Review Summary: An overall great album for the dancefloo- Wait, this is KMFDM!?
"Opium", "What Do You Know, Deutschland?", "Don't Blow your Top", and "Uaioe" are their earliest albums and show they are trying to find there sound. "Naive" and "Money" brought them attention to the Chicago Industrial scene. There sound was found on "Angst" but was perfected on the classic "Nihil", and "Xtort" followed the same formula, but was rushed. Now we get...
ExplosionDeathBombSpiralFist?
Ok, first off, what do you call it!? Most fans refer to it as "Symbols", but couldn't they can't find a 5 letter word? or call it "Waste", "Unfit", or "Mercy"? I think "Mercy" would've fit the artwork best. wouldn't you agree with me?
On to the music itself this album is pretty good... if it was by someone else. From the first track, "Megalomaniac" you can tell that this album will continue with that sound. minimal guitar, breakbeats, and heavy synths. Believe it or not, this is what their early work was like too. "Symbols" is just an updated version of that.
To be fair, this album does have its shining moments, but are balanced out by the low points, Overall making it mediocre. "Megalomaniac" and "Anarchy" being the albums highlights, "Torture" and "Unfit" both being its low points. and then there are songs that are very good ("Stray Bullet" and "Split Sperm"), on the fence ("Mercy") and songs that just straight out annoy you ("Leid Und Elend"). At the end of the album, "Waste" is a pleasant surprise and kicks you right in the ass... My god, the whole album should've sounded like "Waste". That would have been awesome. But no, KMFDM just gave us a overall mediocre, dancefloor friendly album which, dare I say, was released at the right time.
Remember back in the late 90's when electronica was 'the next big thing'? It even says it in the Allmusic review! Fear Factory released a remix album titled "Remanufacture" which turned their hard ass music to a video game soundtrack. Actually, some tracks from that and "Symbols" were on the video game "Test drive 5" along with "Pitchshifter" and "Gravity Kills".
Back on topic, and to conclude, this album isn't great, nor is it horrendous. This album is just a disappointment coming from the previous years effort, "Xtort" and the classic "Nihil". But when you think about it, its a pretty damn good dance album. Besides this isn't as bad as their next album two years later...
