This month’s We Have A Commentary brings you an album-length discussion of KMFDM’s 1995 LP, NIHIL, as selected by our Patreon backers from a range of records by the long-standing German/American industrial rock act. A record of big hits and big misses, NIHIL prompts discussion not only of KMFDM’s quirky assemblage of musical elements and personalities, but also their position within the general alternative 90s zeitgeist. As always, you can rate and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play Music, or download directly or listen through the widget down below.
It makes perfect sense that you’d be asked to do this. And then Nihil turns to Nihil 1/5 into its running time and everyone switches off.
Nihil was probably my favorite album in 1995. Unlike many KMFDM albums, I think this one is really solid without any filler, though I understand your criticisms. I especially agree with the discussion about the lyrics pretending to be radical but not really saying anything. Even though I understand you both are not KMFDM fans, I was surprised to hear you dismiss Brute as a filler track. I always felt it was the highlight of this album (along with Ultra, Juke-Joint Jezebel, and Flesh) and is really catchy. Even though the album didn’t have Brute artwork, the Brute single did.
BTW – Trust also was on the Afterburn Wax Trax 94 compilation, which came out prior to Nihil. I remember I couldn’t get enough of that compilation (and Trust) when it first came out.