Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By KMFDM, Sony Music 2018.
Industrial rock and Germany go together.
If you think back to bands like Kraftwerk you’ll know what I mean.
KMFDM are one of the best exponents of this musical form that is around at the moment however they are better known outside their homeland than within it.
They have a particularly large following in the USA but they’ve also got plenty of fans in Japan and Australia as well.
This album was recorded live during their extensive 2017 tour of the USA.
Live In The USSA (mirror shades of the Beatles there) perfectly captures the manic energy and intoxicating rhythms the band have become famous for.
The album features a diverse selection of six songs from their latest studio CD, Hell Yeah, and six of their classic, ultra-heavy beat hits from earlier releases.
KMFDM are trailblazers that have carried the torch for industrial rock for more than 25 years.
They have created a unique sound that’s a mix of techno, Dance/trance rhythms and heavy metal and in doing so have influenced the direction that many heavy metal bands, such as Rammstein, have taken.
Rhythm is the name of the game.
Drums are front and centre with complex overlapping and counterpoint rhythms driving the music along.
Interestingly enough there is also melody provided via overdriven guitars and keyboards.
Vocals are harsh metal, not death metal but heavy all the same.
It’s an interesting mix of sounds and I found it more interesting than straight metal.
The song subject matter is pure heavy metal as the song titles suggest: Rebels in Control, Total Machine, Burning Brain, Glam Glitz Guts & Gore, Shock etc.
If you’re into heavy rock or metal then I think you’re going to like this album.
It’s something a little different.
