With an association as prolific as the one that Raymond Watts had with KMFDM, it’s inevitable that there will be comparisons from time to time. While Watts’ work as <PIG> is definitely its’ own monster, the latest offering in this current second coming of the Industrial giant is easily Watts’ Nihil. Filled with all the substance to back up that larger-than-life swagger, Pain Is God is a hefty record encapsulating all that’s made <PIG> great yet soaked in this mid-90’s synthetic haze.
And nothing celebrates that statement more than the title track which has all the bravado and style of <PIG>’s earliest releases mixed with those unlikely radio hits that became anthems in the KMFDM catalog around the same time (You know the song we’re talking about). From there, this weird and wonderful journey continues as the funkified furiosity of “Cursed” lays down one of the biggest choruses ever by Watts on a track that is intrinsically intricate and even more interesting on repeated listens.
Capped off by a downright sinister piano drone toward the end, the main stomp of “Mobocracy (Militant Mix)” might share some DNA with the self-proclaimed GOD Of Fuck but only slightly as Watts has always been the innovator. “Badland” is a fun rabble rousing romp replete with a horn section adding some extra flair while “The Wages Of Sin” is a slow building epic Industrial banger in the vein of old school <PIG>.
“Seed of Evil (PIG mix)” is large and in charge with swirling synths and grand guitar lines, “Deliverance” is a macabre, glistening ballad like only <PIG> could deliver becoming a symphony of serene sequences, and “Drugged Dangerous & Damned” is an eclectic curiosity with a sustained groove and hypnotic hum permeating throughout….and with a catalog as already diverse as Watts’, it’s refreshing when there are still surprises to be sprung upon listeners.
The KMFDM Klassic “Kickin’ Ass” is like “We Care A Lot” meets early Depeche Mode here and later, “Confession (The Sacrificial Mix)” is Middle Eastern-tinged and mystical with hints of “Kashmir” seeping in along with these orchestral/cinematic elements reminiscent of some of Eric Serra’s film score work.
“Sex & Death (Evil Edit)” follows the EP of the same name which dropped in July and within the context of Pain Is God, listeners get a version that’s a little more majestic and a little more menacing. Then “Suffer No More” lands and caps off a powerful album of new <PIG> oddities with this mystifying, ’80’s-tinged New Wave/Electronic outlier complete with Gospel-like back up vocals and wailing guitar solos.
Pain Is God arrives via Metropolis Records and Armalyte Industries on November 20th. Pre-orders are up now and can be perused and purchased by heading here, here or here. For more on the Lord Of Lard, follow him on the appropriate social media pages by clicking here, here, or here.