The nucleus of KMFDM is en Esch and Sascha Konietzko, but the ensemble expands and contracts to accommodate whoever else feels like sitting in. The duo's eighth album is the product of a first-rate lineup that includes former Ministry drummer William Reiflin, Einstürzende Neubauten's F.M. Einheit and Revolting Cocks veteran Chris Connelly. The 10 tracks on Xtort are grounded in KMFDM's smart synthesis of metallic crunch, swiveling rhythms and sophisticated electronics, but it's the organic elements that give the album a zesty twist. An entire horn section pipes up in "Blame," brassy flashes of faux trumpet cut through the dense, staticky anxiety of "Craze," and "Rules" grinds and wails with just a touch of Hammond B-3 organ in the mix. The clattering "Dogma" revolves around a biting diagnosis of modern society, and the foreboding "Wrath" concludes in a lurid spoken-word fairy tale (with piano accompaniment) that's both silly and unsettling. In their insidiously arty and intellectually sassy music, KMFDM continue to bring diverse elements together to create a unified whole. (RS 738/739)

SANDY MASUO