Hyena

Continuing the politically charged streak of late-2010s efforts Hell Yeah and Paradise, industrial veterans KMFDM returned in 2022 with another pissed-off set, the gnashing Hyena. Launching straight into the kill with the self-referencing "All 4 1" -- a reminder to listeners who may be unaware they are listening to the "Ultra heavy beat" masters "K-M-F-D-M!" -- the band kicks up a storm that builds into the riff-packed "Rock n Roll Monster," a sludgy dub-and-rap strutter complete with horn bursts, and the surprising "Black Hole," which finds Lucia Cifarelli channeling L7 atop the fist-pumping, arena attack of Van Halen. In a similar 80s-sized vein, the rollicking "Blindface" goes full, early Metallica thrash. The genre madness extends to "Liquor Fish & Cigarettes," a popping cut that slaps Prince guitars atop early NIN industrial funk, and the standout title track, which slams Sisters of Mercy and Rammstein together as Sascha Konietzko calls out the filthy scavengers in power. In perhaps the most political stance on the LP, the band takes a backseat and lets reality speak for itself on "Deja Vu," as a news clip concerning the January 6th Capitol riots plays over patient dub backing, while cuckoo-clock noises and horns herald the arrival of the "Deluded Desperate Dangerous & Dumb," a bouncy, yodel-packed denouncement of a certain American president and his followers. By peppering in these surprising production choices and bold socio-political statements, KMFDM keeps listeners on their toes with this energized burst of power, winking humor, and their always-reliable trademark sound. ~ Neil Z. Yeung