KMFDM – WWIII Live 2003 – Review

KMFDM

WWIII Live 2003 (Sanctuary Records)
by Wa

If you’ve heard KMFDM‘s 2002 release Sturm & Drang, then you’re already familiar with the KMFDM live album. This is basically the same sort of shtick. On this one, you get 14 tracks from their albums Angst, Nihil, and last year’s offering WWIII, that were recorded during their live performance in Chicago on October 27, 2003.

Unfortunately, in many ways WWIII Live 2003 is TOO faithful to the recorded versions. Nine of WWIII‘s tracks were reproduced nearly verbatim, the only difference being that, like all live mixes, the levels are much more muddy than on the recorded version. If this is meant to inform the audience of what to expect at one of their concerts, it fails miserably. Don’t get me wrong, I love the band, and a KMFDM concert experience is loads of fun, but it’s fun that’s entirely impossible to express on a live album. You won’t hear a lot of interesting anecdotes or unique versions of their songs in concert. What you’ll receive is a fair amount of biting guitars, pulsating synths, and plenty of energy and passion that can only be received if witnessed on DVD or through firsthand experience.

WWIII Live 2003 is a release that’ll be of interest to the hardcore fan, but it’s not suited for the casual fan on a limited budget.
(www.sanctauryrecords.com)