MDFMK

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German industrial-noise terrorists MDFMK (formerly KMFDM) resume their sonic assault, featuring grinding metallic guitars, hyperkinetic electronic beats, and blood-curdling screams. Sadly, their once-revolutionary approach has been so thoroughly co-opted by the hipster establishment that their latest album sounds, well, kind of played-out. Is the band to blame? Probably not, but they can be blamed for failing to up the creative ante. KMFDM was pioneering, seething, frenetic industrial rock back when Trent Reznor was just a gloomy high school kid who got his ass kicked a lot, but their latest offering is mostly indistinguishable from the serviceable, electronically-enhanced rage-rock that pours out of every big-budget action movie and video game produced these days. New vocalist Lucia Cifarelli adds a decidedly pop feel to the band’s blistering attack, but that only dulls their edge. Overall, the album’s not bad—in fact, some of it’s pretty good—but it won’t stick any forks in the eye of mainstream culture. It is mainstream culture.

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