Unitron
Nihil is the eighth studio album from industrial metal/rock band KMFDM.
Continuing on from the aggressive and snarky industrial assault of Angst, KMFDM once again releases another masterpiece and a classic industrial metal album. If you've heard KMFDM at all, chances are that songs from this album are the ones you've heard. Even if you're an industrial metal fan and never heard KMFDM, you've probably seen the iconic cover artwork which appears to be a parody of the famous Mona Lisa.
While Ministry brought industrial music to the mosh pits, KMFDM brought thrash metal to the dance floors as easily seen on this album. Nihil takes the crushing thrash and heavy metal of Angst and blends it incredibly well with the industrial dance of What Do You Know, Deutschland? Just listen to any of the songs on the album and you'll immediately want to head bang and groove to the crushing riffing and the infectious hooks. "Juke-Joint Jezebel" is a perfect example of this sound, and perfectly blends razor-sharp heavy metal and groovy thrashings with one of the catchiest choruses in metal.
"Flesh" is probably my favorite, and has showcases some of the best thrashings on the album. The vocals of Sascha Konietzko and En Esch once again present some of the best sneering vocals on the album, with the latter's performance on "Flesh" especially having a raspy viciousness. "Search & Destroy" is another thrasher with a killer guitar solo and Konietzko's commanding vocal attack. "Brute" showcases more of Konietzko's vocal commands, being somewhat reminiscent of Devin Townsend during the time of classic Strapping Young Lad. Take a listen to the lines of "BRUTAL-IZE ME, I WILL HEAL" and try not to scream along. Dorona Alberti provides excellent vocals on the melodic end, just listen to "Revolution" and "Trust" and you'll hear the best mix of industrial thrash and melody. Konietzko and Alberti's vocals play off of one another perfectly along with the kickass guitar riffs.
Nihil is in every way an industrial classic. This has great melody, crushing thrashings, infectiously catchy hooks, and pissed off vocal sneers all wrapped into one killer album. KMFDM were at the top of their game here, and this is an essential listen for any fans of industrial metal and open-minded thrash fans. Hope you found this review helpful, feel free to comment!