Customer Reviews

Angst

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Just kidding ;). KMFDM does not suck. They are easily one of my all time favorite industrial bands. For a long time, the band's catalog from the past decade had been out of print. Last year Sascha Konietzko finally was able to obtain the rights to the band's earlier albums and began to remaster and re-release them through KMFDM's own record label and Metropolis Records. One of the first handful of albums that released last year was the classic ANGST. Without a shadow of a doubt, the album sounds a hundred percent better than the 1994 version. The production on the original album is awful in comparison to the remastered version. The music sounds fresh as ever, never sounds dated or obsolete. Considering the current state of the world, ANGST captures the discontent that many Americans are feeling with its politically charged lyrics. The music itself is as abrasive as the lyrics with its searing guitar riffs and club friendly dance beats. I am glad that Sascha went through the painstaking task of remastering and re-releasing the band's earlier albums. They deserved it and to be heard all over again.

Most KMFDM fans would tell you Symbols is their greatest, however i personally much prefer this album to Symbols because i find that the problem with Symbols is that the album only has three extremely good tracks "Megalomaniac", "Stray Bullet" and "Leid Und Leid" and then the rest of the album just doesn't live up to the first three songs making it a bit of a dissapointment, whereas all the tracks on this album are great. I also found that Symbols was a little to techno for me, where as this album mixes electronics with nice catchy guitar riffages in the background.

Eitherway aside from that this is a terrific album mixing funky, catchy, rhythmic distorted guitar sounds with amusing electronics with sascha's blistering vocals and Dorona's nice female backing vocals and not to mention En Esch's german vocals which are beyond words. Other than that this album also features great synth's and great sampling work remiscent to ministry, oh and like many other reviewers have stated this album is humorous lyrically with tongue and cheek yet playful lyrics towards policy.

Some KMFDM tracks worth taking note of include their moshpit friendly industrial-thrash song "Drug Against War" which is very remiscent to Ministry(sampling, guitars, pace), and "A Hole In The Wall" is a well written(lyrically and musically) powerful love ballad and "lust" is a heavy electronic energetic song with En Esch growling in german. All the songs on here are great, ranging from 4 stars to 5 stars.

The thing i like about KMFDM is that they've always been trying out new things and experimenting which is what i look for in a band/musician such as adding a more metal edge to their sound as done on this album making it one of the best albums mixing metal with electronics along with Rammsteins highlight of their career "Mutter" and Fear Factory's classic "Demanufacture", and aside from that they are very creative and original, and this may be me but i find this album helps me think things over and reduce my stress. All in all this is a memorable well produced album with great musicianship that will be in my top albums list in years to come which i am working on.

KMFDM has put out so many delicious albums since the inception of that now-infamous moniker, and have developed a mainstay of fans since they bulleted to chart-topping heights and helped pull Wax Trax to new levels. Their earliest pieces (What do you Know) were a little on the crude side when it came to developing their sound, but the 90s brought out a KMFDM that knew how to throw its muscle around into guitar-driven political/industrial. This refinement begins to show within works like Money and is especially evident in works like Angst and Nihil, where KMFDM seems to lose a lot of the theatrics of the past and "finds its way."
And that way, as we all know, can be compressed in the words "Rip the System."

With Angst, KMFDM hit stride and dropped quite a few tracks that have become staples in their line-up. As an album it gets me pumped up when I listen to it, having so many great tracks on it and also possessing a flow from start to finish, proving that they are a powerhouse in the genre to contend with. The energy they have is electric and contagious, and it gets the day started off right.
Hitting some highlights:
"Light" kicks things off and showcases the turn KMFDM is taking. KMFDM is a self-hyping vessel too, and one that likes to say things about themselves. That's one of their charms and it starts early. The track also works to say that this isn't going to be a softer, more touching KMFDM, and I it. It's spawned an army of singles (the cover on Don't Blow Your Top is Amazing) and simply is a tasty "treat for the freaks." "A Drug against War," was huge when it came out, getting some video play before the little KMFDM "incident" that happened between the band and MTV, and it was noticed with good reason. It is perhaps one the most driven KMFDM tracks, has the political message KMFDM becomes synonymous with, and the vocals are pounding. "Strong than never, ever before, KMFDM is a drug against war!" Yeah. "Blood(Evil-Mix)" is a nice sound, dark in its own right and still staying with the flow of the album, and I like the vocal distortion used here. "Hold no head higher than your own." "Lust," powered by En Esch's German vocals, is utterly amazing. I love the way he sounds and I have to say that the song goes right up there with some of the best. "Glory" is also a great one in the KMFDM line-up, kicking in the political overtones. "Black man, white man, yellow man; Rip the System!" "A Hole in the Wall" is a little flavorful sexy taste, one I like, and most KMDFM listens are acquainted with "Sucks!"

As anyone familiar with KMFDM will tell you, the line-up shifts a lot and some "pros and cons" show up depending on what album you're in. So, the first thing to do is find what you like about KMFDM and then trace the line-up. I personally miss Raymond Watts on the albums he doesn't take part in and seek him out, sometimes like or dislike Lucia depending on how much of my supposedly Sasha-driven feel, and I still don't know about Skold (not that it currently matters) even though I liked Symbols. I also miss En Esch quite a bit these days (even though his side-project Slick Idiot is entertaining), thinking he added a touch to the songs driven by German lyrics. Still, the albums all comes together in their own right and any are nice to try out. This is a great example of some Sasha/ En Esch fusion, an perhaps a starting point if you like the sound portrayed herein.
"War and slavery, exploitation; the common thesis of a western nation."

KMFDM was one of the grandfathers of Industrial music. They were doing it well quite a while ago. Their sound includes a combination of harsh, German lyrics, grinding guitars, heavy drums, and more energy than an atom bomb. This is their best work, starting with their best track, Light. Other notable tracks include A Drug Against War and Glory. KMFDM's music is extremely energetic and really gets you pumped up. They've done some good stuff since, but I think that this is their best album.

KMFDM's ANGST reminds you what true, dare I say "industrial/ hard core techno" should be. With songs such as Light, Drug Against War, and Glory keeps this CD in the CD player with the repeat button stuck.

Angst is probably the first KMFDM album I can actually listen to and enjoy. All of their pre-1992 stuff is repetitive, with the same guitar riff over and over again as well as over-used sloganeering. Technically Angst is not much different: The sloganeering is still here, as well as repetitive thrash guitars, odd sampling, electronic effects, and their sense of humour. But somehow they managed to do it "Right" this time around. Songs like "Light" and "Sucks" are probably KMFDM's sense of humour at their best (Though there are some good ones later). "A Hole in the Wall" has probably their most disturbing lyrics yet. Also on Angst, their political side is found, with "A Drug Against War"(also their first mainstream hit), "No Peace", and "The Problem" being their continuing commentary on politics and society.

And so the KMFDM formula of either funny, disturbing or political songs (with little in between) suceeds for the first time. While it would later be done better (Fans of the metal guitars will probably like Nihil more, while fans of industrial/dance will like Symbols more, and XTORT + Attak sort of combine the two), Angst is the first time KMFDM succeeded with this formula.

This is the classic KMFDM album. It never lets you down. From "Light" to "The Problem", worth the money over and over again. The first track is a dance classic, with the typical cheesy female backgound chorus adding spice to the rhythm. "A Drug against War" is ultra-fast speed guitar-driven KMFDM, followed by the "Evil" mix of "Blood". Funk, rhythm, rock guitar. "Glory" continues the infectious beat with razor-sharp anti-establishment lyrics, followed by En Esch's German lyrics on the kool synth-based "Lust". This is followed by more downbeat numbers and climaxes with the passionate rock ballad "Hole In The Wall", of which the lyrics are the English version of the German lyrics from the "Naïve" album's "Liebeslied". A wholesome album with funky industrial, good lyrics and a sense of humour to boot. If you own anything by KMFDM it should be this.

Angst saw KMFDM taking a major step toward guitar-based industrial a la Ministry, NIN, et al. Unlike Ministry, which went full-on Black Sabbath, KMFDM mixes good doses of dance beats and synths underneath layers of guitar riffing. Also underneath the "angst" is a good bit of fun and humor, which help give the album a more balanced feel than many of its industrial counterparts (NIN). The album also boasts a few surprises as well, namely "Lust" and "The Problem". "Lust" is a very electro-groovey number (maybe industrial-disco is a good way of describing it) with En Esch growling in German throughout, while "The Problem" features solid, soulful female vocals and beats. Meanwhile, classic numbers like Light (featuring one of the few metal guitar lines that make you want to dance), A Drug Against War, and Sucks make this album a must for any KMFDM fan who likes the band's later output -- and has a sense of humor.

Also, be sure to check out the Light single, with 9 (that's right, 9) remixes of the song, including a "house" mix and one from the dark prince himself, Trent Reznor.

Early KMFDM saw the evolution of the ultra heavy beat into various distinct yet not entirely professional sounds. 1984-1992 can be seen as heavily experimental years for the band as they searched for their ultimate sound, coming close to the desired result with 1990's Naive and 1992's Money, yet finally perfecting it with 1993's Angst : a sophisticated release that generated the band's trademark sound. This is not to say that KMFDM ceased to experiment after 1993, but rather that they continued building on their sound rather than burning it down and starting all over again as done in previous years.

The first track, Light, founds and establishes the KMFDM sound for the years to come : crunchy guitar, awesome electronics, En Esch rasping in German, Sascha's mechanical voice and sultry female vocals - it's all here. Light begins as an industrial-rock song with a mid tempo, yet spirals into a surprising energetic chorus. In comparison to the verse, each chorus is like a mini climax. The fantastic vocals really add to this effect. The song is built on contrasts; Sascha's gruff voice and Dorona Alberti's beautiful singing as they sing back and forth to each other. For few precious seconds during a chorus in the latter half of Light, they sing together resulting in the climax of the song.

After Light is the much celebrated A Drug Against War, one of KMFDM's most famous songs along with Nihil's Juke Joint Jezebel. ADAW, KMFDM's fastest and heaviest song ever, is a blistering frenzy featuring political lyrics and creepy samples including the infamous "bomb the bejeepers out of those forces."

Blood (evil mix) follows ADAW (the original can be found on the ADAW single). Much like its predecessor, it's heavy and packed with metal guitar and solos. The chorus is awesome, as are Christine Siewart's vocals. A severely underrated track.

Lust, surprisingly titled in English, is an all-German track. Unlike Blood and ADAW, lust is heavy on the electronics rather than the guitars. Another demented love song of En Esch, we have the pleasure of hearing him growl in German, appropriately accompanied at times by Alberti. For fans of Lust, pick up pick up the Glory single which features a remix of this track by Chemlab. It's at least as good as good as the original.

Glory features one of KMFDM's most awesome guitar riffs. It's so awesome, in fact, that it inspired "The Only Good One's a Dead One" from Pig's masterpiece, Wrecked. Glory has the same intro as ADAW, and much like ADAW it has smart, politically charged lyrics.

Move On is probably the slowest and quietest track of the album, yet it still manages to incorporate heavy guitar and even some solos. Dark and bleak, melancholic and dreary, Move On is perhaps the only KMFDM song I'd describe as atmospheric.

No Peace is the album's most adventurous and eccentric track with a funky, fun and fresh sound. This is the best En Esch fronted track on the album as well as one of Angst's highlights.

A Hole in the Wall is an English metalicized version of En Esch's most famous love song, Liebeslied. Sascha does the majority of the vocals but En Esch contributes his bone chilling vocals to the chorus. A Hole in the Wall is a fine track , on par with the Infringement mix on Naive/Hell to Go, but nothing touches the original Liebeslied.

Track 9, Sucks, ironically Sucks. However, Sucks is a fan favorite regardless, not so much for the music but for the humorous lyrics and the playfulness of the band.

The album ends with The Problem, a slow and electronic track discordant with the rest of the album. The Problem is a stunning piece of work due to its main singer, the then 16 year old Dorona Alberti : KMFDM's finest and most talented female singer.

While Angst is not on par with later efforts Nihil, Xtort, and Symbols, it is regardless one of the band's most notable efforts and is recommended to all those who enjoy industrial metal of the highest quality.

KMFDM is definitely one of my all time favorite bands in the past decade, and one of the first industrial bands I started listening to in the past five years. Of the KMFDM cds I own, I would have to rank "Angst" as my least favorite compared to "ATTAK", "Symbols", and "Nihil", my three favorite KMFDM cds. Nevertheless "Angst" is equally as wonderful as "Money". The biggest drawback to "Angst" is the muddled production quality. It isn't in your face as "ATTAK" or "Symbols" are with their blistering industrial beats and caustic lyrics. The songs are incredible when performed live and the band just did that last summer when I saw them live. They played a few songs off "Angst". Compared to their other albums, lyrically the songs off "Angst" is darker and has a more political tone as opposed to their tongue-in-cheek lyrics traditionally found on their other albums. Considering the state of the world right now, the songs on "Angst" definitely has more meaning and significance as opposed to when this album came out ten years ago. "War" is a perfect example to that statement. My favorite songs has to be "Light", "Lust", and "A Drug Against War". The only other flaw with this album is that there is no Raymond Watts or Tim Skold. Vocalist Dorona Alberti does a great job. Like Abby Travis and Lucia Ciferalli, Dorona provides more melodies to the band's abrasive music with her sweet vocals. For all its flaws, "Angst" definitely goes down as a classic KMFDM album.