KMFDM – "Let Go"
Yeah, they're still going at it
23 albums in 40 years. You gotta hand that to KMFDM, not only being one of Germany's longest-running industrial metal institutions, but probably also the country's most productive band in the genre. In fact, I thought for once I was relatively well caught up, but it turns out the last LP I heard outta these guys was "WWIII" – from 2003. And since then, they've put out 10 albums to date.
Well, shit.
Judging by the positive press that "Let Go" has garnered, KMFDM are, apparently, just hella sticking to their guns and being consistent. And sure, if the band's continued use of Aidan Hughes' iconic cartoon/woodcut/Bolshevik propaganda album cover designs is any indication...
However, I was a bit disappointed upon hearing that opening title track, centered around the same cadence all the way through and seemingly written as a dumb, deliberate party starter. This is not why I ever dug KMFDM.
But things progress. "Push" has more of a jagged edge to it, featuring some metallic start/stop riffing, gang shouts, and slap bass. The eerie, laid-back EBM of "Next Move" is reminiscent of early Nine Inch Nails, which is only a positive thing in my book. Hell, in anyone's, ideally.
It's not very impressive or creative, but of course, that's not what it's supposed to be, either. It's rather an expression of musical nihilism – just like the band itself has its roots in underground activist art rather than actual music.
There's more metal riffing going on in the uptempo, riot-enticing "Turn the Light On" and the somewhat Rammstein-like "Erlkönig". But what makes especially the latter interesting is the creepy tonal interchange between major and minor, accompanied by a modulation to blues pentatonic.
And this is where KMFDM are at their best: When they're not trying to write rock songs, but aim for atmosphere. "Airhead", for example, hits the perfect spot between a streetwise attitude and a dark neon cyber night. Also "Touch", with Lucia Cifarelli's vocals front and center, is, more than anything else, an equal parts solemn, yet alluringly sexy foray into the territory of the Depeche Mode which KMFDM once so randomly claimed to dislike. (Once jokingly referring to their name as an acronym for "Kill MotherFucking Depeche Mode").
Things don't remain interesting all the way throughout. There's some welcome dynamic range between the verse and the chorus in "When the Bell Tolls", but other than that, things remain at a pretty static level. And that ending, almost dub-like remix of the title track of aforementioned "WWIII" is superfluous.
Like many another KMFDM album, "Let Go" isn't at all bad within its genre. But that doesn't make it memorable, either. The primary feature in a lot of the song sections consists of percussive electronic frequencies turned up and down. It's not very impressive or creative, but of course, that's not what it's supposed to be, either. It's rather an expression of musical nihilism – just like the band itself has its roots in underground activist art rather than actual music.
Once again, the results are according: It's solid if you're hella into the band. And if you've ever dug any kind of industrial metal, you should be fairly well entertained for these 45 minutes.
Rating: 4 out of 6
Genre: Industrial metal
Release date: 2/2/2024
Label: Metropolis
Producer: Konietzko + Cifarelli (at least I'm just gonna suppose so since they're producing all their albums)