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Review Summary: Shaking out of control. A big role in KMFDM’s successful first era played the revolving cast of contributors who helped Sascha Konietzko, En Esch and Günter Schulz shape each album. The main sonic formulas were tested early on, however, during the peak years the diversity others brought in offered the extra spice the ultra heavy beat act needed. As the band reformed and settled on a line-up between 2003 and 2016, they gradually got engulfed into a reliable yet ultimately draining comfort zone. When KMFDM was reduced to a trio, for better or worse, things audibly started shifting. The electronic elements became more prevalent, whereas the metallic guitar riffs took the backseat. Also, current guitar player, Andee Blacksugar displays a considerably lighter approach, leading the songs into hard rock territory. Regarding this, the straightforward and fun banger “BLACK HOLE” is perhaps the best example on HYËNA. Then, from the smooth Eurodisco infused title track, to the short punk ditty “BLINDFACE” or moodier cuts such as “ALL WRONG – BUT ALRIGHT” or “IMMORTALLY YOURS”, they offer a string of various and interesting blends. The latter two share a darker tone with Turkish lyrics & Middle Eastern touches and slow burning melancholy, respectively. For this latest effort, the group decided to follow the current trend of producing shorter albums, keeping it under 40 minutes. I enjoy the trimming, since it maintains a certain urgency and dynamic flow.
Despite these pluses, HYËNA often falls short of expectations due to rather dumb motives. Unfortunately, for each tight number there is a throwaway too. The electro-hillbilly stomp of “DELUDED DESPERATE DANGEROUS & DUMB” is head-scratching to say the least. Its separate intro, “DÉJÀ VU” only adds to the nonsense. Meanwhile, as much as I enjoy KMFDM doing dub, “In Dub We Trust” feels as if Spotify jumped to some VA reggae playlist all of a sudden. The song is nice, but on a Peter Tosh album maybe, not here. Moreover, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Monster” samples the band’s excellent early tune “Virus” beat and verse, complete with rap sections. If they consider this a remake of the respective track, I’m happy it’s vague enough to be seen as a different thing, unlike the pointless Megalomaniac 2.0 (labeled as “Megalo” on 2019’s Paradise). The remaining material is pretty much what you would expect: the obligatory, self-hyping intense intro “ALL 4 1”, as well as “KMFDM doing it again” on “Liquor Fish & Cigarettes”, but less pumping than the former. I am totally open to Sascha & Co. experimenting, but things got a bit out of control on HYËNA. If they can streamline their ideas into a more cohesive sequence and stop remaking older cuts, they will definitely come up with a strong LP again.
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Album Rating: 3.0
Wanted to write something about the album, because it's quite polarizing. Half of it is great, half not so much. Objectively, I would have rated it 2.5, but 0.5 goes to the fact that they are trying something else.
Stream here -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-H5jzqpycc&list=OLAK5uy_nhknRbc0Tv_ytXJUc2IktilZIoDtJtwjw&ab_channel=KMFDM-Topic
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Keep saying I'm going to get more into this band as a fan of industrial metal. I like Angst and Nihil, but my ape brain can't get away from poppier shine of stuff like Rammstein.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
This album is lighter than their usual stuff. Eventually, try Hell Yeah if you wish to. It's not that heavy and has some nice melodic bangers.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Thanks. You should check this album some day when you have the patience for it. It took me by surprise when I first listened to it although I read the sound offs here.
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
Well, I guess I have to listen to this now.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5
I didn't listen to paradise so that with its follow-up it might make an album worth of good music.
Well it seems I'm going to wait for the next one.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Thanks. They are going through some weird times now, but I hope things settle a bit and release another great record.
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
Oh lawd, it's pretty bad. KMFDM can usually pull off cheese but this is 90s German cop show theme song bad. Guitar is so damn lightweight.
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
Man, this actually made me sad. I'm gonna go listen to some Pitchshifter instead.
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I can’t even fathom being together for 40 years and writing 22 full albums, plus EPs, etc. Eventually you gotta put out some not-so-good material.
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cool cover
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I'm a big KMFDM fan. They have been more hit or miss lately. I really dug Hell Yeah. Paradise definitely has some good songs, but some filler as well. Sadly, this one has some bad songs. It lacks intensity and urgency. They tried to up the creativity, but this one is just too soft.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
They should team up with Tim Skold again for an album at least. He should bring some new ideas to the table.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Yeenus
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Agreed. I listened a couple of times to his latest record, a lost album from 2002, Dead God. The tunes are not bad, but his vocals are so flat they sometimes make things worse.
I still enjoy Blitz more than most of KMFDM's post-2002 stuff.
I listened to Shotgun Messiah in high school, around the time he was in Marilyn Manson. Violent New Breed was a great album, it kind of sucks it went pretty much unnoticed, don't know why. It was the right time industrial metal bands to get some traction.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Yeah, plus the band quit right after it. Maybe if they gave another shot after Violent New Breed, it might have had better results.
| | | Album Rating: 3.0
Probably.
I saw him this year on tour with Front Line Assembly. It would be nice if they used his riffs for the next record. It's been a while since they've been heavy.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
I am not a KMFDM fanboy, but think that they haven't put out a truly bad album. Despite much belief that their post 90's work is somehow "not essential", i always found some good moments here and there. Yes, they are stagnating, but not as bad as some other cult artists with overly long career. If anything, "WWIII", "WTF?!" proved that they still can evolve, so does HYENA. It constantly tries to spice things up with it's sound - many modern KMFDM albums severely needed that. Yes, it strives from industrial too much (come on, KMFDM have been doing that on 85 % of their LPs), but, most of all, it presents strong song-writing diversity with punchy mastering, albeit by rehearshing certain ideas from Nihil, Adios, Symbols & even UAIOE. Lyrics are still englufed with sharp-wit counterculture. Current guitarist unleashes sonic powerhouse, he can play in different styles depening on a song. Some tracks symbolically reflects the HYENA title with vaudeville aesthetics, which adds some shades to the usual KMFDM's satire. Genre-juggling is insane. From funky hip-hop & 80's punk to electro-industrial & DUB. However, the main downfall of this album is reusing the same tried-tasted tropes of these various genres, not to mention that most of them have already been explored on the afformentioned releases. IN DUB WE TRUST, for example, is basically a DUB version of Trust from Nihil. The title track is reminiscent to the Symbols song-writing. Reggae/Dub-alike overtones are from UAIOE and Adios. Even the starting sample was taken from Skold Vs KMFDM.
| | | Album Rating: 3.5 | Sound Off
"Tim Skold's problem is his vocals suck. If he picked up a singer for his solo stuff, it would be pretty good. Speaking of Tim Skold, anyone ever listen to his first band Shotgun Messiah way back in 1993. Their last album was more Ministry than the electro-industrial he does now".
Skold sure is a weak vocalist, but there was always that fatalistic note in his voice, which suits well nearly all the themes he coveres up in his songs. I like his distinctly gothic punk aura and consider this sort of "cold monotomy" as smth similar to singers like Nico. For me it's just a different kind of approach to your usual vocals. Though on his more aggresive releases the lack of dynamics can drag the sound down indeed.
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just saw them live in Chicago, they were great
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