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KMFDM - Angst review



Reviewer:
N/A

58 users:
8.19
Band: KMFDM
Album: Angst
Style: EBM, Industrial metal
Release date: 1993
A review by: jupitreas


01. Light
02. A Drug Against War
03. Blood (Evil-Mix)
04. Lust
05. Glory
06. Move On
07. No Peace
08. A Hole In The Wall
09. Sucks
10. The Problem

Review of the 2006 re-release

Originally released in 1993, Angst was the album which saw KMFDM perfecting their own brand of dancy industrial metal and cementing the formula of songwriting that they essentially follow to this day. Being long out of print, I have a sneaky suspicion most younger fans of this band acquired Angst through all kinds of illegal means so it is very good that Metropolis has finally decided to re-release a digitally re-mastered version of this classic. Now we can all hear these songs without the hiss of an audio tape, the harshness of early CD mastering or the compression artifacts of mp3 files.

Unfortunately, besides offering the afore-mentioned high quality digitally re-mastered versions of the original tracks and a beefed-up 20 page booklet, this re-release actually leaves a lot to be desired. Even my own old CD release of Angst had more tracks on it than this re-release. Also, there are various out-takes and b-sides from this era (included on singles and Agogo, which is also out of print) that should also have found their way onto a proper re-release of this classic album. In fact, this version of Angst simply includes no extra tracks and this to me is a bit of a joke.

With all this said, there is no denying that if you don't own this album yet or haven't even heard it, the music on it speaks for itself and is definitely worth the price of a CD. "Light", "A Drug Against War" and "Glory" are still some of KMFDM's best songs and the more electronic tracks such as "Lust" and "Sucks" really benefit a lot from the enhanced sound quality that this release offers. Finally, let us not forget possibly the greatest gem in KMFDM's discography - "The Problem", with its proto-trip-hop leanings, still sends shivers down my spine whenever I listen to it.

All in all, although this re-release could definitely have been much more comprehensive I still think it is very recommendable for anyone interested in KMFDM and industrial metal music. If you don't own this album yet, get it!





Written on 07.02.2007 by With Metal Storm since 2002, jupitreas has been subjecting the masses to his reviews for quite a while now. He lives in Warsaw, Poland, where he does his best to avoid prosecution for being so cool.


Comments

Comments: 1   Visited by: 54 users
01.07.2007 - 19:25
Introspekrieg
Totemic Lust
Elite
Found the remastered versions for only 9.99 at Hot Topic , decided to replace my scratched-up discs that I came into ownership of through a non-paying tenant's cd collection that he left behind after fleeing town. Funny that you mention illegal means of obtaining the out-of-print albums, although you can occasionally find "used" copies at cd stores. Updated my copies of Naive, Angst, Nihil, Xtort, and Symbols and definitely enjoy this album equally. The guitar-driven songs are most enjoyable, while some songs just get too repetitive. "Sucks" definitely benefits like you say with the remastered sound quality. Overall good review for the reissue and excellent points (#1. lack of bonus tracks.) Me personally, I am always changing my opinion on their music each time I listen, sometimes the songs just sound inconsistent, other times they just appear to flow well and keep me interested. For Angst: 7.9/10
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