KMFDM - Angst
Angst is the seventh album released by German industrial act KMFDM, the follow-up to 1992's
Money. Up until this point the band had flirted with fusing several styles of music with their own unique tongue-in-cheek brand of industrial and electronica, powered by drum machines and synths hard rock, metal, funk, EBM, disco, hip-hop and even reggae influences found itself weaved into the groups work. It wasn't until 1990's
Naïve that the experimental side of the band would give way and the group started to find their collective niche, however it wasn't until
Angst that the group started to prominently use the distorted metal guitars which would find them lumped squarely in with the early industrial-metal wave of the 90's with such artists as Ministry, Godflesh and Nine Inch Nails.
Unlike their despondent contemporaries however, throughout their entire career KMFDM has maintained a sense of sly humour about themselves. Though their lyrics dwell in the anti-social, often political themes that industrial groups tend to find themselves drawn towards the group don't overdo the melodrama and in between all the restrained aggressiveness keep a sprightly, vibrant, almost cartoonish approach to their affairs. Much of the music on Angst leans towards decidedly upbeat dance music rather then the cold seriousness of industrial-metal, but the fusion of both has led me to create a tag I often give to this group or anything that instills a similar feeling of dwelling in unhappiness but still wanting to have fun: party music for nihilists.
Opening track
Light makes this clear from the outset, the fusion of thrash riffs, disco drum machines and female backup singers is initially cheesy but after several listens reveals itself as a completely infectious listen. This style of music is common to many of the songs on
Angst as the band constantly namedrops itself in it's own lyrics, something the group would find themselves doing a lot of -
Quote:
KMFDM/doing it again
A treat for the freaks, truth or dare
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Quote:
Call 1-800, accept no imitation
KMFDM, one world, one nation
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What this amounts to is often nonsensical but spirited rhymes that come off as being playful and tongue-in-cheek, perhaps to the detriment of the group for some but otherwise adding a lot of fun to the proceedings.
Drug Against War follows a similar theme, the riff amped up in speed which sounds awkward at first wrapped around a simple, consistent drum pattern. Eventually it comes together with the distorted vocals, samples of gunfire and snazzy leadwork into one of the best songs on the album, the delivery of the lyrics lampooning and championing at once the negative, anti-social themes typical of this sort of music by presenting them as nonsensical brilliance.
Quote:
Television, religion, social destruction
Sex and drugs, violent seduction
Crystal dawn, ecstatic explosion
Parental advice leads to mental erosion
Stronger then never, ever before
KMFDM is a drug against war
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Blood (Evil Mix), and
Glory are the two most politically charged songs on the album, the first more of a war cry mantra -
Quote:
Try To Wash Off Blood With Blood
Think No Evil
Do Without Doing
Know Without Knowing
Get Without Getting
Go Without Going
The Hard And Strong Will Never Surrender
The Hard And Strong Will Never Surrender
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The latter much more detailed regarding the left-wing stance of the band -
Quote:
Oppression, ignorance, censorship rule
Education is more than what's taught in school
Forced in the mold, held down by threats
Decisions are made over our heads
But there is a way to refuse and resist
We don't need to be ruled with the iron fist
We are the people, we are strong
Let's make up our minds and call them wrong
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Elsewhere
Lust,
No Peace and
The Problem are a change in pace providing some more electronica orientated affair with more extensive use of the female vocalists, still keeping the guitar but using it much more sparingly. Whilst these three songs may be considered the weakest on the album (I personally enjoy them, however) where the rest of the album really shines is in
No Glory and
Hole In The Wall. A slow burning build up,
No Glory works it way from humble beginnings into an emotionally charged epic with stellar lyrics, rhythm and leads in between electronic sampling which I would consider the centerpiece of
Angst.
Hole In The Wall is more in the vein of the other songs i've detailed on this album, providing slick riffs and some anthemic lyrics to boot it is one of KMFDM's best.
Angst is a great album for many reasons, however it takes time to appreciate the sense of humour KMFDM weave into their act and if you are expecting a complete focus on abrasive, angst-ridden sounds going in you might be best checking out Skinny Puppy or Ministry. The band is best when not being taken seriously, however despite the sly humour present in cuts such as
Light and
Drug Against War the proof is in the pudding with songs like
No Glory that the band can pull off sincerity.
I'll leave with a quote from
Sucks, which I think sums up the philosophy of the band well -
Quote:
You might think we're stupid but we're way above it
We don't give a *** and the kids just love it
We wouldn't sell to a major for a couple of bucks
No doubt about it, KMFDM sucks
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