staple diet of electro drum beats, sumptuous guitar playing and some nice melodic stuff thrown in there as well. The opening gambit does sound a bit creepy, but other than that it is VERY catchy. The premise of the track has a similar feel to Rammstein’s “Amerika” in that it lists almost everything (good and bad) associated with Germany.

As a whole the album does lean both ways towards both Rammstein and Combichrist, but it seems to do things a little more subtle than both. There aren’t those really deep and intense guitars from one side and although the synth stuff can get really substantial, it does it in a way that doesn’t seem to consume the whole record in a top heavy method. the way this is done is that it seems to shift the priorities from track to track.

“Blood Vs Money” for example seems to be more electro than guitar, with the axes only really scraping the surfaces during the chorus. This is also giving the vocals a chance to seep through and produce a good dance-ridden effort. This is usually counterbalanced by the heavy guitars hitting their sweet spot when they need to, which is on major show in “Respekt” or as I like to call it, “The first guaranteed single from this album”. It is one that will fill floors on any given weekend. It has pace, liveliness and everything a full on metal club would ask for and it delivers it in spades. This time though, in the main chorus work the guitar seems to take more of a centre stage and really helps to hit the song home. Don’t underestimate the whirrs and whistles during the rest of it though, as there are some really cool noises echoing from all corners.

I think overall there are about two or three songs I could pinpoint as single release potential, but the rest seem to have a different feel. Some really do slow right down and are almost a cross between Nine Inch Nails and Goldfrapp in the sum of their parts, but it seems to work well for the most part. The one time I feel it doesn’t quite hit it is in “Our Time Will Come” where it sort of creeps a little slower and almost horizontal in it’s execution. It does feel like it needs a kick up the ass a little, and as much as the main section does give that a go the verse work comes back in and just drags the life away again.

The rest of the album though is a very solid affair and is the perfect tonic to get yourself ready for a good industrial night at the weekend. With the exception of that one song it all feels well put together and doesn’t seem to get dragged under by much. I think since Rammstein took a back seat and Combichrist went a lot heavier than ever it has kind of left a space for someone to manipulate and keep for their own. KMFDM have done that pretty well and as long as there are no serious new contenders to that throne, they could well have the Industrial/Electro scene all to their own (in case anyone is thinking, I class NIN in their own group)

The anthems are in there in “Salvation”, “Respekt” and “Playing God” as well as some slightly off kilter tracks to move it around a bit (“Brainwashed” and “Shake the Cage”) and not forgetting the quirky opening of “Genau” which leaves this as a very well-formed album for those who like a bit of computer work with their tuneage. As I say it is a solid effort and is on par with some of their earlier work. The fact we have both safety and a little risk involved means that they don’t shy away from taking the odd risk here and there, which is commendable. They also like to throw in some really mental noises in the most random of places, but they still work.

If I had to be a bit of a major critic, I would have to say that I’d like more guitars in there, but that is more a personal preference rather than a fault of the album itself. Besides, anything that can get away with taking the mick out of their country of origin by adding some soul into screaming “GUMMI BEAR!!” deserves plaudits for that alone.

If you are a fan of their older work you will see enough of a similarity to keep you wanting to listen to this for a while, but there is also a place for the new generation. Much like the band, the style has had a few facelifts here and there and it is things like this that keeps fans old and new interested. There is also a slight hint of the political mixed in there too, but not so deep that it drives people away. It is accomplished and maintains a high standard for most of the ten tracks that we are given. “Our Time Will Come” is a good example of what is right about the genre and will stick in your head more than you may think.

Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid? More like Knockout Music From Dynamic Musicians.

Download: Gunau, Respekt, Playing God, Shake the Cage
For The Fans Of: Combichrist, Rammstein, Nine Inch Nails, Goldfrapp
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 14.10.2014
Metropolis Records