Title:Attak By: KMFDM Released by: Metropolis Records Released on: 4/02 Rating (out of 10): 4 Date: 05/14/2002
Attak by KMFDM
Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid follow up their Boots EP in 2002 with the full-length release of Attak, their first full-length (as KMFDM) since disbanding in 1999. There are a lot of things that can be said for KMFDM, a dozen different opinions ranging from blind adoration to disgusted intolerance from die-hards within the industrial music subculture, but the one thing that cannot be disputed regardless of who might be talking about KMFDM or where is that they are nothing if not consistent.
In many ways, this is a testament to the lifespan of a band that could be easily labeled as the single most successful alternative act ever to come out of Germany and one of the most successful industrial acts ever. KMFDM definitely stick to a formula; I’ve heard many people describe the music that the band makes as “Industrial 101.” Indeed, if you’re looking to dabble and experiment with the genre of industrial music, KMFDM is a great starting block to get a feel for what might be waiting for you out there. Industrial music, however, is a dynamic creature that doesn’t sit still for long, always hungering for the further evolution of itself. Few industrial outfits can float in the tempest that is the industrial scene without growing, changing and pressing forward. KMFDM, however, seems to be the noted exception to the rule.
In the opinion of many critics, KMFDM is a one-trick pony. Some say that KMFDM is stuck in the figurative tar pit of the “good ‘ol days” of Wax Trax!, and that the best work they ever did was done under the tattered flag of a now defunct label. Honestly, a lot of KMFDM’s work sounds like a lot of their other work. There are glaringly obvious similarities between many of the band’s tracks that span over several of the band’s fifteen some-odd albums. While I roger this sentiment, and while I too have been guilty of rolling my eyes while Naïve or XTORT play throughout their campy entirety, I also hold the opinion that while a lot of KMFDM’s stuff sounds a whole lot like other KMFDM stuff, no one sounds like KMFDM other than KMFDM.
I won’t lie by telling you that the majority of what you’ll hear on Attak is not more of the same where KMFDM is concerned. This CD was recorded as per the formula that die-hard fans are both familiar and comfortable with where their beloved band is concerned…but there are some distinct changes in regards to how that formula was worked. In some respects, you can’t really slam on a band that sticks to their guns where their sound is concerned; they’re making marketable music for a fan base that supports them. If Attak sounds a little like Adios, which sounds a little like XTORT, which sounds a little like Angst, which sounds a little like (insert KMFDM album here,) then the fans who pay the band’s bills are most certainly going to come back for more. I quickly discovered that not every track on Attak is as predictable as I had initially thought…but most were.
For newcomers to the band, you’re going to get a treat. Part of me wishes that I’d never heard KMFDM before Attak, and that if I hadn’t, I would have enjoyed the CD much more than I did. The other part of me finds myself smiling at some of the more subtle changes that have been worked into the tried and true KMFDM method; the tracks “Save Me,” “Superhero” and “Sleep” showcase some of the talent that has found itself crystallized within the rank and file of KMFDM’s war machine over the years rather than beating a dead horse for the entirety of the album. On the other hand, tracks like “Urban Monkey Warfare” and “Yohoho” are just shy of absolutely ludicrous. How many tracks can a band write with their own name contained within the lyrics? Ask either Queen Latifah or KMFDM…
If you’re a fan of the act, then odds are you’ll pick up Attak on principle, pick the track or three that you love the most and add yet another piece of Brute’s cover art to your fantastic collection. If you’re familiar with the band but not one of the devout, Attak is a decent return album for a band that’s notorious for their very predictable industrial-strength bark and bite.
Working from the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” mentality, KMFDM have returned for better or for worse, rallying the masses with a new set of hard-driving war cries that aren’t all that different from yesterday’s, but different enough to be entertaining while somewhere short of inspiring.
