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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Power |
| 2. Apathy |
| 3. Rules |
| 4. Craze |
| 5. Dogma |
| 6. Inane |
| 7. Blame |
| 8. Son Of A Gun |
| 9. Ikons |
| 10. Wrath |
| 11. Fairy |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Audio CD
Xtort shows a KMFDM back to push the boundaries further after the more "commercial" (but nonetheless different) Nihil of 1995. It sees a return of the unsuaual rhythm patterns seen in the past, as well as some awesome synth and fantastic guitar riffs.
Some tracks, such is IKONS sound like the ever-so-familiar punk/industrial/techno offring from the UK, The Prodigy. Maybe this is the influence of Scottish vocalist Chris Connelly, or maybe this was just the sound at the time, with The Prodigy beginning to emerge into the mainstream.
As is usual with KMFDM, there is very little in the way of singing, except from the backing vocalists, who add a bit of an American 80s feel into the whole thing. You are not, however sold short with the vocals, which do more than simply add an extra layer to the sound. Sung they not be, but they are still an integral part to the sound of the album, and are one of those things which can help you pick out a KMFDM track even if you have never heard it before, despite the ever-changing list of vocalists.
The song Inane is a perfect example of this, with vocals almost spoken into the microphone.
The remastered copy (2007) sees the improvement of the sound quality from before, to bring it in line with the 21st century, but KMFDM have resisted the urge to modernise their songs any further, and risk butshering and destroying an amazing formula. They have, however added a brand new track, called Fairy. Rather than being a song, this track is a narrative (I beleve, but don't hold me to this, that it is read by Sascha). The story is that of a fairy with...erm...urges. I shan't go on any further, and ruin an enjoyable and very funny listen for you.
The songs themselves do not sound outdated, instead they may as well have been recorded yesterday. What this album does is offer a chance for new fans of KMFDM to hear the classic tracks, which are often less publicised than their modern counterparts, and to form a bigger picture of what KMFDM is all about.
Xtort is definatly an album that any new fan must own!
Some tracks, such is IKONS sound like the ever-so-familiar punk/industrial/techno offring from the UK, The Prodigy. Maybe this is the influence of Scottish vocalist Chris Connelly, or maybe this was just the sound at the time, with The Prodigy beginning to emerge into the mainstream.
As is usual with KMFDM, there is very little in the way of singing, except from the backing vocalists, who add a bit of an American 80s feel into the whole thing. You are not, however sold short with the vocals, which do more than simply add an extra layer to the sound. Sung they not be, but they are still an integral part to the sound of the album, and are one of those things which can help you pick out a KMFDM track even if you have never heard it before, despite the ever-changing list of vocalists.
The song Inane is a perfect example of this, with vocals almost spoken into the microphone.
The remastered copy (2007) sees the improvement of the sound quality from before, to bring it in line with the 21st century, but KMFDM have resisted the urge to modernise their songs any further, and risk butshering and destroying an amazing formula. They have, however added a brand new track, called Fairy. Rather than being a song, this track is a narrative (I beleve, but don't hold me to this, that it is read by Sascha). The story is that of a fairy with...erm...urges. I shan't go on any further, and ruin an enjoyable and very funny listen for you.
The songs themselves do not sound outdated, instead they may as well have been recorded yesterday. What this album does is offer a chance for new fans of KMFDM to hear the classic tracks, which are often less publicised than their modern counterparts, and to form a bigger picture of what KMFDM is all about.
Xtort is definatly an album that any new fan must own!
Format:Audio CD
The chourus of the first track "power" ("we've got the power...") sets the scene for the rest of this industrial soundscape, and with the mid nineties KMFDM in full flow on this album, its pretty hard to argue. although not as memorable as the previous year's "Nihil", this LP should be in every KMFDM fan's collection. with such stand out tracks as the audio anarchy they call "Apathy", the intelligent ramblings known as "Dogma" and the absoloute classic speed industrial anthem "Son Of A Gun" this shows KMFDM in one of their more focused and finely tuned hours.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
42 reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
A fun, wonderful album
27 Aug 2007
Format:Audio CD
... not exactly the words I would typically describe Industrial music, a genre that sometimes gets weighed down by taking itself too seriously at times. KMFDM is band that knows how to liven Industrial up, making their songs closer to party anthems than gothic dirges.
Xtort sports an impressive list of guest participants in addition to the core duo of Sascha and En Esch. The flow of the album is very impressive considering the variety of contributors and the changes in tempo and mood from song to song. Some tracks lean heavier on the guitar riffs, some on crazy beats and tempos, while others distinguish themselves by the person handling the vocals.
There are no weak tracks on this album, but if I had to highlight a few for listening I would include "Rules" (a great beat coupled with having one of the best chorus in KMFDM's history), "Inane" (faster paced, with boastful lyrics that reference older titles from their past), "Son of a Gun" (intense, zooms at breakneck speed while remaining tuneful throughout), and "Wrath" (it sounds solemn but if you listen to the lyrics it's actually quite humorous, nice contrasts between verse sections and chorus).
Xtort also sports my favorite Brute cover art. I intend to pick up the remastered CD real soon, so I might update this review to contrast the new version with the older one I already own.
UPDATE (10/03/07): I now have the remastered version for this CD to comment on. The sound does improve from the original a bit (the bass seems deeper on this one). The band photos that were in the original booklet are still there, plus ones that weren't.
For those who are new to Xtort when picking up this remastered version might be interested to know that the "bonus" track ("Fairy") is not a unique addition. It was a hidden track at the end of the original CD, now it can be accessed by its own track number
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Xtort sports an impressive list of guest participants in addition to the core duo of Sascha and En Esch. The flow of the album is very impressive considering the variety of contributors and the changes in tempo and mood from song to song. Some tracks lean heavier on the guitar riffs, some on crazy beats and tempos, while others distinguish themselves by the person handling the vocals.
There are no weak tracks on this album, but if I had to highlight a few for listening I would include "Rules" (a great beat coupled with having one of the best chorus in KMFDM's history), "Inane" (faster paced, with boastful lyrics that reference older titles from their past), "Son of a Gun" (intense, zooms at breakneck speed while remaining tuneful throughout), and "Wrath" (it sounds solemn but if you listen to the lyrics it's actually quite humorous, nice contrasts between verse sections and chorus).
Xtort also sports my favorite Brute cover art. I intend to pick up the remastered CD real soon, so I might update this review to contrast the new version with the older one I already own.
UPDATE (10/03/07): I now have the remastered version for this CD to comment on. The sound does improve from the original a bit (the bass seems deeper on this one). The band photos that were in the original booklet are still there, plus ones that weren't.
For those who are new to Xtort when picking up this remastered version might be interested to know that the "bonus" track ("Fairy") is not a unique addition. It was a hidden track at the end of the original CD, now it can be accessed by its own track number
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Great place to start
16 Sep 2005
Format:Audio CD
Having been tentative about the band at first, only to eventually become a rabid collector, I understand how hard it is to recommend a starting point. This isn't my favorite album, but it offers the best mix of KMFDM's ever-changing but always driving marriage of humanism and egotism, action and pretention.
If you end up favoring the beat, look to ADIOS and MONEY.
If you end up favoring the ultra heavy, see WWIII and ANGST.
If you still aren't convinced, remember that if it seems corny it isn't an accident. If that fails, find how HAU RUCK provides the most perfectly blended sound to date.
If you end up favoring the beat, look to ADIOS and MONEY.
If you end up favoring the ultra heavy, see WWIII and ANGST.
If you still aren't convinced, remember that if it seems corny it isn't an accident. If that fails, find how HAU RUCK provides the most perfectly blended sound to date.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Good follow up to a masterpiece
5 Mar 2005
Format:Audio CD
KMFDM's Nihil was and is one of the greatest albums ever, in any genre. Naturally, the band wanted to follow up with something similar, but like always they did things to make it feel new. It has more guests than any other KMFDM album, and that does a great deal to add to the variety. Yet, it still has the classic KMFDM feel. It's not quite as good as Nihil, but it's a worthy successor.
1. Power - 5/5
What we've come to expect of the band. Lyrically it's a reworking of the Excessive Force song Violent Peace, but musically it feels like a Juke Joint Jezebel part two, complete with the female vocals on the chorus.
2. Apathy - 5/5
Probably one of the heaviest songs KMFDM has done. Sounds a bit like Flesh, from Nihil, but with Sascha on vocals instead of Raymond.
3. Rules - 5/5
This one's a bit more laid back, and has Chris Connelly, of Ministry fame, on vocals.
4. Craze - 4/5
Another one with Connelly. Not quite as good as Rules, but still a good song.
5. Dogma - 5/5
A cool political song with spoken word artist Nicole Blackman on vocals. She seems to be a great lyricist, and they are the standout feature on this track.
6. Inane - 5/5
A classic kind of KMFDM song with a bunch of old lyrics inserted. Nostalgic for longtime fans; perhaps a bit annoying for newcomers. Luckily, this was the fourth album I purchased by them. It also features the album's only performance by En Esch on the guitar solo.
7. Blame - 5/5
The intro will throw you off thinking it's a ballad, but it ends up being a cool song with horns. I think Disobedience had better use of them, but it still sounds cool here. It has Connelly on vocals.
8. Son of a Gun - 4/5
Not one of my favorites, but it's still pretty good and the music video was pretty cool. Lyrics are kind of weak, though.
9. Ikons - 4/5
This is another song with Connelly. Again not one of my favorites, but it is another solid track.
10. Wrath - 5/5
The album ends on a high note. Probably the darkest track on the album.
11. Secret Track - 3/5
This isn't really part of the album, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. After a while on Wrath, Gunter Shulz will start playing piano, and some one starts telling some weird fairy story. It's a bit ammusing(it's a dark comedy about a fairy), but it wasn't really worth putting on the CD.
Overall, I'm torn between whether or not to give this 4 or 5 stars. As good as this album is, is Nihil is better, and this album could've used some help from Raymond Watts and En Esch(one guitar solo doesn't cut it). However the addition of Chris Connelly mostly makes up for the lack of Watts, and there's enough original stuff here to make it worth buying for any KMFDM fan. I'd give it a 4.5, if given the option.
1. Power - 5/5
What we've come to expect of the band. Lyrically it's a reworking of the Excessive Force song Violent Peace, but musically it feels like a Juke Joint Jezebel part two, complete with the female vocals on the chorus.
2. Apathy - 5/5
Probably one of the heaviest songs KMFDM has done. Sounds a bit like Flesh, from Nihil, but with Sascha on vocals instead of Raymond.
3. Rules - 5/5
This one's a bit more laid back, and has Chris Connelly, of Ministry fame, on vocals.
4. Craze - 4/5
Another one with Connelly. Not quite as good as Rules, but still a good song.
5. Dogma - 5/5
A cool political song with spoken word artist Nicole Blackman on vocals. She seems to be a great lyricist, and they are the standout feature on this track.
6. Inane - 5/5
A classic kind of KMFDM song with a bunch of old lyrics inserted. Nostalgic for longtime fans; perhaps a bit annoying for newcomers. Luckily, this was the fourth album I purchased by them. It also features the album's only performance by En Esch on the guitar solo.
7. Blame - 5/5
The intro will throw you off thinking it's a ballad, but it ends up being a cool song with horns. I think Disobedience had better use of them, but it still sounds cool here. It has Connelly on vocals.
8. Son of a Gun - 4/5
Not one of my favorites, but it's still pretty good and the music video was pretty cool. Lyrics are kind of weak, though.
9. Ikons - 4/5
This is another song with Connelly. Again not one of my favorites, but it is another solid track.
10. Wrath - 5/5
The album ends on a high note. Probably the darkest track on the album.
11. Secret Track - 3/5
This isn't really part of the album, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. After a while on Wrath, Gunter Shulz will start playing piano, and some one starts telling some weird fairy story. It's a bit ammusing(it's a dark comedy about a fairy), but it wasn't really worth putting on the CD.
Overall, I'm torn between whether or not to give this 4 or 5 stars. As good as this album is, is Nihil is better, and this album could've used some help from Raymond Watts and En Esch(one guitar solo doesn't cut it). However the addition of Chris Connelly mostly makes up for the lack of Watts, and there's enough original stuff here to make it worth buying for any KMFDM fan. I'd give it a 4.5, if given the option.
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