KMFDM Bring Drums & Ultra Heavy Beat To Summit Music Hall Denver, CO 8-17-15 w/ CHANT & Inertia

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There is a phrase that touring artists are familiar with which states, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong on a tour.” That statement is no exaggeration as many came to learn when KMFDM, CHANT, and Inertia’s Salvation Tour came to Denver, Colorado to play the Summit Music Hall on Monday August 17th. While the opening acts arrived, KMFDM’s bus not only broke down on I-70, but the whole highway was backed up with an eighteen wheeler having flipped. While many artists would cancel their show, KMFDM refused and found every way to get to the venue to perform. Luckily for the mass drove of fans lining up around the block, the show was only delayed thirty minutes. Kapt’n K could even be found stepping outside and personally apologizing to fans about the delay, thanking them for their patience, and signing some autographs while they waited. It was most certainly clear that come hell or high water, KMFDM was going to celebrate their thirty-second anniversary with Denver. However, not only was this a historic celebration of the band’s timeline milestone, it was also historic as CHANT is not only one of the few to join KMFDM for another tour, but it is the third tour to date with the kings of the Ultra Heavy Beat. Joining the duo was one of London’s premiere Electro/Rock cutting edge bands, Inertia, tying together probably one of the most energetic tour’s for one of Industrial’s godfathers.

While it was a first time exposure for many to Inertia, one should not even be calling them a freshman act. Having been around since 1992, Inertia was ready to put their best foot forward in the Mile High City. In Europe, they had already garnered respect from one of Electro’s cornerstone artists, Gary Numan, as he declared the band as not only one of the best, but most “aggressive” bands in London.

As the band laid out their Electro sound intertwined with a Rock edge, the crowd did not take long to get moving. Feeding off the energy from Inertia frontman Reza Udhin, who, while he did not have much room to move around in, used every inch to put on one intense show. Denver is known for being a town where new artists have a bit of a hard time, yet it was easy to hear the crowd eager to hit the merchandise stand as they were sold by the band’s unique sound. Be sure to check out their latest album Existentia out now.

In a time when Industrial music and the genius it created in the ’90s is virtually on life support, CHANT is a band keeping the air of creativity and progression alive and well. Hailing from Austin, Texas, their brash, heavy drum sound has been a well-guarded secret for several years, and is now thanks to three tours with KMFDM, been let out of hiding. Over the last couple years, the band has not only put together their long awaited masterpiece, Brave New Apocalypse, they have been adding to an already mind-altering sound, adding all new sonic landscapes.

The band wasted no time bringing their drum heavy sound on Denver with the title track from their new album Brave New Apocalypse. Fans who had seen them before were in for a treat as the band not only still stayed true to their drum heavy sound, but brought it full circle with addition of live guitars. Bradley Bills and company crafted their live set so well, rounding out the progression perfectly, where by the time the band kicked in with their track “Revolt,” the fans (new and old alike) were completely sucked in. Dancing, moshing, pogoing, it did not matter as there would be no way the crowd would keep still. The highlight would be the band’s showing of new track “Point and Click,” easily the band’s most haunting track, delivering visually somes of Bradley’s most disturbing lyrics. Bradley also fully embraced the role of frontman for the band as he climbed his gear and got up close and personal with the audience, fully delivering one of this year’s best live sets.

If, in 2015, one is not familiar with the history of the creators of the Ultra Heavy Beat, it could easily say there is not much hope them, and those individuals are in desperate need for life support in their music collection. Having risen from the great Wax Trax! Movement, KMFDM is a band that helped define the very landscape that most every Industrial act worth mentioning is playing on. It is hard to believe that the band is officially celebrating their thirty-second anniversary, but it is so evident looking into the crowd and seeing multiple age groups. One could even get a sentimental tear rolling as they want to applaud the good parenting, introducing their kids to the likes of KMFDM rather than Lady GaGa.

Coming out powerful as always, KMFDM delivered a set that truly reflected their growth over the past three decades, with the greatest of ease. The one aspect that can truly be respected in regards to KMFDM is that the current line up of Lucia Cifarelli (vocals/keyboards), Jules Hodgson (guitar), Andy Selway (drums), along with Steve White (guitar) joining anchor Sascha Konietzko really adds a certain heavy edge to older material that really brings it into a new light. While the band coursed through tracks such as “Light” and “Tohuvabohu,” the crowd really got a sense for what the band was, and is now. Unrelenting and unapologetic, the band really seemed to harness the commotion of the day’s earlier mishaps and unleash it on the crowd, who was all too happy to receive.

Closing out their set with an incredible encore of “A Drug Against War,” “Adios,” and “Godlike,” KMFDM sent everyone away completely satisfied with the output. While the Salvation Tour is now concluded, fans still have 2014’s Our Time Will Come record to spin, and hope for KMFDM to return with more electrifying shows sometime in 2016.