KMFDM

Persistence is the key to longevity. Not many bands get to record their 24th studio album, but Sascha Konietzko is not like other musicians. For over four decades, KMFDM have been a consistent and charismatic force for subversion, with strong roots in the nascent industrial scene of the early '80s, and an unerring gift for combining electronics and metal riffs in such a way that the resultant hybrid always sounds like a fresh idea. A prolific force, particularly in the 21st century (13 albums so far!),KMFDM were ploughing this furrow long before MINISTRY started co-opting metal's aggression into their post-punk synth experiments. When it comes to electro-metal, Konietzko and his crew are the unofficial kings and queens of everything, and "Enemy" is simply their latest casual demonstration of superiority.

Often referred to as "the ultra-heavy beat," KMFDM's music is always evolving. With so many albums under his belt, you might infer that Konietzko must have run out of new ways to make the robots come alive, but "Enemy" suggests otherwise. Vastly more entertaining and musically liberated than reputation might suggest, this record presents the Germans as exuberant but willful guardians of the industrial metal code.

In contrast with some of their earliest work, KMFDM are battle-hardened pop songwriters these days. "Enemy" is full of immensely catchy and memorable songs, their accessibility underscored by big, burly riffs and electronic trimmings that draw from all manner of unlikely inspirations. In a less stupid timeline, mainstream success would follow, but KMFDM have become legends without ever compromising their vision to win over nonbelievers. The result of that doggedness and stoicism is that "Enemy" is always authentic and frequently irresistible. The title track is a fairly typical but still gripping slab of electro-metal with a refrain that refuses to relinquish its grip; "Oubliette" is a masterful pop-metal gem with bruising, industrial undercurrents and co-vocalist Lucia Cifarelli on ebullient form; "L'Etat" is a pounding, shuffling, dirt-rock groove, powered by a thudding, anti-disco pulse, like a futurist ROB ZOMBIE with a hard-on for brutal techno; and "Vampyr" is a stuttering, noirish rush of synths, beats, hard rock riffs and brute-force funk. Forcefully eclectic, "Enemy" refuses to placate genre purists, and is seriously great fun as a result. "You" is feverish, out-and-out alt-pop with acid squelches and infectious momentum; "Outernational Intervention" is snotty, industrial punk with kitsch sci-fi embellishments and blazing guitar solo; and "A Okay" is an almost comically uplifting demolition of GARY NUMAN's "Are Friends Electric?", with Cifarelli delivering goofy lyrics with twinkly eyed conviction. The remaining tracks sustain the unpredictable vibe, with "Catch & Kill" standing out as an obvious, radio-friendly crowd-pleaser, and "Stray Bullet 2.0"'s dub reggae detour working far better than it arguably should do. It definitely makes a nice change to hear a trombone on an album like this, that's for sure.

KMFDM have survived for so long that they have become an institution and an inarguable fixture in the alternative music world. "Enemy" is one of their strongest and most wildly entertaining efforts to date, and yet more proof that a singular identity is worth its weight in gold. Roll on album number 25.