Attak

This is the right way to make a comeback. After messing around with poppy electronics and generally sounding lost after the loss of En Esch, KMFDM finally makes their triumphant return to style on Attak. Roaring out of the gate like it was 1992 all over again, the savage production and vicious approach of their new lineup (Sascha Konietzko, Bill Rieflin, and Tim Skold) sounds fresher than anything the group has attempted in a long time. Leaving off the fun-but-needless cover of "Boots" that was released a few months before this, the band is in rare form as they charge through the first few tracks. Distorted vocals, huge guitars, pounding drums — all signs that the band missed their "Drug Against War" approach as much as their fans did. They take time out to explore their new wave/keyboard side through the middle of the album, but the ugly production makes songs like "Yohoho" much less Depeche Mode-esque than their previous few releases. And by the time "StrumandDrang" kicks in, the band is again furious and ready to take on the world. They constantly mention themselves, the album has a few songs that are way too long, their lineup is unstable as ever, yet they still manage to patch together a few truly inspiring industrial metal anthems. In other words, this is vintage KMFDM, and thankfully they came to their senses before they disappeared into generic electronica rock obscurity.