Review: Douglas McCarthy – Kill Your Friends

Douglas McCarthy – Kill Your Friends
Released: Feb. 18th 2013 (digital) / Nov. 27th, 2012 (CD/Vinyl)
Label: Pylon Records

“And now for something completely different”, as Monty Python might say. Ok, the latest album from Nitzer Ebb founder Douglas McCarthy is not THAT different from his other works, but “Kill Your Friends” is a slightly different direction compared to Nitzer Ebb and Fixmer / McCarthy. Before you Nitzer Ebb fans freak out, “Kill Your Friends” is different in a good way.

McCarthy says, “Kill Your Friends represents a cross section of my musical history from my teens till now.” If you listen to the album straight through you can definitely pick up on this. “Kill Your Friends” is not as pounding and thumpy as much of Nitzer Ebb’s music nor is it quite as electronic dance as the Fixmer/McCarthy works. “Kill Your Friends” is kind of somewhere in-between.

Tracks such as “Hey” and “Find You” play out somewhat like mellower tracks of Nitzer Ebb. Slow grooves and electronic beats, with McCarthy’s vocals upfront and center providing atmosphere and rhythm. Whereas tracks like “All Kind of Wrong” and “Move On” are faster, heavier paced tracks with a more electronic dance feel.
One of the great things about “Kill Your Friends”, and what I rather enjoy when an album does it right, is that all twelve tracks work together but each track also stands out on it’s own.

Douglas McCarthy’s “Kill Your Friends” is a great album. If you’re only wanting the heavier EBM sounds of Nitzer Ebb, you might be a little disappointed. Go check out Nitzer Ebb’s album ICP if you want that. Though I think even those people will still get into “Kill Your Friends”. If you’re a fan of some of slower works of Nitzer Ebb and you enjoy the Fixmer/McCarthy work, you will dig “Kill Your Friends.”
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