KMFDM - XTORT
ALL YOU'LL WANT TO KNOW FROM KMFDM'S NEW ALBUM XTORT IS WHY THEY KEEP RECORDING THE SAME PUERILE ALBUM OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IT'S BEEN 100 YEARS AND FIFTY ALBUMS FOR THE GERMAN/AMERICAN ROCK SQUAD -- ARE THEY RUNNING OUT OF GAS OR WHAT? KMFDM AS A BAND DOES NOT EXIST, RATHER IT IS A CREATIVELY DRY MUSICAL COLLECTIVE CREATED TO BUY SASCHA KONIETZKO A BIG OL' HOUSEBOAT. AT LAST (OKAY, IT ONLY TOOK THREE MONTHS), KMFDM'S THREE OR FOUR FANS HAVE XTORT, WHICH DOESN'T FEATURE THE STINKY BRITISH GUY FROM LAST YEAR. THANK GOD! INSTEAD, SASCHA ROUNDED UP ALL HIS OLD FRIENDS WHO NEEDED MONEY AND PUT THEM TO WORK ON THE ALBUM, WHICH COULD BE SEEN AS A SORT OF INDUSTRIAL CHARITY (EXCEPT HE'LL RIP THEM OFF FOR PUBLISHING MONEY). WAX TRAX!/TVT IS QUITE AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN THIS RECORD AND THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO MARKET IT. HEY, SO WHAT ELSE IS NEW? STRANGELY ENOUGH, "DOGMA" HAS THE ONLY DECENT LYRICS ON THE ALBUM, THE REST ARE JUST PLAIN INSIPID. DEVOTEES OF THE A-B-A-B SCHOOL OF RHYME, KMFDM'S LYRICS ARE BANAL AND BORING, SUITABLE MORE FOR A T-SHIRT SLOGAN THAN AN ALBUM. AS ANNOYING AS "NA-NA-NA-NA-HEY-HEY-GOODBYE," THE SINGLE "POWER" YELLS ABOUT TEARS AND TRUTH AND FLESH AND BLOOD AND STONE AND OTHER WORDS SPELLED WITH JUST FIVE LETTERS. HEY, IT'S A SCHTICK! KMFDM CONTINUES TO NAMECHECK THEMSELVES IN SONGS BECAUSE THEY'RE UNDER THE IMPRESSION PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT THEM ("KMFDM -- MAKE MY DAY"). MANY SONGS ARE REWRITES: "CRAZE" IS BASICALLY "WARM LEATHERETTE" WITH A HORN SECTION, AND "IKON" IS NOW SPELLED WITH A LETTER K JUST TO BE OBNOXIOUS -- AND LET'S NOT GET STARTED ON THE DORKY HIDDEN LULLABY TRACK, IT'S POINTLESS. EVEN SASCHA EXPLAINS THE NEW ALBUM'S SOUND: "ON XTORT, WE THREW OUT THE BABY AND DECIDED TO JUST RAISE THE AFTERBIRTH."
KMFDM's brand of machine gun percussion and ferocious guitars twist together, as furious as Sumo wrestlers. Savage ultra-heavy beats crash in waves of noise as the sound of roaring heroes tangles with lustrous, glossy female vocals to create a sexually-charged sonic ambush. KMFDM is the cultural big brother to virtually every other band in the genre and just like their sound, hostile is the head that wears the crown. Named as an inspiration for bands from U2 to Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM's albums are the audio bluepring for dozens of artists who followed in their path, but you can still count on the godfathers to have a few aces up their sleeve.
KMFDM earned their big brother status over the last twelve years with seven albums that are a catalog of man's inhumanity to man, delivered in a revved-up gangster style. KMFDM is on a winning streak and follows the massive Angst and Nihil by raising the stakes with XTORT, soundscapes of all that is complex, hidden and corrupt. Jagged and edgy, with songs that roll fast and faster, XTORT is pure turbulence.
If you thought last year's "Juke-Joint Jezebel" was inescapable, prepare for the thunderous first single "Power," a rallying cry for the uncommon man. "Dogma" is the new manifesto of America's twisted priorities, a bitter indictment for the information age. They don't teach you this stuff in school and they never will. With their tongue firmly in cheek, they namecheck themselves and their discography on "Inane" ("Help us, save us, take us away - KMFDM make my day!"). XTORT even features the surprise of "Apathy's" punk rock backbeat, and a nod to Sascha's superhero alter-ego "Son of a Gun." The vengeful "Wrath" points a cryptic gun, keeping the liars in their crosshairs, but in the end KMFDM has the last laugh with a closing twist that will make you grin -- and hit repeat. 'Celebrate chaos -- get into the noise!'
More collaborators than special guests, XTORT features appearances by Chris Connelly, WIlliam Rieflin (both Ministry, Revolting Cocks), F.M. Einheit (Einsturzende Neubauten, Einheit/Brotzmann), and the return of their legendary cover artist Brute. KMFDM collectors take note, there are a few other changes in store for the band this year. "There will be no more remix singles," says Sascha Konietzko. "The original version is always the best and I'd rather focus on constructing new buildings than moving around the bricks."
Their appearance on four soundtracks (including the PLATINUM selling Mortal Kombat) brought KMFDM's unleashed chaos to new audiences last year, even scoring in Rolling Stone's top twenty readers poll. The band maintains a mammoth following throughout their long career as sly ambassadors to industrial, dance, alternative and metal. KMFDM's explosive live performances are legendary and their shows are considered "must sees" by fans and critics alike. KMFDM drops a sonic bombshell with this album that will make new converts beg "who's that?" and old fans smile. With XTORT, both have a new addiction.
If Nihil detonated your stereo, XTORT will push it clear off the shelf. With all pistons firing, it raises the din to fever pitch. The new album is the sound of a band at the height of their powers. For twelve years KMFDM has poured gasoline around the music industry -- XTORT lights the match.
"MUSIC IS CONTINUOUS - ONLY LISTENING IS INTERMITTENT." - THOREAU
"CHERISH POWER ... REMEMBER THAT STANDS IN THE BIBLE BETWEEN THE KINGDOM AND THE GLORY, BECAUSE IT IS WILDER THAN EITHER OF THEM." - EMILY DICKINSON
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