Like a tetanus-inflicted patient at the local ward, KMFDM were extremely reluctant to let go of their singular aggro-industrial pop vision. By the end, they had ground their molars down and all but given up with trying to inject their “KMFDM doing it again” mantra with any sense of enthusiasm. Close the studio. Power down the boards. KMFDM has left the building. What comes roaring back is MDFMK, a construct fabricated from Shotgun Messiah’s industrial riot guitar, Goldie-inspired jungle breakbeats, the Shirley Manson sex kitten growl, and Sasha’s insistence on lyrics that parade about as the battle cry of the technologically-savvy oppressed. (Just couldn’t let those go could you Sasha?)
As much as MDFMK handicaps themselves with sounds and structures that are completely ossified, they do manage to lift a few songs out of the burial mound where old, decrepit industrial acts go to be buried by using Lucia Cifarelli to great effect (try “Transmutation” and “Hydro-Electric”). And when they don’t, we get tired Depeche Mode pastiches like “Torpedoes.” Kind of ironic, isn’t it? While we’re on the subject of acronyms, at least we get to start the guessing game all over again. Let’s see…how about: Marginally Despondent Fan Mourns Kitsch.
Mark Teppo
