KMFDM is a band that needs little introduction. One of the few originators of Industrial Music still releasing tracks today, they’re nearly legendary in some circles. My own wall of CD’s is weighted down by a hefty KMFDM section, each one wrapped in their distinctive, striking artwork, and each one well-worn, well-played, and well-danced-to. Now go ahead and add Krieg to that list. An album of remixes from their last disc, Blitz, Krieg is an exploration through the throbbing hallways of electronic/industrial dance, blending in some serious crush of metal admist it’s incessant bop and beat. Now, any album of remixes is always a dicey bag. Rarely does a mixer bring something new enough to a track to outshine the original, and often, depending upon tastes, can really muck the whole thing up. Simply adding a faster beat behind a track doesn’t make it better, it just makes it . . . faster. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Fortunately on Krieg, it works more often than it fails.
“Strut – Disco Balls Mix,” in particular is just a killer freak out of buzzsaw metallic guitar slicing through a non-stop, got-the-boogie-in-me dancefloor rave-up beat. Toss in the percolating synths and a dancing good feeling and this one’s got us bouncing off the Ripple walls. As ballsy as that mix is however, just wait until you hear what Tommy Victor of Prong lays down on “Bait and Switch – Sacred Cow Mix.” The Prong man brings all the metallic tendencies of the German noisemakers right to the front, including massive, verse ending harmonic runs, and keeps the industrial dance beat kicking and screaming. Anyone who’s ever wanted to know what truly danceable metal sounds like, here it is.
But don’t go thinking this whole disc is a rampant mirrored-ball metal terror. “People of the Lie – Requiem Mix,” is devastating in its slowed intent, haunting in its execution and mesmerizing in it’s result. “Never Say Never – Confessional Mix,” thumps and pounds at it’s mega-BPM rave pace, while the other mix of “People of the Lie – Crooked Illuion Mix” brings a late-night, post-XTC downtempo vibe to the party, without losing any of its hypnotic effect. “Davai – Bloody Fog Mix,” pounds with a German harshness sounding like something that could’ve been on the last Rammstein album.
Of course not all the mixes work to my taste, but that’s expected. I like the heavier ones, the more buzz saw slashes through the dance crowd versions, rather than the more straight-ahead trancey ones. Pop Will Eat Itself’s “Bitches – Pop Will Eat This Mix” is just too straight ahead techno to be of interest to me. But as part of the larger whole, it still works. This is an album of power and groove. Of pounding intensity and rhythm. KMFDM fans have nothing to fear here. People curious about the band have lots to discover.
Me, well, I’m done typing. I got me some dancing to do.
--Racer
Buy here: Krieg
Buy here: blitz
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