KMFDM ‘Rocks – Milestones Reloaded’

Back in 1984 Sascha Konietsko’s “performance art project” became Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid, quickly abbreviated to KMFDM.

KMFDM pioneered the crossover between techno/dance and heavy metal, creating their unique sound in the field of Industrial Rock. This latest release ‘ROCKS’ is a personal ‘best of’ compilation by KMFDM protagonists and masterminds Sascha Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli, who claim the re-imagined, re-mixed pieces would be an ‘ideal playlist for a live set’.

The group’s first couple of albums lacked any real direction and jumped haphazardly between Hard Rock & Metal mixed with Industrial and Indie & Alternative mixed with Goth & Industrial with neither direction getting the backing of the critic’s and the buying public. Maybe it was the political stance this group took, their lyrics are pretty fierce and alienating if you do not agree with their philosophy. Whatever the reason was behind their limited success, it wasn’t for the lack of creative talent and hard work.

Maybe touring the USA with Ministry to promote their fourth album UAIOE had helped them finally nail down their musical direction. The band moved full time to the USA in 91/92 and quickly became a part of the Chicago industrial music scene that included Ministry. For those of you who have never heard the band, think of Senser mixed with Rammstein and you get the picture.

‘Naïve’ was the album that finally broke the group, soothed the critics and gathered the fans. The music had become more listenable, though the lyrics could still cut you down at forty paces, this time it was a pulsating back beat and driving heavy metal guitar riffs that made people sit up and take notice.

So what we have here is the bands favourite tracks, taken from their 19 albums spread over the last 32 years, should they decide to play live again, having not done so since 2015, and then only in the United States & Canada.

‘Kunst’ and ‘Animal Out’, both from the 2013 album, Kunst hit you hard with the heavy sampled beats and  crushing guitar riffs, a great use of synths drive these songs along at a breakneck pace.

‘Light’ and indeed, most of these songs follow the same format, an opening sample, an industrial backbeat, and then a crunching guitar riff layered on top.

What is different about this “Best Off” release is that KMFDM have given us their music but as mixed by other producers, in fact there are only six original mixes on here, and these must have been cleaned up. One is credited to the drummer Andy Selway, Three are credited with the bands multi-talented singer Sascha Konietzko, two to Marco Trentacoste, one to Victor Love and one to Krank, who supported them on their last two tours. Out of all these I feel that Marco Trentacoste’s remix of ‘Amnesia’ is the stand out track on here, it’s very unforgiving, almost bleak in the story telling. Makes you stop and think, and that is what KMFDM set out to do all those years ago.

TRACKLIST

1. KUNST
2. ANIMAL OUT
3. LIGHT (Remix by Andy Selway / KMFDM)
4. SON OF A GUN (Remix by Bradley Bills / CHANT)
5. AMNESIA
6. A DRUG AGAINST WAR
7. PROFESSIONAL KILLER (Remix by Sascha Konietzko / KMFDM)
8. (STILL) SUCKS (Remix by Sascha Konietzko / KMFDM)
9. FREE YOUR HATE
10. TOHUVABOHU
11. WWIII (Remix by Sascha Konietzko / KMFDM)
12. KRANK (Remix by Victor Love)
13. AMNESIA (Remix by Marco Trentacoste)
14. A DRUG AGAINST WAR (Remix by Marco Trentacoste)

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