Hau Ruck Review
Maine Campus CD Review Spot

The Like, KMFDM

Vocalist Sascha Konietzko, speaking about the album in the liner notes, says that "Rather than on previous recordings, this time around we didn't bother with guest appearances and other decorum. Instead we made the record that was long burning under our own nails." This process included Konietzko's ditching nearly all of his digital synths and sound modules, replacing them with 70s and 80s analog synthesizers.

As for the results? Utterly staggering. Not only is it catchy as hell, but it is quite certainly the best overall industrial album to come out this year. The most surprising aspect of the album, however, is its tendency to sound more like Nine Inch Nails than KMFDM. The programming in "Hau Ruck" is worthy of its own individual praise.

The whole thing kicks off with "Free Your Hate," a fast-paced march that the devil himself would enjoy. Here Sascha reminds us that "Silence is golden / Ignorance bliss / Better off not asking / What you'd rather forget! ." From the crawling beat of "You're No Good" to the deep groove of "Professional Killer," and even the Marilyn Manson-esque "Feed Our Fame," the energy never lets up.

To put it plainly, this is one of the best industrial-rock albums in the past several years. If you even remotely like KMFDM, buy it.

- Jesse Davis