Review Summary: The real start of KMFDM.
Naive is one of the earliest releases from German industrial superstars KMFDM, probably the first album after their earlier experiments in cross-genre EBM to start focusing on proper industrial rock songwriting rather then floundering around the way they were on releases like What Do You Known Deutscheland? and UAIOE. They would have a run of impressive albums including Angst and their magnum opus Nihil up until around Xtort which was pretty terrible and saw the band leaning towards a mediocrity that would continue for the rest of their career until present.
This album is party music, for angsty nihilist types. I would consider it an early 90's industrial metal classic, and is perfect for a BDSM club or some shi' (not that I would partake in such activity <_<). Break out the whips and self loathing, alternative thoughts and culture has often been a theme of industrial music and KMFDM offers that sort of new perspective for those uninitiated. Take the lyrics of Light off of Angst, for instance.
KMFDM, doing it again, a treat for the freaks, truth of dare, are you ready for this, we don't care!
It wouldn't be a far stretch to imagine people with psychological issues are attracted to the messed up themes of industrial, the kind of trenchcoat wearing perverts who may or may not hang out in playgrounds wearing nothing underneath. Anyway, freaks need to party too and during the early 90's KMFDM were the best party band for freaks you could imagine. Naive is one of their classic, essential releases.
The album opens with Welcome, which starts from a bass swell and has a voice saying "Welcome to the world of KMFDM" over a beat. It's a good way to start the album, but its not until the female vocals of the title track Naive kick in (thats the way of the world, what you waiting for?) that the albums settles into a very dance orientated affair with some quirky electronic sounds and excellent low-key production. The song is perfect sex music. Die Now Live Later has a really percussive sounding rhythmic synth at the beginning, which has a kind of dorky, cheesy sound to it which is just awesome. Piggybank is one of the highlights, with its diesel injected bassline and nihilist lyrics (let me be a piggybank for nothing but your smell, if I had a shotgun i'd blow myself to hell) its a KMFDM classic. Achtung! is even better, the band showing a post-punkish feel to its repetitive basslines with a sinister german voice singing Achtung over and over. Liebesled samples Carl Orff's O Fortuna, and the few remixes are fun. Go To Hell! is probably the last awesome track off here, with a ***kicking cowboy of a feedback intro riff it's simply great.
Naive is an early 90's industrial metal classic from an act that had a string of awesome albums, and would probably still put on a live show. Still, I would tread carefully with anything after Xtort.
