KMFDM is one of the seminal industrial acts that defined the genre in the late 80’s and early 90’s. After reuniting and putting out Attak, they returned with WWIII. The lineup has been rotisserie ever since the late 90’s with classic members (Mark Durante, Gunter Schultz, En Esch, etc.) leaving the group and being replaced with other musicans. Main man Sascha Konietzko remains today and is joined in the current lineup by recurrent member Raymond Watts a.k.a. Pig. Newcomer Lucia Cifarelli is the only female member of this incarnation and she adds some explosive firepower to their music especially in the vocal department. This DVD chronicles the tour in support of WWIII and includes the full Chicago show. The performance audio is also available on CD.

Unlike their last tour which left out crucial songs from the playlist, this tour rectified the problem by adding KMFDM standbys like "A Drug Against War,” “Light,” and “Juke Joint Jezebel” to the mix. Aside from that, the vast majority of the songs are from the WWIII album. There is plenty of bonus and behind the scenes footage to keep any fan happy. The video starts off by introducing all the band members and crew and showing some footage from the rehearsals. “WWIII” is the first performance and it’s truly vintage KMFDM. A track like this reminds you of the golden age of industrial when Ministry, KMFDM and Nine Inch Nails ruled the world. Aside from this one asskicker, there really isn’t anything off of the new album that grabs me. “Stars and Stripes” comes close to reproducing the goodness of old but even that is kind of a pale shell of what they could be like.

The behind the scene footage is a mixed bag. Mainly you get them on their bus, backstage and the like. Raymond Watts acts like a kid at all times and annoys everyone around him. Much of the disc has Watts acting like a dickhead and the rest of the band reacting to him. Things like “The Spoon Incident” in which Watts throws a tantrum and tries and fails to break a plastic spoon are typical. One problem is that you cannot play the live show without the backstage stuff in between so the concert is interrupted constantly. In addition to the stuff mixed in with the live show, there are bonus backstage featurettes including a meet and greet with fans and interviews with the band. Strangely enough, there is a short vignette with the band going on a whale watching expedition where once again Watts makes an ass of himself.

The disc is packed with bonus features that make it an essential pickup for any die hard fan. Several music videos and TV spots for a few tracks are included as well. An extensive menu system that looks terrific is also a nice touch. In terms of content, this one begs to be put into a computer. The DVD-ROM materials are voluminous including text documents of tour diaries, lyrics, e-cards and the electronic press kit. There is no mistaking that this is a strategic release by the band on the eve of their 20th anniversary tour. So bottom line, if you’re a fan of WWIII or KMFDM, this is a must own. If you liked their older stuff, you’re going to be disappointed.