KMFDM : " Hyëna"

22 albums later and KMFDM is doing it again. This might be the band's most rock n roll album. Yes, there are electronic elements in place. The guitars do not bring the synchronized crunch that once had them labelled as an industrial band. The title track is the first song that offers a dramatically different sonic shade than the first three songs. Some of the change could have been in the mix, at times the guitar tone being less metallic in its distortion and taking a groove with more reverb heavy tones ruling the fret board. That is not to say there are no guitar solos, as they have plenty of those. Sonically it has more in common with My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, as it is more fun loving and less aggressive militant guitars. The first hin of the old Reich is on the somewhat darker pulse of " All Wrong- But Alright". 

They switch gears into a more punk feel with "Blindface". The organ solo added to the song balances the rushed punk feel out. Lucia continues to prove herself as a vocalist. "Immortally Yours" might be the album's best song, with her steamy vocals and reverb thick guitars. This offers a different sonic color than what we normally get from these guys. You can still tell it's KMFDM, but it is a fresh revision of their sound. If it flies with me then it means they are doing something right as I am normally more rigid about bands changing their sound. 

"Liquor Fish & Cigarettes" finds the hook of the chorus saving this song. It has more of a bounce than a march. This does lead them to more of a groove than the working parts of this song might lead you to believe it is capable of. "In Dub We Trust " is not what I want from this band. With said while the sounds compiled to create this are well-crafted, it does not play to the strength of who they are. With that said I think it gives me enough reason to round this down to a 9.  Yes they are held to a higher standard when I know what they are capable of. This might need more time to grow on me. The album is being released on Metropolis Records.