Since KMFDM formed in 1984, fans have been speculating about the meaning of the acronym. With the release of the new album, the mystery is finally solved.KMFDM stands for “Kein Mehrheit Fur Die Mitleid,” which, roughly translated, means “no pity for the majority.” Contrary to rumor, KMFDM does not stand for “Kill Depeche Mode” (the creative mind can figure out what “MF” means).However, the band has given listeners a new mystery – how to pronounce the album’s title, which is simply five symbols: a “pow!” symbol, a skull, a bomb, a snake and a fist.The album features KMFDM founders En Esch, Sascha Konietzko and Günter Schulz, as well as a myriad of collaborators. They include Abby Travis, Ogre of Skinny Puppy, Tim Skold of Skold, Michael Bassin of Treponem Pal and William Rieflin of Ministry and Revolting Cocks, as well as former KMFDM member Raymond Watts of Pig.On this release, KMFDM mixes the styles of their former records, giving listeners a generous helping of the electronic dance beats in “Money,” a smattering of the heavy guitars of “Angst” and “Xtort,” and a large portion of the industrial pounding in “Nihil.” This blend gives the band a fresh sound, but maintains their originality.The album begins with “Megalomaniac,” and, in typical KMFDM fashion, the band engages in tongue-in-cheek self-promotion with the lyrics – “KMFDM, better than the best/Megalomaniacal and harder than the rest,” sung in Konietzko’s detached rhythmic vocal style. Esch sings portions of the song in German, which has the ability to sound far more threatening than any other language, especially when spoken in Esch’s evil-laced tone. Even the “ü,” written in red type on a black background in the album notes, takes on a sinister look, despite its resemblance to a smiley face. For all most listeners know, Esch could be singing about how he finds inner peace in picking daisies or in watching a spring breeze caress the leaves of a giant oak.However, judging from the English lyrics, this is doubtful. For example, the lyrics in “Spit Sperm,” sung in Watts’ deep, menacing tone, include: “Your TV is my teacher/Confessional and preacher/Forgive me Lord for all this hate/I simply am inebriate.” The slinky bass line introduces the chorus of “Spit sperm spit,” which is followed by KMFDM’s signature fast, hard-hitting guitar, causing the song to alternate between haunting and aggressive.Slightly more electronic sounds are used in “Torture,” as the music bounces from stereo speaker to speaker. Ogre’s beautifully sinister rasp is put to good use as both a whisper and a shout. He takes on a fast-paced style when he sings, “The ant-like karma from the crack in the hand/Full painting on a mural in a foreign landfill/ Mind controlled by the pulley of the strings/So remote from the view from the puppetry swing set.”The sound of marching begins “Down and Out,” followed by a string of la la las, which only KMFDM can make threatening. Esch, Konietzko and Travis trade vocal duties, then join together for the chorus. The song features a saxophone, which creates an atypical sound for the industrial band. This track displays the lighter side of KMFDM that is more evident on “Angst” and “Xtort.” Most of the songs on the new album explore KMFDM’s darker, more industrial sound.Once again, KMFDM has proved they are, as the title of their upcoming tour claims, a “Treat for the Freaks.”