Review Summary: Despite some shortcoming, WTFIWWYP is one hell of a ride. Highly energetic and highly profane, even a few problems can’t keep this monster down.
Powered by pulsating beats, trashy lyrics, untamed aggression, and bucket-loads of profanity, WTFIWWYP showcases Combichrist’s EBM sound in full force, and even some lacking songs can’t keep this monster down.
Everybody Hates You, Combichrist’s 2005 album, received praise for it’s old-school aggrotech style and addictive club-hits, but improvement was needed if Andy Laplaua wanted to keep his momentum going.
What the F**k is Wrong With You People delivers on that need, and in many ways. Lyrics now play a more prominent role on this album with exceptionally harsh vocals, which thankfully keep the profanity from sounding cheaper than it is. the sound, still simple in execution, has more layered depth and sophistication than EHY, but much of the album is very minimalist, a risky approach, but ultimately successful, thanks to Andy’s great knack for producing infectious hooks.
Not surprisingly, the focus here is split between the clubs and the stage. Tracks like ‘Electrohead’ and ‘Adult Content’ are high-energy tracks primed for the dance floors, but some intense moshing seems more appropriate for songs like ‘Get Your Body Beat’ and the album’s (almost) title track ‘What the F**k Is Wrong With You’. The sheer amount of sonic energy that the songs carry can send anybody into an energetic frenzy, and that is something that many expect when listening to Combichrist.
In an interesting move, ‘Shut Up and Swallow’ retains some faint elements of terror-EBM, and the excellent track ‘F**k that S**t’ bears a progressive flow that is incorporates incredible changes in melody during the last minute. However, this song’s structure and flow is laughably identical to the EHY track ‘Like to Thank My Buddies’.
Sadly, however, not everything is perfect. Some of the later tracks like ‘Give Head if You Got It’ and ‘All Your Base Belong to Us’ seem to have got less attention than they should have, and ‘In the Pit’ sleazy beat barely saves it’s uninteresting lyrics.
Tracks ‘Red’ and ‘Deathbed’ try to mix things up by shunning the EBM formula altogether by removing a four-to-the-floor beat, prioritizing lyrics, and adding metal-sensibility to the pacing. ‘Brain Bypass’ is an interesting but forgettable attempt at ambient industrial-electro that sounds a lot like one of those shitty science lesson videos your high school biology teacher played (only this time you might actually learn something).
One noticeable aspect is the profanity. In case you couldn’t guess, this album is drenched with gallons of profanity. This inclusion isn’t as damning as it may seem thanks to the quality of the songs, though there is no doubt that it’s a cheap. In fact, the profanity helps point to some of the hidden overtones of somewhat sinister intent, which lends the album this crazy, demented feel to it. It’s as almost if the album title is directed at one’s self, instead of others. (But I digress)
Oddly enough, the profanity is higher in the songs that sound better (but that begs the question: is the song good because of that great synth-line or the endless stream of F-bombs?). Thankfully, that dry sense of humor that Combichrist is know to have is still intact, but the humor often takes a back seat to rage, for better or worse.
But, the quality of the undeniably songs is strong; this album could have been instrumental and it still would deserve praise.
Despite some shortcoming, WTFIWWYP is one hell of a ride. Highly energetic and highly profane, even a few problems can’t keep this monster down.
