Never count KMFDM out, okay? For example, even as longtime fans we found ourselves a tad wary when it came to the upcoming ENEMY release as that usual excitement that accompanied an unexpected announcement of new music from one of our favorite Electro/Industrial artists yielded nothing more than a whimper from our camp. That’s not to say that the band are inconsistent or deliver anything but the best each time. Maybe it’s that they’re so good at doing what they do that we worry they might get stale. Well, having heard the ENEMY in full we can safely say that we have no fear of that outcome coming true anytime soon.
“ENEMY” and “OUBLIETTE” are a one-two punch which starts off KMFDM’s 24th (!!) record in a dynamic way with the title track offering a steady shredding that’s a little more subdued but still filled with KMFDM rallying cries while “OUBLIETTE” is a fierce standard with Lucia Cifarelli’s lush vocal delivery leading toward a gorgeous chorus. “L’ETAT” is a mechanical stomp and a stern reminder that KMFDM is still an Industrial monster as Käpt’n K (That’s Sascha Konietzko for all you unaware kids) spews out lyrics in French, drummer Any Selway provides that stomp in question and new guitarist Tidor Nieddu lays down some hypnotic riffage with “VAMPYR” serving as a nice counterpoint on this sultry Electro number led by Cifarelli that really rips.
“YOÜ” has a LOT going for it. Firstly, it features the daughter of Lucia and Sascha, Annabella Konietzko, singin’ her ever loving heart out in one of the catchiest KMFDM earworms in recent years and if that wasn’t enough the track is also her KMFDM songwriting debut! What that means is that fans get this new school Techno/K-Pop amalgamation still in the KMFDM realm which, when it comes down to it, could easily have been apart of peak old school ’90’s albums like Nihil or Symbols. “OUTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL” is another Industrial-laced crusher with Nieddu getting to show off with these lush flourishes throughout, “A OKAY” is playful and, back to the ’90’s, the new dub version of “Stray Bullet” aptly, ahem, dubbed “STRAY BULLET 2.0” flips the script taking the fiery Symbols track into freewheelin’ jam out territory.
Deeper in ENEMY, “GUN QUARTER SUE” is one cool cucumber that’s a relentless sonic clobbering following one giant red herring of an ambient intro which all leads to “THE SECOND COMING” and a bold offering that hearkens back to the very beginnings of KMFDM with this spoken word/Art Punk closing track.
ENEMY is out through Metropolis Records on February 6th. Pre-orders are live now and you can secure yours by heading here or to the stream below. For more from the progenitors of The Ultra Heavy Beat, including deets for the just announced rescheduled European tour, hit the interwebs and click here or here.