The most frustrating thing about
WWIII is that it's so darn inconsistent. Kicking off with the
Atari Teenage Riot-sounding and George Bush Jr.-sampling title track,
WWIII sounds like it's going to be an inspired affair. The Bush-led Iraqi war has given
KMFDM plenty of fuel for their disdain toward America circa 2003, so listeners with differing views will find little to like about the lyrics. On the fierce "Jihad," the band paints the human race as "a dying species" that is "poor sick dumb numb feeding on feces."
Lucia Cifarelli's vocal and songwriting contributions are excellent (the forgettable tracks don't feature her writing), and her near-pop "From Here on Out" ends up as the highlight of the album. The nihilism keeps up until the silly "Intro" roll-calls the band à la
the B-52's' "Song for a Future Generation," and of course, closes the album. It's a cute little ditty, but it's almost dumb enough to wipe away any chance of taking the rest of the album seriously. There's about five or six songs' worth of truly great
KMFDM with the just-right combination of churning guitars, symphonic keyboards, and stern vocals lesser bands imitate. Perhaps in a race to be topical,
WWIII too often sounds rushed and unfinished, with material that
KMFDM's followers would pass on.